BRANDON, SD (July 18, 2024) – Bobby Pierce led wire-to-wire on Thursday night at Huset’s Speedway as the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series kicked off the three-day, 14th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals – Presented by MyRacePass.
Pierce’s win was his first of 2024 with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series – scoring the $10,000 victory for his sixth win in his last seven late model feature starts. The win is Pierce’s 21st overall in 2024.
Pierce was in control for all 40 laps as he beat fellow Illinois driver and defending Silver Dollar Nationals winner Brandon Sheppard to the checkers by 2.224 seconds. Daulton Wilson, the Victory Fuel polesitter finished in third rounding out the Big River Steel Podium. Devin Moran was fourth followed by Hudson O’Neal, whose two-race Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win streak was snapped, in fifth.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 18th time in his career, the 2019 Silver Dollar Nationals winner who finished second a year-ago to Sheppard is looking for a $53,000 payday on Saturday night.
“I don’t know what it is, but I was beat up last year after the race and I am again. You have got to stay on the wheel I think like literally the whole time around this racetrack with how it’s shaped and with how the banking flattens off in certain spots. The second you relax is when you push and make a mistake, things happen very fast here. It’s very mentally challenging because you come off the corners in turn four and it tightens up. The only time I got the wall was off of turn four down the straightaway.”
Sheppard, a two-time winner of the Silver Dollar Nationals, took over second from Wilson on lap four and trailed Pierce the rest of the way.
“The engine got a little bit more on the warmer side than I like it. Thanks to Huset’s Speedway for giving us a great racetrack tonight. We had a pretty good car all night long, we didn’t qualify as good as we needed to. We’ve been working on this thing trying to get a little bit better. We keep finishing second to Bobby. His stuff is really good right now and hats off to them guys, they do a really good job.”
Wilson who held the second spot for the first three circuits of the race, which saw only one caution flag slow the action, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium.
“This is a big deal for us. This place has definitely kicked my butt over the years. We were probably the only one on hard tires tonight, so we messed up a little bit there. My guys have been busting their tails and to get a night under our belt on hard tires is not a bad thing either so to be up here is a great thing.”
The winner’s Bobby Pierce Racing, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by Low Voltage Solutions, Hoker Trucking, Churchill Transport, Toyota of Danville, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Rio Grande Waste Service, Collins Brothers Towing, A Plus Vacuum, Leka Tree Service, Carnaghi Towing and Repair, and Ted Brown’s Quality Paint and Body Shop.
Completing the top ten were Tim McCreadie, Drake Troutman, Jonathan Davenport, Ricky Thornton Jr., and Carson Ferguson.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
14th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals Presented by MyRacePass
Thursday, July 18, 2024
Huset’s Speedway – Brandon, SD
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Overall Fast Time: Daulton Wilson | 13.4955 seconds
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 2. B5-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 3. 7T-Drake Troutman[2]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 5. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 6. 99B-Boom Briggs[5]; 7. 111-Max Blair[7]; 8. 07-Ben Sukup[8]; 9. 10-Junior Coover[9]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 32P-Bobby Pierce[1]; 2. 1-Tim McCreadie[2]; 3. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 5. 25C-Chad Simpson[6]; 6. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[5]; 7. 93-Cory Lawler[7]; 8. 15C-Curt Schroeder[8]
Earnhardt Technologies Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 3. 93F-Carson Ferguson[4]; 4. 17SS-Brenden Smith[8]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[6]; 6. 157-Mike Marlar[5]; 7. 6-Clay Harris[7]; 8. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]
14th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals Presented by MyRacePass Feature Finish (40 Laps): 1. 32P-Bobby Pierce (2); 2. B5-Brandon Sheppard (4); 3. 18D-Daulton Wilson (1); 4. 99-Devin Moran (3); 5. 71-Hudson O’Neal (6); 6. 1-Tim McCreadie (5); 7. 7T-Drake Troutman (7); 8. 49-Jonathan Davenport (8); 9. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr (10); 10. 93F-Carson Ferguson (9); 11. 1T-Tyler Erb (15); 12. 7-Ross Robinson (11); 13. 25C-Chad Simpson (14); 14. 76N-Blair Nothdurft (17); 15. 157-Mike Marlar (18); 16. 20-Jimmy Owens (13); 17. 58-Garrett Alberson (24); 18. 111-Max Blair (19); 19. 17SS-Brenden Smith (12); 20. 6-Clay Harris (21); 21. 15C-Curt Schroeder (23); 22. 07-Ben Sukup (22); 23. 99B-Boom Briggs (16); 24. 93-Cory Lawler (20); 25. 10-Junior Coover (25).
Race Statistics
Entrants: 25
Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Daulton Wilson
Lap Leaders: Bobby Pierce (Laps 1-40)
Wieland Feature Winner: Hudson O’Neal
Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/a
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/a
Margin of Victory: 2.224 seconds
Dave Warren Powersports Cautions: Debris (Lap 23)
Series Provisionals: n/a
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Bobby Pierce, Brandon Sheppard, Daulton Wilson
Penske Shocks Top 5: Bobby Pierce, Brandon Sheppard, Daulton Wilson, Devin Moran, Hudson O’Neal
Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Garrett Alberson (Advanced 7 Positions)
PEM 4th Place Feature: Devin Moran
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Drake Troutman
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Chad Simpson
MD3 Most Laps Led: Bobby Pierce (40 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O’Neal
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/a
Coltman Farms Fastest Lap of the Race: Bobby Pierce (Lap 1 | 13.164 seconds)
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Devin Moran
Miller Welders Hard Luck Award: Mike Marlar
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Bob Pierce (Bobby Pierce)
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Vic Hill Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Bobby Pierce (13.1250 seconds)
Time of Race: 12 minutes 34 seconds