Fairbury Speedway
Fast Facts: Fairbury's 35th Prairie Dirt Classic
By Aaron Clay
DirtonDirt weekend editor
Dates: July 25-26 (July 23’s FloRacing Night in America presented by Kubota event isn’t officially part of the event).
Track: Fairbury Speedway (semi-banked 1/4-mile dirt oval)
Location: Fairbury, Ill.
Purse: $50,000-to-win Late Model feature (plus $500 per lap led)
Primary sponsors: Bank of Pontiac, Popejoy Plumbing and Summit Racing Equipment.
Sanction: World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series
Streaming: Live on DIRTVision (Friday and Saturday).
Last year’s winner: Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., his first victory in the home-state special
Tickets: Week-long general admission $95 (includes Wednesday); week-long pit pass $125 (includes Wednesday); day-by-by ticketing options below.
Websites: fairburyspeedway.com and worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels
Track phone: (815) 692-3222
Notes: Fairbury Speedway hosts the 35th annual Prairie Dirt Classic, a two-day event for World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series competitors culminating with Saturday’s 100-lap, $50,000-to-win main event. … Action officially kicks off with Friday’s four 25-lap, $5,000-to-win qualifier semifeatures that set the lineup for Saturday’s consolations and feature. … Non-qualifiers can compete in Saturday’s $3,500-to-win Prairie Dirt Shootout. … Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., rallied after a lap-60 spin during last year’s PDC finale, worked his way back to the front and took the lead from Nick Hoffman on the final lap for the $50,500 victory (including lap bonus money). … Hoffman, of Mooresville, N.C., settled for second, but led 78 laps and collected $39,000 with lap-leading bonuses. … Pierce leads Hoffman by 92 points entering Friday’s WoO action. … Pierce will lead a contingent of Illinoisans who will look for victory on home turf, including Prairie Dirt Classic winners Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill. (2017, ’19, ’22), Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill. (2002, ’06, ’13), Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill. (2012) and Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill. (2004) among them. … Off-track entertainment includes a golf tournament, silent auction and live music (Thursday), a cornhole tournament (Friday) and drivers’ autograph session (Saturday). … Pits open at 9 a.m. daily with on-track activity at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, then at 5:30 p.m. for Friday-Saturday action.
Prairie Dirt Classic winners
Year: Winner, hometown
2024: Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.
2023: Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
2022: Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
2021: Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif.
2020: Cancelled
2019: Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
2018: Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio
2017: Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
2016: Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va.
2015: Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
2014: Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
2013: Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.
2012: Jason Feger, Bloomington, Ill.
2011: Eric Smith, Bloomington, Ill.
2010: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
2009: Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, Wis.
2008: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
2007: Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine, Iowa
2006: Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.
2005: Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, Wis.
2004: Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill.
2003: Don O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
2002: Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.
2001: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
2000: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1999: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1998: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
1997: Billy Drake, Bloomington, Ill.
1996: John Gill, Mitchell, Ind.
1995: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1994: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1993: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
1992: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
1991: Kevin Weaver, Gibson City, Ill.
1990: Snooky Dehm, Chatsworth, Ill.
Weekend purses
Friday’s Prairie Dirt Showdowns
1. $5,000
2. $2,000
3. $1,500
4. $1,000
5.-20. $300
Prairie Dirt Shootout non-qualifiers' race
1. $3,500
2. $1,000
3. $800
4. $700
5. $600
6. $500
7. $475
8. $450
9. $425
10. $400
11. $375
12. $350
13. $325
14.-20. $300
Saturday’s Prairie Dirt Classic
1. $50,000
2. $20,000
3. $12,000
4. $7,500
5. $6,000
6. $5,000
7. $4,750
8. $4,500
9. $4,250
10. $4,000
11. $3,900
12. $3,800
13. $3,700
14. $3,600
15. $3,500
16. $3,400
17. $3,300
18. $3,200
19. $3,100
20. $3,080
21. $3,060
22. $3,060
23. $3,020
24.-26. $3,000
Event schedule
(Subject to change)
Wednesday
9 a.m. - Gates open
5:45 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:15 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
7 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Late Model consolation (10 laps)
Intermission/track prep - Late Model feature (50 laps)
Thursday
9 a.m. - Gates open
9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. - PDC Shriner’s Hospital for Children’s Golf Classic (Indian Creek Country Club)
6:45 p.m. - Shriners Children’s auction (frontstretch midway)
9 p.m.-midnight - Dirty Grass Soul Country Band (north beer stand)
Friday
7-11 a.m. - VFW Post PDC breakfast (VFW Building on Locust Street)
9 a.m. - Gates open
Noon - Cornhole bags tournament (north beer stand)
5 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting (WoO command center)
5:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified hot lap qualifying (3 laps)
- Late Model group A qualifying (2 laps, 2 cars per session)
- Late Model group B qualifying (2 laps, 2 cars per session)
Opening ceremonies
- Modified preliminary feature (20 laps)
- Modified preliminary feature (20 laps)
- Late Model preliminary feature (25 laps)
- Late Model preliminary feature (25 laps)
Track prep (if needed)
- Modified preliminary feature (20 laps)
- Modified preliminary feature (20 laps)
Track prep (if needed)
- Late Model preliminary feature (25 laps)
- Late Model preliminary feature (25 laps)
Saturday
7-11 a.m. - VFW Post PDC breakfast (VFW Building on Locust Street)
9 a.m. - Gates open
3 p.m. - Live Suave Talk show (at the bus on the backstretch turn two)
4-4:45 p.m. - Drivers’ autograph session (vendor row on backstretch)
5 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting (WoO command center)
5:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Modified hot laps (consolation entrants)
- Late Model hot laps (consolation entrants)
Opening ceremonies
6:20 p.m. - Redraw and prerace festivities
- Modified consolations (15 laps, top 2 transfer)
- Modified hot laps (feature entrants)
- Late Model consolations (20 laps)
- Late Model hot laps (feature entrants)
- Modified feature (40 laps)
- Prairie Dirt Shootout non-qualifiers’ race (25 laps)
- 35th annual Prairie Dirt Classic (100 laps)
Tickets
Friday
Three-day general admission: $95 (includes Wednesday’s FloRacing One for the Road event)
Two-day general admission: $65
One-day general admission: $30
Reserved seating: sold out (general admission is available for purchase at gates)
Three-day all access pit pass: $125 (includes Wednesday’s FloRacingOne for the Road event)
Two-day all access pit pass: $85
One-day all access pit pass: $40
Saturday
One-day general admission: $40
One-day all access pit pass: $50
Camping
Reserved camping: Sold out
Overflow FALS camping: $65
FALS tent camping: $30
Golf cart registration: $25
More information: fairburyspeedway.com or (815) 692-3222
