Dirt on Dirt - Pierce captures I-55's tour-clashing opener

June 20

I-55 Federated Raceway Park,

Pevely, MO

Sanction: World of Outlaws Real American Late Model Series (St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff prelim) - $12,000

Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated June 21, 1:12 pm)

Pierce captures I-55's tour-clashing opener

St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff prelim

Bobby Pierce
Tim McCreadie
Ryan Gustin
Jason Feger
Ashton Winger
Tanner English
Nick Hoffman
Dennis Erb Jr.
Dillon McCowan
Drake Troutman
Ryan Unzicker
Dustin Sorensen
Tyler Erb
Jake Timm
Kyle Bronson
Cody Overton
Tristan Chamberlain
Mike Harrison
Brent Larson
Michael Leach
Ethan Dotson
Carson Brown
Brian Shirley
Cade Dillard
Frank Heckenast Jr.
Jeff Herzog
Mark Whitener
Shannon Babb

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Tyler Carr

Bobby Pierce celebrates in victory lane at I-55.

What won the race: A former champion on both tours, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., led 40 laps Friday at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 to capture a clash of the World of Outlaws Real American Late Model Series and DIRTcar Summer Nationals. Pierce took the checkers 1.088 seconds ahead of Tim McCreadie with Ryan Gustin, who pressured Pierce the last 10 laps, third in Friday's weekend opener.

Quotable: “I was pretty nervous (about the late-race restart). But, I was nervous before the caution came out, too,” Pierce said. “On that restart I didn’t know whether to pick top or bottom, I chose the top getting into (turn) one here. I thought I messed up, I went into the corner super sideways and I was looking right for that hole with the right-rear tire, so I just gassed it.”

Key notes: Bobby Pierce notched his 36th career WoO victory and 50th on the Summer Nationals circuit. ... Runner-up Ryan Gustin cut Pierce's four-second lead down to virtually nothing with 10 laps remaining, but couldn't find a way past the leader despite getting within 0.216 of a second before the lap-39 caution. ... Tim McCreadie stole second from Gustin on the lap-39 restart. ... The lone yellow flag appeared with a single lap remaining after Tristan Chamberlain spun in turn three (Michael Leach got into Chamberlain at relatively low speed after the spin). ... Third-running polesitter Cade Dillard lost fire during the slowdown. ... Likewise Brian Shirley was running 13th on the lap-39 caution when he lost power and was pushed to the pits. ... The feature started just after midnight local time. ... Series officials decided to hot lap the Late Models a second time, which started shortly after 8 p.m. local time; time trials began at 8:30. ... The WoO and Summer Nationals tours face off against Saturday at I-55 in a 55-lap, $20,000-to-win finale.

On the move: Ashton Winger of Hampton, Ga., started 20th and finished fifth.

Winner's sponsors: Pierce’s Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Low Voltage Solutions, Rio Grande Waste Services, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Oakwood Tire Center, Churchill Transport, Collins Brothers Towing, K1, Carnaghi Towing & Repair, Toyota of Danville, Floyd’s Waste Systems, PureMax Racing Oil, A Plus Vacuum, Leka Tree Service, Bert Transmissions by Budda, Ted Brown’s Quality Paint & Body Shop, VP Race Fuels, Swift Springs, Bilstein Shocks, Dirt Car Lift and Performance Bodies.

Points chase: WoO points after I-55 Friday: 1. Bobby Pierce (2,474); 2. Nick Hoffman (2,372); 3. Ryan Gustin (2,334); 4. Drake Troutman (2,256); 5. Tim McCreadie (2,250); 6. Brian Shirley (2,192); 7. Cody Overton (2,186); 8. Dennis Erb Jr. (2,178); 9. Ethan Dotson (2,164); 10. Ashton Winger (2,122). Summer Nationals after I-55 Friday: 1. Jason Feger (551); 2. Dennis Erb Jr. (513); 3. Tyler Erb (483); 4. Drake Troutman (463); 5. Dillon McCowan (430).

