Key notes: World Racing Group’s three national touring series converge upon The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the 20th annual Dave Smith Motors World of Outlaws World Finals. … This year’s edition has a similar format with Wednesday’s qualifying sessions setting the lineup for heat races, consolations and 35-lap, $15,000-to-win prelims on Thursday-Friday, before Saturday’s full show culminating with a 50-lap, $25,000-to-win finale. … Jonathan Davenport led 38 of 50 laps in winning last year’s $25,000 top prize for his eighth career event victory and fourth World Finals finale (2015, ’21-’22, ’25). Davenport has 11 total Charlotte wins dating back to 2010, combining to collect more than $130,000 over that span. … Bobby Pierce enters the weekend with a 76-point advantage over Nick Hoffman as he looks to clinch his second straight World of Outlaws Late Model Series title and third in the last four years. … Chris Madden has three career World Finals triumphs, including finale wins in 2016 and ’24. … Jimmy Owens leads all drivers with six World Finals finales (2009-’12, ’14, 19) and trails only Davenport with seven overall event wins. … Ricky Thornton Jr. is expected to enter riding a hot streak of wins in six consecutive starts dating back to Oct. 9 at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway, including sweeps of the Oct. 17-18 Dirt Track World Championship at West Virginia Motor Speedway and Oct. 30-31 Iron-Man Series-sanctioned Halloween Nationals at Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park. … World of Outlaws sprint cars and Super DIRTcar Series modifieds are on the undercard. … Pits open at 11 a.m. and grandstands open at 3 p.m., daily; on-track activity begins at 5 p.m. for Wednesday’s opener and 4 p.m. the rest of the week. … Watch live on DIRTVision.

Who to watch: Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., seeks victory in his seventh consecutive start, overall.

Points chase: Before Charlotte Thursday: 1. Bobby Pierce (7,035); 2. Nick Hoffman (6,959); 3. Tyler Erb (6,645); 4. Tim McCreadie (6,609); 5. Ryan Gustin (6,472); 6. Ethan Dotson (6,340); 7. Daulton Wilson (6,269); 8. Trey Mills (6,196); 9. Dennis Erb Jr. (6,180); 10. Dustin Sorensen (6,049).

Expected entrants: Among drivers expected to join the top 10 in series standings: Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Chris Madden, Brandon Overton, Chris Ferguson, Jimmy Owens, Cody Overton, Kyle Bronson, Carson Ferguson, Brian Shirley, Michael Leach, Tristan Chamberlain, Logan Zarin, Beckham Malone, Brenden Smith, Brent Larson, Brody Smith, Eli Johnson and more.

Next series race: November 6, The Dirt Track at Charlotte (Concord, NC) $15,000