CONCORD, N.C. — The World of Outlaws have announced plans to return to competition with events at a pair of Iowa tracks – Knoxville Raceway and Boone Speedway.

On May 8 the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will visit Knoxville Raceway. The following weekend, on May 15, the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series will visit Boone Speedway. Neither event will be open to spectators, but both races will be broadcast by DIRTVision.

Both events will feature Hot Laps at 6:30 p.m. CT (7:30 p.m. ET), followed by qualifying and racing at 7:30 p.m. CT (8:30 p.m. ET) and include Saturday rain dates.

The events will be by invitation-only and all full-time World of Outlaws drivers are expected to be in attendance. Each race will feature a 48-car field, filled out with a mix of local, regional and national stars following a process guided by the World of Outlaws utilizing the top-18 in each of the following: World of Outlaws point standings (2019 & 2020) along with Knoxville Raceway (2019), DIRTcar Late Model National (2019) and DIRTcar Summer Nationals (2019) point standings.

Any eligible driver will be listed on the initial roster and will have 48 hours to contact series officials to accept their invitation. The field will be rounded out using World of Outlaws Promoter’s Choice, current iRacing DIRTVision standings and current series standings.

The World of Outlaws, working together with its series sponsors NOS Energy Drink and Morton Buildings, along with the support of several patrons of the sport, have confirmed both events will feature full purse payouts. Both races will pay $10,000-to-win and award full points for each championship.

DIRTVision will be offering a 20 percent discount on any new Fast Pass all-access subscription or single-event pay-per-view purchased at least three days prior to each event using Vouchers Codes: RETURNKNOXVILLE and RETURNBOONE. Existing subscription holders will receive a commemorative gift.

The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series Hawkeye 100 at Boone Speedway remains postponed and the series is hopeful to reschedule the event. The upcoming Brownell’s Big Guns Bash in June at Knoxville Raceway featuring World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car remains on the series schedule.

The race at Knoxville Raceway will be the first for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series since Feb. 9 at Volusia Speedway Park. The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series was last in action on March 7 at Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Speedway.

“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic we have been working diligently with partner tracks and City, County, and State government officials across the country to be prepared for our Return to Racing and we will follow a strict set of guidelines that exceed local requirements, including social distancing, utilization of every other pit stall, health screening, hand washing stations and the distribution of masks and bottles of hand sanitizer to everyone in attendance,” explained Brian Carter, Chief Executive Officer for the World of Outlaws.

“In conjunction with the management team at Knoxville Raceway we have been working with the Honorable Governor Kim Reynolds in Iowa to determine if and when a Return to Racing would be possible,” said Ben Geisler, Chief Marketing Officer for the World of Outlaws. “Governor Reynolds’ exceptional leadership during this crisis has been crucial during these talks, and her measured approach to opening Iowa back up for business has led us to this point.”

In late April, the World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing published a set of Operational Procedures and Guidelines to assist dirt-track operators in better understanding protocols established by the CDC and local Public Health Departments as it relates to returning to business in line with the Federal Government’s three-phase approach to Opening Up America Again.

“The World of Outlaws put together Operational Procedures for this kind of event and approached us about making it happen, their plan gave us and our local officials a lot of confidence and we hope that we can set an example for dirt tracks across the country by setting a good example,” said Robert Lawton, Boone Speedway.

“While racing without fans will be hard for all of us, these events at Knoxville Raceway and Boone Speedway mark an important step in getting the country back on track. Governor Reynolds, along with our City and Marion County officials have been key in making that happen,” said John McCoy, Knoxville Raceway Race Director and Promoter.