DirtonDirt Dispatches
Dispatches: Pierce survives Shirley's charge
Brian Shirley (3s) and Bobby Pierce (32) race to the finish. (Brendon Bauman)
Among the latest notes and quotes from around Dirt Late Model racing during in mid-August (look for Nutrien Ag Solutions Topless 100 coverage from Batesville elsewhere). Also find a listing of live-streaming video from specials around the country:
Maquoketa showdown
What happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force? The fans at Maquoketa (Iowa) Speedway found out Saturday night.
Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., entered the night undefeated at Maquoketa in 2025 having swept March’s MARS Late Model Championship Series weekend. Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., meanwhile, was undefeated in World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series action race at the track after winning both ends of last year’s Hawkeye 100.
The friendly rivals from the Land of Lincoln squared off in Saturday’s 60-lap Hawkeye 100 finale for the title of Mr. Maquoketa. Pierce ended up with the $20,000 victory — but just barely, nipping a hard-charging Shirley at the checkered flag by just 0.056 of a second.
“If it were 61 laps, man, he probably would’ve got it,” Pierce conceded after the photo finish.
Shirley, though, preferred not to consider any “what if?” scenarios. He just referred back to his monumental triumph in last month’s Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway where he narrowly edged Brandon Sheppard for the richest win of his career.
“If there was 101 (laps), I may not be the PDC champ,” Shirley said. “(Pierce) won the race, he was the car to win. I didn’t do a good job in qualifying and got myself behind … we’ve got a few things we need to learn here and there.”
Shirley, 44, had to rally from the 12th starting spot to put himself in contention. But it took a caution flag on lap 56 for Tanner English to open the door for Shirley, who used the restart to shoot by Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., for second and immediately put the 28-year-old Pierce in his crosshairs.
Pierce had started fourth and led since overtaking Ethan Dotson of Bakersfield, Calif., on lap eight, but he was holding on for dear life in the closing circuits as Shirley mounted a last-ditch bid on the inside of the track.
“It was tough. I couldn’t run the bottom like that,” Pierce said. “I talked about having some stumbling issues. Changed carburetors, and I think something’s wrong with this carb because it was almost shutting off every time I went to the bottom. So I kept going to the top. That was the only line I could run because of it. I knew I needed to pinch the corners off, but I couldn’t do it because of that.”
Pierce admitted that he “got pretty lucky” to hold off Shirley, who rocketed off the inside of turn four on the final lap with enough speed to nearly steal the race.
“I looked up at the white flag, it was tough,” Pierce said. “I’m looking at the (video) screen, I’m looking at the flagman, I’m looking at my dad (signaling), try to look at everything. I thought I saw a black nose on the screen, and I was like, ‘Man, it may be (Ryan) Gustin.’ Come off the corner and I see it’s Shirley, and I was spinning tires. I was just gassing it, hoping to make it to the line first, and we barely did. That was pretty cool.”
As Shirley settled for his second straight podium finish on the WoO tour — he was third on Thursday at Spoon River Speedway in Banner, Ill. — Pierce celebrated his ninth WoO victory of 2025 and the 40th of his career on the circuit. Notably, though, it was just the second time the current WoO points leader has won back-to-back races on this year’s series after consecutive triumphs on March 14 and 21 at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn., and Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway.
The driver who most wondered what could have been was Hoffman, Pierce’s closest pursuer in the WoO standings. He was dogging Pierce hard until the lap-56 caution flag was displayed, after which he slipped to a third-place finish.
“I felt like I was really good right in the middle of the racetrack where I normally am," Hoffman said. "I made some speed around the top a couple times, it was just very tricky to figure out where you needed to be exactly. ‘Squirrel’ (Shirley) was obviously on a little bit softer tire than we were, so those restarts played right into his hands. He was able to roll by me and almost get Bobby there at the end.” — Spence Smithback and staff reports
Montana showdown
The richest Dirt Late Model event of the season is set for Saturday at Big Sky Speedway with the $3,636-to-win finale of the three-race, three-track Hample Memorial weekend.
The trio of 36-lap races pay tribute to a pair of late siblings who died last year. Kelly Hample, the driver of the No. 36 for many years, is among Montana’s all-time winningest Late Model racers and his sister Becky was a longtime racing photographer.
