Dates: July 30-31 (four $3,000-to-win prelims followed by Saturday’s $50,000-to-win finale)
Track: Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway (semi-banked quarter-mile oval).
Sanction: World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series
Purse: $50,000-to-win, $2,000-to-start ($3,000-to-win, $200-to-start purses for preliminaries)
Tickets: Adult general admission is $25 Friday and $40 Saturday or $60 for a two-day pass.
On the web: woolms.com and fairburyspeedway.com
Track phone: (815) 692-3222
Last year’s winner: No event
Video: DIRTVision.com
Notes: The 2021 Prairie Dirt Classic marks the 31st edition of the event that began in 1990. … The event is sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series for the eighth time. … Saturday’s feature pays a record $50,000-to-win this season. … The two-day format features four 25-lap, $3,000-to-win preliminary features on Friday with the finishes used to set Saturday’s lineup. … The Prairie Dirt Shootout for non-qualifiers pays $2,500-to-win, with the winner having the option of joining the tail of the 100-lap feature. … Eighteen drivers have won the PDC, five of them more than once. Retired racers Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., and Bob Pierce of Danville, Ill., have won it five times apiece. … Moyer has 11 podium finishes, Pierce seven podiums. … Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., has three victories and Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., and Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., have two wins apiece. … Sheppard has won two of the last three. … Moyer and Pierce are the only drivers to win back-to-back Prairie Dirt Classics. … Nine times the winner has led every lap: Moyer (1992, ’93, ’98), Pierce (1995, ’99), Don O’Neal (’03), Dennis Erb Jr., (’04), Mars (’05) and Brian Birkhofer (‘07). … Kevin Weaver of Gibson City, Ill., the 1991 winner, has made 26 starts in the PDC feature. … Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., the 2004 winner, has nine podium finishes and 12 top-fives. Two of Erb’s five runner-up finishes were behind Moyer. … The $5,000-to-win Summit Modified Nationals is on the undercard. … No stadium seats and no coolers are allowed in the grandstands. … Reserved seating and reserved camping are sold out. … Golf cart registration is $20.
Prairie Dirt Classic winners
Year: Winner, hometown
2020: Cancelled
2019: Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
2018: Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio
2017: Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
2016: Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va.
2015: Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
2014: Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
2013: Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.
2012: Jason Feger, Bloomington, Ill.
2011: Eric Smith, Bloomington, Ill.
2010: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
2009: Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, Wis.
2008: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
2007: Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine, Iowa
2006: Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.
2005: Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, Wis.
2004: Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill.
2003: Don O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
2002: Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.
2001: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
2000: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1999: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1998: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
1997: Billy Drake, Bloomington, Ill.
1996: John Gill, Mitchell, Ind.
1995: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1994: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1993: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
1992: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
1991: Kevin Weaver, Gibson City, Ill.
1990: Snooky Dehm, Chatsworth, Ill.
Weekend purses
Friday semifeatures
1. $3,000
2. $1,000
3. $750
4. $500
5. $250
6-20. $200
Prairie Dirt Shootout non-qualifiers'
1. $2,500
2. $1,000
3. $800
4. $700
5. $600
6. $500
7. $475
8. $450
9. $425
10. $400
11. $375
12. $350
13. $325
14-20. $300
Prairie Dirt Classic
1. $50,000
2. $15,000
3. $10,000
4. $6,000
5. $5,000
6. $4,000
7. $3,750
8. $3,250
9. $3,000
10. $2,750
11. $2,500
12. $2,400
13. $2,300
14. $2,200
15. $2,175
16. $2,150
17. $2,125
18. $2,100
19. $2,080
20. $2,060
21. $2,040
22. $2,020
Event schedule
Thursday
10 a.m.-4 p.m.: PDC Shriner’s Hospital for Children Golf Classic (Indian Creek Country Club)
11 a.m.: 3rd Street pit gate opens
11 a.m.: Credential pick-up opens (3rd Street Gate 3 Treasurer’s Office)
6:30 p.m.: Shriner’s Children’s auction (front stretch midway)
8 p.m.: Bags tournament (north side beer stand)
9 p.m.-midnight: Dirty Grass Soul Band (north side beer stand)
Friday
9 a.m.: 1st Street walk-up gate opens
9 a.m.: 2nd Street Gate 2 opens
9 a.m.: 3rd Street pit gate opens
1 p.m.: Fans allowed to place blankets in GA seating
2 p.m.: Pit bleachers open
5:30 p.m.: Drivers’ meeting
6 p.m.: On-track action begins
- WoO Late Model hot laps
- Modified hot laps/qualifying
- WoO Late Model time trials
- Track prep (if needed)
- First Modified Showdown feature (20 laps)
- Second Modified Showdown feature (20 laps)
- First WoO Late Model Showdown feature (25 laps)
- Second WoO Late Model Showdown feature (25 laps)
- Track prep (if needed)
- Third Modified Showdown feature (20 laps)
- Fourth Modified Showdown feature (20 laps)
- Track prep (if needed)
- Third WoO Late Model Showdown feature (25 laps)
- Fourth WoO Late Model Showdown feature (25 laps)
Saturday
7 a.m.-noon: SELCAS Breakfast (Legion Home, east of pit area)
9 a.m.: 1st Street walk-up gate opens
9 a.m.: 2nd Street Gate 2 opens
9 a.m.: 3rd Street pit gate opens
1 p.m.: Fans allowed to place blankets in GA seating
2 p.m.: Pit bleachers open
3 p.m.: Suave Talk Live! (backstretch bus)
4-4:45 p.m.: Driver autograph session (vendor row)
5:15 p.m.: Drivers’ meeting
5:45 p.m.: Hot laps
- Modified B-main hot laps
- WoO Late Model B-main hot laps
6:20 p.m.: Opening ceremonies
- Modified consolations (15 laps)
- Modified feature cars hot laps
- WoO Late Model consolations (20 laps)
- WoO Late Model feature cars hot laps
- Modified feature (40 laps)
- WoO Late Model PDC Shootout (25 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- WoO Late Model feature (100 laps)
Tickets
Friday
General admission: $25
Two-day: $60
Reserved: Sold out
Pit pass: $40 (two-day pit pass $80)
Saturday
General admission: $40
Reserved: Sold out
Pit pass: $50
Camping
Call (815) 674-6383 (Wenger lot); (309) 830-3863 (Bazzell lot); (815) 692-0692 (Ziegenhorn’s Timber); (815) 848-5574 (Popejoy lot).
