Bobby Pierce made history by becoming the 15th different driver to win the Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals presented by Your Life Iowa. He claimed the $50,000 top prize on Saturday night in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned event.
Pierce led 67 of the 75 laps to earn his 34th feature win of the 2024 season. Brian Shirley, who won the 2006 Late Model Knoxville Nationals, came from the 15th starting position to finish in the runner-up spot. Devin Moran rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Garrett Alberson came from 12th to take fourth and Tim McCreadie finished fifth to earn the final spot in the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the sixth time this season and for the 23rd time in his career, Pierce survived a red flag with 15 laps to go for a near half-hour rain delay after he had regained the lead from Hudson O’Neal on lap 43.
Pierce and Jonathan Davenport started on the front row. Pierce grabbed the early lead on the first circuit, while Moran, who started third, quickly made his way into second. While Pierce was stretching his lead out over the field, Moran held the second position until Davenport took the spot on lap 19.
O’Neal then began a charge to the front. After starting in fifth, he climbed to second place by lap 20. He then stalked Pierce until he took over the lead from Pierce after a lap 35 restart. O’Neal then battled with Pierce for the top spot until lap 43, when Pierce regained a lead he would never relinquish.
O’Neal stayed in second as he appeared to be headed for the Big Steel Big Four playoff spot, but after a lap 55 caution, he was never the same. He fell through the field, eventually pitting before the rain delay on lap 60. He finished 15th.
On the restart after the rain delay, Pierce would hold a steady lead as McCreadie would get by Shirley on lap 61, but Shirley returned the favor, reclaiming second on lap 63. Shirley then tried to track down Pierce but fell short of his second win at Knoxville.
“That was the problem being first on the restart,” said Pierce, who saw O’Neal grab the lead on a lap 35 restart after a caution for Dillon McCowan. “The track was going through a transition there; if you go to the top, you might get passed on the bottom or vice versa. Hudson got by me, but it looked like he was struggling; he was laid over in the corners. I could tell I could stay with him in the corners, and whenever you can be that close to somebody on this big of a track, you know you have a good car that’s probably better than theirs,” said the Oakwood, Illinois native.
“He [O’Neal] got a little tight of four, and I had a good slider there in one, and from then on, it was just nerve-racking hanging on to the lead, don’t jump the cushion. Back with Dunn-Benson in 2018, you know, racing for them, I think I slid Jimmy [Owens] for the lead, and I jumped the cushion, and I ended up not winning that race because of it. The last time I was here two years ago, I had some mechanical issues that took me out of the race while I was leading. It feels great to win this race. It’s an awesome place. It’s such a unique track; everything about this place is very unique. It really doesn’t race like anywhere else. It’s a lot of fun out there. I am glad to have a fast race car to win tonight.”
Shirley, who won the race 18 years ago after spinning early in that race, came from 31st place to win. This time, he came up 1.178 seconds short at the finish.
“I felt like my car was good. It was just one of those things on that restart the motor was laying down. There are not many times you can get a restart that could be that phenomenal. It’s pretty cool; it’s two of my kids’ birthday today. I wish it could have been a little different at the end. We’ll keep fighting, though.”
Moran recorded his best career finish in the crown jewel event, coming home third.
“That’s the Knoxville we come to race for. They did a great job on the track with the weather. I am glad it rained there a little, I think it made the track even better. I am glad to get out of here in one piece, and I’m ready to come next year.”
The winner’s Bobby Pierce Racing, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by Hoker Trucking, Low Voltage Solutions, Churchill Transport, Toyota of Danville, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Rio Grande Waste Services, Collins Brothers Towing, Carnaghi Towing and Repair, Ted Brown’s Quality Paint and Body Shop, A-Plus Vacuum, VP Fuels, Leka Tree Service and American Racing Wheels.
