SENOIA, Ga. (Nov. 14) — Bobby Pierce often turns the unthinkable into reality. His latest extraordinary performance, however, even took him by surprise.

Erase a 72-point deficit and vault from fourth to first in the FloRacing Night in America points standings during the national tour’s season-ending doubleheader at Senoia Raceway — and win Saturday’s 75-lap Peach State Classic as well? It didn’t really seem to be in the realm of possibility.

But Pierce, 29, of Oakwood, Ill., did it. He grabbed the lead from Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, on lap 31 and controlled the remainder of the distance to capture the feature’s $30,000 top prize and clinch his second straight and third overall FloRacing tour championship for another $75,000 payoff.

“When I went to bed last night, of course, I knew we had a shot in this (championship) thing but definitely didn't think we would get ‘er done,” said Pierce, who finished a quiet 10th in Friday’s 50-lap Peach Bowl that kicked off the weekend. “I told my wife today, I was like, ‘Eh, might not be the outcome we want tonight, but we’re just gonna go and try to get a good finish — first things first, make the show, get a good starting spot, see what we got.’”

Sitting third in the FloRacing standings with a deficit of 21 points to leader Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., and 18 points to second-place Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., Pierce knew only a top-three finish in Saturday’s finale would give him a shot at the title. Really, though, winning the A-main was his best option to put pressure on his rivals, who would then need to log top-five finishes — third for Sheppard, fifth for O’Neal — to claim the title under a format that allows drivers who entered all 10 events to drop their two worst points nights.

Pierce came through with a perfect evening when he needed it most. He shot forward from the fourth starting spot to end Gustin’s race-long run at the front on lap 31, then built a comfortable advantage before the feature’s lone caution flag, on lap 71, shrank his final victory margin to a modest 0.609 of a second over Gustin, who duplicated his runner-up effort to Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, in Friday’s 50-lapper.

Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., finished third, while Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., and Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., placed fourth and fifth, respectively, after overtaking Sheppard on the final restart.

The 33-year-old Sheppard settled for a sixth-place finish, leaving him nine points in arrears of Pierce (627-618) in the FloRacing standings. O’Neal, meanwhile, was black-flagged by officials according to tour rules because his crew changed his car’s right-rear tire after he slowed to trigger the lap-71 caution flag — while running 10th with Pierce lapping him — without having a flat tire, leaving him 16th in the finishing order and tied for second in the points with Sheppard.

O’Neal, who overtook Sheppard for the points lead on Friday, earned the $20,000 runner-up points-fund check thanks to the tour’s third tiebreaker — top-five finishes — with O’Neal having seven to Sheppard’s six.

Pierce was overwhelmed by his $105,000 night, a windfall that pushed his overall 2026 earnings to nearly $1.4 million, including the $225,000 World of Outlaws Late Model Series title he celebrated one week ago.

“Feels like I'm dreaming, man,” Pierce said. “Just so much to be grateful for. This is a real blessing tonight. Felt awesome. Just one of them fairy tale things. It kind of feels a little bit like the Prairie Dirt Classic (victory at Fairbury Speedway) back in '24. Just an awesome finish to our weekend and our year.”

Pierce credited his 30th overall triumph of the season — the fourth straight year he’s reached the 30-win mark — to his crew and a little bit of outside assistance.

“It was big team effort, man, just all across the board from setup calls, tire calls,” said Pierce, who made a savvy decision to run softer tires on his Longhorn Chassis. “And I gotta give a huge thanks to (technical consultant) Vinny (Guliani) for helping me out (for the first time) tonight. He put a badass set up on this thing.”

Pierce also raved about the 3/8-mile oval’s track surface, which remained smooth, slick and racy for the entire feature distance.

“I was a little worried because, being the first race yesterday, (the track) caught streaky patches where it almost rubbered and it didn’t,” Pierce said. “Being the second day on it, I was a little worried, but man, they did a heck of a job. Never once rubbered up. There’s not a lot of racetracks we race on for 75 laps when it starts that black and it doesn’t rubber.

“So hat tip to Senoia Raceway and everyone prepping the racetrack. Phenomenal, phenomenal job. Obviously, you say that when you win, but I’m serious. I think I could have came from the back and won this thing.”

Gustin, like Pierce a WoO regular, led the race’s first 30 circuits but couldn’t get his Infinity Chassis to victory lane.

“I felt like I had every opportunity that I could ask for there,” Gustin said. “(Pierce) kind of got more in lapped traffic, and once it went all the way to the fence, I just was a little bit too tight to run up there. But I was trying it, and I felt like I about killed myself there a couple times.

