Dirt on Dirt - Pierce fights to 10th win in WoO's WVMS return

June 12

West Virginia Motor Speedway,

Mineral Wells, WV

Sanction: World of Outlaws Late Model Series (Racefest Summer Championship prelim) - $12,000

Information provided by: Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated June 13, 1:09 am)

Pierce fights to 10th win in WoO's WVMS return

Racefest Summer Championship prelim

Bobby Pierce
Dennis Erb Jr.
Tyler Erb
Brandon Sheppard
Ethan Dotson
Chris Ferguson
Tim McCreadie
Drake Troutman
Nick Hoffman
Zack Dohm
Trey Mills
Eli Johnson
Brenden Smith
Tristan Chamberlain
Dustin Sorensen
Ryan Montgomery
Rod Conley
Eddie Carrier Jr.
Ryan Gustin
Logan Zarin
Josh Rice
Daulton Wilson
Hudson O'Neal
Brent Larson
Carson Ferguson
Colten Burdette

presented by

Emily Schwanke/woolms.com

Bobby Pierce (center) captured Friday's West Virginia Motor Speedway main event.

What won the race: Grabbing the lead from Hudson O’Neal on lap 22 and then turning back challenges from Brandon Sheppard and Dennis Erb Jr. down the stretch, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., was victorious in Friday’s 40-lap opener of the Racefest Summer Championship at West Virginia Motor Speedway. The two-time and defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion beat Erb to the finish line by 0.681 of a second for a $12,000 paycheck and his 10th win of the season on the national tour.

Quotable: “I was just starting to get really loose over in three and four so I was glad to see the checkered,” Pierce said. “It felt like a long 40 laps because we couldn’t get the thing in (with six cautions over the last 16 laps), but awesome night for us. And like I said, just keep winning.”

Key notes: Making his first-ever start at WVMS, Pierce traded the lead twice with Sheppard during the race’s second half before seizing command for good on lap 33. Three caution flags over the remaining distance kept the pressure on Pierce, who held on for his 52nd career WoO triumph. … It was Pierce’s 15th overall victory of 2026 and ran his current win streak to four, including a $130,000 sweep of last weekend’s Dream prelim and finale at Eldora Speedway and a $20,000 score in Wednesday’s Dirt Cup at Ohio’s Muskingum County Speedway. … Pierce led laps 22-29, 31 and 33-40 while Sheppard paced laps 30 and 32 during an exchange of sliders between the two Illinois drivers. … Dennis Erb Jr. overtook Sheppard for second on a lap-34 restart and stayed close to Pierce running the inside en route to a runner-up finish that was his best WoO outing of the season. … Tyler Erb slipped past Sheppard for third on lap 35 and finished there, leaving Sheppard to settle for fourth. … Six caution flags slowed the event, starting on lap 24 with O’Neal’s spin out of second place as he ran up on Ryan Montgomery between turns one and two. He restarted at the rear but retired on lap 34. … Brent Larson dropped oil through turns three and four on lap 27. … Tristan Chamberlain spun in turn four on lap 30 while Daulton Wilson triggered cautions on laps 34 and 38 due to right-front flat tires. … A lap-38 restart scramble that left Josh Rice sitting in turn four produced the final caution. … The two-day program concludes with Saturday’s 60-lap, $30,000-to-win feature. … The weekend is co-sanctioned by the Vavoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series. … It’s the first WoO stop at WVMS since Josh Richards won $10,000 on Aug. 30, 2013; that race was run on a 4/10-mile oval that was the facility’s first attempt at a shorter layout. That configuration was short-lived as the original 5/8-mile oval returned when the track reopened in 2021, but it’s now a shortened 3/8-mile oval under new owner Mike Hurley.

On the move: Chris Ferguson of Mt. Holly, N.C., started 21st and finished sixth.

Winner's sponsors: Pierce’s Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by Low Voltage Solutions, Rio Grande Waste Services, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Churchill Transport, Collins Brothers Towing, Fort Knox Safes & Vaults, Carnaghi Towing & Repair, Pontiac RV, Steidinger Construction, Leka Tree Service, River Bottom Dog Training, Precision Cabinets, JT’s Trackside Catering, Bert by Budda Transmissions, VP Racing Fuels, Ohlins Shocks, Swift Springs, Velocita Suits and Slicker Graphics.

Points chase: WoO after WVMS Friday: 1. Bobby Pierce (3,926); 2. Nick Hoffman (3,898); 3. Tyler Erb (3,690); 4. Drake Troutman (3,640); 5. Tim McCreadie (3,619); 6. Ryan Gustin (3,583); 7. Ethan Dotson (3,558); 8. Daulton Wilson (3,516); 9. Dustin Sorensen (3,468); 10. Trey Mills (3,408). Iron-Man after WVMS Friday: 1. Colten Burdette (336); 2. Rod Conley (321); 3. R.J. Conley (293); 4. Seth Daniels (283); 5. Miles Cook II (281).

Current weather: Clear, 72°F

Car count: 41

Fast qualifier: Brandon Sheppard

Time: 13.655 seconds

Polesitter: Hudson O'Neal

Heat race winners: Brandon Sheppard, Dennis Erb Jr., Hudson O'Neal, Bobby Pierce

Consolation race winners: Ryan Gustin, Brent Larson

Provisional starters: Eli Johnson, Brenden Smith, Colten Burdette, Rod Conley

Next series race: June 13, West Virginia Motor Speedway (Mineral Wells, WV) $30,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

MINERAL WELLS, W.Va. — Live updates from Friday’s 10th annual Racefest Summer Championship prelim, highlighted by a 40-lap, $12,000-to-win feature for World of Outlaws Series-sanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Grabbing the lead from Hudson O’Neal on lap 22 and then turning back challenges from Brandon Sheppard and Dennis Erb Jr. down the stretch, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., was victorious in Friday’s 40-lap opener of the Racefest Summer Championship at West Virginia Motor Speedway. The two-time and defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion beat Erb to the finish line by 0.681 of a second for a $12,000 paycheck and his 10th win of the season on the national tour.

