Bobby Pierce
Bobby Pierce came into Tuesday night’s Hawkeye 50 at Boone Speedway as the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Model Series points leader and he added to that advantage following his feature triumph. The ‘Smooth Operator’ had to hold back a determined Ricky Thornton Jr. in the closing stages to score the win.
The Longhorn Chassis driver from Oakwood, Illinois earned $15,000 for his efforts on the track located in Boone, Iowa in a race aired live by DirtVision.com.
A total of 28 cars were signed in for competition
Qualifying Results: 1. Dennis Erb Jr.(14.845), 2. Ryan Gustin, 3. Ricky Thornton Jr., 4. Bobby Pierce, 5. Drake Troutman, 6. Cade Dillard, 7. Chris Madden, 8. Johnny Scott, 9. Gordy Gundaker, 10. Daulton Wilson
Heat 1 Results: 1. Bobby Pierce, 2. Dennis Erb Jr., 3. Chris Madden, 4. Daulton Wilson, 5. Todd Cooney, 6. Trevor Gundaker
Heat 2 Results: 1. Ryan Gustin, 2. Tanner English, 3. Johnny Scott, 4. Brian Shirley, 5. Brandon Sheppard, 6. Chad Simpson
Heat 3 Results: 1. Cade Dillard, 2. Ricky /Thornton Jr., 3. Shane Clanton, 4. Gordy Gundaker, 5. Nick Hoffman, 6. Kyle Strickler
Last Chance Showdown Finish: 1. Brent Larson, 2. Chris Simpson, 3. Kyle Bronson, 4. Cody Laney
WoO Redraw Results: 1. Dennis Erb Jr., 2. Bobby Pierce, 3. Tanner English, 4. Ryan Gustin, 5. Cade Dillard, 6. Ricky Thornton Jr.
Feature Re-cap: The 50-lap main event got underway with Pierce taking the early lead ahead of Erb, English, Gustin and Thornton. It would be Thornton who would go on the moved early as he passed Gustin for fourth on lap 4. At the same time, a hornet’s nest of racers including Dillard, Scott, Madden, Wilson and Shirley disputed positions 6-10.
As Pierce pulled away, Thornton moved another position closer to the front when he passed English for third on lap 12. Thornton then closed in on Erb and those two engaged in a battle for second which Thornton would take just before the halfway mark.
Madden broke into the top-5 by passing Gustin on lap 30.
As the leaders worked through slower traffic, Thornton began to cut into Pierce’s lead moving to less than one second behind. A bobble by Pierce allowed Thornton to close right to the rear spoiler on lap 36 but Pierce was able to maintain the lead.
The first caution flag of the feature was displayed to the field on lap 39 when Cooney slowed with a flat tire. The running order of Pierce, Thornton, Erb, English and Madden remained the same after the green wave for the restart. But English would move by Erb for third one lap later. Madden also got by Erb for fourth.
Thornton would harass Pierce as the laps clicked away, but in the end, it was Pierce who would sail under the checkered flag to claim the victory.
Feature Results: 1. Bobby Pierce. 2. Ricky Thornton Jr., 3. Tanner English, 4. Chris Madden, 5. Dennis Erb Jr., 6. Brian Shirley, 7. Cade Dillard, 8. Shane Clanton, 9. Daulton Wilson, 10. Todd Cooney, 11. Ryan Gustin, 12. Gordy Gundaker, 13. Nick Hoffman, 14. Brent Larson, 15. Brandon Sheppard, 16. Johnny Scott, 17. Kyle Bronson, 18. Cody Laney, 19. Trevor Gundaker, 20. Kyle Strickler, 21. Chad Simpson, 22. Dustin Walker, 23. Daniel Hilsabeck, 24. Chris Simpson
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