CONCORD, N.C. — Bobby Pierce did everything he had to do to have a chance to win the World of Outlaw CASE Construction Late Model Series championship heading into the final night of the season at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Pierce passed Mike Marlar for the lead with two laps remaining and held on to earn his 14th series victory of the season and his 38th overall dirt late model triumph of the campaign.
His Friday night victory during the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte paid Pierce $15,000.
He will enter Saturday’s season finale 22 points behind Brandon Sheppard, who finished sixth, in the fight for the championship. Pierce will vie for a second straight title, while Sheppard is chasing his fifth championship.
Pierce drew sixth starting spot after turning the fastest qualifying lap and winning his heat race, but bided his time while Cade Dillard led early.
Marlar sneaked past Dillard on lap 22 with Pierce grabbing second.
Pierce caught Marlar on lap 31 and the duo traded slide jobs for two circuits before Pierce slid into the lead on lap 33 and Marlar bounced off the cushion in turn two of the four-tenths-mile track, allowing Dillard to retake second.
Pierce led to the checkered flag, with Dillard and Marlar following.
“It is easy to suck yourself in up there and when I got the lead, I was afraid that I would do that,” said Pierce. “I was worried when I drew the six pill. With tough competition like this you don’t know what you are going to get. Thanks to Marlar for racing me clean up there. I know Brandon got back up there, too. We’ve still got a shot at it.”
“It has been a while and I have been wanting one bad,” Dillard said of his hopes of winning. “I had a good car in clean air, but I got in dirty air and I slipped up there, but those guys were better than I was anyway.”
Marlar called it a fun race and was pleased to finish third.
“It was awesome. Congratulations to Bobby and Cade,” Marlar said. “That was one of the most fun races I have been in all season. To get up there and put on a show like this in front of a crowd like that is awesome. Bobby and I raced each other to the point of crashing without crashing and that is all you can ask for.”
Friday night winner Ricky Thornton Jr. and Kyle Bronson completed the top five.
Nick Hoffman, who entered the night second in points, dropped out after six laps with a broken rear end and was essentially eliminated from title contention.
The finish:
Bobby Pierce, Cade Dillard, Mike Marlar, Ricky Thornton Jr., Kyle Bronson, Brandon Sheppard, Brian Shirley, Jonathan Davenport, Ethan Dotson, Chris Madden, Jimmy Oens, Tanner English, Max Blair, Ryan Gustin, Hudson O’Neal, Dennis Erb Jr., Tyler Bruening, Tim McCreadie, Ben Watkins, Austin Smith, Brent Larson, Kyle Strickler, Zack Mitchell, Cody Overton, Tristan Chamberlain, Dustin Sorenson, Drake Troutman, Max McLaughlin, Nick Hoffman.