UMP tour contenders focus on victories
By Chris Dolack
DIRTcar Racing
Bobby Pierce (right) visits with Scott Schmitt in Fairbury, Ill. (DirtonDirt.com)
Ask any driver and they'll tell you they're not worried about points. It's no different on the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals.
While Mother Nature has somewhat naturally watered down this year's running of the so-called Hell Tour with 28 races scheduled over 32 days, two drivers with impressive Summernationals lineages have emerged atop the point standings while a third racer is seeking a bit of history. | Complete Summernationals coverage
As the series prepares for its final two weeks of action beginning Tuesday at I-96 Speedway's NAPA Auto Parts Summer Rumble in Lake Odessa, Mich., Bobby Pierce, 18, finds himself atop the points with victories at Jacksonville (Ill.) Speedway and Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill. Pierce's father, Bob, is a two-time series and crew chief for the younger Pierce’s No. 32.
At the other end of the pits is Billy Moyer Jr., 27, who is second in the title chase with a victory at Farley (Iowa) Speedway. He’s the son of six-time Summernationals champion Billy Moyer, who is still a threat to win every time he signs in to race.
Lurking behind the two young stars that are seeking their first title is four-time champion Shannon Babb, who is tied with the elder Moyer atop the all-time victory list and on a mission to win his fifth championship.
None of the drivers, though, say they're focused on the championship, although it's definitely on their minds.
“The whole thing with the Hell Tour is to stay consistent, that's the key," said Pierce, the 2013 weekly UMP DIRTcar champion from Oakwood, Ill. "If you can just keep getting top-fives every night the point situation will fall your way eventually, and that's what it's been doing for us so far. There are still a lot of races to go so we're just going to try to stay consistent and pick off a few wins along the way. It's a good confidence booster too.”
Pierce's father has been through the battles many times, and he's also focused on winning races.
"Somebody asked me, 'How many points are you up?' I said I don't even know," the elder Pierce said. "I don't look at it. We're doing the best we can and if it happens it happens. We know every time we pull into the racetrack it's a points race. Yeah, you want to win every race, but like the other night when Babb passed us, I told him second is points and you didn't tear anything up. We probably could have went for it, but who knows what would have happened.
“Or you could have driven harder earlier so he wouldn't have caught you, but the way it was looking he wasn't going to catch us anyway. Then all of a sudden he got a couple of good laps in a row and went by us. It's kind of what it is. You're trying to win the races but yet you know it's points, so I can't say you be careful but you get your best finish and the rest will come.”
Although his dad is a racing legend, the younger Moyer calls his own shots with his team. He also tries to figure out how he's going to make it up and down the road. After all, surviving 5,453 miles from Brownstown through Oakshade is no easy feat, so winning races helps to ensure he's able to fund his quest to join his dad as a Summernationals champion.
“My dad's not here every night helping me, my dad's racing himself, so I make all the decisions on this thing, figuring out how I'm going to pay for everything,” the Batesville, Ark., driver said. “Right now I'm just trying to win races, trying to run in the top three or five. If that comes then points will follow. We're trying to keep up as far as if we're running in the back, but if you start in the back you can't really put an old tire on if you're points racing. It would be awesome to win it.”
Then there's Babb. He knows how to get it done. He's won 89 Summernationals races in his career to go with the four crowns. His Drive for Five has been anything but ordinary after he missed the opener because of truck trouble, but was then fortunate enough to have a rainout on the day his first daughter was born.
"No matter who it is or what you're doing, you're going to have a little hiccup here or there," said Babb, 41, of Moweaqua, Ill. "We had ours right at the very beginning and got it out of the way. We're rolling along. We've been prepared for this. We worked on it all winter, and summertime got here and it's time to race so that's what we're doing.
"We're racing each night. I always have. I approach each night like it's a new night. All these races pay good money, to collect the check that night is what we're trying to do. The point deal, how it turns out it turns out. If we did win it and got the money for the points, we'd probably freshen our motors up and go again, it's something we wouldn't have to ask our sponsors for. We could pick our own pockets. Everybody wants to win the points, but I want to win the races.”
Heading to Michigan on Tuesday, Pierce is in the driver's seat. He has two victories and the championship lead by 57 points over Moyer. Babb is 71 points behind.
"It's tough, you can do all you can to prepare for it but there's always going to be something you're not prepared for,” said Pierce, who finished second in points in 2013. "Whether it's something on the car, something with your rig, something with you, you just never know. It takes a toll on you, it takes a toll on all your equipment, too. You've got to make sure everything is maintenanced and it's hard in the summer heat, too. Right now things have been going pretty good for us. I've been looking forward to the next day every single day when I wake up, ready to race again. When things go bad, it can be tough."
