Dirt on Dirt - Pierce tops Babb for $10,000 at Fairbury

June 17

Fairbury Speedway,

Fairbury, IL

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals - $10,000

Information provided by: Robert Holman (last updated June 18, 6:51 am)

Pierce tops Babb for $10,000 at Fairbury

Bobby Pierce
Shannon Babb
Gordy Gundaker
Tanner English
Brandon Sheppard
Frank Heckenast Jr.
Ashton Winger
Donny Walden
Jason Feger
Tommy Sheppard Jr.
Dennis Erb Jr.
McKay Wenger
Bob Gardner
Brian Shirley
Jason Wagner
Ethan Dotson
Kyle Beard
Forrest Trent
Chris Simpson
Mike Spatola
Kevin Weaver
Drake Troutman
Dale Markham
Ryan Unzicker

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Terry Page

Bobby Pierce celebrates in victory lane at Fairbury Speedway.

What won the race: Reclaiming the lead from Shannon Babb on lap 39, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., pulled away over the final 11 laps to win Saturday’s 50-lap DIRTcar Summer Nationals feature at Fairbury. Pierce, winning for the second night in a row, finished 2.851 seconds ahead of Babb to earn a $10,000 payday.

Quotable: “That was a great race with (Shannon) Babb. I thought he had us really,” said Pierce. “I know the tires everyone else had on. I thought we kinda missed it there. We got lucky in lapped traffic; I’ll say that. (Babb) has been fast lately. I guess we were pretty good. We learned some good stuff for the next time we come here.”

Key notes: Pierce led laps 1-27 and laps 39-40. … Babb led laps 28-38. … The race was slowed by just one caution, a four-car scrum on the backstretch just after lap one was completed. … Pierce earned his 49th Summer Nationals victory and second of the season. … In winning his first career Summer Nationals race at Fairbury, Pierce denied Babb a sixth tour win there. … The win backed up Pierce’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win at Fairbury in May. … Fairbury hosted the DIRTcar Summer Nationals for the 35th time. … Brian Shirley, who led all 80 laps in wining the first two events this season, had a flat tire in his heat, took a provisional to start the feature and was caught up in a wreck on the first lap. He finished 14th. … The series enjoyed its biggest car count of the season thus far. … Nine former Fairbury Summer Nationals winners were among Saturday’s 55 entries: Billy Moyer, Babb, Shirley, Kevin Weaver, Chris Simpson, Gordy Gundaker, Brandon Sheppard, Ryan Unzicker and Rodney Melvin. … Moyer, who failed to make the feature, leads all drivers with eight series wins at Fairbury. … Babb (5), Shirley (3) and Weaver (3) are the only other drivers with multiple wins. … The opening week of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals wraps up Sunday at Sycamore Speedway in Maple Park, Ill. Shirley won there last year.

On the move: Gordy Gundaker of St. Charles, Mo., started eighth and finished third.

Winner's sponsors: Pierce’s Longhorn Chassis is sponsored by Allgayer Inc., Hoker Trucking LLC, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Bloomington Normal Truck Performance, Carnaghi Towing & Repair, Floyd’s Waste Systems, Vic Hill Race Engines, Swift Springs, Bilstein Shocks, Toyota of Danville, Ted Brown’s Quality Paint and Body Shop, Extreme Electric, Inc., Performance Bodies, A Plus Vacuum, Lekg Tree Service, Bert Transmission by Budda, Velocita-USA, Robert and Sons Aluminum, VP Racing Fuels and FK Rod Ends.

Points chase: After Fairbury: 1. Brian Shirley (272); 2. Frank Heckenast Jr. (242); 3. Jason Feger (237); 4. Dennis Erb Jr. (223); 5. Shannon Babb (221); 6. Ethan Dotson (199); 7. Bob Gardner (198); 8. Ashton Winger (191); 9. Tommy Sheppard Jr. (174); 10. Bobby Pierce (160).

