Dirt on Dirt - Pierce pulls away, grabs third series win at FALS

July 23

Fairbury Speedway,

Fairbury, IL

Sanction: FloRacing Night in America presented by Kubota (One for the Road) - $20,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac, series and track reports (last updated July 24, 10:44 am)

Pierce pulls away, grabs third series win at FALS

One for the Road

Bobby Pierce
Ricky Thornton Jr.
Jonathan Davenport
Hudson O'Neal
Ryan Unzicker
Tanner English
Ethan Dotson
Dennis Erb Jr.
Jason Feger
Shannon Babb
Brandon Sheppard
Ryan Gustin
Nick Hoffman
Brian Shirley
Brenden Smith
Dillon McCowan
Mike Spatola
Brandon Overton
Matt Furman
Garrett Alberson
Tyler Bruening
Daulton Wilson
Tyler Erb
Shane Clanton
Drake Troutman
Daryn Klein

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Bobby Pierce celebrates his third FloRacing Series victory at Fairbury.

What won the race: Aftering muscling past early leader Ryan Unzicker on lap 13, sixth-starting Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., repelled a late-race challenge from Ricky Thornton Jr. to win Wednesday's FloRacing Night in America presented by Kubota 50-lapper at Fairbury Speedway. Pierce withstood a lap-38 slide job from Thornton, then pulled away to win by 3.266 seconds for the $20,000 payday and his third career series victory at Fairbury.

Quotable: “It was a hot one in the car tonight. Ricky (Thornton Jr.) was putting the pressure on me for sure and it was a lot of fun,” Pierce said. “I knew any second he was gonna throw a slider in there and I was just waiting on it. It seemed like I’d get a couple laps that were good, he’d get a couple laps that were good. I watched him and J.D. go at it hard in the heat race and I was like ‘man, I don’t want that to happen cause I just want to get away and sail off in the lead,’ luckily at the very end we did.”

Key notes: Pierce captured his third FloRacing win of the season and the 10th of his career, extending his all-time series lead. ... He'll look to keep momentum rolling as he chases his second straight Prairie Dirt Classic triumph on Saturday. ... Ricky Thornton Jr. moved into second on lap 15 and pressured Pierce at times throughout the 50-lapper, before fading late. ... Ninth-starting Jonathan Davenport took third on a lap-29 restart. ... Ryan Unzicker led laps 2-12 before slipping to fifth. ... Polesitter Dennis Erb Jr. led the first lap and finished eighth. ... Shannon Babb settled for 10th aboard his backup car after suffering engine issues in his primary during hot laps. ... Garrett Alberson slowed with a flat right-rear tire for the race's second caution on lap 29. He pitted and finished 20th, one lap down aboard his backup after losing an engine in qualifying. ... Shane Clanton's left-rear wheel and tire assembly came off on the opening lap, drawing the first slowdown. His team replaced the wheel and retired before halfway. ... The race lasted 21 minutes with 15 starters completing 50 laps. ... Hometown driver McKay Wenger, winner of Fairbury's previous two races, had a spark plug wire come loose in time trials, ending his night. ... On-track activity was pushed an hour because of excessive heat.

On the move: Hudson O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., started 18th and finished fourth.

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 Fairbury: 1. Bobby Pierce (489); 2. Jonathan Davenport (402); 3. Ricky Thornton Jr. (375); 4. Brandon Sheppard (330); 5. Brian Shirley (327); 6. Hudson O’Neal (324); T7. Nick Hoffman (321); T7. Ryan Gustin (321); 9. Dennis Erb Jr. (279); 10. Garrett Alberson (273).

Current weather: Clear Mist, 81°F

Car count: 66

Fast qualifier: Dennis Erb Jr.

Time: 12.758 seconds

Polesitter: Dennis Erb Jr.

Heat race winners: Dennis Erb Jr., Ricky Thornton Jr., Shannon Babb, Ryan Unzicker, Tanner English, Bobby Pierce

Consolation race winners: Nick Hoffman, Tyler Bruening

Provisional starters: Ryan Gustin, Daulton Wilson, Tyler Erb, Drake Troutman

Next series race: September 11, Volunteer Speedway (Bulls Gap, TN) $20,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

FAIRBURY, Ill. — Updates and results from Wednesday’s sixth annual One for the Road, a 50-lap, $20,000-to-win FloRacing Night in America Series main event for Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Aftering muscling past early leader Ryan Unzicker on lap 13, sixth-starting Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., repelled a late-race challenge from Ricky Thornton Jr. to win Wednesday's FloRacing Night in America presented by Kubota 50-lapper at Fairbury Speedway. Pierce withstood a lap-38 slide job from Thornton, then pulled away to win by 3.266 seconds for the $20,000 payday and his third career series victory at Fairbury.

