CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 18) — Bobby Pierce had just one more chance to avoid a winless 2026 Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout. He made sure he converted it.
Leading all but three circuits of the six-race miniseries’s 50-lap finale on Sunday at Central Arizona Raceway, Oakwood, Ill.’s Pierce survived a mid-race challenge from Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind. — including near-disastrous contact on lap 30 — to finally grab a checkered flag. The 29-year-old star hit a financial jackpot, too, pocketing a whopping total of $51,500 thanks to the addition of $23,500 in lap money and a $3,000 bonus from Don Frank Floors.
“That’s a lot of money on the line and I own my own stuff,” said Pierce, who pushed his all-time best Wild West Shootout win total to 17 as he ran his victory streak in the event to four consecutive years. “So far we were kind of in the negative (for earnings) coming into tonight, so that definitely makes up for a lot of it. That’s kind of why we were racing so hard out there — if you're kind of wondering why, that’s why.”
Pierce crossed the finish line 1.312 seconds ahead of Blairsville, Ga.’s Jonathan Davenport, who made a valiant charge through the field after starting 23rd because a heat-race tangle with Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, forced him to qualify through a consolation. O’Neal led laps 23-24 and 30 but settled for third while nursing left-front nose damage from the encounter with Pierce with Erb placing fourth and Dustin Sorensen of Rochester, Minn., completing the top five after coming back from a lap-21 flat tire.
The no-holds-barred racing that Pierce mentioned was most evident during his mid-race exchanges with O’Neal, the week’s lone repeat winner driving the K&L Rumley Enterprises No. 6. Pierce, who started from the pole and seized the lead at the initial green flag, pushed his machine to the limit to regain command from O’Neal on lap 25 and was in the midst of doing it again on lap 30 just after O’Neal used a slider through turns three and four to lead the circuit.
Pierce dived to the bottom through turns one and two after seeing O’Neal scored the lead of lap 30. But when Pierce slid up the track exiting turn two, O’Neal ran out of room exiting the corner off the top and contact was made. O’Neal went spinning on the backstretch as Pierce’s car slid completely sideways across the nose of O’Neal’s vehicle. Both drivers kept their cars moving and were pointed in the right direction when officials displayed the caution flag in response to what appeared to be shaping up as a crash.
With event officials invoking the “blend” rule, it was ruled that Pierce was in first place when the caution light came on and he was placed in the lead for the ensuing restart. O’Neal was positioned in second place because he was behind Pierce at the time of the caution.
Pierce controlled the remainder of the distance while O’Neal, hampered by his car’s front bodywork damage, held second until lap 38 when Davenport sailed past. O’Neal managed to keep Erb at bay the rest of the way to salvage third place.
The scrape with O’Neal was on Pierce’s mind after he reached victory lane.
“First off, I apologize to him,” Pierce said. “It might have been my mistake there. I think I kind of misjudged how quick around he was getting out of two, but that’s hard racing, that’s dirt track racing. He early slid me into three, so I figured I was gonna give it back to him in two, but, I don’t know, it just didn’t work out. I’m just glad that we were both able to finish the race, he was able to get his spot back.
“Just a hard racing deal there. It’s not like I'm forming a rivalry with Huddy. He’s a great driver and I just kind of misjudged a little bit there, but we’re going so fast around this racetrack … you try to do that.”
O’Neal, 25, was subdued with his comments about the incident that effectively ended his shot at a third WWS win, though he did clinch the miniseries points championship for a $3,000 bonus.
“It’s unfortunate,” O’Neal said of the tangle. “I don’t really know what to say. It’s a tough situation. I think he knew better, but it’s just part of it, man.
“We had a really good race car all week. It’s a tough way to end it, but all in all we had a good week, and to be able to still salvage a third with the damage we had and be able to take home the points was awesome.
“We’ll move on,” he added. “That one stings a little bit, but it’s part of it, it’s part of racing. We’ll regroup and get ready for Volusia (Speedway Park’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series-sanctioned Sunshine Nationals) next week and be looking forward to that.”
Pierce allowed himself to relish claiming a triumph — especially a lucrative one — before heading east for Volusia.
“When we unloaded, practiced (on Jan. 9), we weren’t great, we weren’t bad, just kind of there,” Pierce said. “And then night one we kind of quickly realized we didn’t have enough motor for this track — not like Vic Hill doesn’t build a beast, which he does, it’s just this is a really big racetrack so we had to break out our other car we’re gonna take to Volusia with a little bigger motor in it.
“We switched to this (Longhorn) car, it was better, and just hats off to the guys. They worked their butts off all week. Even the off days here aren’t off days — we’re working, trying to make it better.”
The 42-year-old Davenport was the feature’s clear-cut hard charger with his run to a runner-up finish from the last row. He couldn’t quite complete the rally, however, by offering a serious bid to Pierce’s supremacy.
“Hats off to the track crew. They done a phenomenal job there, dug it up a little bit more,” Davenport said, acknowledging the raciness of the track surface. “We really spent a lot of time in the bottom just really pacing ourself and being patient, and when somebody slipped off the bottom, you know, we just tried to get them one at a time.
“Passed some cars on the top, passed some cars through the middle, had a few breaks go our way, and, yeah, just a phenomenal race car. I think we paced Bobby there at the end. I was driving the s— out of this thing. That was all it was worth for sure.
“We’ve had a really good car all week, just ain’t really had the racing luck to go with it,” he continued. “It sucks coming here and not getting a win, but we started on the front row twice and never even got to lead a lap, so if we could ever got some clean air on the nose of this thing, I think it would have been really good. We got a few, details we need to work through to to make us a little bit better later in the race, but just thanks to my guys once again for, not ever giving up on me. They had to do a whole lot of extra work today (after the heat-race incident with Erb).”
