What won the race: Sliding underneath Brian Shirley on lap 24, third-starting Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., led the rest of Friday's Nippy 50 preliminary at Maquoketa Speedway to win the MARS Late Model Championship Series opener. Pierce collected $10,000 for the repeat after topping Brian Shirley in the 2024 Nippy 50 preliminary.

Quotable: "I about lost it there at the end. I hit that hole, there was a pretty big hole forming and just how you hit it, you know, your car bounced one way or the other," Pierce said. "I bottomed out in it bad that last lap, I think because I drove it too cautiously, really. So then it made me mess up and my right-side tires were hanging over the edge. Yeah, if someone was close enough to me, they definitely would have passed me. So we got lucky we held on to that one"

Key notes: Pierce's win marked the 17th MARS Late Model Championship Series victory of his career. … Reigning MARS champion, Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., finished 16th after slipping over the cushion in turns three and four on lap 15. … 2024 series runner-up Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill., retired during a lap-25 caution with smoke funneling from the back of his car. … Pole-starting Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., finished third after leading the opening 20 laps. … The race was slowed by three cautions; Jason Feger on lap 15, Chad Simpson on lap 23, and for a spinning Daniel Adam on lap 25. … Saturday’s finale gets underway earlier with gates opening at 1 p.m. and hot laps at 5:30.

On the move: Tony Jackson Jr. of Lebanon, Mo., started 19th and finished eighth.

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, Hoker Trucking, 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 Maquoketa Friday: 1. Bobby Pierce (75); 2. Ricky Thornton Jr. (70); 3. Brandon Sheppard (65); 4. Brian Shirley (60): 5. Garrett Alberson (57).

Current weather: Clear, 70°F

Car count: 44

Fast qualifier: Ryan Gustin

Time: 13.320 seconds

Heat race winners: Brian Shirley, Jason Feger, Bobby Pierce, Brandon Sheppard

Consolation race winners: Chad Simpson, Dylan Thornton

Provisional starters: Bob Gardner, McKay Wenger

Next series race: March 29, Maquoketa Speedway (Maquoketa, IA) $15,000