DAVENPORT, Iowa — Thursday's Quad Cities 150 by Hoker Trucking opener didn't play out quite like Devin Moran expected, but the 26-year-old Dresden, Ohio, driver was fine with it all the same.

Moran led all but the second lap on the quarter-mile layout at Davenport Speedway for a $10,000 victory, his third of the season on the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series.

"I really thought it was going to play out different than the race did," said Moran, who led the first lap and then regained the point from fellow front-row starter Chris Madden on the third lap. "But I'm really glad we got the lead early."

With traffic bottling up the leader in the low groove, Moran fought off several challenges from Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., and held on to win by a 0.525-second margin in the first of three nights of WoO action at Davenport. Fourth-row starters Frank Heckenast Jr. of Frankfort, Ill., and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., finished third and fourth while Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., rounded out the top five in Scott Bloomquist's Team Zero house car.

Moran ran higher on the track early in the race, but he eventually settled into the bottom groove to find the fastest way around. He had a 1.159-second lead on Pierce at halfway, but with 10 laps remaining Pierce was all over Moran as he tried to get past the slower car of Jason Feger.

Moran got some breathing room when Pierce took a shot at the high side as as he got under Feger, and he briefly had a two-lapped car cushion on Pierce, who was again hot on Moran's heels with just a few laps remaining. But Moran hit his marks to finish off the victory.

"To get my first World of Outlaw win of the year, that's freaking awesome," Moran said. "I could feel (Pierce) hitting my left-rear (corner) lap after lap. I really wanted to run that middle to top, but (the track surface) was just so dirty. None of us thought we needed track prep, but obviously we were all wrong, because we got locked up around that bottom a little bit. I'm sure (Ricky) Kay and those guys will get the track a little better for us tomorrow."

Pierce, fresh off the DIRTcar Summer Nationals title that included a victory at Davenport, wasn't too disappointed with second.

"It was a good race. Congrats to Devin on the win. It was a lot fun, really. It was a super-fun racetrack and this place has been providing really good racing every time we come here lately. So hat's off to Davenport Speedway with that," he said. "I was pretty surprised we were making the bottom work. Normally, I can't really make it work that good, I'm living by the top. But tonight the car was really good. I have to give a big thanks to Dad and all my crew."

Moran hadn't planned on competing at Davenport until he got a sponsorship boost from Doug Curless of C&W Trucking.

"It it wasn't them guys, we weren't going to come here," Moran said. "Doug got us on the phone and got us out here and helped us to get out here, so I want to thank C&W Trucking."

Moran notched his fourth overall victory in August, a month where he's never finished worse than third.

"We went down to Longhorn (Chassis in North Carolina) and worked on the car and with Bilstein, Kevin and Pete and Aaron and all those guys, we've just been getting the car faster and faster," Moran said. "And obviously Keith Berner with Accu-Force and them guys, I still talk to him every single day. It's a group effort. I want to thank (brother and crew chief) Wylie, obviously. Happy birthday to him. I don't know if I could've got a much better birthday gift for him."

The 40-lapper was slowed by two cautions with WoO rookie Ryan Gustin involved in both. Gustin was off the track on the sixth lap and again the 12th lap, when Jason Feger was also off the racing surface. Gustin retired.

Action continues at Davenport with another $10,000-to-win program Friday with both preliminary nights setting the heat lineups for Saturday's finale, which pays $30,000-to-win.

Notes: Moran's previous WoO victories in 2021 came at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., and a dirt-covered Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. ... Eighteen drivers finished on the lead lap. ... Engine problems forced home-state driver Chad Simpson to scratch from the feature and the rest of the weekend.

