UNION, Ky. (Aug. 10) — Updates and results from Thursday’s preliminary night of the Sunoco North-South 100 weekend, including a pair of split-field $5,000-to-win semifeatures on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (results unofficial):
Feature
Taking the lead with a slider entering turn-three, second-starting Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., led the final 13 laps to win Thursday's first $5,000 split-field semifeature on the Lucas Oil Late Model Series. Pierce secured his fifth overall win of August in Thursday's preliminary event for Saturday's 41st annual Sunoco North-South 100 presented by Lucas Oil. Sixth-starting Ryan Gustin moved into the runner-up position on a lap-14 restart and finished 0.859 of a second back.
Feature lineup
(25 laps)
Row 1: Michael Chilton, Bobby Pierce
Row 2: Nick Hoffman, Matt Cosner
Row 3: Garrett Alberson, Ryan Gustin
Row 4: Josh Rice, Garrett Smith
Row 5: Tyler Erb, Dane Dacus
Row 6: Robby Hensley, Cory Hedgecock
Row 7: Mike Harrison, David Breazeale
Row 8: Devin Moran, Vic Hill
Row 9: Donald McIntosh, Chris Ferguson
Row 10: Jimmy Owens, Brian Shirley
Row 11: Adam Stricker, Max Blair
Row 12: Jesse Wisecarver, James Rice
Consolation race results
(10 laps; top four transfer)
Finish: Adam Stricker, Max Blair, Jesse Wisecarver, James Rice, Doug Drown, Kody Evans, Mike Bargo, Donnie Jeschke, Logan Zarin, Boom Briggs, Curt Addison.
Heat race recap
Polesitters Michael Chilton, Nick Hoffman and Bobby Pierce swept to victories in the first three heats … Chilton and Pierce will start on the front row of the night’s first 25-lap prelim. … Matt Cosner won from his third starting spot in the fourth heat, finding his way past front-row starting teammates Vic Hill (on the fifth lap) and Garrett Smith (narrowly at the checkers) for a victory that gave him the fourth starting spot in the night’s first semifeature. … Former track champ Robby Hensley got a poor start in the second heat, but after slipping back to fourth initially, he roared down the frontstretch to regain third from Devin Moran and finished in that spot. … Chris Ferguson salvaged a fifth-place finish in the final transfer spot in the third heat despite running most of the race on a flat left-front tire.
Heat race results
(Eight laps; top five transfer)
First heat: Michael Chilton, Garrett Alberson, Tyler Erb, Mike Harrison, Donald McIntosh, Adam Stricker, Boom Briggs, Doug Drown.
Second heat: Nick Hoffman, Josh Rice, Robby Hensley, Devin Moran, Jimmy Owens, Jesse Wisecarver, Logan Zarin, Donnie Jeschke.
Third heat: Bobby Pierce, Ryan Gustin, Dane Dacus, David Breazeale, Chris Ferguson, Max Blair, Kody Evans, Curt Addison.
Fourth heat: Matt Cosner, Garrett Smith, Cory Hedgecock, Vic Hill, Brian Shirley, James Rice, Mike Bargo.
Pre-race notes
The preliminary format splits the 61-car field into two groups. Each group will run four heat races (transferring five cars) and one consolation (transferring four cars) followed by 25-lap semifeatures paying $5,000-to-win. … A similar program will be run Friday. … While no Lucas Oil points are awarded Thursday or Friday, the series is using its usual points system from preliminary nights to determine lineups for Saturday’s heat races. … There will be a four-car inversion in Saturday night heat races (three transfer). Two consolations will follow and a non-qualifiers’ race is scheduled for after Saturday’s $75,000-to-win main event. … Garrett Smith of Eatonton, Ga., is back in his Rocket Chassis at Florence. His team is entering its Longhorn Chassis with veteran engine builder Vic Hill of Mosheim, Tenn., behind the wheel. … Donnie Jeschke of Dayton, Ohio, is making his Late Model debut at Florence. He’s driving a former Best Performance Motorsports Rocket Chasssis. The 53-year-old has an extensive racing background in quarter-midgets, asphalt Late Models, sprint cars and most recently the stock car division at Eldora Speedway. … David Breazeale of Four Corners, Miss., is carrying No. 222 on his doors in honor of multitime Mississippi state champ Mike Boland of Cuba, Ala., who is among drivers being inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Saturday. … Last year’s North-South podium finishers — Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton and Dale McDowell — are among five Georgia entrants (Garrett Smith and Donald McIntosh are the others). ... Aug. 10's Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series qualifying bonuses are in memory of Doug Lee with the night's fast qualifier receiving $534 and the 34th fastest qualifier receiving $1,034.
Time trials
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
Group A1
- Michael Chilton (97), Salvisa, Ky., 15.229
- Nick Hoffman (9h), Mooresville, N.C., 15.367
- Adam Stricker (68), Batavia, Ohio, 15.368
- Robby Hensley (21h), Walton, Ky., 15.438
- Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 15.440
- Josh Rice (11r), Verona, Ky., 15.457
- Tyler Erb (1t), New Waverly, Texas, 15.477
- Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 15.550
- Mike Harrison (33h), Highland, Ill., 15.580
- Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 15.594
- Donald McIntosh (79), Dawsonville, Ga., 15.648
- Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 15.650
- Doug Drown (12D), Wooster, Ohio, 15.751
- Jesse Wisecarver (55), Zanesville, Ohio, 15.900
- Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 16.135
- Donnie Jeschke (99J), Dayton, Ohio, 16.625
Group A2
- Bobby Pierce (32), Oakland, Ill., 15.477
- Vic Hill (1v), Mosheim, Tenn., 15.575
- Ryan Gustin (19r), Marshalltown, Iowa, 15.599
- Garrett Smith (10), Eatonton, Ga., 15.624
- Dane Dacus (54), Arlington, Tenn., 15.660
- Matt Cosner (66c), Ridgeley, W.Va., 15.667
- Chris Ferguson (22F), Mount Holly, N.C., 15.682
- Cory Hedgecock (23), Loudon, Tenn., 15.691
- David Breazeale (222), Four Corners, Miss., 15.716
- Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 15.731
- Max Blair (111B), Centerville, Pa., 15.834
- James Rice (15), Verona, Ky., 15.921
- Kody Evans (4G), Camden, Ohio, 15.924
- Mike Bargo (3:16), Corbin, Ky., 16.324
- Curt Addison (8A), Florence, Ky., 17.622
Thursday’s schedule
(All times local)
3 p.m. - Pits open
6 p.m. - Grandstands open
6:30 p.m. - Drivers' meeting
7 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heat races (8 laps)
- Modified heat races (8 laps)
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
- Modified consolations (10 laps)
- First Late Model semifeature (25 laps)
- Second Late Model semifeature (25 laps)
- Modified feature (20 laps)