Five cautions slowed the action, starting on lap three for a lost muffler that was spotted on the track. Other yellows came on lap 21 for Sorensen’s flat tire; lap 27 for Jake O’Neil falling off the pace with a blistered tire; and lap 37 when Jake Timm suffered a flat tire.
Feature lineup
(50 laps)
Row 1: Pierce, Erb
Row 2: Dillard, O'Neal
Row 3: Duty, Dotson
Row 4: Marlar, Alberson
Row 5: Troutman, Stuckey
Row 6: Sorensen, James
Row 7: Gustin, McCowan
Row 8: O'Neil, Timm
Row 9: Garner, A. Eisenschenk
Row 10: Sheppard, Isenberg
Row 11: Junghans, L. Eisenschenk
Row 12: Davenport, E. Whisler
Consolation race results
(10 laps; top four transfer)
First consolation: Kylan Garner, Brandon Sheppard, Chase Junghans, Jonathan Davenport, Daniel Adam, Eli Ross, Tim Ward, Kyle Beard, Terry Phillips, Austin Kuehl.
Second consolation: Amelia Eisenschenk, Tim Isenberg, Laela Eisenschenk, Eston Whistler, Cole Schill, Gunner Frank, Terry Carter, Chance Mann. Scratched: Steve Stultz, R.C. Whitwell.
Heat race recap
On the first start of the first heat, polesitter Jonathan Davenport pulled up lame with front-end damage in turn fourafter contact with fellow front-row starter Tyler Erb, whose turn-three slide job carried him into the lead (Davenport headed to the infield for repairs and went to the tail for the next start). ... Erb won the heat and Davenport finished last. Afterwards, Davenport parked in front of Erb's hauler, preventing him from returning to his pit. Both drivers climbed from the car and had an animated discussion (miniseries co-promoters Chris Kearns and Matt Curl were on hand to defuse the situation). Davenport moved his car as the heat races were completed. ... Bobby Pierce won the second heat from the pole; the lone caution appeared on the fifth lap when Eli Ross spun inside turn two. ... Jake O'Neil ran second half of the second heat but settle for fourth, losing a spot at the checkers to Dustin Sorensen. ... Hudson O'Neal cruised in the third heat. ... In the fourth heat, Cade Dillard outran previous night feature winner Garrett Alberson for an eight-lap victory (a prelim slowed by a lap-four caution for debris and a lap-six caution for a Steve Stultz spin).
Heat race results
(Eight laps; top four transfer)
First heat: Tyler Erb, Justin Duty, Drake Troutman, Ryan Gustin, Kylan Garnder, Daniel Adams, Kyle Beard, Terry Phillips, Jonathan Davenport.
Second heat: Bobby Pierce, Mike Marlar, Dustin Sorensen, Jake O'Neil, Brandon Sheppard, Chase Junghans, Eli Ross, Tim Ward. Scratched: Austin Kuehl.
Third heat: Hudson O'Neal, Ethan Dotson, Clay Stuckey, Dillon McCowan, Tim Isenberg, Amelia Eisenschenk, Chance Mann, Cole Schill, Eston Whisler.
Fourth heat: Cade Dillard, Garrett Alberson, Bricen James, Jake Timm, Laela Eisenschenk, Gunner Frank, Terry Carter, Steve Stultz, R.C. Whitwell.
Time trials
Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time
- Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 15.192
- Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 15.236
- Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 15.247
- Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 15.278
- Justin Duty (15), Molalla, Ore., 15.346
- Jake O’Neil (0), Tucson, Ariz., 15.358
- Ryan Gustin (19r), Marshalltown, Iowa, 15.373
- Dustin Sorenson (19), Rochester, Minn., 15.457
- Kyle Beard (86), Trumann, Ark., 15.481
- Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan., 15.489
- Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 15.498
- Eli Ross (66), Muskogee, Okla., 15.513
- Daniel Adam (75), Peru, Ill., 15.606
- Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 15.694
- Kylan Garner (128), Diamond, Mo., 15.712
- Tim Ward (4tw), Mesa, Ariz., 15.749
- Terry Phillips (75), Springfield, Mo., 16.474
- Austin Kuehl (11x), Cave Creek, Ariz., no time
Group B
- Hudson O’Neal (6), Martinsville, Ind., 15.060
- Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 15.153
- Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 15.201
- Cade Dillard (97), Robeline, La., 15.267
- Clay Stuckey (15), Shreveport, La., 15.309
- Jake Timm (49), Winona, Minn., 15.421
- Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Mo., 15.522
- Bricen James (13), Albany, Ore., 15.526
- Amelia Eisenschenk (1x), Fargo, N.D., 15.739
- Laela Eisenschenk (15), Fargo, N.D., 15.758
- Tim Isenberg (9T), Marshfield, Wis., 15.863
- Steve Stultz (78s), Peoria, Ariz., 15.927
- Eston Whisler (82), Otis, Ore., 15.952
- Gunner Frank (21f), Montrose, Iowa, 15.956
- Chance Mann (88), Newport, Ark., 15.974
- Terry Carter (6T), Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, 16.311
- Cole Schill (15*), Horace, N.D., 16.819
- R.C. Whitwell (96), Tucson, Ariz., no time
Sunday’s schedule
(All times local)
1 p.m. - Pits open
2:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
3 p.m. - Grandstands open
3:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- X-mod hot laps
- Modified hot laps
- Late Model group qualifying
- Stock car hot laps
Opening ceremonies
- X-mod heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Stock car heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (10 laps)
- Late Models (12 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (50 laps)
- X-mods (25 laps)
-
Modifieds (25 laps)
- Stock cars (20 laps)
