Kickapoo Speedway
Pierce's home-track win marks his first on ALMS
Bobby Pierce takes the checkers at Vermilion County. (Jeremey Rhoades)
DANVILLE, Ill. (April 19) — Winning at his home track, 16-year-old Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., earned $2,000 Sunday for his first career victory on the Sunoco American Late Model Series.
The fourth-starting Pierce tracked race-long leader Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., through the race’s middle stages, then slipped by on the backstretch amid lapped traffic on lap 22 en route to victory in the 30-lap Salt Fork Shootout. Sheppard lost momentum exiting turn four when a slower car briefly checked up, and Pierce made his winning move. | Video | Slideshow
“The focus that I had to have was a ton, because there was lapped cars going everywhere, and I was trying to make my move on Brandon (and decide) when to make it, where would be the right spot, because both corners were completely different,” Pierce said. “I was on the top in (turns) three and four and the bottom-middle — or almost anywhere — in (turns) one and two. You had to finesse the whole racetrack. It was really tough and took a lot of focus. I knew I had only a couple of chances to get him, and I saw a spot open and took it.”
Sheppard got a final shot at regaining the lead from Pierce on a lap-28 restart, but settled for the second spot on an ALMS weekend in Illinois when electrical problems hampered him at Charleston Speedway and a flat tire cost him at Fairbury American Legion Speedway.
“I had a good car, but it was one of them deals where there was a lapped car on the bottom and a lapped car on the top, and I was going to try to dive through the middle of ‘em. I dove and just kind of slid up and there Bobby was on the bottom. Oh well, we’ll take second the way our weekend’s been,” said Sheppard, who started outside the front row. “To get a second is kind of a big weight lifted off my shoulders. I can go into next weekend with a little more confidence.”
Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., rallied on the high side on the final restart to get third while Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill., finished in the fourth spot.
Polesitter Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., ran among the top five all the way, but spun between turns three and four with two laps remaining, collecting Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ill. The only other yellow was for Marvin Burton’s early spin.
Notes: Pierce’s Pierce Race Car has a Pro Power Racing engine and sponsorship from Champion Spark Plugs, Murphy Trucking, Petersen Aluminum, American Metal Supply Co. and Keyser Mfg. ... Pierce came to Oakwood after a disappointing weekend in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Batesville, Ark., where he was among the fast qualifiers but had a flat tire in his heat race and was the first retiree in the main event after taking a provisional starter spot. ... “It was a long drive back home, and I knew I had a good shot. I ran here a long time when I was younger and I knew I had a shot at this,” he said. ... The victory was his first in a feature since Sept. 22, 2012, at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill. ... Pierce studied for finals on the trip home with his last day of school coming up Monday. ... ALMS competitors return to action with four Memorial Day weekend races at Mount Pleasant (Mich.) Speedway on May 24, Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio on May 25, Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on May 26, and Macon (Ill.) Speedway on May 27.
Salt Fork Shootout: (1) Bobby Pierce, (2) Brandon Sheppard, (3) Brian Shirley, (4) Ryan Unzicker, (5) Scott Schmitt, (6) Tim Manville, (7) Tanner English, (8) Kyle Logue, (9) Phil Ausra, (10) Matt Furman, (11) Brandon Thirlby, (12) Allen Murray, (13) Steve Thorsten, (14) Billy Hough, (15) John Gummere, (16) Kent Robinson, (17) Shannon Babb, (18) Brian Rickey, (19) Dave Baldwin, (20) Marvin Burson. Fast qualifier (among 21 cars): Robinson. Heat race winners: Babb, Sheppard, Robinson.
