On his 34th birthday, Nick Hoffman reclaimed the World of Outlaws Late Model Series points lead by winning Friday’s feature at Mississippi Thunder Speedway. The victory was his fifth of the season and his third career win at the track.

He secured a top-four starting spot by winning a wire-to-wire heat and took the feature lead when Ethan Dotson jumped the cushion and hit the Turn 1 wall, removing Dotson as an immediate threat. With no serious challengers the rest of the way, Hoffman ran unchallenged to the checkered flag. Ryan Gustin finished second, Tyler Erb was third and moved past Tim McCreadie into third in series points, Dotson recovered to fourth, and Brent Larson posted a season-best fifth. Hoffman’s Friday result put him six points clear in the standings ahead of Saturday’s program.

On Thursday, Bobby Pierce won opening night of the Dairyland Showdown, a 30-lap race, marking his seventh win of the season and his third straight with the World of Outlaws. Pierce said he’d vowed to “get another one Thursday.” Pole-sitter Drake Troutman led early while Tim McCreadie, Ryan Gustin and Pierce raced closely and Hoffman stayed in contention. By halfway Pierce had cleared the pack and a decisive crossover with about 12 laps remaining shaped the run to the checkered flag. He nearly stalled with roughly 10 laps to go but retained enough speed and, with no late cautions to compress the field, held on for the win. On Friday Pierce lost his redraw spot after heat contact with Ethan Dotson and finished ninth in the feature.