Brandon Sheppard Earns Hard Fought Fairbury Win

| June 26, 2016
Photo by Mike Ruefer

Photo by Mike Ruefer

Photo by Mike Ruefer

Photo by Mike Ruefer

 

Pierce continues to expand his Summer Nationals points lead

FAIRBURY, Ill. – June 25, 2016 – It was not an easy win, but Brandon Sheppard held tough and fought back challenges Saturday night at Fairbury American Legion Speedway to claim his first Summer Nationals victory of the season.

Sheppard started the feature on the outside pole with veteran Billy Moyer next to him. Moyer jumped out to an early lead. Sheppard got around him on lap three but Moyer battled back. He cruised through the next 20 laps with Sheppard glued to the high-side of the track and fighting to maintain his second place position, which he lost briefly at the midpoint of the feature.

Sheppard found another opening on lap 26 and held the top spot for two laps but Moyer again battled back to the lead. This time, Shannon Babb was on the move and took the top spot from Moyer – but again, only briefly. On a lap 35 restart, Sheppard, who at that point was in fourth, blasted forward retaking third from Jimmy Mars, then second from Moyer. Using that high line, Sheppard then fought past Babb to retake the lead.

It was smooth sailing to the end.

“I knew I just had to hit my marks and not bobble,” Sheppard said. “The cushion was like a one-foot brick wall all the way around the top. It was really hard. And the tire rule that we’re on, my left-rear (tire) would die after about five laps and I’d just have to run sideways all the way around the corner and hope not to push, because my right-front wouldn’t steer either. We just tried to hit our marks and keep everything together, and we did.”

Moyer finished second and Jimmy Mars in third. Bobby Pierce, who finished eighth, continues to hold a strong points lead over second place Mike Marlar.

The DIRTcar Summer Nationals returns to action on Sunday at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind.

Follow the Summer Nationals and Summit Modified Nationals on Twitter at Twitter.com/SummerNationals or on Facebook at Facebook.com/SummerNationals. Stay up-to-date with the latest news from the series throughout the lead up and the summer on the series’ websites at TheHellTour.com and ModifiedNationals.com.

DIRTcar Summer Nationals Statistical Report; Fairbury American Legion Speedway; Fairbury, Ill.

A-Main: 1. Brandon Sheppard (New Berlin, IL), 2. Billy Moyer (Batesville, AR), 3. Jimmy Mars (Menomonie, WI), 4. Michael Kloos (Trenton, IL), 5. Joe Harlan (El Paso, IL), 6. Ryan Unzicker (El Paso, IL), 7. Kevin Weaver (Gibson City, IL), 8. Bobby Pierce (Oakwood, IL), 9. Mike Spatola (Manhattan, IL), 10. Derek Chandler (Pontiac, IL), 11. Scott Bull (Fairbury, IL), 12. Jay Morris (Watseka, IL), 13. Mike Marlar (Winfield, TN), 14. Bob Gardner (East Peoria, IL), 15. Scott Schmitt (Tonica, IL), 16. Jason Feger (Bloomington, IL), 17. Timothy Culp (Sheridan, AR), 18. Gordy Gundaker (St Charles, MO), 19. Ashley Newman (Rippley, TN), 20. Shannon Babb (Moweaqua, IL), 21. Brent Larson (Lake Elmo, MN), 22. Spencer Diercks (Davenport, IA). Hard Charger: Ryan Unzicker.

2016 DIRTcar Summer Nationals Schedule

Date Day Track Winners
Northern Kickoff
June 15 Wednesday Brownstown Speedway Rain/Cancelled
June 16 Thursday Kankakee Co. Speedway Bobby Pierce
June 17 Friday Cedar Lake Speedway Billy Moyer
June 18 Saturday Cedar Lake Speedway Billy Moyer (2)
June 19 Sunday Wilmot Speedway Bobby Pierce (2)
Heartland Tour
June 20 Monday OFF
June 21 Tuesday Jacksonville Speedway Bobby Pierce (3)
June 22 Wednesday Farley Speedway Rain/Cancelled
June 23 Thursday Spoon River Speedway Dennis Erb Jr.
June 24 Friday Tri-City Speedway Bobby Pierce (4)
June 25 Saturday Fairbury Speedway Brandon Sheppard
June 26 Sunday Tri-State Speedway
Southern Tour
June 27 Monday OFF
June 28 Tuesday Clarksville Speedway
June 29 Wednesday Belle Clair Speedway
June 30 Thursday Springfield Raceway
July 1 Friday Fayette Co. Speedway
July 2 Saturday Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55
July 3 Sunday Lincoln Speedway
Independence Week
July 4 Monday LaSalle Speedway
July 5 Tuesday Daugherty Speedway
July 6 Wednesday Peoria Speedway
July 7 Thursday Macon Speedway
July 8 Friday Farmer City Speedway
July 9 Saturday Highland Speedway
July 10 Sunday Quincy Raceways
Champions Week
July 11 Monday OFF
July 12 Tuesday Plymouth Speedway
July 13 Wednesday Shadyhill Speedway
July 14 Thursday Merritt Speedway
July 15 Friday Oakshade Raceway
July 16 Saturday Oakshade Raceway

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Category: Hell Tour, Illinois, News, Series

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