“Mr. Smooth” returned to the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models for seven races in 2024 during Dirty Dozen Anniversary Year
CONCORD, NC (October 10, 2024) – Nothing has prevented Billy Moyer from racing a Late Model at the highest level in 2024.
While his schedule isn’t as intensive as previous years, the three-time World of Outlaws Late Model champion, from Batesville, AR, continues to find enjoyment at the racetrack aboard his recognizable No. 21 with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models.
“Everyone keeps asking me why I keep racing,” Moyer said. “There’s something inside me about driving the car is always fun for me. I love working on the cars, tinkering with things, the competitiveness of trying to beat the next guy with the different kinds of shocks and springs. It’s a lot of work for sure, but it’s rewarding when you win, which keeps me going. The amount of hours you put in is tough, but the royalty out of it is the big difference.”
Moyer’s history with the Series dates back to the original Ted Johnson-owned World of Outlaws Late Models in 1988 and 1989. He won both titles before the Series went dormant for 15 years. When the Series was revived in 2004, Moyer was a key member of the iconic Dirty Dozen – which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
“When the Dirty Dozen came about, they were wanting to guarantee that all 12 would be there for a points race,” Moyer said. “It was ahead of its time. Before that, I’m not sure how many people raced all the races. You had the check, but it was really about advertising the guys at the races. That was really the difference between the original run and the Dirty Dozen. Today, that model is still used by guaranteeing a good points fund and make sure the guys run all year long.”
Moyer earned his third Series title in 2005 after a nail-biting finale at Volusia Speedway Park in a points tie with Ashland, KY driver Steve Francis. Moyer won the tie-breaker by finishing one position ahead of the current Series Director.
With decades of stories and experiences, Moyer has seen the evolution of dirt Late Model racing through all aspects. In 2024, he said he believes the caliber of drivers is tougher now than in previous eras of dirt Late Model racing.
“The competition level is definitely tougher than what it used to be back in the day,” Moyer said. “The biggest thing is the products and chassis builders are way more involved than they used to be. Back in the ’90s and the early 2000s, you’d change the wheel based on the car with something that we’d come up with and you’d tell nobody else.
“Now, the chassis builders are involved heavily and you buy all those supplies right from them and you couldn’t do that back then. Guys like Bob Pierce, Donnie Moran, myself, Larry Moring, and others did stuff to our cars and lay on the bed thinking about how to make the car get around the corner better. That’s a huge difference to where we are now.”
Each new era of Late Model racing brings a new learning element for Moyer in adapting his driving style to a changing environment. While “Mr. Smooth” prefers to not go all-out each lap, he’s had to take a more aggressive driving style that keeps him in contention to win races.
“I used to drive off my right front tire to have the car go straight,” Moyer said. “Back then, it was the fastest way to get around. Now, these Late Models are built faster by being a little bit crooked. It took me a little bit to catch on to that and it keeps evolving every year. They’re built to run in yaw, as we call it. You got to be a little more aggressive than you used to be. Before, you could ride a little bit to keep the tires underneath you. There’s a little bit of it now, but not like it used to be. Today, if you start on the front row and you ride too much, you’re going to end up fifth on Lap 10. You gotta be up on the wheel a bit more than what you used to. That was one thing I had to teach myself.”
While his 2024 slate of Late Model races is complete, Moyer is not done racing with the best drivers in the country anytime soon. Moyer acknowledged the prowess of the new stars of the sport, including reigning Series champion Bobby Pierce and 2024 Dirt Late Model Dream winner Jonathan Davenport.
“I’m the old guy now and not the young kid like I used to be,” Moyer said. “I’m on the back end of my career and these guys are on the front end of their career. We’ve downsized to just a simple truck and trailer, which I love because it’s a simple deal. We want to run good, and you know when you park beside Jonathan Davenport or Bobby Pierce and we’re not close to the kind of stuff they get to play with or use to their advantage. We just try to get a good car and engine and try to have fun.
“There’s so many of these guys that are super teams and are equipped with all the technological components to back them up. It was different then, I was that guy at one point. My whole career, I always paid off all the bills myself. You race a little different when you own the gear than you do when a driver is hired for a team. For me, it’s just me and Steve (Norris), and it takes a lot of work to have everything ready for racing. We’re gonna keep plugging along, we’re gonna keep doing everything to run good, and hopefully win one along the way. We’re up against the best constantly, and we’ll see what we can do.”
The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models take to the racetrack once more for the 2024 season in World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Nov. 6-9. For tickets to World Finals, CLICK HERE.
New Berlin, IL driver Brandon Sheppard leads the standings, with Bobby Pierce 44 points back in second place, and Mooresville, NC driver Nick Hoffman in third at 50 points back from the Series lead.
If you can’t make it to the track, watch every lap of the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models season on DIRTVision – through your computer or mobile device.
EVENT INFO:https://worldofoutlawsworldfinals.com/
TRACK INFO:https://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/
FAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/