“Bobby was just a little bit better than us tonight. I think he snookered us on tires a little bit there, too. He was softer from what I’ve heard. I haven’t looked at ours yet, but I’m sure we could have went softer too. There’s been a lot of races won here with softs and a hard right-rear, but live and learn, I guess. Put in the notebook for next year and move on.”

Thornton’s third-place finish came after he failed to qualify for Friday’s feature. He scratched from a B-main because he was mired with a starting spot deep in the field after heat-race trouble.

“I felt like I was comparable to Ryan,” said Thornton, who started eighth and reached third on lap 25. “I feel like I just kind of stayed about the same the whole time. Bobby, he was a little softer on tires so I figured he’d slow down a little bit, but it’s almost like once you get so far to running it don’t matter what tire you’re on either. Your car’s good or your car’s not.

“I could I could see (Pierce) for a long time. I was kind of like, as long as I can see him, once we get through the melee of the lapped cars, I might have a shot on a late restart. But it didn’t really matter.

“I wasn't terrible the second half. I just got where I’d chatter the right-front and really I’d have to take the right-rear out of the racetrack to make a smooth lap,” he added. “You can’t really win trying to do that.”

Notes: Pierce also won a WoO feature at Senoia this season on March 28. … Tyler Erb, who won Friday’s $20,000 feature, advanced from the 20th starting spot to finish seventh in Saturday’s finale. … Making his last start for car owner Tye Twarog before moving to Spire Motorsports, Nick Hoffman moved from the 12th starting spot to fifth by lap 58 but lost three spots after the lap-71 restart and finished eighth. … Cody Overton qualified through a heat driving a Cameron Tribble-owned entry after his Triple B Motorsports car was sidelined by a broken engine rod during Friday’s feature. He retired after 27 laps and finished 23rd. … Sam Seawright's lap-seven slide job in the first B-main landed on the nose of leader Dalton Cook’s car, resulting in Cook spinning in turn four. Seawright won the B-main while Cook finished eighth. ... Luke Morey scratched from further competition after a flat tire on the final lap of the fifth heat. ... Joseph Joiner’s night ended with mechanical trouble on the second lap of Heat 3. … Ross Bailes, piloting the Spire Motorsports No. 77 Longhorn, hit the wall and failed to finish the second heat.

Feature lineup

(75 laps)

Row 1: Ryan Gustin, Jonathan Davenport
Row 2: Brandon Sheppard, Bobby Pierce
Row 3: Carson Ferguson, Shane Clanton
Row 4: Dylan Knowles, Ricky Thornton Jr.
Row 5: Kyle Bronson, Ashton Winger
Row 6: Josh Rice, Nick Hoffman
Row 7: Devin Moran, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 8: Ethan Dotson, Dallon Murty
Row 9: Cody Overton, Hudson O'Neal
Row 10: Sam Seawright, Tyler Erb
Row 11: Reece Solander, Dan Ebert
Row 12: Bubba Roling, Garrett Alberson

Consolation results

(Varying distances; top two transfer)

First consolation: Sam Seawright, Dan Ebert, Trey Mills, Brenden Smith, Brandon Overton, Matthew Taylor, Tyler Millwood, Dalton Cook, Zack Mitchell, Ross Bailes, Ches Chester, Brycen Fleming, Garrett Williams. Scratched: Zach Leonhardi.

Second consolation: Tyler Erb, Bubba Roling, Austin Horton, Mario Gresham, Brody Smith, Austin Bloodworth, Todd Morrow, J.R. Moseley, Payton Stevenson, Raeann Gibbs, Wil Herrington. Scratched: Russ Ogletree, Joseph Joiner.

Third consolation: Reece Solander, Garrett Alberson, Michael Page, Cla Knight, Caleb Gay, Trenton Mathis, Thomas Hunziker, Jason Croft, Jason Lively. Scratched: Luke Morey, Hunter Kohn, Shane Fulcher.

Heat race results

(10 laps; top three transfer)

First heat: Ryan Gustin, Dylan Knowles, Devin Moran, Dalton Cook, Dan Ebert, Brandon Overton, Matthew Taylor, Tyler Milwood, Zack Mitchell. Scratched: Zach Leonhardi.

Second heat: Brandon Sheppard, Kyle Bronson, Ethan Dotson, Trey Mills, Sam Seawright, Brenden Smith, Ches Chester, Brycen Fleming, Garrett Williams, Ross Bailes.

