KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Bobby Pierce made history by becoming the 15th different driver to win the Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals presented by Your Life Iowa.
He claimed the $50,000 top prize on Saturday night in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned event.
Pierce led 67 of the 75 laps to earn his 34th feature win of the season.
Brian Shirley, who won the 2006 Late Model Knoxville Nationals, came from the 15th starting position to finish in the runner-up spot. Devin Moran, Garrett Alberson and Tim McCreadie completed the top five.
Pierce survived a red flag with 15 laps to go for a near half-hour rain delay after he had regained the lead from Hudson O’Neal on lap 43.
Pierce and Jonathan Davenport started on the front row. Pierce grabbed the early lead on the first circuit, while Moran, who started third, quickly made his way into second. While Pierce was stretching his lead out over the field, Moran held the second position until Davenport took the spot on lap 19.
O’Neal then began a charge to the front. After starting in fifth, he climbed to second place by lap 20. He then stalked Pierce until he took over the lead from Pierce after a lap 35 restart.
O’Neal then battled with Pierce for the top spot until lap 43, when Pierce regained a lead he would never relinquish.
O’Neal stayed in second as he appeared to be headed for the Big Steel Big Four playoff spot, but after a lap-55 caution, he was never the same. He fell through the field, eventually pitting before the rain delay on lap 60. He finished 15th.
On the restart after the rain delay, Pierce would hold a steady lead as McCreadie would get by Shirley on lap 61, but Shirley returned the favor, reclaiming second on lap 63. Shirley then tried to track down Pierce but fell short of his second win at Knoxville.
“That was the problem being first on the restart,” said Pierce, who saw O’Neal grab the lead on a lap-35 restart after a caution for Dillon McCowan. “The track was going through a transition there; if you go to the top, you might get passed on the bottom or vice versa. Hudson got by me, but it looked like he was struggling; he was laid over in the corners. I could tell I could stay with him in the corners, and whenever you can be that close to somebody on this big of a track, you know you have a good car that’s probably better than theirs.”
Shirley, who won the race 18 years ago after spinning early in that race, came from 31st place to win. This time, he came up 1.178 seconds short at the finish.
“I felt like my car was good,” Shirley said. “It was just one of those things on that restart the motor was laying down. There are not many times you can get a restart that could be that phenomenal. It’s pretty cool; it’s two of my kids’ birthday today. I wish it could have been a little different at the end. We’ll keep fighting, though.”
Moran recorded his best career finish in the crown jewel event, coming home third.
“That’s the Knoxville we come to race for. They did a great job on the track with the weather. I am glad it rained there a little, I think it made the track even better. I am glad to get out of here in one piece, and I’m ready to come next year.”
The finish:
Feature (75 laps): 1. 32P, Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL (1); 2. 3s, Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL (15); 3. 99, Devin Moran, Dresden, OH (3); 4. 58, Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, NM (12); 5. 1, Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY (4); 6. 49, Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA (2); 7. 30, Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA (8); 8. 18, Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS (19); 9. B5, Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL (7); 10. 32, Chris Simpson, Oxford, IA (21); 11. Jimmy Owens (27); 12. 157, Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN (18); 13. 7T, Drake Troutman, Hyndman, PA (22); 14. 93F, Carson Ferguson, Lincolnton, NC (17); 15. 71, Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN (5); 16. 111, Max Blair, Centerville, PA (6); 17. Tyler Bruening (25); 18. 8m, Dillon McGowan, Urbana, MO (10); 19. 20RT, Ricky Thornton Jr., Martinsville, IN (23); 20. Cory Lawler (31, prov.); 21. 18D, Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC (9); 22. 10s, Garrett Smith, Madison, GA (11); 23. 1T, Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX (14); 24. Blair Nothdurft (29); 25. Clay Harris (28); 26. 22, Daniel Hilsabeck, Earlham, IA (13); 27. 25, Chad Simpson, Mt. Vernon, IA (20); 28. 99B, Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA (24); 29. 7, Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE (16); 30. Matt Furman (30); 31. Justin Zeitner (26); 32. 93x, Brenden Smith (31, prov.).