Pierce Takes 100 Lap Win at Macon Speedway
Modifieds Mike Harrison — Photo by Jim Denhamer
B-Modifieds, Tim Hancock — Photo by Jim Denhamer
Bobby Pierce — Photo by Jim Denhamer
Macon, IL (July 26, 2016) – For the second time in 19 days, Oakwood’s Bobby Pierce graced Macon Speedway’s victory lane with a 100-lap feature win. Pierce, the winner of the Summer Nationals event, the Herald & Review 100, also claimed victory in the 3rd Annual St. Louis U-Pic-A-Part 100. The win for Pierce was his second in the three events held since 2014.
Nicknamed the “Smooth Operator,” Pierce was smooth on the top of the 1/5th mile dirt track and ran in the top spot for the final 97 laps. He ran behind Jonathan Davenport, the pole-sitter, for the first three laps but pulled in when the engine blew up and smoke poured from his machine.
On the restart, Pierce was magical. He ran the top side each lap and his lead grew foot-by-foot with each second passing and nobody was going to touch him. With a growing number of cautions in the tail of the race,
New Berlin’s Brandon Sheppard, former Macon Speedway regular, started to get traction up top and posed the first challenge Pierce had seen since taking the lead.
The lead would shorten to make the race very interesting as Earl Pearson, Jr., who stuck to the bottom for the entire race, found grip and made it a three-car race for the lead. Pierce was just too strong.
Additional racing action saw the Billingsley Towing Modifieds and Mike Harrison claim the checkered flag. His Modified was strong on the top side and was behind Kenny Wallace until the traffic opened up and Harrison took his lead with nine laps remaining.
In the B-Modifieds, Tim Hancock is now 10-for-10 in features at Macon Speedway and the Hancock Bounty is now going to be $150 to the winner who beats Tim Hancock for the checkered flag.
Race Statistics: The 100-lapper was completed in 35 minutes and there were only seven cautions. There were two lead changes with Jonathan Davenport and Bobby Pierce. The Grand Marshal of the evening for the “Gentleman, Start Your Engines” call was Macon Speedway co-owner and retiring NASCAR superstar Tony Stewart. It was his first appearance at the track since in the Modifieds division in 2012. Kenny Wallace won his heat race and started front row outside in the Billingsley Towing Modifieds feature, finishing second. Ken Schrader started 11th and finished 13th.
Lucas Oil Late Models—1. Bobby Pierce (Oakwood), 2. Brandon Sheppard (New Berlin), 3. Earl Pearson, Jr. (Jacksonville, FL), 4. Don O’Neal (Martinsville, IN), 5. Darrell Lanigan (Union, KY), 6. Dennis Erb, Jr. (Carpentersville), 7. Don Hammer (Clinton), 8. Brian Diveley (Springfield), 9. Jared Landers (Batesville, AR), 10. Scott Bloomquist (Mooresburg, TN)
Billingsley Towing Modifieds—1. Mike Harrison (Highland), 2. Kenny Wallace (St. Louis,MO), 3. Ray Bollinger (Kewanee), 4. Curt Rhodes (Taylorville), 5. Cory Daugherty (Blue Mound), 6. Rodney Standerfer (Summerfield), 7. Jeff Graham (Stonington), 8. Troy Dodson (Hammond), 9. Alan Crowder (Elwin), 10.Chad Evans (Mattoon)
B-Modifieds—1. Tim Hancock (Mt.Olive), 2. Cody Stillwell (Godfrey), 3. Tom Riech (Springfield), 4. Ryan Timmons (Centralia), 5. Tim Riech (Petersburg), 6. Billy Adams (Shelbyville), 7. Rob Timmons (Centralia), 8. Doug Tye (Troy), 9. Ed Beasley (Warrensburg), 10. Tim Hancock, Jr. (Mt. Olive)
Category: Illinois, Macon Speedway