Current weather: Clear, 81°F

Car count: 52

Fast qualifier: Brian Shirley

Time: 12.473 seconds

Polesitter: Cade Dillard

Heat race winners: Cade Dillard, Tim McCreadie, Drake Troutman, Jason Feger, Ryan Gustin, Bobby Pierce

Consolation race winners: Shannon Babb, Ashton Winger

Provisional starters: Cody Overton, Ethan Dotson, Kyle Bronson, Frank Heckenast Jr., Jake Timm, Brent Larson

Next series race: June 21, I-55 Federated Raceway Park (Pevely, MO) $20,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

PEVELY, Mo. — Updates from Friday’s ninth round of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals at I-55 Federated Raceway, an event highlighted by a 40-lap, $12,000-to-win feature co-sanctioned with the World of Outlaws Real American Late Model Series (results unofficial):

Feature

A former champion on both tours, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., led 40 laps Friday at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 to capture a clash of the World of Outlaws Real American Late Model Series and DIRTcar Summer Nationals. Pierce took the checkers 1.088 seconds ahead of Tim McCreadie with Ryan Gustin, who pressured Pierce the last 10 laps, third in Friday's weekend opener.

Feature lineup

(40 laps)

Row 1: Cade Dillard, Bobby Pierce
Row 2: Jason Feger, Ryan Gustin
Row 3: Tim McCreadie, Drake Troutman
Row 4: Brian Shirley, Tyler Erb
Row 5: Dennis Erb Jr., Tanner English
Row 6: Nick Hoffman, Michael Leach
Row 7: Tristan Chamberlain, Ryan Unzicker
Row 8: Carson Brown, Mark Whitener
Row 9: Dillon McCowan, Dustin Sorensen
Row 10: Shannon Babb, Ashton Winger
Row 11: Mike Harrison, Jeff Herzog
Row 12: Cody Overton, Ethan Dotson
Row 13: Kyle Bronson, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Row 14: Jake Timm, Brent Larson

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top two transfer)

First consolation: Shannon Babb, Mike Harrison, Frank Heckenast Jr., Aaron Marrant, Sammy Mars, Tyler Kuykendall, Cody Overton, Clay Stuckey, Ethan Dotson, Rusty Griffaw, Haiden Cowan, Doug Tye, Easton Bollinger, Thomas Hunziker, Lane Ehlert. Scratched: Tony Wolf, Brian Woodard.

Second consolation: Ashton Winger, Jeff Herzog, Kyle Bronson, Tyler Millwood, Jake Timm, Brenden Smith, Jackson Hise, Austin Howes, Brody Smith, Trey Mills, Matthew Larson, Mark Plfueger, Kayden Clatt. Scratched: Trevor Gundaker, Brent Larson, Daryn Klein, Christian Hanger.

Heat race recap

Cade Dillard led all eight laps from the outside front-row winning the first heat race by 1.360 seconds over pole-starting Brian Shirley. Tristan Chamberlain started and finished third, joining Dillard and Shirley in clinching a starting spot in Friday’s 40-lap weekend opener. … Second-starting Tim McCreadie survived a late-race restart to earn a flag-to-flag victory in winning the second heat by 0.901 of a second over pole-starting Dennis Erb Jr. Fourth-starting Carson Brown took third on the second lap and held the final transfer spot into the night's $12,000-to-win main event. The first yellow flag flew on the seventh lap when sixth-running Brian Woodard hopped the turn-three cushion and slapped the wall; he did not continue. … Drake Troutman controlled the entire distance from the pole, winning the third heat by 2.392 seconds over third-starting Nick Hoffman, who used a last-lap slide job by Dillon McCowan and beat him to the line by 0.346 of a second. … Second-starting Jason Feger prevailed after a back-and-forth battle with Tyler Erb, officially leading the final two laps and winning the fourth heat by 0.852 over the third-starting Erb, who led the opening six circuits. Pole-starting Ryan Unzicker held on for the third and final transfer position. … Ryan Gustin overcame an opening lap slider by Mark Whitener to win the fifth heat by 0.588 of a second over fifth-starting Tanner English, who took second from Whitener on a lap-three restart. The race’s lone caution came on the third lap for debris in turn three. … Second-starting Bobby Pierce cruised to lead all eight laps in winning the sixth and final heat race by 3.254 seconds over poleistter Michael Leach, while Dustin Sorensen held serve in third. The lone stoppage came on the second lap after Brody Smith spun from fifth in turn two; he continued, but could only rebound to seventh.

Heat results

(Eight laps; top three transfer)

First heat: Cade Dillard, Brian Shirley, Tristan Chamberlain, Aaron Marrant, Sammy Mars, Ethan Dotson, Haiden Cowan, Thomas Hunziker, Lane Ehlert.

