Ryan Gustin leads the World of Outlaws Late Models points standings heading into Smoky Mountain Speedway, following an impressive start to the 2025 season.

The addition of new crew chief Cody Mallory has already proven successful, with Gustin capturing the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park's DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals. Despite an 18th-place finish the following night, Gustin bounced back with three consecutive top-10 finishes at the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.

Mallory's extensive experience, having worked with racing icons like Scott Bloomquist, Bobby Pierce, and Rocket1 Racing, has immediately impacted Gustin's performance. The partnership has quickly gelled, marking a significant improvement in Gustin's Late Model career.

"He's obviously one of the best, if not the best out here I feel like, so to have him in our corner, it's huge for our team," Gustin said about Mallory.

The team enters 2025 better prepared than last season, when they were rushing to get ready just weeks before Speedweeks. This improved preparation, combined with Mallory's expertise, has positioned Gustin as a serious championship contender.

Gustin's next challenge comes at Smoky Mountain Speedway, where he has demonstrated strong performance. He won there last April with the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series and secured a podium finish in the Mountain Moonshine Classic. The track, recently reconfigured to a 3/8-mile facility, has been particularly favorable for Gustin, who hasn't finished worse than third since the changes.

The Tennessee Tipoff at Smoky Mountain Speedway is scheduled for March 14-15 in Maryville, TN, where Gustin aims to maintain his points lead and continue his strong start to the season.

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