What won the race: Surviving a last-ditch challenge from Carson Ferguson, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., held on to capture Saturday night’s 17th annual Slocum 50 at 34 Raceway. The 28-year-old star nearly lost the top spot to Ferguson crossing under the white flag but railed the outside of turns three and four on the final circuit to beat the North Carolina driver to the finish by 0.554 of a second and earn $10,555 for completing a sweep of the MARS Late Model Championship Series weekend.

Quotable: “I was kind of a sitting duck there, I guess, with the lapped cars,” Pierce said. “It made it interesting. I knew how much slower I got when I got stuck behind them guys, but I just didn’t know what to do there and I was just waiting for that checkered flag. It couldn't come soon enough.”

Key notes: Pierce, who also won Friday’s 40-lap prelim for a $5,000 payday, recorded his fourth victory in five MARS events this season. It was his 20th career triumph on the regional tour. … Pierce notched his fifth Slocum 50 finale, adding to wins in 2014, ’16, ’19 and ’20. … Pierce became the race’s third leader on lap five when he overtook Ferguson and was never headed, but Ferguson came within inches of nosing ahead on lap 49 after erasing a two-second deficit as Pierce struggled in late-race lapped traffic. Ferguson actually slid ahead using the inside lane on the backstretch, but Pierce’s go-for-broke charge around the extreme outside of turns three and four gave him enough momentum to beat Ferguson to the checkered flag. … Ferguson settled for second place after starting on the pole and leading laps 2-4. ... Dennis Erb Jr.’s third-place finish backed up his runner-up on Friday, both coming in his new Rocket Chassis. … Brian Shirley led the race’s first lap but faded steadily to a ninth-place finish. … Just two caution flags dotted the race: lap 24 for Drake Troutman slowing with a flat right-rear and lap 29 for Kayden Clatt falling off the pace. ... Racing action was paused at 8:30 p.m. local time after the medical response team was needed for an emergency in the frontstretch grandstands. ... The Slocum 50 honored Brent Slocum, a 28-year-old track champion who died as a result of a pit-area accident at 34 Raceway on June 11, 2005.

On the move: Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Texas, started 19th and finished seventh.

Winner's sponsors: Pierce’s Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Low Voltage Solutions, Rio Grande Waste Services, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Oakwood Tire Center, Churchill Transport, Collins Brothers Towing, K1, Carnaghi Towing & Repair, Toyota of Danville, Floyd’s Waste Systems, PureMax Racing Oil, A Plus Vacuum, Leka Tree Service, Bert Transmissions by Budda, Ted Brown’s Quality Paint & Body Shop, VP Race Fuels, Swift Springs, Bilstein Shocks, Dirt Car Lift and Performance Bodies.

Points chase: After 34 Saturday: 1. Bobby Pierce (370); 2. Brian Shirley (292); 3. Brandon Sheppard (280); 4. Dennis Erb Jr. (273); 5. Tony Jackson Jr. (228).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 57°F

Car count: 38

Fast qualifier: Brian Shirley

Time: 15.183 seconds

Polesitter: Carson Ferguson

Heat race winners: Brian Shirley, Dennis Erb Jr., Bobby Pierce, Carson Ferguson

Consolation race winners: Garrett Alberson, Frank Heckenast Jr.

Provisional starters: Tanner English, Jason Feger, Chris Simpson

Next series race: April 25, Brownstown Bullring (Brownstown, IL) $5,000