CLEWISTON, Fla. — Like most of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision field, Bobby Pierce rolled into Hendry County Motorsports Park for the Swamp Cabbage 100 with no idea of what to expect.
He knew the sandy third-mile would present a radically different challenge than the lightning-fast half-mile at Volusia Speedway Park where the season began. But as Pierce has proven time and time again over the years, he views a blank notebook as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.
“I think I kind of have a little upper hand, because I like it when we go to new places that nobody really knows,” Pierce said. “Because this, for example, kind of reminded me of a couple Summer Nationals tracks and different things. Kind of reminded me of a New Zealand track, too. Had that shape and flatness to it; you kind of just go in there, lay over on the right-rear. So, I feel like I had a little upper hand. In a way, it felt like Gateway, as surprising as that sounds.”
Regardless of the hand Pierce was dealt by the track, he came into the weekend at Hendry County in need of a pair of strong showings. Three podium finishes in the three World of Outlaws nights at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals was something to hang his hat on, but it still wasn’t enough to match the outright domination Nick Hoffman laid down at Volusia on his path to the Big Gator.
“Going into the last three nights of Volusia, we weren’t that great,” Pierce said. “And then we didn’t qualify good, but we made up for it every night in the Feature. So, it was like, ‘OK, we got third, third, second, that’s exactly what I needed to get back in the mix of the lead of the points, to have those good nights, because Nick was having those good nights, too. You know, he’s winning every night, so we needed that. That gave us a lot of confidence heading into here.”
So, when Pierce parked the No. 32 in victory lane on Friday night, there was no lack of reasons for the team to celebrate. It was Pierce’s first World of Outlaws win since August of 2025 at Arrowhead Speedway, which meant he finally surpassed Billy Moyer for fifth on the all-time wins list after spending six months tied with him. It was also Pierce’s first win anywhere since topping the final night of the Wild West Shootout over a month prior.
But most importantly, the win swung the momentum back in Pierce’s favor in what could shape up to be one of the most entertaining championship battles the World of Outlaws has seen in years.
“Practicing [Thursday], we were pretty good,” Pierce said. “And then [Friday], I drew a late pill, and I was like, ‘Oh man, that might hurt us.’ I had to really get up on the wheel to qualify. We got fifth, so I was like, ‘If we’re going out that late, we weren’t bad.’ And then once we made that bottom groove work in the Heat Race and made the last-lap pass on ‘T-Mac,’ it gave me a pretty good amount of confidence for the Feature. I don’t think anyone else was really able to stick down there good.
“Then in the feature, it was a tire gamble, what are we going to go with? But I think everyone had the same thing out there. Fell back to fourth, I was a little worried, but the second I got to the top, I got rolling and was like, ‘OK, here we go, we can win this thing as long as the seas stay parted for us.”
There have also been some behind-the-scenes changes at Bobby Pierce Racing since their previous victory at Central Arizona Raceway in January. Shortly after that event, tire specialist Austin Hemmen informed Pierce of his decision to leave the team after five years to relocate to Scottsdale, Ariz., with his girlfriend, Christine Mahnke. That opened the door for someone new to join one of the most successful teams in modern-day dirt late model racing.
The role was filled by Florence, Ala., native Brilee Putnam, the son of regional late model racer Josh Putnam. One of the main job requirements at BPR is a willingness to have your picture taken in victory lane dozens of times per year, and Hendry County marked the first one with the new lineup.
“It’s great. We’ve got Darian [Delattre] doing tires now, Brilee, this is his first win with the team,” Pierce said. “Everyone’s working hard, jiving together well. It’s always tough when you get thrown those challenges of having to find more help, having to train. Austin did my tires, so to have to throw someone else on that job and then also have to find someone else on top of that, it was a bit of a challenge, but it worked out well.”
Pierce had the car on Saturday night to complete the weekend sweep, but he admittedly wasn’t aggressive enough at the right moments in the race to keep Hoffman behind him and ultimately came home second.
Nevertheless, morale is high in the No. 32 camp going into the springtime schedule, which begins with a Tennessee doubleheader that is significant for Pierce at both ends.
His engines are built three miles from Volunteer Speedway at Vic Hill Race Engines in Mosheim, Tenn., and Hill has been instrumental in adding several major events to the track’s schedule in recent years, including a visit by the World of Outlaws for the first time in five years.
Pierce’s on-track performances at “The Gap” haven’t been anything to write home about though, with a best finish of 11th in four starts. It’s a different story 90 minutes down the road at Smoky Mountain Speedway, where Pierce won in his first start at the track last March in World of Outlaws action and is looking to go back-to-back next month.
“We should have never lost the lead if I was just on the gas harder,” Pierce said of his Saturday run at Hendry County. “I’m just glad we were able to put on a show. Second’s really good, but of course I was going hard for the win. I’m just glad it was a good show.”
