8/2/2025
Brandon Sheppard Scores Sixth-Place Finish in USA Nationals at Cedar Lake
Rocket1 Racing Prepares for North/South Weekend at Florence Speedway
SHINNSTON, W.Va. (08/04/25) – Brandon Sheppard gave it his all Saturday night at Cedar Lake Speedway in pursuit of a second career USA Nationals victory.
The New Berlin, Illinois, native mounted a late-race charge in the 100-lap crown jewel, reeling in leader Ryan Gustin before a lap-94 caution halted his momentum and reset the field for a seven-lap sprint to the finish. Piloting the Valvoline / Seubert Calf Ranches No. 1 Rocket1 Racing / Ace Metal Works Rocket Chassis Super Late Model, Sheppard ultimately crossed the line in sixth—extending his recent streak of strong finishes into the month of August."
“I love coming up here,” Sheppard said. “I really thought we had something for Ryan [Gustin] there at the end, but once that caution came out, I just couldn’t get back into the same rhythm on the top side. It’s a tough one to swallow, but I’m proud of our effort and glad we could give the fans a great race. This event is always electric. We’ll regroup and shift our focus to the North/South this weekend.”
The 38th annual USA Nationals brought Sheppard and 52 World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series entries to 3/8-mile oval, kicking off Thursday with the first of three nights of racing. Looking to replicate his 2018 triumph in the event, Sheppard came out strong, earning a second-place finish in his heat before charging from 10th to fifth in the 30-lap preliminary feature.
Friday’s program finalized the lineup for Saturday’s $100,000-to-win main event, and Sheppard once again showed speed with another runner-up heat performance, securing a top-10 starting spot.
Rolling off from the fourth row in the weekend finale, the five-time World of Outlaws champion wasted little time moving forward—climbing to third by lap 36 and taking over second on lap 47. However, the late caution erased his momentum as the laps winded down, and he ultimately settled for a sixth-place finish at the checkers.
Complete results from the crown jewel weekend can be found at www.WorldofOutlaws.com.
Next up for Sheppard and Rocket1 Racing is a return to Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series competition at Kentucky’s Florence Speedway. The 43rd annual North/South 100 presented by Lucas Oil features preliminary nights on Thursday and Friday ahead of Saturday’s $75,000-to-win finale.
Full event details are available at www.LucasDirt.com.
Rocket1 Racing would like to thank all of their marketing partners, which include Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Collins Brothers Towing Of St.Cloud, Rocket Chassis, Ace Metal Works, Durham Racing Engines, Five Star RaceCar Bodies, Gunter’s Honey, Performance Grading, Stiles Marine & Maintenance, Hoosier Racing Tire, Fox Racing Shox, Keyser Manufacturing, Petroff Towing, On Time Body & Graphic, Franklin Enterprises, Bubba Army, Sweet Manufacturing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Accu-Force Shock Service, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Rod Ends, Barnes Dry Sump Oil Systems, Bazell Race Fuels, Beyea Custom Headers, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Brinn Transmissions, Sharp Advantage Safety Products, CP Carrillo, Dohm Cycles, Fibreworks Composites, Hardrock Powder Coating, Howe Racing Enterprises, Jones Racing Products, Kenny’s Components, MSD, E3 Spark Plugs, Tel Tac, Performance Bodies, Peterson Fluid Systems, Powers Performance, Performance Rod & Custom, QuickCar Racing Products, MatMan Designs, Allgaier Performance Parts, Rocket Pre-Owned Motors, Show Trucks Unlimited, Simpson, Stealth Carburetors, Strange Oval, Suave Talk, Total Power Valvoline Pro-V Racing, Walker Performance Filtration, Wiles Driveshafts, Wilwood Brakes, Winters Performance Products, Wrisco Aluminum, Xceldyne Valvetrain, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
For the latest news and team updates, visit Rocket1 Racing’s official website at www.Rocket1Racing.com. Fans can also stay connected by subscribing to the official Rocket1 Racing mailing list at https://pages/Rocket1Racing.
Article Credit: Todd Boyd image
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