DIRTcar Summer Nationals
Tri State Speedway
June 25, 2016
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Bobby Pierce Edges Brandon Sheppard for Tri-State Speedway Win
Red hot Pierce continues to roll through Summer Nationals; takes Heartland Tour Week Championship



by Aaron Fiedler
HAUBSTADT, Ind. (June 26) - If the weather and Brandon Sheppard had anything to say about it, Bobby Pierce would have been left jilted on Sunday night at Tri-State Speedway but Pierce was able to hold off both as he claimed his fifth Summer Nationals victory of the season and the Heartland Tour Week title.

Ryan Unzicker led through the first 12 laps of the night's rain-shortened feature, but it was Pierce and Sheppard who stole the show. Pierce took the lead on lap 13 and Sheppard took over second two laps later. What commenced was an intense back-and-forth battle between the two drivers for the lead.

Sheppard took the lead on multiple occasions but Pierce battled back each time - officially Sheppard never led a lap.

As the battle continued, rain began to fall on Tri-State on lap 36 and the caution flag flew two laps later as the rain turned heavy. DIRTcar officials called the race at lap 38, giving Pierce his fifth win of the season and 12th of his career. Pierce also claimed the Heartland Tour week bonus.

"Oh man, that was probably one of the craziest races I've been in," Pierce said. "Me and Sheppy throwing some awesome sliders, and between lapped traffic and everything, it was just crazy."

The DIRTcar Summer Nationals takes Monday off as the grueling tour grinds on on Tuesday at Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway.


A-Main
1 1 32 Bobby Pierce Oakwood, IL
2 3 B5 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL
3 2 24 Ryan Unzicker El Paso, IL
4 4 C8 Timothy Culp Sheridan, AR
5 6 6K Michael Kloos Trenton, IL
6 5 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN
7 8 18 Shannon Babb Moweaqua, IL
8 10 7R Kent Robinson Bloomington, IN
9 7 27M Rodney Melvin Benton, IL
10 11 25 Jason Feger Bloomington, IL
11 17 78 Chad Zobrist Highland, IL
12 9 4G Bob Gardner East Peoria, IL
13 20 B1 Brent Larson Lake Elmo, MN
14 15 11 Gordy Gundaker St Charles, MO
15 12 24S Jeremy Sneed Bluford, IL
16 18 27C Chris Cowling Tauranga, NZ
17 14 96 Tanner English Benton, KY
18 16 61 Caleb Ashby Cunningham, TN
19 13 5N Dustin Nobbe Batesville, IN
20 21 99C Tom Collini Erlanger, OH
21 23 41J Jarryd Holshouser Boaz, KY
22 19 15R Richard Frost Clarksville, TN
23 22 26M Brent Mckinnon Carlyle, IL

Heat #1
1 1 B5 Brandon Sheppard
2 3 C8 Timothy Culp
3 4 27M Rodney Melvin
4 5 7R Kent Robinson
5 2 5N Dustin Nobbe
6 7 61 Caleb Ashby
7 8 15R Richard Frost
8 6 26M Brent Mckinnon

Heat #2
1 1 32 Bobby Pierce
2 2 157 Mike Marlar
3 4 18 Shannon Babb
4 3 25 Jason Feger
5 6 96 Tanner English
6 5 78 Chad Zobrist
7 7 B1 Brent Larson
8 8 41J Jarryd Holshouser

Heat #3
1 1 24 Ryan Unzicker
2 2 6K Michael Kloos
3 4 4G Bob Gardner
4 3 24S Jeremy Sneed
5 6 11 Gordy Gundaker
6 5 27C Chris Cowling
7 7 99C Tom Collini


Event Photos courtesy of Jim Denhamer










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