Third heat: Carson Ferguson, Josh Rice, Cody Overton, Todd Morrow, Wil Herrington, Austin Horton, J.R. Moseley, Russ Ogletree, Joseph Joiner.

Fourth heat: Jonathan Davenport, Ricky Thornton Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Tyler Erb, Bubba Roling, Payton Stevenson, Brody Smith, Mario Gresham, Austin Bloodworth, Raeann Gibbs.

Fifth heat: Bobby Pierce, Ashton Winger, Dallon Murty, Reece Solander, Luke Morey, Michael Page, Cla Knight, Jason Lively. Scratched: Hunter Kohn.

Sixth heat: Shane Clanton, Nick Hoffman, Hudson O'Neal, Garrett Alberson, Caleb Gay, Jason Croft, Thomas Hunziker, Trenton Mathis. Scratched: Shane Fulcher.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 13.280
2. Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 13.314
3. Carson Ferguson (93), Lincolnton, N.C., 13.402
4. Dylan Knowles (66k), Lanett, Ala., 13.409
5. lKyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 13.434
6. Cody Overton (1c), Evans, Ga., 13.563
7. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 13.575
8. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 13.601
9. Todd Morrow (T1), Penton, Ala., 13.608
10. Matthew Taylor (38T), Fort Valley, Ga., 13.684
11. Ross Bailes (77), Clover, S.C., 13.696
12. Josh Rice (11R), Crittenden, Ky., 13.701
13. Tyler Millwood (31), Kingston, Ga., 13.738
14. Sam Seawright (1x), Rainsville, Ala., 13.739
15. Wil Herrington (33), Hawkinsville, Ga., 13.767
16. Zack Mitchell (79), Enoree, S.C., 13.767
17. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 13.774
18. Austin Horton (16H), Whitesburg, Ga., 13.799
19. Dalton Cook (44D), Smiths Station, Ala., 13.799
20. Trey Mills (14jr), St. Augustine, Fla., 13.819
21. Joseph Joiner (10), Milton, Fla., 13.827
22. Dan Ebert (60), Lake Shore, Minn., 13.919
23. Ches Chester (9x), Twin City, Ga., 13.934
24. J.R. Moseley (99m), Columbus, Ga., 14.000
25. Brandon Overton (17), Evans, Ga., 14.043
26. Brycen Fleming (14F), Ninety Six, S.C., 14.454
27. Russ Ogletree (44), Phenix City, Ala., 14.495
28. Zach Leonhardi (24L), Cartersville, Ga., 14.703
29. Garrett Williams (54), Kennesaw, Ga., 15.205
Group B
1. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 13.604
2. Dallon Murty (13x), Chelsea, Iowa, 13.611
3. Shane Clanton (25c), Zebulon, Ga., 13.675
4. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 13.733
5. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 13.799
6. Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 13.846
7. Tyler Erb (1T), New Waverly, Texas, 13.856
8. Reece Solander (5), Emporia, Kan., 13.904
9. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 13.947
10. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 13.958
11. Ashton Winger (12), Hampton, Ga., 13.980
12. Caleb Gay (17G), Dublin, Ga., 13.997
13. Payton Stevenson (24), Locust Grove, Ga., 14.003
14. Luke Morey (49m), Zeeland, Mich., 14.051
15. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 14.054
16. Bubba Roling (515), Clay Hill, Fla., 14.085
17. Michael Page (18x), Douglasville, Ga., 14.122
18. Thomas Hunziker (38), Bend, Ore., 14.160
19. Austin Bloodworth (24B), McIntyre, Ga., 14.252
20. Hunter Kohn (48), Mooresville, N.C., 14.261
21. Jason Croft (9c), Woodstock, Ga., 14.293
22. Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 14.336
23. Cla Knight (42), North Augusta, S.C., 14.491
24. Trenton Mathis (5m), Phenix City, Ala., 14.505
25. Mario Gresham (21G), Rome, Ga., 14.604
26. Jason Lively (21), Jacksonville, Ala., 14.635
27. Shane Fulcher (9F), Thomaston, Ga., 14.787
28. Raeann Gibbs (57), Weaver, Ala., 15.119

Saturday’s schedule


(All times local)
2 p.m. - Pits open
4 p.m. - Grandstands open
5 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
5:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- 604 Crate hot laps
- Late Model hot laps
- 604 Crate group qualifying
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (10 laps)
- 604 Crate consolation (10 laps)
- Late Model consolations (12 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (75 laps)
- 604 Crates (20 laps)
Live music (near go-kart track)