DIRTcar Summer Nationals
Belle Clair Speedway
July 1, 2014
_______________________________________

Pierce Grabs First Win of 2014 DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Belle-Claire



by Jordan Morris
BELLEVILLE, Ill. (July 1) - Bobby Pierce was one of three different drivers to control the top stop Tuesday night at Belle-Claire Speedway, as he made a daring pass on Shannon Babb with four laps to go to claim the lead and the $5,000 checkered flag, his first of the 2014 DIRTcar Summer Nationals season.

2014 DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion Brandon Sheppard captured the pole position, with Randy Korte starting on his outside. Bobby Pierce started just behind them in the third position.

On the first lap, Korte would slingshot around Sheppard, keeping the pole-sitter from leading a single lap all night. Korte led the most laps of the night as he controlled the top spot for the first 17 laps of the 40-lap feature. Korte eventually was chased down by a charging Pierce and Shannon Babb, who started the race in the fourth position.

Pierce made his way to the lead but couldn’t pull away from Babb, as he led only seven laps before Babb grabbed the lead on lap 25. Babb looked as if he would capture his third win of the season with ease after securing the top spot and leading the next 11 laps.

Unfortunately for Babb, Pierce had just enough left in his car to surge his way back to the front and challenge the leader for the win. Pierce would not be denied the victory as he caught and passed Babb with a thrilling, go-for-broke slide job on lap 36. Pierce held off Babb for the remaining four laps, capturing the victory at Belle-Claire Speedway.

“When you’re leading the race and then you end up losing it, no matter what you have to do, you wanna get that lead back,” said the 17-year-old Pierce. “I had a couple of good corners right in a row there, I caught Babb, and I knew that [a slider] was the only chance I had.”

A-Main
1 32 Bobby Pierce
2 18 Shannon Babb
3 B5 Brandon Sheppard
4 24 Ryan Unzicker
5 00 Randy Korte
6 21JR Billy Moyer Jr
7 24T Matt Taylor
8 81 Brian Shirley
9 10 Daryn Klein
10 6K Michael Kloos
11 1S Rick Salter
12 81JR Jason Riggs
13 16H Mike Hammerle
14 1M Jim Moon
15 28B John Beck
16 27S Mike Schulte
17 T4 Adam Tischhauser
18 20 Alan Westling
19 91 Rusty Schlenk
20 25L Steve Lance Jr
21 29W Brian Divley

B-Main
1 24 Ryan Unzicker
2 91 Rusty Schlenk
3 13 Brent Kreke
4 15 Richard Frost
5 T4 Adam Tischhauser
6 77 Clay Baumann
7 20 Alan Westling
8 42L Steve Lach
9 25M Frankie Martin
10 87 Jason Zobrist
11 71 Trace Westling
12 33H Billy Hough
13 25L Steve Lance Jr
14 66 Jim Gibson
15 45 CJ Simpson
16 16H Mike Hammerle
17 32G Vince Grondzki
dns 38L Ryan Little
dns 38J Jake Little

Heat #1
1 32 Bobby Pierce
2 21JR Billy Moyer Jr
3 29W Brian Divley
4 81JR Jason Riggs
5 24 Ryan Unzicker
6 13 Brent Kreke
7 33H Billy Hough
8 66 Jim Gibson
9 38L Ryan Little

Heat #2
1 18 Shannon Babb
2 24T Matt Taylor
3 30V Mark Voigt
4 27S Mike Schulte
5 91 Rusty Schlenk
6 45 CJ Simpson
7 87 Jason Zobrist
8 25M Frankie Martin
9 38J Jake Little

Heat #3
1 00 Randy Korte
2 10 Daryn Klein
3 81 Brian Shirley
4 1S Rick Salter
5 42L Steve Lach
6 77 Clay Baumann
7 20 Alan Westling
8 71 Trace Westling
9 16H Mike Hammerle

Heat #4
1 B5 Brandon Sheppard
2 6K Michael Kloos
3 28B John Beck
4 1M Jim Moon
5 15 Richard Frost
6 T4 Adam Tischhauser
7 25L Steve Lance Jr
8 32G Vince Grondzki

Unofficial Results

Group #1
1 32 Bobby Pierce 11.665
2 18 Shannon Babb 11.978
3 29W Brian Divley 12.037
4 24T Matt Taylor 12.061
5 21JR Billy Moyer Jr 12.108
6 30V Mark Voigt 12.140
7 81JR Jason Riggs 12.268
8 27S Mike Schulte 12.274
9 66 Jim Gibson Best 12.362
10 45 CJ Simpson 12.430
11 13 Brent Kreke 12.447
12 87 Jason Zobrist 12.463
13 33H Billy Hough 12.518
14 25M Frankie Martin 12.521
15 24 Ryan Unzicker 12.532
16 91 Rusty Schlenk 12.555
17 38L Ryan Little 12.590
18 38J Jake Little

Group #2
1 00 Randy Korte 12.182
2 B5 Brandon Sheppard 12.244
3 10 Daryn Klein 12.251
4 6K Michael Kloos 12.317
5 81 Brian Shirley 12.408
6 15 Richard Frost 12.424
7 1S Rick Salter 12.442
8 28B John Beck 12.521
9 42L Steve Lach 12.529
10 25L Steve Lance Jr 12.536
11 77 Clay Baumann 12.606
12 T4 Adam Tischhauser 12.720
13 16H Mike Hammerle 12.775
14 1M Jim Moon 12.948 0
15 71 Trace Westling 12.990
16 32G Vince Grondzki 13.009
17 20 Alan Westling 13.049