SARVER, Pa. — Devin Moran emerged victorious in an unforgettable duel with Brandon Sheppard over the final 20 laps, capturing the 20th Annual Firecracker 100 presented by Experience Butler County at Lernerville Speedway.
Moran and the Double Down Motorsports team earned $50,000 after taking the lead for the final time on lap 92 of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series crown jewel event. The victory made Moran the 14th different winner in Firecracker 100 history.
Sheppard, who led 80 laps, finished second, while championship points leader Hudson O’Neal completed the Big River Steel podium in third. Brandon Overton rallied from as deep as 18th to finish fourth, and Josh Rice rounded out the top five.
Sheppard controlled the race through the opening 79 laps before Moran, who started fourth, closed the gap and made his first pass for the lead on lap 80. Moran paced the field until lap 91, when Sheppard briefly reclaimed the top spot. Moran answered one lap later, completing the race-winning pass on lap 92 and holding off Sheppard over the closing circuits.
The victory was the 30th Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of Moran’s career and added his name to the prestigious list of Firecracker 100 champions dating back to the inaugural event in 2007.
“I was really good through turns one and two early, but from the center off the corner it started going over the crown and I lost a lot of speed,” Moran said. “I was just watching Sheppy the whole time, trying to take his air away. A couple of times it got close, and I chopped him a little bit, but that’s what you’ve got to do to win the Firecracker.”
“I’ve always loved this place. It’s extraordinary to win this race. Roger Sellers is leaving for a cruise tomorrow, so I guess we gave him a little extra spending money. We’ve had this car for a few years now, and it’s been a really good race car. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we knew if we brought this one out, we’d have a chance.”
Sheppard, who was seeking his first Firecracker 100 victory, saw the race slip away in the closing laps but remained within 10 points of O’Neal in the championship standings.
“He did a good job,” Sheppard said. “I was passing lapped cars using the line I wanted to run, but I got to where I couldn’t steer through the center very well. I think it was because we had a softer right-front tire, so I had to diamond the corner more than I wanted. After he got by me, I was able to get back to him, but Devin did a great job. There’s so much tough competition out here that any one of these guys can win on any night.”
O’Neal, who ran second for much of the early portion of the race, was encouraged by the performance after recent struggles on similar track surfaces.
“We always want to be better, but this was a huge step in the right direction for us,” O’Neal said. “Historically, we’ve struggled in conditions like this. We knew we needed to improve after last weekend at Smoky Mountain, and I feel like we made progress tonight.”
20th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented by Experience Butler County | Feature Finish (100 Laps):
Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings
1 – 4 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $51,200
2 – 2 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $20,800
3 – 5 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $11,300
4 – 13 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $8,800
5 – 7 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $7,900
6 – 6 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $6,800
7 – 12 – 72 – Michael Norris – Sarver, PA – $4,500
8 – 3 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $4,800
9 – 10 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $4,600
10 – 15 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $4,400
11 – 23 – 1C – Alex Ferree – Saxonburg, PA – $3,400
12 – 9 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $4,000
13 – 18 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $3,800
14 – 22 – 12M – Ryan Montgomery – Fairmont, WV – $2,500
15 – 8 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $3,200
16 – 14 – 22G – Gregg Satterlee – Indiana, PA – $2,300
17 – 19 – 555 – Brock Pinkerous – Ellenville, NY – $2,200
18 – 1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $3,300
19 – 20 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $2,800
20 – 21 – 24 – Rick Eckert – York, PA – $2,000
21 – 17 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – $2,000
22 – 26 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $2,000
23 – 24 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $2,000
24 – 25 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $2,800
25 – 16 – 24T – Tyler Wyant – Oil City, PA – $2,000
26 – 11 – 99B – Chub Frank – Bear Lake, PA – $2,000
27 – 27 – 29 – Ken Schaltenbrand – Sarver, PA – $2,000
