ROSSBURG, Ohio — The 44th annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship presented by ARP at Eldora Speedway did not disappoint on Saturday night.
Bobby Pierce came from the 14th starting spot to win his first DTWC, worth $100,000, concluding the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season.
Ricky Thornton Jr.’s third-place finish clinched the 2024 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship.
The Martinsville, Ind., driver earned his first career title, which pays $200,000.
Tim McCreadie, who led the most laps during the race (79), came home in second ahead of Thornton, Devin Moran, and Max Blair.
Pierce led the final 17 laps of the race to score his 35th win of the season. He became the 28th different driver in the DTWC’s 44-year history to win the event, which began in 1981.
McCreadie jumped to the lead at the start of the race as he led the first two laps until Davenport seized the lead on lap three. Davenport would stay out in front until McCreadie worked his way back to the point on lap six.
McCreadie and Davenport then raced one-two until Thornton briefly slipped past Davenport for second on lap 25, but Davenport got back by him a lap later. The second caution of the race flew on lap 28 for a slowing Wil Herrington.
On the restart, McCreadie still held the lead, and at the halfway point, he was still leading over Davenport and Josh Rice.
With 63 laps scored, it was now a tight battle for the race lead among McCreadie, Davenport, and Rice, with Thornton holding down the fourth position.
Coming off of turn four to score lap 64, Davenport was able to edge ahead of McCreadie, but just a few feet later, heading into turn number one, Davenport’s title bid and race would end with mechanical issues as he slowed, bringing out the caution flag.
On the restart, McCreadie was back out in front, with Thornton running in second. Pierce, who started on the inside of the seventh row, then moved past Thornton and into the second slot. Pierce was then able to get by McCreadie for the race lead on lap 84, as he led the rest of the way to pick up the victory.
“The car was awesome,” said the Oakwood, Illinois racer who won for the 24th time in his career with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. “There was a stretch in the race where I was worried, around the halfway point. I sometimes saw those other guys, and they would pull away. I got stalemated and didn’t know what happened to Davenport. When that caution came out for him, I had just found that line down there in three and four, and I knew I had to get back down there. I think I restarted fourth and got to third, and it was like 30 laps to go. I was pretty nervous because I knew I had a car that could win the race right then. So, I had to calm myself down.”
McCreadie, to overcome going to a back-up car after hot laps, ended up in second at the finish line, 8.717 seconds behind Pierce in the final 10 laps of the race.
“Yeah, my guys did a great job. They always do a great job,” McCreadie said. “They give me great equipment to run, and when we get out there, it’s up to me to try to bring it home. I came up a little short. I didn’t know where Bobby was, but I assumed he was on the cushion. I was up there 90% of the time, and we just faded a little. I needed some timely yellows, and we fired back off when I got them. We pulled this car out, and I don’t even remember when we last ran this one; it was probably May or something, and having to switch a bunch of stuff over and get no hot laps before the feature was pretty cool for this team to pull this off. I was hoping to get them one, and it didn’t work out.”
Thornton, who entered the night needing to finish in sixth place or higher to clinch the championship, stayed within the top five the entire race.
“I got into turn three and thought the right rear was flat,” Thornton said. “It kind of laid over on the right rear, and I’m like, man, I really just gave this thing away. I don’t know if I want to come back in the pits if it is flat. I’d been better off to go out the back gate.
“It took a lot of hard work and determination. My job is pretty easy getting to wheel this thing. Overall, I get all the glory, and they do all the hard work. So, this is definitely a big team effort by everyone at Koehler Motorsports. It’s pretty awesome.”
The finish:
Bobby Pierce, Tim McCreadie, Ricky Thornton Jr., Devin Moran, Max Blair, Josh Rice, Hudson O’Neal, Ryan Gustin, Kyle Bronson, Daulton Wilson, Mike Marlar, Carson Ferguson, Garrett Alberson, Tristan Chamberlain, Brandon Sheppard, Brenden Smith, Cory Lawler, Jonathan Davenport, Ross Robinson, Jimmy Owens, Brandon Overton, Dale McDowell, Clay Harris, Mason Zeigler, James Rice, Wil Herrington, Drake Troutman, Brian Shirley, Jordan Koehler.