One of the most versatile drivers in motorsports will try to complete “the double” on Memorial Day weekend. But not the one you’re thinking of.
Max McLaughlin will race in two different Series May 24-26. He’ll start the weekend at Ultimate Motorsports and RV Park in Elkin, NC, with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models, May 24-25, before flying to Syracuse to race with the Super DIRTcar Series at Weedsport Speedway on May 26.
It’s the second time McLaughlin will get behind the wheel of a Big Block Modified since last year’s World of Outlaws World Finals in November.
He said he’s taking some notes from his last time in a Modified as a lesson of what not to do at Weedsport.
“We were competitive at Port Royal,” McLaughlin said. “I made some stupid adjustments trying to treat it like it’s a Late Model, but it’s not. We had speed there. The biggest thing is I’m relying on (Heinke-Baldwin Racing crew members) Brandon (Ford), Emmett (Waldron), and Jimmy (Phelps) to do their thing with the car, and I’m going to show up and drive.
“I’ve always owned my own stuff, so I’m kind of leaving it to the HBR guys to set it up for me. I just have to worry about driving.”
McLaughlin’s Super DIRTcar Series return comes at a track he’s been successful at, scoring his first career Series victory at Weedsport during OktoberFAST in 2020. He’s also aiming to keep the momentum in a Big Block he had at the end of 2023, where he finished the season with three top fives and four consecutive top 10s in his last four races, including a runner-up finish at Super DIRT Week.
“[Weedsport’s] probably the place I’m most comfortable,” McLaughlin said. “I was pretty good at the end of the year everywhere we went. My crew chief at the beginning of the year was Tyler Murray. He’s a young kid, and he’s really sharp. Him and I work together really good and I thought if I stayed in the Modified we were going to start being a force. I would’ve liked to see what we would’ve done there.”
In his new venture with the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models, McLaughlin has already found success, winning a preliminary Feature during the Alabama Gang 100 at the Talladega Short Track in April.
Despite finding Victory Lane, McLaughlin said he knows he has a long way to go to compete for wins consistently.
“I still have a lot of proving to do,” McLaughlin said. “I haven’t really shown that I belong 100 percent. But the win was really cool. We’ve had some good success and some good speed. We just have to put whole nights together. When we do put a whole night together, we can do it. I just have to be smarter with my adjustments.
“We brought on Tyler now. He doesn’t know much about Late Models, but he didn’t know much about Big Blocks halfway through the year, either. I’m pretty confident in his knowledge that he can be a top crew chief in the sport. G.R. (Smith, the car owner) has been great. He’s taught me a lot about these cars so far, and it’s really helped speed up the learning process. I got a long way to go to put my name close to any of these guys yet, but it’s been a lot of fun.”
The two-day event at Ultimate Motorsports Park will be a home state race for the Mooresville, NC native, who lives less than an hour from the track. It’ll also be staged like Talladega with split Features on Friday and a massive finale on Saturday – paying $35,000-to-win/$3,000-to-start.
While McLaughlin isn’t running two different races in one day he’ll still have to manage a bit of traveling logistics.
“We land at like noon (on Sunday), and we’re going straight to the racetrack,” McLaughlin said. “I saw some pictures of everyone working on my new trailer up there. It’s pretty cool that they have a lot of interest and they’re putting a lot of effort into it.
“It makes me want to go up there and run good. And I’m thankful to have a car owner like G.R. Smith that lets me do it.”
McLaughlin kicks off his weekend with the two-night World of Outlaws Elkin Late Model Showdown at Ultimate Motorsports and RV Park on Friday and Saturday, May 24-25. Then, he’ll head to Weedsport Speedway with the Super DIRTcar Series on Sunday, May 26, for the Heroes Remembered 100. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, watch all Super DIRTcar Series and World of Outlaws Late Models action live on DIRTVision, either online or with the DIRTVision app.
