Poll Position presented by Keyser Manufacturing
Top 25: B-Shepp climbs amid split No. 1 votes
By Kevin Kovac
DirtonDirt senior writer
Brandon Sheppard (joshjamesartwork.com)
Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., remained atop DirtonDirt’s power rankings for a sixth consecutive balloting but saw his edge shrink in the face of fellow Land of Lincoln star Brandon Sheppard's spring hot streak.
While Pierce recorded a pair of top-five finishes during the rain-plagued Illinois Speedweek, New Berlin, Ill.’s Sheppard won $20,000 and $30,000 prizes in both races that beat the weather — Wednesday’s FloRacing Night in America event at Banner’s Spoon River Speedway and Saturday’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series feature at Fairbury Speedway — to roar up the Keyser Manufacturing-sponsored Top 25. Sheppard received four first-place votes to Pierce’s three, but Pierce stayed in the No. 1 spot with 241 points as Sheppard advanced five positions to No. 2 with 234 points.
Sheppard, 33, became the first driver in the poll’s history to earn the most first-place votes without landing in the No. 1 spot (or tying for it), but he still reached a high-water mark in the 2026 voting. His current surge seen him win four times and finish outside the top-five just once in his last eight starts.
In an unprecedented week of voting for DirtonDirt’s Top 25, first-place votes were split among four drivers with No. 3 Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., earning two nods and No. 4 Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., picking up one. Both drivers slipped one spot in the rankings but enjoyed strong runs during Illinois Speedweek with O’Neal finishing second at Spoon River and Hoffman claiming runner-up honors at Fairbury.
Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., dropped a spot to No. 5 following a $27,000 sweep of the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series-sanctioned Bad Boy 98 at Batesville Motor Speedway in Locust Grove, Ark., the track closest to his Double L Motorsports home base.
Sheppard made the biggest leap in the week’s rankings, but No. 22 Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., gained three spots following a third-place finish at Fairbury while No. 7 Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga. (fourth at Fairbury) and No. 15 Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn. (Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals winner at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky.) climbed two spots.
New to the poll was Clay Harris of Jupiter, Fla., at No. 24 and Mason Zeigler of Chalk Hill, Pa., whose $10,000 Jay's Automotive United Late Model Series triumph at Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, N.Y., landed him at No. 25. Dropping out of the rankings was Gregg Satterlee of Indiana, Pa., and Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla.
Voting is done by a 10-member committee made up of staffers and contributors to determine the Top 25 power rankings: Richard Allen, Bryan Ault, Jeff Broeg, Kelley Carlton, Ryan Delph, Josh James, Kevin Kovac, Kyle McFadden, Mike Ruefer and Kyle Symons. Results are compiled and tabulated by Todd Turner, who serves as a voting alternate along with fellow staffer Aaron Clay.
Rankings appear Tuesdays through mid-November provided at least half of the drivers in the current rankings are in action in the previous week.
1. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.
Comment: Winless during abbreviated Illinois Speedweek but still scores top-fives at Spoon River (third) and Fairbury (fifth). Geared up for WoO trip to East Coast. Series points: 2nd (WoO); 3rd (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 1st (nc)
2. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
Comment: Perfect 2-for-2 in Illinois Speedweek action keeps Rocket1 driver on spring heater. Will it continue during Lucas Oil’s weekend in Nebraska? Series points: 3rd (Lucas Oil); 1st (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 7th (+5)
3. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
Comment: Falls just short of victory with runner-up at Spoon River but absorbs rough outing at Fairbury. Still atop Lucas Oil points with Eagle’s Malvern Bank High Bank Heist on tap. Series points: 1st (Lucas Oil); 2nd (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 2nd (-1)
4. Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, N.C.
