1/24/2026
Brandon Sheppard Crowned Sunshine Nationals Champ at Volusia Speedway Park
Illinois Racer Claims Three Top-Fives in World of Outlaws Season Opener
SHINNISTON, W. VA (Jan. 26, 2026) — Brandon Sheppard and the Rocket1 Racing team made a statement to start the 2026 season, claiming the Sunshine Nationals championship at Volusia Speedway Park after three consecutive top-five finishes.
Sheppard’s runner-up honors in Saturday night’s $20,000-to-win finale secured the title for the five-time World of Outlaws Late Model Series champ, driving the Valvoline / Seubert Calf Ranches No. 1 Rocket Chassis Late Model.
“I think most of it is that we had a really fast race car all weekend,” Sheppard said after Saturday night’s runner-up. “We were really contemplating putting a 3 (compound right-rear tire) on tonight and we didn’t just because we’d been so good around the bottom and been so maneuverable in the race even with a soft tire on. The bottom just never quits throwing crumbs out on the track, so it really never hurts the tire, at least on our car anyway.
The three-race Sunshine Nationals weekend began Thursday with the seventh annual event doubling as the World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener. Sheppard advanced from a runner-up heat race finish to charge from sixth to third in the 35-lap feature.
On Friday, Sheppard gained one position in the main event to finish fourth, leaving him just one point behind Nick Hoffman entering Saturday’s finale.
Saturday night saw Sheppard once again finish second in his heat race before rallying from sixth to second in the $20,000-to-win feature. The runner-up result not only earned him another podium finish but also clinched the Sunshine Nationals championship.
With the strong weekend, Sheppard leaves Volusia Speedway Park atop the World of Outlaws Late Model Series point standings.
Complete results from the World of Outlaws opening weekend can be found at www.WorldofOutlaws.com.
Sheppard and the Rocket1 Racing team will return to Volusia Speedway Park for the 55th annual Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, scheduled for Feb. 9–14.
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.
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