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After a career year with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models in 2024, Ryan Gustin is already looking to enhance that with the Series in 2025.
The Marshalltown, Iowa, driver will return for his fifth full season with the World of Outlaws next year and second year with Todd Cooney Racing.
“The Reaper” has picked up five Series wins. so far this year, in the Todd Cooney No. 19R – matching his total from his first three years with the World of Outlaws.
“It’s great, I mean honestly, I’ve never had better car owners than what I have now,” Gustin said. “Definitely feels good. You know, it takes some pressure off of you, and I feel like the more pressure you can take off yourself in situations like that, the better you’re going to perform anyway. Definitely couldn’t ask for better car owners and a better situation than I’m in now.”
Gustin made a name for himself in the Modified ranks, racking up two championships and 101 wins with the United States Modified Touring Series before switching to full-time Late Model racing in 2020. After one year racing regionally in the Midwest, Gustin made his first full-time run with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet in 2021.
He ended that year with nine top fives and 21 top 10s, good enough for a sixth-place points finish. Gustin matched those totals in his sophomore season in 2022, but this time around, he collected the first two wins of his World of Outlaws career at Sharon Speedway and Boyd’s Speedway, respectively.
The gradual improvement continued in 2023 as Gustin made three trips to Victory Lane – Sharon, Marion Center Raceway and River Cities Speedway. But prior to the 2024 season, he decided it was time for a change, departing Tri Star Promotions in favor of his current gig with Cooney.
“It was a little rocky at first,” Gustin said. “We didn’t have a hauler or anything before probably three or four weeks before speedweeks started. So, I mean, it was quick, fast, get everything going where I don’t think that we were exactly where we needed to be program-wise. Through the months, we got everything fine-tuned and then made the switch to these Infinity Chassis and that really propelled us to the next level.”
Equipped with the lessons learned in his first campaign with Cooney, Gustin believes 2025 is poised to be his best year yet.
“I’ve learned the little tricks and stuff of how to drive these cars to make them go fast,” Gustin said. “Where in the cars prior, I feel like I had to figure it out a little bit, but every chassis is a little bit different. So, between that and the setup and everything, we’re leaps and bounds ahead of where we were starting the year out, so my confidence is super high going into next year.”
Gustin will kick off the 2025 World of Outlaws CASE Late Models season at DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park on Jan. 22-25, but not before wrapping up 2024 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the World of Outlaws World Finals, Nov. 6-9.
If you can’t make it to the track, every lap of the 2025 season will be live on DIRTVision.
