What won the race: Repelling late-race challenges from last year's race winner Brian Shirley, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., won a photo finish Saturday over the 12th-starting Shirley for a $20,000 World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series victory at Maquoketa Speedway. With the winner sliding high out of turn four and Shirley grinding low, Pierce won by 0.056 of a second at the checkers for his series-leading ninth WoO victory of the season.
Quotable: "If it was 61 laps, man, (Shirley) probably would have got it," Pierce said. "It was tough. I couldn't run the bottom like that. I know I talked about having like some stumbling issues and changed carburetor and I think something's wrong with this carb because it was almost shutting off every lap I went to the bottom, so I kept going to the top. That was kind of the only line I could run because of it."
Key notes: Leading all but the first seven laps, Bobby Pierce notched his 40th career WoO victory and second in a row (he won Thursday at Spoon River Speedway in Banner, Ill.). ... Pierce won his third overall event of the season at Maquoketa after sweeping March's MARS-sanctioned Nippy 50 weekend. ... On the eighth lap, Pierce and outside front-row starter Ethan Dotson twice swapped the lead with Pierce taking command exiting turn four. ... The third-starting Dotson, who led the first seven laps, ended up fifth after slipping back as far as 10th mid-race. ... Cody Overton held the second spot from laps 8-24 and ended up fourth. ... Three cautions slowed the action, the first on the initial start when Dillon McCowan pulled up lame and retired to the infield. ... A lap-53 yellow fell for Brent Larson's spin after contact from the third-running Shirley, halting second-running Nick Hoffman's best bid to overtake Pierce. .... The final caution appeared on lap 57 when 11th-running Tanner English stopped inside turn two with a faulty oil pump. ... Division rookie Caden McWhorter ran the Curless Motorsports No. 99 but retired just past halfway running 14th. ... Maquoketa's Hawkeye 100 weekend was halved by Friday's rainout.
On the move: Runner-up Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., started 12th.
Winner's sponsors: Pierce’s Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Low Voltage Solutions, Rio Grande Waste Services, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Oakwood Tire Center, Churchill Transport, Collins Brothers Towing, K1, Carnaghi Towing & Repair, Toyota of Danville, Floyd’s Waste Systems, PureMax Racing Oil, A Plus Vacuum, Leka Tree Service, Bert Transmissions by Budda, Ted Brown’s Quality Paint & Body Shop, VP Race Fuels, Swift Springs, Bilstein Shocks, Dirt Car Lift and Performance Bodies.
Points chase: After Maquoketa: 1. Bobby Pierce (4,520); 2. Nick Hoffman (4,424); 3. Ryan Gustin (4,326); 4. Tim McCreadie (4,208); 5. Dennis Erb Jr. (4,174); 6. Drake Troutman (4,160); 7. Brian Shirley (4,118); 8. Tanner English (4,040); 9. Cody Overton (4,032); 10. Ethan Dotson (3,998); 11. Dustin Sorensen (3,894); 12. Jake Timm (3,732).
Current weather: Broken Clouds, 79°F
Car count: 32
Fast qualifier: Nick Hoffman
Time: 13.098 seconds
Polesitter: Nick Hoffman
Heat race winners: Drake Troutman, Ethan Dotson, Nick Hoffman, Bobby Pierce, , , ,
Consolation race winners: Brent Larson, Dillon McCowan, ,
Next series race: August 22, Arrowhead Speedway (Colcord, OK) $12,000