Chad Becker of Aberdeen, S.D., won Thursday’s weekend opener at Electric Speedway Speedway in Great Falls, Mont., earning $2,000 in outrunning the son-and-father duo of Tyler Leach and Paul Leach.
In Friday’s second round at Gallatin Speedway in Great Falls, Mont., Dillon Price of Glendive, Mont., pocketed $2,500 in outrunning 19th-starting Ty Hample, Kelly’s son. Lynn Amick, Becker and Hill rounded out the top five.
Through two races, Becker leads the miniseries points (194) followed by Ty Hample (189) and Paul Leach (183). — Track reports
Bounty hunters
Devin Shiels of Britton, Mich., not only won Friday’s Super Late Model feature at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park. He also picked up a $500 posted in outrunning division points leader Kyle Moore.
The five-time track champ overtook Larry Bellman on the fifth lap and fought off challenges from Matt Irey and Moore for his first Attica victory of the season and 21st of his career. Irey finished second while Moore ended up getting into the frontstretch wall with seven laps remaining.
“I figured Kyle would be ripping the lip and doing something crazy here…he’s pretty darn good here,” Shiels said. “It was a pretty demanding track, I think I heated up pretty good. We’ve led some here this year and broke a lot of stuff.”
Canadian invader Gregg Haskell finished third in Attica’s 25-lapper with Colin Shipley and 10th-starting Ryan Markham rounding out the top five. Matt Miller finished sixth.
In another Friday event, Tyler Evans of Parkersburg, W.Va., also picked up a $500 bounty with a Super Late Model victory at Ohio Valley Speedway in Washington, W.Va. — Brian Liskai
Streaming schedule
Among upcoming Dirt Late Model special and sanctioned events available via live streaming:
Friday, Aug. 15
• World of Outlaws Real American Late Model Series at Maquoketa (Iowa) Speedway (DIRTVision)
• Malvern Bank West Series at Park Jefferson Speedway in Jefferson, S.D. (IMCA TV)
• Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Topless 100 prelims at Batesville Motor Speedway in Locust Grove, Ark. (FloRacing)
• American Crate All-Star Series presented by PPM at Hidden Hollow Speedway in Colson, Ky. (Dirt Rich TV)
• Rogers-Dabbs Crate Racin’ USA 604 Series at Penton (Ala.) Raceway (Crate Racin’ USA TV)
• Coors Light I-5 Late Model Series at Southern Oregon Speedway in White City, Ore. (IMCA TV)
• Rogers-Dabbs Crate Racin’ USA 602 Sportsman Series at Penton (Ala.) Raceway (Crate Racin’ USA TV)
• Wabam Dirt Kings Tour at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour, Wis. (Watch FYE TV)
Saturday, Aug. 16
• Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Topless 100 at Batesville Motor Speedway in Locust Grove, Ark. (FloRacing)
• World of Outlaws Real American Late Model Series at Maquoketa (Iowa) Speedway (DIRTVision)
• Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man-Ultimate Heart of America Series at Richmond (Ky.) Raceway (Pit Row TV)
• East Alabama Motor Speedway Super Late Models in Phenix City, Ala. (Track Hub TV)
• Malvern Bank West Series at Shelby County Speedway in Harlan, Iowa (IMCA TV)
• Southern Thunder Super Dirt Series at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. (Hunt the Front TV)
• Nutrien Ag Revival Super Dirt Series at Belleville (Kan.) High Banks Speedway (Start2Finish TV)
• American Crate All-Star Series presented by PPM at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway (Dirt Rich TV)
• Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway Super Late Models (FloRacing)
• Rogers-Dabbs Crate Racin’ USA 604 Series at Senoia (Ga.) Raceway (Crate Racin’ USA TV)
• RepairableVehicles.com Tri-State Late Model Series at Casino Speedway in Watertown, S.D. (Watch FYE TV)
• Coors Light I-5 Late Model Series at Southern Oregon Speedway in White City, Ore. (IMCA TV)
• Rogers-Dabbs Crate Racin’ USA 602 Sportsman Series at Senoia (Ga.) Raceway (Crate Racin’ USA TV)
• Gulf South Crate Racing Association at Super Bee Speedway in Chatham, La. (RaceON)
Sunday, Aug. 17
• Malvern Bank West Series at U.S. 30 Speedway in Columbus, Neb. (IMCA TV)
• Karl Chevrolet Pro Late Model Tour at Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa (IMCA TV)