Feature lineup

(40 laps)

Row 1: Hudson O'Neal, Bobby Pierce
Row 2: Dennis Erb Jr., Brandon Sheppard
Row 3: Tyler Erb, Eddie Carrier Jr.
Row 4: Tim McCreadie, Drake Troutman
Row 5: Trey Mills, Josh Rice
Row 6: Logan Zarin, Ethan Dotson
Row 7: Nick Hoffman, Carson Ferguson
Row 8: Daulton Wilson, Ryan Montgomery
Row 9: Ryan Gustin, Brent Larson
Row 10: Zack Dohm, Dustin Sorensen
Row 11: Chris Ferugson, Tristan Chamberlain
Row 12: Eli Johnson, Brenden Smith
Row 13: Colten Burdette, Rod Conley

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top three transfer)

First consolation: Ryan Gustin, Zack Dohm, Chris Ferguson, Brenden Smith, Shane Greco, Seth Daniels, Eli Johnson, Kenneth Rucker, Travis Carr, Allen Clark, Dave Loudin, Tyler Carpenter. Scratched: Freddie Carpenter.

Second consolation: Brent Larson, Dustin Sorensen, Tristan Chamberlain, R.J. Conley, Henry Hornsby III, Luke Morey, Rod Conley, Brandon Weigle, Troy Frazier, Miles Cook II, Colten Burdette. Scratched: Kyle Hardy, Chris Carpenter.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top four transfer)

First heat: Brandon Sheppard, Tyler Erb, Trey Mills, Nick Hoffman, Ryan Gustin, Brenden Smith, Chris Ferguson, Tyler Carpenter, Travis Carr, Allen Clark. Scratched: Freddie Carpenter.

Second heat: Dennis Erb Jr., Eddie Carrier Jr., Logan Zarin, Daulton Wilson, Zack Dohm, Dave Loudin, Seth Daniels, Shane Greco, Kenneth Rucker, Eli Johnson.

Third heat: Hudson O'Neal, Drake Troutman, Ethan Dotson, Ryan Montgomery, Tristan Chamberlain, Dustin Sorensen, Rod Conley, Kyle Hardy, Colten Burdette, Miles Cook II. Scratched: Chris Carpenter.

Fourth heat: Bobby Pierce, Tim McCreadie, Josh Rice, Carson Ferguson, Brent Larson, Luke Morey, Henry Hornsby III, R.J. Conley, Brandon Weigle, Troy Frazier.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Brandon Sheppard (1s), New Berlin, Ill., 13.655
2. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 13.765
3. Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 13.916
4. Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 13.955
5. Trey Mills (14), St. Augustine, Fla., 14.092
6. Eddie Carrier Jr. (75), Salt Rock, W.Va., 14.146
7. Tyler Carpenter (28c), Parkersburg, W.Va., 14.148
8. Eli Johnson (55E), Clewiston, Fla., 14.168
9. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 14.305
10. Daulton Wilson (58v), Fayetteville, N.C., 14.308
11. Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 14.317
12. Seth Daniels (s21), Jackson, Ohio, 14.365
13. Chris Ferguson (22), Mount Holly, N.C., 14.371
14. Zack Dohm (17), Cross Lanes, W.Va., 14.375
15. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 14.478
16. Dave Loudin (12L), Volga, W.Va., 14.668
17. Freddie Carpenter (c4), Parkersburg, W.Va., 14.718
18. Shane Greco (R54), Midway, W.Va., 15.094
19. Travis Carr (6), Soutsville, Ohio, 15.100
20. Kenneth Rucker (k54), Pond Gap, W.Va., 15.441
21. Allen Clark (11A), Moundsville, W.Va., 17.114
Group B
1. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 13.835
2. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 13.895
3. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 13.905
4. Tim McCreadie (9m), Watertown, N.Y., 13.978
5. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 14.040
6. Carson Ferguson (93), Lincolnton, N.C., 14.097
7. Tristan Chamberlain (20tc), Richmond, Ind., 14.138
8. Josh Rice (11), Crittenden, Ky., 14.226
9. Ryan Montgomery (12), Fairmont, W.Va., 14.280
10. Henry Hornsby III (39), Beckley, W.Va., 14.426
11. Dustin Sorensen (19), Rochester, Minn., 14.436
12. Brent Larson (B1), Lake Elmo, Minn., 14.470
13. Rod Conley (71R), Wheelersburg, Ohio, 14.499
14. Brandon Weigle (47w), Middlebourne, W.Va., 14.503
15. Kyle Hardy (99H), Stephens City, Va., 14.572
16. R.J. Conley (71c), Wheelersburg, Ohio, 14.588
17. Colten Burdette (53c), Parkersburg, W.Va., 14.613
18. Luke Morey (49), Zeeland, Mich., 14.624
19. Chris Carpenter (18cc), Parkersburg, W.Va., 15.017
20. Troy Frazier (0), Mount Claire, W.Va., 15.044
21. Miles Cook II (18c), Bucyrus, Ohio, 15.160

Friday’s schedule

(All times local)
11 a.m. - Pits open
1 p.m. - Grandstands open
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- 604 Crate group qualifying
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Modified group qualifying
- Sport mod group qualifying
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- 604 Crate heats (8 laps)
Intermission/WoO redraw
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
- Sport Mod heats (8 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (40 laps)
- 604 Crates (30 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
- Sport mods (20 laps)