Current weather: Clear, 70°F

Car count: 55

Fast qualifier: Tanner English

Time: 12.719 seconds

Polesitter: Bobby Pierce

Heat race winners: Bobby Pierce, McKay Wenger, Frank Heckenast Jr., Tanner English, Brandon Sheppard, Shannon Babb

Consolation race winners: Tommy Sheppard Jr.

Provisional starters: Ryan Unzicker, Brian Shirley, Dale Markham, Ethan Dotson

Next series race: June 18, Sycamore Speedway (Maple Park, IL) $5,000

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

From staff reports

FAIRBURY, Ill. (June 17) — Updates from the fourth round of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Fairbury Speedway, an event highlighted by a $10,000-to-win feature for Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Reclaiming the lead from Shannon Babb on lap 39, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., pulled away over the final 11 laps to win Saturday’s 50-lap DIRTcar Summer Nationals feature at Fairbury. Pierce, winning for the second night in a row, finished 2.851 seconds ahead of Babb, of Moweaqua, Ill., to earn a $10,000 payday. It was his first-ever Summer Nationals victory at the historic bullring that was hosting the tour for the 35th time.

Eighth-starting Gordy Gundaker of St. Charles, Mo., finished third, while Benton, Ky.’s Tanner English, who started alongside Pierce on the front row, finished fourth. Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., started fifth, fell back to eighth early and then rallied to round out the top five.

Feature lineup

(50 laps)
Row 1: Bobby Pierce, Tanner English
Row 2: Shannon Babb, Mckay Wenger
Row 3: Brandon Sheppard, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Row 4: Chris Simpson, Gordy Gundaker
Row 5: Jason Wagner, Ashton Winger
Row 6: Jason Feger, Kevin Weaver
Row 7: Drake Troutman, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 8: Forrest Trent, Donny Walden
Row 9: Mike Spatola, Bob Gardner
Row 10: Tommy Sheppard Jr., Kyle Beard
Row 11: Ryan Unzicker, Brian Shirley
Row 12: Dale Markham, Ethan Dotson

Consolation race results

B-main (top two transfer): Tommy Sheppard Jr., Kyle Beard, Taylor Scheffler, Rodney Melvin, Trevor Gundaker, Rich Bell, Todd Bennett, Billy Moyer, Dale Markham, Lyle Zanker, Curtis Roberts, Scott Schmitt, Jack Riggs, Daryn Klein. Scratched: Ryan Unzicker.

First C-main (top two transfer): Billy Moyer, Todd Bennett, Cody Bauer, Thomas Hunziker, Paul Parker, Johnathan Huston, Jordan Bauer, Doug Tye, Brian Shirley, Chad Finley, Kylan Garner. Scratched: Brenden Smith, Brian Diveley, Jack Riggs.

Second C-main (top two transfer): Taylor Scheffler, Ryan Unzicker, Kye Blight, Billy Hough, Chase Osterhoff, Steve Sheppard Jr., Mark Voigt, Tyler Clem, Chris Hawkins, Mick Quin. Scratched: Austin Rettig, Hunt Gossum.

Heat race results

(Top three transfer)
First heat: Bobby Pierce, Chris Simpson, Drake Troutman, Tommy Sheppard Jr., Dale Markham, Billy Moyer, Cody Bauer, Thomas Hunziker, Kylan Garner, Paul Parker.

Second heat: McKay Wenger, Jason Wagner, Forrest Trent, Scott Schmitt, Curtis Roberts, Jordan Bauer, Chad Finley, Brenden Smith, Brian Shirley.

Third heat: Frank Heckenast Jr., Jason Feger, Mike Spatola, Kyle Beard, Daryn Klein, Todd Bennett, Johnathon Huston, Doug Tye. Scratched: Brian Diveley.

Fourth heat: Tanner English, Gordy Gundaker, Dennis Erb Jr., Rodney Melvin, Lyle Zanker, Austin Rettig, Kye Blight, Billy Hough, Steve Sheppard Jr.

Fifth heat: Brandon Sheppard, Ashton Winger, Donny Walden, Trevor Gundaker, Rich Bell, Chase Osterhoff, Chris Hawkins, Mark Voigt. Scratched: Hunt Gossom.

