Brandon Sheppard Earns Hard Fought Fairbury Win
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 |