Comment: Consistency rolls on in Land of Lincoln with finishes of sixth (Spoon River) and second (Fairbury). Ready for five-race WoO swing to Delaware and Pennsylvania. Series points: 1st (WoO).; 6th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 3rd (-1)
5. Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
Comment: Makes profitable visit to team’s hometown track, earning $27,000 for sweep of Comp Cams tour’s Bad Boy 98 at Batesville. Looking for another big payday at Eagle. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 4th (-1)
6. Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio
Comment: Runs fifth at Spoon River but flat tire dooms effort at Fairbury. Shifts attention to Eagle. Series points: 2nd (Lucas Oil); 5th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 6th (nc)
7. Brandon Overton, Evans, Ga.
Comment: Quiet but solid results in Illinois with seventh at Spoon River and fourth at Fairbury. Hopes to carry momentum to Nebraska. Series points: 4th (Lucas Oil); 7th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 9th (+2)
8. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
Comment: Forgettable week in Illinois with 24th- and 25th-place finishes. Will attempt to defend High Bank Heist victory. Series points: 5th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 5th (-3)
9. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa
Comment: Hot streak cools down with 11th-place finish at Spoon River in his lone Illinois Speedweek feature start. Cooney team’s hauler pointed east for WoO action. Series points: 5th (WoO). Previous ranking: 8th (-1)
10. Max Blair, Centerville, Pa.
Comment: Lone Illinois Speedweek start produces a seventh at FALS. Midwest road trip rolls on to Nebraska. Series points: 6th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 10th (nc)
11. Tyler Erb, New Waverly, Texas
Comment: Registers fourth-place finish at Spoon River but scored 18th at Fairbury. WoO trip to Northeast on agenda. Series points: 4th (WoO); 4th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 12th (+1)
12. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
Comment: After week off, Briggs Transport team is primed for WoO swing through home region. Series points: 3rd (WoO). Previous ranking: 11th (-1)
13. Drake Troutman, Hyndman, Pa.
Comment: Sits idle to prep for stretch of WoO competition that includes four nights in his home state. Series points: 6th (WoO). Previous ranking: 14th (+1)
14. Chris Madden, Gray Court, S.C.
Comment: Keeps car in shop for weekend. Next racing not yet announced. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 13th (-1)
15. Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn.
Comment: Successful Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals doubleheader in Kentucky produces $7,553 win at Ponderosa and third-place finish at Lake Cumberland. Upcoming action to be determined. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 17th (+2)
16. Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, N.C.
Comment: No racing for Big Frog Motorsports driver ahead of WoO Northeast invasion. Series points: 8th (WoO). Previous ranking: 15th (-1)
17. Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, N.M.
Comment: Fails to crack top 10 in two Illinois Speedweek events. Looks forward to Lucas Oil’s visit to Nebraska. Series points: 7th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 16th (-1)
18. Zack Mitchell, Enoree, S.C.
Comment: In right place to inherit lead en route to $10,031 Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals triumph at Lake Cumberland. Runner-up finish previous night at Ponderosa makes for solid weekend. Series points: 2nd (Hunt the Front); 7th (Spring Nationals). Previous ranking: 17th (-1)
19. Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif.
Comment: Finishes second in both ends of Batesville’s Bad Boy 98 doubleheader before changing direction to chase WoO schedule to East Coast. Series points: 7th (WoO). Previous ranking: 19th (-1)
20. Josh Rice, Crittenden, Ky.
Comment: Nabs a top-10 in Lucas Oil’s 60-lapper at Fairbury. First start at Nebraska’s Eagle Raceway coming up. Series points: 10th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 21st (+1)
21. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, Ga.
Comment: Brother Shane’s team remains silent for third straight weekend. Next start TBA. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 20th (-1)
22. Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.
Comment: Finally puts top-five finish on ledger with a third at Fairbury. Good morale boost ahead of Eagle weekend. Series points: 8th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 25th (+3)
23. Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
Comment: Tallies pair of top-fives in Batesville’s Bad Boy 98. Weighing options for next Dirt Late Model appearance. Series points: 1st (Comp Cams). Previous ranking: 22nd (-1)
24. Clay Harris, Jupiter, Fla.
Comment: Rebounds from rough night at Spoon River with eighth-place finish at Fairbury after climbing as high as second. Focused on high banks of Eagle. Series points: 9th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: Unranked
25. Mason Zeigler, Chalk Hill, Pa.
Comment: Benefits from leaders tangling for $10,000 ULMS win at New York’s Outlaw Speedway. Pumped for WoO to visit his home region. Series points: 1st (ULMS). Previous ranking: Unranked
Dropped out: Gregg Satterlee, Kyle Bronson
Others receiving votes: Gregg Satterlee, Kyle Bronson, Trey Mills, Jason Feger, Garrett Smith, Eli Ross, Clay Stuckey, Dustin Sorensen, Kyle Beard, Tyler Carpenter.
