Fairbury Speedway
Fast Facts: 36th annual Prairie Dirt Classic
By Aaron Clay
DirtonDirt weekend editor
Dates: July 24-25
Track: Fairbury Speedway (semi-banked 1/4-mile dirt oval).
Location: Fairbury, Ill.
Purse: $50,000-to-win
Sanction: World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Presenting sponsors: Bank of Pontiac and Popejoy Plumbing
Live streaming: DIRTVision
Last year’s winner: Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., his first in his home state’s crown jewel event
Tickets: Week-long general admission $105 (includes Wednesday); week-long pit pass $135 (includes Wednesday); daily ticketing options below
Websites: fairburyspeedway.com and worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/
Track phone: (815) 692-3222
Notes: Fairbury Speedway hosts the 36th annual Prairie Dirt Classic, a two-day event beginning with Friday’s four 25-lap, split-field semifeatures setting the lineups for Saturday’s consolations and 100-lap, $50,000-to-win finale. … Wednesday’s 50-lap, $20,000-to-win FloRacing Series-sanctioned One for the Road event serves as a weekend warmup, but isn't directly connected with the PDC; a 25-lap, $3,500-to-win Prairie Dirt Shootout for non-qualifiers will precede Saturday’s 100-lap feature. … Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., led the final 77 laps to win last year’s Prairie Dirt Classic, his first victory in his 20th start in his home state’s crown jewel; Shirley earned more than $88,500, including $38,500 in lap leader bonus money ($500 per lap led). … Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., rallied from a lap-60 spin to win 2024’s PDC, his first in the lucrative event that had eluded him up to that point in his illustrious career. … Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., had a similar rebound to win 2023’s edition after a mechanical glitch sent him back to sixth with 20 laps to go, leaving him charging to the win. Thornton is fresh off a $52,000 payday in July 18’s Silver Dollar Nationals at Shelby County Speedway in Harlan, Iowa. … Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., is a three-time Prairie Dirt Classic champ (2017, ’19, ’22). … The PDC has won DirtonDirt’s Race of the Year honors four times (2013-’15, ’24), to go along with two DIRTcar Summer Nationals features held at the quarter-mile bullring (2011, ’20). … The DIRTcar Summit Modifieds conclude its summer stretch on the undercard with Friday’s split-field semifeatures preceding Saturday’s consolations and 40-lap, $5,000-to-win season finale. … Pits open at 9 a.m. and First Street grandstands open at 11 with hot laps at 5:30, daily; a driver autograph session will take place Saturday from 4-4:45 p.m. on the backstretch midway.
Prairie Dirt Classic winners
Year: Winner, hometown
2025: Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.
2024: Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.
2023: Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
2022: Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
2021: Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif.
2020: Cancelled
2019: Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
2018: Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio
2017: Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
2016: Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va.
2015: Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
2014: Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
2013: Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.
2012: Jason Feger, Bloomington, Ill.
2011: Eric Smith, Bloomington, Ill.
2010: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
2009: Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, Wis.
2008: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
2007: Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine, Iowa
2006: Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.
2005: Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, Wis.
2004: Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill.
2003: Don O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
2002: Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.
2001: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
2000: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1999: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1998: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
1997: Billy Drake, Bloomington, Ill.
1996: John Gill, Mitchell, Ind.
1995: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1994: Bob Pierce, Danville, Ill.
1993: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
1992: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
1991: Kevin Weaver, Gibson City, Ill.
1990: Snooky Dehm, Chatsworth, Ill.
Weekend purses
Friday’s Prairie Dirt Showdowns
1. $5,000
2. $2,000
3. $1,500
4. $1,000
5.-20. $300
Saturday’s non-qualifiers’ race
1. $3,500
2. $1,000
3. $800
4. $700
5. $600
6. $500
7. $475
8. $450
9. $425
10. $400
11. $375
12. $350
13. $325
14.-20. $300
Saturday’s Prairie Dirt Classic
1. $50,000
2. $20,000
3. $12,000
4. $7,500
5. $6,000
6. $5,000
7. $4,750
8. $4,500
9. $4,250
10. $4,000
11. $3,900
12. $3,800
13. $3,700
14. $3,600
15. $3,500
16. $3,400
17. $3,300
18. $3,200
19. $3,100
20. $3,080
21. $3,060
22. $3,060
23. $3,020
24.-26. $3,000
Event schedule
(All times local; subject to change)
Wednesday
9 a.m. - Gates open
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
7:30 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Late Model consolation (10 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Late Model feature (50 laps)
Thursday
9 a.m.-4 p.m. - PDC charity golf outing (Indian Creek Country Club)
6:45 p.m. - Shriners Children’s auction (frontstretch midway)
8:15 p.m. - FALS Draw drawing (frontstretch midway)
9 p.m.-midnight - Stone Cold Cowboys country concert (north beer stand)
Friday
7-11 a.m. - VFW Post PDC breakfast (VFW Building on Locust Street)
9 a.m. - Pits open, Second Street grandstands open
11 a.m. - First Street grandstands open
Noon - Cornhole tournament (north beer stand)
5 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting (WoO command center)
5:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Modified group qualifying (3 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- First Late Model semifeature (25 laps)
- Second Late Model semifeature (25 laps)
- First modified semifeature (15 laps)
- Second modified semifefeature (15 laps)
- Third modified semifeature (15 laps)
- Fourth modified semifeature (15 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Third Late Model semifeature (25 laps)
- Fourth Late Model semifeature (25 laps)
Saturday
7-11 a.m. - VFW Post PDC breakfast (VFW Building on Locust Street)
9 a.m. - Pits open, Second Street grandstands open
11 a.m. - First Street grandstands open
3 p.m. - Suave Talk Live show (turn two backstretch bus)
4-4:45 p.m. - Driver autograph session (backstretch midway)
5 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting (WoO command center)
5:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps (consolation entrants)
- Modified hot laps (consolation entrants)
Opening ceremonies
6:20 p.m. - Redraw and prerace festivities
- Late Model consolations (15 laps)
- Late Model hot laps (feature entrants)
- Modified consolations (12 laps)
- Modified hot laps (feature entrants)
Intermission/track prep
- Late Model Prairie Dirt Shootout (25 laps)
Feature events
- Modifieds (40 laps)
- 36th annual Prairie Dirt Classic (100 laps)
Tickets
Wednesday
One-day general admission: $30
One-day reserved seating: $37
Weeklong general admission: $105 (includes Wednesday)
One-day all access pit pass: $40
Weeklong all access pit pass: $135
Friday
One-day general admission: $35
Two-day general admission: $75
One-day all access pit pass: $45
Two-day all access pit pass: $95
Saturday
One-day general admission: $45
One-day all access pit pass: $55
Camping
Reserved camping: Sold out
Overflow camping: $100
FALS tent camping: $40
Golf cart registration: $30
More information: fairburyspeedway.com or (815) 692-3222
