KANKAKEE, Ill. — Posting another flag-to-flag victory, Brian Shirley was the winner of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour 40-lap dirt late model stock car special at the Kankakee County Speedway Thursday night.
Starting on the outside of the front row of the feature field, Shirley led all 40 circuits around the banked, quarter-mile, dirt oval.
Winning the night before at Peoria Speedway, which hosted the “Hell Tour” opener, the 42-year-old, four-time Summer Nationals champion from Chatham, Ill., guided his Bob Cullen Racing, Thomason Express/Hoker Trucking LLC-sponsored No. 3 to the $5,000 win.
Jason Feger kept Shirley in his sights and finished second, .683 seconds behind the winner, followed by fast qualifier Dennis Erb Jr., Frank Heckenast Jr., who started 10th in the 22-car field, Kevin Weaver and Bob Gardner.
The win was Shirley’s 40th career victory in Summer Nationals competition.
Four yellow flags and lapped traffic slowed Shirley’s charge to the checkered flag with Feger challenging Shirley from time to time as the race wore on.
“We got out there and set the pace.,” said Shirley. “The curb on the outside got so big and treacherous. It (the outside groove) was the fastest way around, but not the easiest way around. I probably wasn’t set up as good as I needed to (run the outside) but all in all we were good enough to get the win.”
Shirley, along with Feger, Weaver and Shannon Babb were 10-lap heat race winners. Babb ran with the leaders until he clipped an inside tire marker which put him out of the race.
Austin McCarty claimed top honors in the 20-lap feature race for DIRTcar Pro Late Models. Austen Hubbard won the stock car 15-lap headliner while Nathan Arterberry captured the 20-lap factory stock main event.
The finish:
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[2]; 2. 25-Jason Feger[1]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 4. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[10]; 5. B12-Kevin Weaver[3]; 6. 4G-Bob Gardner[7]; 7. T6-Tommy Sheppard Jr[14]; 8. 58-Tyler Clem[11]; 9. 174-Ethan Dotson[8]; 10. 21B-Rich Bell[21]; 11. 12-Ashton Winger[13]; 12. 89-Mike Spatola[18]; 13. 31AUS-Kye Blight[6]; 14. 10S-Taylor Scheffler[9]; 15. 130-Chase Osterhoff[15]; 16. 10J-Jordan Bauer[17]; 17. 4D-Doug Tye[22]; 18. 26H-Daryn Klein[12]; 19. 101-Forrest Trent[16]; 20. 18-Shannon Babb[4]; 21. 19X-Cody Bauer[20]; 22. 9R-Curtis Roberts[19]