Feature lineup

Row 1: Chris Madden, Devin Moran
Row 2: Cade Dillard, Bobby Pierce
Row 3: Nick Hoffman, Brandon Sheppard
Row 4: Frank Heckenast Jr., Shannon Babb
Row 5: Brian Shirley, Ryan Gustin
Row 6: Jimmy Mars, Chris Simpson
Row 7: Jason Feger, Kyle Larson
Row 8: Chad Simpson, Billy Moyer Jr.
Row 9: Dennis Erb Jr., Garrett Alberson
Row 10: Tyler Bruening, Spencer Diercks
Row 11: Boom Briggs, Jame Timm
Row 12: Rick Weiss, Jeremiah Hurst

Consolation results

First consolation (top three transfer): Dennis Erb Jr., Tyler Bruening, Boom Briggs, Jeremiah Hurst, Todd Cooney, Justin Kay, Ricky Weiss, Matt Furman, Rayce McCord, Tim Simpson, Victor Benedetto.

Second consolation (top three transfer): Garrett Alberson, Spencer Diercks, Jake Timm, Brian Harris, Daniel Hilsabeck, Paul Parker, David Webster, Richie Gustin Jr., Lance Matthees, Chris Kratzer, Michael Guldenpfennig.

Heat race results

First heat (top four transfer): Bobby Pierce, Brandon Sheppard, Brian Shirley, Jason Feger, Jeremiah Hurst, Dennis Erb Jr., Boom Briggs, Matt Furman, Tim Simpson, Victor Benedetto.

Second heat (top four transfer): Devin Moran, Nick Hoffman, Jimmy Mars, Chad Simpson, Tyler Bruening, Todd Cooney, Ricky Weiss, Justin Kay, Rayce McCord.

Third heat (top four transfer): Chris Madden, Frank Heckenast Jr., Ryan Gustin, Brent Larson, Garrett Alberson, Paul Parker, Spencer Diercks, Daniel Hilsabeck, Richie Gustin Jr., Chris Kratzer.

Fourth heat (top four transfer): Cade Dillard, Shannon Babb, Chris Simpson, Billy Moyer Jr., Jake Timm, Brian Harris, Lance Matthees, David Webster, Michael Guldenpfennig.

Time trial results

Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
First group
Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 13.588
Devin Moran (9), Dresden, Ohio, 13.656
Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 13.721
Nick Hoffman (0), Mooresville, N.C., 13.820
Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 13.835
Ricky Weiss (7W), Headingley, Manitoba, 13.854
Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 13.898
Tyler Bruening (16), Decorah, Iowa, 13.939
Jeremiah Hurst (41), Dubuque, Iowa, 14.022
Jimmy Mars (28), Menomonie, Wis., 14.027
Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 14.128
Chad Simpson (25), Mount Vernon, Iowa, 14.187
Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 14.255
Justin Kay (15K), Wheatland, Iowa, 14.351
Matt Furman (51), Iowa City, Iowa, 14.431
Todd Cooney (30), Pleasant Hill, Iowa, 14.435
Tim Simpson (17), Iowa City, Iowa, 14.473
Rayce McCord (27), Molt, Mont., 14.852
Victor Benedetto (B14), Morengo, Ill., 16.042
Second group
Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C., 13.636
Cade Dillard (97), Robeline, La., 13.722
Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 13.883
Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 13.917
Ryan Gustin (19r), Marshalltown, Iowa, 13.948
Chris Simpson (32), Oxford, Iowa, 13.991
Spencer Diercks (29D), Davenport, Iowa, 14.030
Billy Moyer Jr. (21jr), Batesville, Ark., 14.078
Garrett Alberson (59), Las Cruces, N.M., 14.161
Jake Timm (49), Winona, Minn., 14.275
Paul Parker (10), Kaukauna, Wis., 14.302
Brian Harris (99), Davenport, Iowa, 14.507
Brent Larson (B1), Lake Elmo, Minn., 14.577
Lance Matthees (90), Winona, Minn., 14.693
Daniel Hilsabeck (22), Waukee, Iowa, 14.782
Richie Gustin (19G), Gilman, Iowa, 15.033
David Webster (44w), Monroe, Wis., 15.285
Chris Kratzer (55), Haysville, Kan., 15.435
Michael Guldenpfennig (91), Muscatine, Iowa, 15.777