Feature lineup

(50 laps)

Row 1: Dennis Erb Jr., Ryan Unzicker
Row 2: Ricky Thornton Jr., Tanner English
Row 3: Shannon Babb, Bobby Pierce
Row 4: Brandon Overton, Mike Spatola
Row 5: Jonathan Davenport, Ethan Dotson
Row 6: Matt Furman, Brian Shirley
Row 7: Brenden Smith, Jason Feger
Row 8: Brandon Sheppard, Daryn Klein
Row 9: Dillon McCowan, Hudson O'Neal
Row 10: Nick Hoffman, Tyler Bruening
Row 11: Shane Clanton, Garrett Alberson
Row 12: Ryan Gustin, Daulton Wilson
Row 13: Tyler Erb, Drake Troutman

Consolation results

(12 laps; top two transfer)

First consolation: Nick Hoffman, Shane Clanton, Drake Troutman, Justin Duty, Tim McCreadie, Ryan Gustin, Chub Frank, Braiden Keller, Mike Marlar, Austin Howes, Rich Bell, Tristan Chamberlain, Doug Drown, Mike Provenzano, Eli Johnson, Brody Smith, Mike Winn, Brock Morris, Thomas Hunziker, Daulton Wilson. Scratched: Max Blair, Kayden Clatt, Chase Osterhoff, Jake Timm.

Second consolation: Tyler Bruening, Garrett Alberson, Caden McWhorter, Chris Simpson, Chase Junghans, Clay Harris, Jeffrey Ledford, Jake Little, Dustin Sorensen, Michael Leach, Hunter Kohn, Austin Smith, Frank Heckenast Jr., Tyler Erb, Jerry Bowersock. Scratched: Jason Riggs, Doug Carls, Mike Harrison, Myles Moos, Cody Overton, Jake O'Neil, McKay Wenger, Jadon Frame, Allen Weisser.

Heat race recap

Dennis Erb Jr. overcame a late-race restart to lead all 10 laps in winning the night’s first heat race by 0.572 of a second over third-starting Brandon Overton, who trailed him the entire way. Second-starting Brenden Smith held on to claim the third and final transfer spot into Wednesday’s 50-lap main event. The lone caution came on the final lap after Mike Marlar spun as he tried to work his way under Smith while they battled for third. Marlar completed the race and took the checkers in 10th. … Second-starting Ricky Thornton Jr. outdueled Jonathan Davenport, including a last-lap, last-corner crossover move to win the second heat by 0.149 of a second over Davenport. Brandon Sheppard started and finished third, joining Thornton and Davenport in punching his ticket into the $20,000-to-win feature. … Shannon Babb grabbed control from Daulton Wilson on the third lap and won the third heat by 1.824 seconds over fourth-starting Matt Furman. Eighth-starting Dillon McCowan moved into third when Kayden Clatt slowed on the final lap. The race’s first yellow flag flew on the fourth lap when Wilson slowed from second after losing fuel pressure. He required a push to the infield and did not continue. The second stoppage came on lap five after Brody Smith made contact with Clatt as they battled for third, with Smith spinning in turn three. … Ryan Unzicker controlled the entire distance of heat four, winning by 1.981 seconds over sixth-starting Mike Spatola, while Jason Feger started and finished third. Cody Overton spun at the turn-one entrance on the opening lap after contact with Feger and Austin Smith. Overton appeared to lose a right-rear tire, with his car leaning over heavily and nearly tipping over. He was OK, but needed a tow back to the pits. … Tanner English nipped Daryn Klein for the lead on the opening lap, then held off Ethan Dotson and beat him by 0.951 of a second to win the fifth heat. The pole-starting Klein held on to complete the podium finishers. The race’s lone slowdown came on the third lap when Klein and Myles Moos made contact as they battled for second, sending Moos inside the first couple infield tires and sliding to a stop in the third turn, leaving Jake O’Neil, Jadon Frame and Hunter Kohn nowhere to go. All drivers were OK, but Moos, Frame and O’Neil could not continue. … Second-starting Bobby Pierce led all 10 laps to win the sixth and final heat race by 1.492 seconds over fourth-starting Brian Shirley, with polesitter Hudson O’Neal hanging on for third in the No. 6 Rumley Engineering Longhorn. The lone caution came on the second lap when Chase Junghans spun in turn two. He continued to finish sixth.

Heat results

(10 laps; top three transfer)

First heat: Dennis Erb Jr., Brandon Overton, Brenden Smith, Nick Hoffman, Tim McCreadie, Tristan Chamberlain, Justin Duty, Max Blair, Ryan Gustin, Mike Marlar, Chase Osterhoff.

Second heat: Ricky Thornton Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Sheppard, Shane Clanton, Drake Troutman, Braiden Keller, Mike Provenzano, Doug Drown, Brock Morris, Eli Johnson.