Jonathan Davenport, Ryan Gustin, Chase Junghans, Brandon Sheppard, and Chris Simpson completed the top ten.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Knoxville Late Model Nationals | Night 3
Saturday, September 21, 2024
Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (15 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 16-Tyler Bruening[1]; 2. 62-Justin Zeitner[4]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[3]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[7]; 5. 76-Blair Nothdurft[5]; 6. 51-Matt Furman[6]; 7. 35D-Dylan Sillman[9]; 8. 48-Tim Lance[10]; 9. 93-Cory Lawler[11]; 10. 10-Junior Coover[12]; 11. 93X-Brenden Smith[2]; 12. 1X-Aaron Marrant[8]; 13. 42-Johnathan Huston[13]; 14. 6H-Al Humphrey[14]; 15. (DNS) 45D-Dan Battaglia; 16. (DNS) 77-Jeremy Petty
Knoxville Late Model Nationals | Night 3 Feature Finish (75 Laps):
Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Pay
1 – 1 – 32P – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – $50,000
2 – 15 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $25,000
3 – 3 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $12,700
4 – 12 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $9,450
5 – 4 – 1 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – $10,300
6 – 2 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $9,800
7 – 8 – 30 – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – $6,500
8 – 19 – 18 – Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS – $6,000
9 – 7 – B5 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $5,500
10 – 21 – 32 – Chris Simpson – Oxford, IA – $5,000
11 – 27 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – $5,600
12 – 18 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – $4,700
13 – 22 – 7T – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $4,300
14 – 17 – 93F – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $3,900
15 – 5 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $4,300
16 – 6 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $3,900
17 – 25 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $3,300
18 – 10 – 8M – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $3,000
19 – 23 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Martinsville, IN – $13,800
20 – 32 – 93 – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $4,000
21 – 9 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $3,700
22 – 11 – 10S – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $3,000
23 – 14 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $2,700
24 – 29 – 76 – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $2,900
25 – 28 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $3,200
26 – 13 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $2,500
27 – 20 – 25C – Chad Simpson – Mt. Vernon, IA – $2,500
28 – 24 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – $3,000
29 – 16 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $3,200
30 – 30 – 51 – Matt Furman – Iowa City, IA – $2,700
31 – 26 – 62 – Justin Zeitner – Malvern, IA – $2,700
32 – 31 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $3,500
Race Statistics
Entrants: 40
Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Bobby Pierce
Lap Leaders: Bobby Pierce (Laps 1-34); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 35-42); Bobby Pierce (Laps 43-75)
Wieland Feature Winner: Bobby Pierce
Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: Bobby Pierce
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Bobby Pierce
Margin of Victory: 1.178 seconds
Dave Warren Powersports Cautions: Ryan Gustin (Lap 19); Dillon McCowan (Lap 34); Mike Marlar (Lap 55); Hudson O’Neal (Lap 60)
LOLMDS Series Provisionals: Brenden Smith; Cory Lawler
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
LOLMDS Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Bobby Pierce, Brian Shirley, Devin Moran
Penske Shocks Top 5: Bobby Pierce, Brian Shirley, Devin Moran
Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Jimmy Owens (Advanced 16 Positions)
PEM 4th Place Feature: Garrett Alberson
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Ryan Gustin
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Drake Troutman
MD3 Most Laps Led: Bobby Pierce (67 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Garrett Alberson
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Drake Troutman
Coltman Farms Fastest Lap of the Race: Bobby Pierce (Lap 2 | 18.344 seconds)
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Hudson O’Neal
Miller Welders Hard Luck Award: Brenden Smith
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Bob Pierce (Bobby Pierce)
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Vic Hill Race Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Brian Shirley (19.043 seconds)
Time of Race: 67 minutes 9 seconds
Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:
Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Pay
1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Martinsville, IN – 5770 – $383,569
2 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 5770 – $323,555
3 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 5770 – $317,250
4 – 1 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 5770 – $211,125
5 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 5060 – $174,203
6 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 4925 – $144,505
7 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 4735 – $137,715
8 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 4730 – $156,735
9 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 4520 – $97,465
10 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 4450 – $109,040
11 – 7T – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 4060 – $87,935
12 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 3910 – $80,630
13 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 3905 – $57,725
14 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – 3480 – $49,905
15 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 3390 – $37,230
16 – 93F – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 3215 – $56,015
17 – 93 – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 3205 – $23,325
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series PR
