The Dirt Late Model world converges on Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, for the 56th annual World 100 on Sept. 10-12. From a historic payday to Bobby Pierce’s pursuit of another Eldora milestone, here are five things to know entering the sport’s most prestigious event.
All three nights stream live on FloRacing, with racing scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
A Historic Six-Figure Payday Awaits
For the first time, the World 100 winner will collect a six-figure payday at $100,000. The three-day purse has grown to $680,200 — surpassing the Dream purse for the first time — with every Saturday feature starter guaranteed at least $5,600. The champion also receives the event’s iconic globe trophy.
Every Lap Matters Before Saturday
Thursday and Friday each feature complete preliminary programs capped by twin 25-lap, $12,000-to-win features. Under Eldora’s “Every Lap Matters” format, drivers earn points through qualifying and either their shootout or preliminary-feature finish.
Qualifying awards 200 points to the fastest driver in each group and decreases by three points per position, while preliminary features pay 300 points to win and also decrease by three per spot. Drivers who don’t transfer from their shootout receive points beginning with 222 for ninth place, decreasing by three per position.
A driver can earn up to 500 points each night and 1,000 across both programs. The combined totals seed Saturday’s six heat races before the Wheel of Misfortune determines an inversion of up to six cars, meaning every position gained or lost during the preliminary programs can reshape a driver’s path to the World 100.
Davenport And Pierce Chasing History
Bobby Pierce and Jonathan Davenport enter as the clearest of favorites — each pursuing a different piece of Eldora history. Pierce, who has won four of the last six Eldora crown jewels, can become the fifth driver to sweep the Dream and World 100 in the same season and the first driver ever to win five Eldora crown jewels over his last seven starts.
Davenport, meanwhile, can tie Billy Moyer’s record of six World 100 victories while keeping a remarkable streak alive: he's never gone four races between Eldora crown jewel victories since his first at the 2015 Dream. He enters the World three races removed from his last Eldora crown jewel in last year's Dream.
Recent Winners Arrived With Winning Momentum
Recent World 100 champions haven’t merely survived Eldora — they’ve entered the weekend usually firing on all cylinders.
Every winner since 2019 had accumulated at least 11 victories before World 100 week, while six of the last seven had 15-plus victories, plus won within their final two weekends of competition.
The last five — Ricky Thornton Jr. (2025), Bobby Pierce ('24), Hudson O'Neal ('23), Jonathan Davenport ('22), Brandon Overton ('21) and Jonathan Davenport ('21) — all had a victory within their previous three races entering World week.
Pierce (27 wins; one race since last win) and Davenport (14 wins; coming off $50,000 victory at Port Royal) are the only nationally-traveling drivers that fit that mold. Brandon Sheppard has 17 victories, but no wins in 14 races, while Hudson O'Neal has 16 victories, but none in five races — and winless with his SSI Motorsports team since May 14.
The following drivers are close: Nick Hoffman (nine wins; fresh off Sunday's Baltes Classic victory), Ricky Thornton Jr. (eight wins; two races since last win), Tyler Erb (seven wins; fresh off Portsmouth's $25,000 sweep), Devin Moran (six wins; fresh off Sunday's Hillbilly Hundred victory) and Mike Marlar (nine wins; three races since last win).
Recent history suggests the globe rarely goes to a driver still searching for his best form.
A Legendary Venue And Tradition
The World 100 has been contested at Eldora Speedway since its inaugural running in 1971. The high-banked, half-mile clay oval known as “The House That Earl Built” was founded by Earl Baltes in 1954 and purchased by Tony Stewart in 2004. More than five decades after its debut, the World 100 remains Dirt Late Model racing’s “Granddaddy of Them All,” with its coveted globe trophy representing one of the sport’s greatest prizes.