Fairbury Speedway
Fast Facts: 33rd annual Prairie Dirt Classic
By Aaron Clay
DirtonDirt.com weekend editor
Dates: July 28-29 (four 25-lap, $5,000-to-win Prairie Dirt Showdown preliminary features will be contested Friday and set the lineup for Saturday’s 100-lap, $50,000-to-win Prairie Dirt Classic).
Track: Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway (semi-banked quarter-mile dirt oval).
Purse: $50,000-to-win Late Model feature.
Primary sponsors: Bank of Pontiac, Illinois State Rifle Association and Summit Racing Equipment.
Sanction: World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series.
Streaming: Live on DIRTVision.
Last year’s winner: Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., a three-time Prairie Dirt Classic winner.
Tickets: Two-day general admission $60; day-by-by ticketing options below.
Websites: fairburyspeedway.com and woolms.com
Track phone: (815) 692-3222
Notes: The World of Outlaws Case Late Models invade Fairbury for the 33rd annual Prairie Dirt Classic. … Action kicks off Friday with four 25-lap, $5,000-to-win Prairie Dirt Showdown preliminary semifeatures, with the top four finishers from each being locked-in to Saturday’s main event. … Multiple 20-lap consolations and the 25-lap Prairie Dirt Shootout will precede Saturday’s 100-lap, $50,000-to-win Prairie Dirt Classic; the winner of the Shootout will have the option to keep the $3,500 prize or elect to tag the field for Saturday’s finale. … For the second year, a $500 FALS Draw raffle bonus will be paid to the leader of each circuit in Saturday’s feature, courtesy of Bank of Pontiac and the Illinois State Rifle Association. … Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., enters as a three-time Prairie Dirt Classic winner after leading all 100 laps and earning $100,000 in last year’s event. … WoO points leader Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., seeks his first career Prairie Dirt Classic victory in the event where his father (Bob Pierce) leads all drivers with five career triumphs. … Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., eyes his fourth career Prairie Dirt Classic victory. … Live music, driver autograph sessions, vendor displays and interactive experiences are among the off-track entertainment. … The Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals tour wraps up with $500-to-win preliminary features on Friday, followed by Saturday’s 40-lap, $5,000-to-win season finale. … Pits open at 2 p.m. and grandstands open at 5, with on-track activity set to begin at 6 each day.
Race-by-race winners
Year: Winner, hometown
2022: Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
2021: Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif.
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’s semifeatures
1. $5,000
2. $2,000
3. $1,500
4. $1,000
5.-20. $300
Saturday’s Prairie Dirt Shootout (non-qualifiers)
1. $3,500
2. $1,500
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
Saturday’s Prairie Dirt Classic
1. $50,000
2. $20,000
3. $12,000
4. $7,500
5. $6,000
6. $5,000
7. $4,750
8. $4,500
9. $4,250
10. $4,000
11. $3,900
12. $3,800
13. $3,400
14. $3,700
15. $3,600
16. $3,500
17. $3,400
18. $3,300
19. $3,200
20. $3,080
21. $3,060
22. $3,040
23. $3,020
24.-26. $3,000
Event schedule
(All times local)
Wednesday
8-11 p.m.: Royal South (acoustic singers) at north beer stand
Thursday
9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.: PDC Shriner’s Hospital for Children’s Golf Classic (Indian Creek Country Club)
6:30 p.m.: Shriners Children’s auction (frontstretch midway)
9 p.m.-midnight: Dirty Grass Soul (country band) at north beer stand
Friday
7-11 a.m.: VFW Post PDC breakfast (VFW Building 205 E. Locust Street)
Noon: Cornhole bags tournament (north beer stand)
Noon-3 p.m.: MDA fundraiser dunk tank (north beer stand)
5:30 p.m.: Drivers’ meeting (WoO command center)
6 p.m.: On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified hot laps/qualifying
- Late Model group A qualifying (2 laps)
- Late Model group B qualifying (2 laps)
Track prep (if needed)
- Modified preliminary feature (20 laps)
- Modified preliminary feature (20 laps)
- Late Model preliminary feature (25 laps)
- Late Model preliminary feature (25 laps)
Track prep (if needed)
- Modified preliminary feature (20 laps)
- Modified preliminary feature (20 laps)
Track prep (if needed)
- Late Model preliminary feature (25 laps)
- Late Model preliminary feature (25 laps)
Saturday
7-11 a.m.: VFW Post PDC breakfast (VFW Building 205 E. Locust Street)
3 p.m.: Live Suave Talk show (at the bus on the backstretch turn two)
4-4:45 p.m.: Drivers’ autograph session (vendor row on backstretch)
5:15 p.m.: Drivers’ meeting (WoO command center)
5:45 p.m.: On-track activity
- Modified hot laps (consolation entrants)
- Late Model hot laps (consolation entrants)
6:20 p.m. - Redraw and prerace festivities
- Modified consolations (15 laps, top 2 transfer)
- Modified hot laps (feature entrants)
- Late Model consolations (20 laps)
- Late Model hot laps (feature entrants)
- Modified feature (40 laps)
- Prairie Dirt Shootout (25 laps)
- 33rd annual Prairie Dirt Classic (100 laps)
Tickets
Friday
Two-day general admission: $60
One-day general admission: $25
Reserved seating: sold out (general admission is available for purchase at gates)
Two-day all access pit pass: $80
One-day all access pit pass: $40
Saturday
One-day general admission: $40
One-day all access pit pass: $50
Camping
Reserved camping: Sold out
Overflow FALS camping: $55
FALS tent camping: $25
More information: fairburyspeedway.com or (815) 692-3222
