Kevin Kovac's Take Five
Take Five: Loudy still knocking on victory's door
In a new feature appearing regularly on DirtonDirt, senior writer Kevin Kovac will offer readers five things worth mentioning from around the Dirt Late Model landscape (index to previous Take Fives):
No. 1: Kaede Loudy’s day is coming. Saturday’s Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals-sanctioned Lil’ Bill Corum Memorial at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway was the latest example that the 21-year-old from Rogersville, Tenn., is on the verge of an elusive first career Super Late Model victory. After leading the first 22 circuits of the 75-lap feature, he ceded the top spot to eventual winner Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., and crossed the finish line third but was credited with a second-place finish after apparent runner-up Sam Seawright of Rainsville, Ga., was penalized to last for a deck-height violation. “I felt like Saturday was going to be our breakout before the lapped car drove across the (right-front corner) and bent a wheel, spindle and broke the (steering) rack,” related Loudy, who was left fighting a “scary” vibration after sustaining the damage early in the race. “It was not fun wondering what’s gonna break and holding on.” Nevertheless, Loudy, who won last year’s Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals championship without reaching victory lane, matched his career-best Super Late Model finish achieved in last July’s Southern Nationals stop at Tazewell.
No. 2: Loudy noted that he had to take a much more conservative path around the Tazewell’s lightning-fast high banks with his machine vibration relentlessly, opening the door for Overton to power by him for the lead. As Loudy told me Monday morning, he even came close to pulled off the track because “we simply cannot afford to junk a race car.” Indeed, Loudy operates a modest self-owned one-car/one-engine Super Late Model effort comprised of a 2023-vintage MasterSbilt Chassis that saw action for the first time in 2024 and a 13-degree, 430 cubic inch powerplant that has been freshened but is actually 24 years old. If there’s a young driver deserving of a break — whether it be a ride or some increased backing to buoy his engine program — it’s Loudy, who might enter this weekend’s Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series doubleheader at North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, Ga., before tackling promoter Vic Hill’s four-night Gauntlet from April 14-18 at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn.
No. 3: Congrats to DirtonDirt’s No. 1-ranked driver Bobby Pierce and the former Abby Foster on their marriage Saturday in Champaign, Ill. Months ago the couple carefully plotted their in-season wedding date for Easter weekend because the World of Outlaws Late Model Series would be idle and tour director Steve Francis assured them no races would be rescheduled for the holiday weekend. Of course, tying the knot in the spring leaves little time for a long, immediate honeymoon, but the newly-hitched Pierces will get to visit Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway this weekend with high hopes of celebrating Bobby’s third Illini 100 finale triumph in four events contested since 2021.
No. 4: Who were some of Pierce’s fellow drivers in attendance at the wedding? Some I spotted in social media photos included Ryan Unzicker, Jason Feger and red-hot NASCAR Cup Series regular Tyler Reddick, who had Pierce as a guest at his wedding a couple years ago. There was also a very racer-themed post-wedding walkout for the Pierces, who went through a line of attendees waving checkered flags before Bobby popped a bottle of champagne like he was in victory lane.
No. 5: One of Abby Pierce’s bridesmaids was Savanna Moran, the younger sister of Lucas Oil Series champion Devin Moran. Savanna is close to Abby from their several years spent serving as co-Miss Eldora Speedways — jobs they’ll both continue in 2026.