Second heat: Tim McCreadie, Dennis Erb Jr., Carson Brown, Shannon Babb, Frank Heckenast Jr., Clay Stuckey, Doug Tye, Tony Wolf, Brian Woodard. Scratched: Aaron Marrant.

Third heat: Drake Troutman, Nick Hoffman, Dillon McCowan, Mike Harrison, Cody Overton, Tyler Kuykendall, Rusty Griffaw, Easton Bollinger.

Fourth heat: Jason Feger, Tyler Erb, Ryan Unzicker, Kyle Bronson, Kayden Clatt, Tyler Millwood, Trey Mills, Jackson Hise, Mark Pflueger.

Fifth heat: Ryan Gustin, Tanner English, Mark Whitener, Ashton Winger, Daryn Klein, Jake Timm, Trevor Gundaker, Matthew Larson.

Sixth heat: Bobby Pierce, Michael Leach, Dustin Sorensen, Jeff Herzog, Brenden Smith, Brent Larson, Brody Smith, Christian Hanger.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 12.473
2. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 12.653
3. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 12.681
4. Cade Dillard (97), Robeline, La., 12.693
5. Tim McCreadie (9m), Watertown, N.Y., 12.810
6. Dillon McCowan (75), Urbana, Mo., 12.915
7. Tristan Chamberlain (20tc), Richmond, Ind., 12.951
8. Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 12.960
9. Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 13.023
10. Aaron Marrant (1x), Richmond, Mo., 13.053
11. Carson Brown (28B), New London, N.C., 13.139
12. Mike Harrison (33), Highland, Ill., 13.155
13. Sammy Mars (28m), Menomonie, Wis., 13.242
14. Clay Stuckey (15), Shreveport, La., 13.248
15. Cody Overton (2), Evans, Ga., 13.332
16. Haiden Cowan (14), Rincon, Ga., 13.354
17. Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 13.362
18. Tyler Kuykendall (8k), Warsaw, Mo., 13.368
19. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 13.406
20. Brian Woodard (15w), Ripley, Tenn., 13.467
21. Rusty Griffaw (16), Festus, Mo., 13.536
22. Thomas Hunziker (38), Bend, Ore., 13.725
23. Tony Wolf (16w), Highland, Ill., 13.852
24. Easton Bollinger (31B), Bruce, Miss., 13.871
25. Lane Ehlert (42L), O’Fallon, Mo., 14.022
26. Doug Tye (4D), Troy, Ill., 14.304
Group B
1. Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 13.384
2. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 13.404
3. Michael Leach (09), Sun River, Mont., 13.414
4. Jason Feger (25F), Bloomington, Ill., 13.462
5. Mark Whitener (5), Middleburg, Fla., 13.483
6. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 13.496
7. Tyler Erb (1), New Wavelry, Texas, 13.505
8. Ashton Winger (12), Hampton, Ga., 13.519
9. Dustin Sorensen (19), Rochester, Minn., 13.583
10. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 13.604
11. Austin Howes (17A), Lewistown, Mo., 13.621
12. Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 13.629
13. Kayden Clatt (50), Edina, Mo., 13.632
14. Tanner English (96), Benton, Ky., 13.666
15. Jeff Herzog (11), Festus, Mo., 13.683
16. Trey Mills (14jr), St. Augustine, Fla., 13.826
17. Jake Timm (49), Winona, Minn., 13.836
18. Brent Larson (B1), Lake Elmo, Minn., 13.879
19. Tyler Milwood (31), Kingston, Ga., 13.897
20. Daryn Klein (10), Fairview Heights, Ill., 13.928
21. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 13.931
22. Jackson Hise (388), Ocala, Fla., 13.961
23. Trevor Gundaker (11G), St. Charles, Mo., 13.993
24. Christian Hanger (29), Winchester, Tenn., 14.057
25. Mark Pflueger (46), Wood River, Ill., 14.300
26. Matthew Larson (8), Lake Elmo, Minn.14.598

Friday’s schedule

(All times local)
2 p.m. - Pits open
5 p.m. - Grandstands open
5:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Sprint car midget group qualifying
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Modified group qualifying
Opening ceremonies
- Sprint car midget heats (8 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
Intermission/redraw
- Sprint car midget consolations (8 laps)
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
- Modified consolations (10 laps)
Feature events
- Sprint car midgets (25 laps)
- Late Models (40 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)