MARYVILLE, Tenn. Hot off his best year to date on the World of Outlaws Late Models trail, Ryan Gustin entered this year with new tools to take his performance to the next level.

He and his No. 19R squad werent far off from being championship contenders last year, picking up five wins and 18 top fives. So, to help take that next step, they brought on what they believed to be the missing ingredient new crew chief Cody Mallory.

We got to talking a little bit at the end of last year, Gustin said. He said he would do it, and thats really all it was. Hes obviously one of the best, if not the best out here I feel like, so to have him in our corner, its huge for our team.

Having worked for the likes of Scott Bloomquist, Bobby Pierce, Rocket1 Racing and several others in the past, Mallory has long had a knack for making dirt Late Models go fast. But any driver whos been through a change on the wrenches knows that it can take time for a pairing to gel and the success to start rolling in.

For Gustin and Mallory, their getting-to-know-you phase was almost nonexistent. On the opening night of the World of Outlaws season at DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals, Gustin led all 35 laps around Volusia Speedway Park en route to the 11th win of his career with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.

An 18th-place showing the following night may not have been what Gustin had in mind, but he rebounded three weeks later at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals with three-straight top 10s.

Those performances were enough to put him in unfamiliar, yet comfortable territory as the World of Outlaws points leader.

The Reaper has worked with his fair share of wrenchers in his nearly two decades of dirt track racing, but none of them had ever delivered results at the national level right off the bat.

Never in a Late Model, Gustin stated. Modified stuff, weve kind of done that, but I did the majority of stuff myself on the Modified side. But these things are so technical, youve got to drive so hard and everything. He does a hell of a job making it happen where you can get up on the wheel and make it happen.

However, Mallorys addition isnt Gustins only reason for optimism in 2025. Compared to the start of Gustins first year with Todd Cooney Racing one year ago when making it to the track was an accomplishment in itself the team is entering this season far more primed for the Outlaw grind.

Were way more prepared, Gustin said. I think we got a hauler maybe two weeks before Speedweeks started last year. It was a mad dash to get everything done and get down there. Its definitely nice to have everything we need and everything where it needs to be showing up, and obviously the results show.

You aint going to win them all no matter what, but its a hell of a lot better than weve ever done [at Volusia]. Most of the time Ive been there with any team weve struggled, cant get around the place. But the boys have been working hard, Codys one of the best in the business, weve got great car owners that give us all tools we need to do our job. Hopefully we just keep on keeping on here.

The next stop on tour will take Gustin to Smoky Mountain Speedway in March, where hes had strong runs in the past. He finished fifth in the most recent World of Outlaws race at the track in 2022 a few months before its reconfiguration into a three-eighths-mile facility.

However, Gustin has been even more competitive on the smaller layout, winning with the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series last April before finishing on the podium again in the tracks annual Mountain Moonshine Classic in June.

I feel really good about it, Gustin said. Since they reconfigured it, I think the worst weve ran is third, so were definitely looking forward to it.