Sixth heat: Shannon Babb, Kevin Weaver, Bob Gardner, Ethan Dotson, Jack Riggs, Ryan Unzicker, Tyler Clem, Taylor Sheffler, Mich Quin.

Time trial results

Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
Group A
Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 12.893
McKay Wenger (42), Fairbury, Ill., 13.007
Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 13.182
Chris Simpson (32), Oxford, Iowa, 13.208
Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 13.276
Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 13.311
Drake Troutman (7T), Hyndman, Pa., 13.341
Jason Wagner (J12), East Peoria, Ill., 13.349
Johnathan Huston (42H), Columbus Junction, Iowa, 13.405
Dale Markham (3M), Maple Park, Ill., 13.450
Forrest Trent (101), Morristown, Tenn., 13.467
Daryn Klein (26H), Fairview Heights, Ill., 13.483
Tommy Sheppard Jr. (T6), New Berlin, Ill., 13.488
Scott Schmitt (10s), Tonica, Ill., 13.497
Mike Spatola (89), Manhattan, Ill., 13.508
Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., 13.513
Chad Finley (42), East Lansing, Mich., 13.567
Kyle Beard (86), Trumann, Ark., 13.567
Thomas Hunziker (38), Bend, Ore., 13.618
Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 13.701
Brian Diveley (11), Springfield, Ill., 13.745
Kylan Garner (USA128), Diamond, Mo., 13.769
Curtis Roberts (9r), Coleman, Mich., 13.792
Todd Bennett (T2), Peoria, Ill., 13.881
Paul Parker (10), Kaukauna, Wis., 13.921
Jordan Bauer (10J), St. Jacob, Ill., 13.953
Doug Tye (4D), Collinsville, Ill., 14.134
Cody Bauer (19x), Farwell, Mich., 14.595
Group B
Tanner English (96v), Benton, Ky., 12.719
Ashton Winger (12), Hampton, Ga., 12.931
Bob Gardner (4G), East Peoria, Ill., 12.963
Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 12.998
Donny Walden (1w), Towanda, Ill., 13.042
Tyler Clem (58), St. Petersburg, Fla., 13.074
Gordy Gundaker (11), St. Charles, Mo., 13.153
Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 13.257
Kevin Weaver (B12), Gibson City, Ill., 13.289
Rodney Melvin (27M), Benton, Ill., 13.333
Trevor Gundaker (14G), St. Charles, Mo., 13.384
Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 13.468
Lyle Zanker (9z), Rockford, Ill., 13.471
Chase Osterhoff (130), Kankakee, Ill., 13.477
Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 13.482
Austin Rettig (94), Sikeston, Mo., 13.497
Hunt Gossum (99), Mayfield, Ky., 13.543
Taylor Scheffler (10s), Waukesha, Wis., 13.555
Kye Blight (31AUS), Bunbury, W. Australia, 13.575
Rich Bell (21B), Sheffield, Ill., 13.579
Ethan Dotson (174) Bakersfield, Calif., 13.583
Billy Hough (33H), Thomasboro, Ill., 13.605
Mark Voigt (30), Marine, Ill., 13.625
Jack Riggs (81J), Nolensville, Tenn., 13.858
Steve Sheppard (5s), New Berlin, Ill., 13.893
Chris Hawkins (USA1), Neosho, Mo., 13.987
Mick Quin (23), Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, 14.018

Saturday’s schedule

(All times local)
10 a.m.: Gates open
5:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6 p.m.: On-track activity
- Super Late Model hot laps
- Modified hot lap/qualifying (3 laps)
- Super Late Model qualifying (2 laps)
- Stock car hot lap/qualifying
Opening ceremonies
Heat races
- Super Late Models (10 laps)
- Modifieds (8 laps)
- Stock cars (8 laps)
- Super Late Model C-main (10 laps, if needed)
Last chance showdowns
- Modifieds (10 laps)
- Super Late Models (12 laps)
Intermission
Features
- Super Late Models (50 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
- Stock cars (20 laps)