Third heat: Shannon Babb, Matt Furman, Dillon McCowan, Chub Frank, Austin Howes, Thomas Hunziker, Rich Bell, Brody Smith, Mike Winn, Kayden Clatt, Daulton Wilson.

Fourth heat: Ryan Unzicker, Mike Spatola, Jason Feger, Caden McWhorter, Chris Simpson, Austin Smith, Garrett Alberson, Jason Riggs, Dustin Sorensen, Cody Overton. Scratched: McKay Wenger.

Fifth heat: Tanner English, Ethan Dotson, Daryn Klein, Jeffrey Ledford, Jake Little, Hunter Kohn, Michael Leach, Doug Carls, Myles Moos, Jake O'Neil, Jadon Frame.

Sixth heat: Bobby Pierce, Brian Shirley, Hudson O'Neal, Tyler Bruening, Clay Harris, Chase Junghans, Tyler Erb, Mike Harrison, Frank Heckenast Jr., Jerry Bowersock. Scratched: Allen Weisser.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 12.758
2. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 13.003
3. Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., 13.089
4. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 13.094
5. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 13.104
6. Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 13.163
7. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 13.182
8. Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 13.184
9. Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 13.197
10. Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 13.220
11. Shane Clanton (25c), Zebulon, Ga., 13.225
12. Matt Furman (51F), Iowa City, Iowa, 13.241
13. Nick Hoffman (9h), Mooresville, N.C., 13.255
14. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 13.270
15. Kayden Clatt (50), Edina, Mo., 13.283
16. Tim McCreadie (9), Watertown, N.Y., 13.312
17.Jake Timm (49T), Winona, Minn., 13.327
18. Chub Frank (1*), Bear Lake, Pa., 13.347
19. Tristan Chamberlain (20tc), Richmond, Ind., 13.423
20. Braiden Keller (k67), West Lebanon, Ind., 13.449
21. Thomas Hunziker (38), Bend, Ore., 13.473
22. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 13.475
23. Mike Provenzano (m27), Marseilles, Ill., 13.492
24. Dillon McCowan (75), Urbana, Mo., 13.500
25. Justin Duty (15D), Molalla, Ore., 13.521
26. Eli Johnson (55e), Clewiston, Fla., 13.525
27. Rich Bell (21B), Sheffield, Ill., 13.538
28. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 13.545
29. Doug Drown (12), Wooster, Ohio, 13.559
30. Austin Howes (17A), Lewistown, Mo., 13.653
31. Chase Osterhoff (130), Kankakee, Ill., 13.653
32. Brock Morris (17kn), Charleston, W.Va., 13.793
33. Mike Winn (729), Bourbonnais, Ill., 13.954
Group B
1. Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 13.025
2. Daryn Klein (10), Fairview Heights, Ill., 13.031
3. Hudson O’Neal (6h), Martinsville, Ind., 13.057
4. Austin Smith (11), Cedartown, Ga., 13.077
5. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 13.077
6. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 13.088
7. Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 13.116
8. Tanner English (96), Benton, Ky., 13.140
9. Tyler Bruening (16), Decorah, Iowa, 13.146
10. Cody Overton (2), Evans, Ga., 13.198
11. Myles Moos (26m), Lincoln, Ill., 13.215
12. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 13.237
13. Chris Simpson (32s), Oxford, Iowa, 13.253
14. Jake Little (38J), Springfield, Ill., 13.264
15. Tyler Erb (1T), New Waverly, Texas, 13.264
16. Mike Spatola (89), Manhattan, Ill., 13.284
17. Jeffrey Ledford (8L), Pontiac, Ill., 13.300
18. Chase Junghans (18J), Manhattan, Kan., 13.307
19. McKay Wenger (42), Fairbury, Ill., 13.320
20. Jake O’Neil (0), Tucson, Ariz., 13.332
21. Jerry Bowersock (95), Wapakoneta, Ohio, 13.357
22. Caden McWhorter (14), Fairbury, Ill., 13.372
23. Jadon Frame (81F), Winchester, Tenn., 13.379
24. Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., 13.394
25. Dustin Sorensen (19s), Rochester, Minn., 13.492
26. Michael Leach (09), Sun River, Mont., 13.493
27. Mike Harrison (33), Highland, Ill., 13.530
28. Jason Riggs (81), College Grove, Tenn., 13.544
29. Hunter Kohn (48), Mooresville, N.C., 13.658
30. Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 13.897
31. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 14.465
32. Allen Weisser (25w), Peoria, Ill., no time
33. Doug Carls (14c), Flanagan, Ill., no time

Wednesday’s schedule

(All times local)
9 a.m. - Gates open
7 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
7:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
8:30 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Late Model feature (50 laps)