Bobby Pierce scored one of the biggest wins in his Super Late Model career Saturday during the final night of the 24th Annual Karl Chevrolet Duel in the Desert at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Pierce fended off charges by Ricky Thornton Jr. and Josh Richards during the final 22 laps to win the race.
“I think with like 30 laps to go, Thornton really made me get up on the wheel,” Pierce said in Victory Lane.
Pierce took the $50,000-to-win feature and doubled his payout as part of the Karl Chevrolet Double Down Triple Crown for drivers who competed in features at the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals and the Karl Chevrolet Texas Dirt Nationals.
Pierce was one of three feature winners on the evening as the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars crowned their Duel champions. Zane DeVilbiss of Farmington, N.M., won the Stock Car championship, while Thornton, Jr. won the Modified title.
For a full rundown of results from Saturday night, click here for the BOX SCORE.
Pierce ran inside the top 5 for most of the night, and struck when the time came. He was running third when Jonathan Davenport found the turn 3 wall with 22 laps to go. Davenport had dominated the event, but was having engine trouble leading up to the incident. Davenport smacked the wall, and Thornton made contact with the front of his car, as well.
Pierce took the lead on the next green flag run and fended off all comers for the win.
“When I saw (Davenport) smoking, I kinda figured it was a matter of time,” Pierce said. “I was like ‘Man, if I can just pretend I’m in the lead and run my own race.’ It never really set in until 18 to go, the money we’re racing for. I was like, ‘just don’t get nervous.’”
Nerves weren’t a factor, as Pierce drove a perfect final laps and took home his biggest career one-day payout. Pierce commended the track crew for an exemplary racing surface that made for a top and bottom groove for the entire 77-lap race.
“I can’t say enough about this race track. I said it last night, the track was great, and it provided such good racing for how big this track is,” Pierce added. “That’s really hard to find for a half-mile to find this good of racing. Hats off to everyone at this speedway. Working the track and making the calls to make for a helluva feature.”
The race began with drama, even before the green flag. Overton was originally scheduled to start on the outside of the front row at the start, but the left front wheel fell off before the start of the race.
The misfortune for Overton gave Friday night’s main event winner Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., the spot outside the front row alongside Thornton, Jr. of Adel, Iowa.
Davenport was looking good to sweep the weekend, leading the first 53 of the scheduled 77-lap race. A puff of smoke showed from Davenport’s car in turn 1 on lap 54. As he entered turn 3, Davenport’s night came to an end in the turn 3 wall.
Thornton inherited the lead from Davenport, but Pierce made the pass for the lead on the ensuing restart. Thornton started on pole but made an early pit stop and had to drive from the back to the front during the middle part of the race.
Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., made his way to second in the waning laps, relegating Thornton to third at the finish. Billy Moyer and Johnny Scott completed the top 5.
In the IMCA Stock Car championship feature, Dallon Murty of Chelsea, Iowa., joined DeVilbiss on the front row for the 25-lap event.
DeVilbiss led early before Murty made the first pass for the lead on the seventh lap. From there it was an all-out dogfight for the championship.
Dallon Murty’s father, Damon, and fellow Iowa-native Jesse Sobbing joined in for a thrilling four-car battle for the victory. Sobbing, who started 16th, used the high side rip off spot after spot, taking the lead from Damon Murty with seven to go.
After a couple late cautions, Dallon Murty went for a haymaker slide job in the final corners, but DeVilbiss crossed over to the inside of Murty, drove up beside him and the two slammed doors at the line, with DeVilbiss prevailing by .067 seconds. It was DeVilbiss’ second Duel Stock Car championship in a row.
The Duel came to a close with the IMCA Modified championship. Thornton, who finished third in the Late Model feature, started the race from the pole with fellow Iowan Zack VanderBeek lined up to his outside.
Sixth-place starter Cody Laney of Torrance, Calif., climbed from the sixth position to take the lead at the conclusion of the sixth lap.
Thornton kept pace with Laney until six laps remained. Thornton attempted a slide job at that point, but wasn’t able to make the pass until the following lap with the same move.
Laney made one last effort to regain the lead, but broke with two laps to go. Thornton went on to win in IMCA Modified at the Duel in the Desert for the second year in a row.
Super Late Model $50,000-to Win Feature Results
- (13) 32 Bobby Pierce
- (8) 99R Josh Richards
- (1) 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr.
- (5) 21 Billy Moyer
- (9) 1ST Johnny Scott
- (6) 0 Scott Bloomquist
- (7) 21JR Billy Moyer Jr.
- (15) 14M Morgan Bagley
- (11) 01 Chris Ferguson
- (14) 91P Jason Papich
- (18) 13 Rusty Schlenk
- (16) 99B Boom Briggs
- (10) 70 Jeff Smith
- (21) 503 Jason Miles
- (24) 74X Brody Montgomery
- (22) 78S Steve Stultz
- (3) 39 Tim McCreadie
- (4) 49 Jonathan Davenport
- (17) 15 Justin Duty
- (19) 32B Cody Laney
- (2) 76 Brandon Overton
- (20) 46 Bricen James
- (23) 37 Rob Mayea
- (12) 14G Joe Godsey
IMCA Modified Feature Results
- (1) 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr.
- (2) 33Z Zack VanderBeek
- (3) WW1 Ricky Alvarado
- (4) 01T Peyton Taylor
- (11) 18Z Zane DeVilbiss
- (8) 48K Kollin Hibdon
- (5) 4TW Tim Ward
- (13) A Ethan Dotson
- (9) 75JR Chaz Baca
- (21) B1 Jeff Larson
- (18) 3B Eddie Belec
- (17) 12T Mike McKinney
- (12) 10N Robert Sanders
- (7) 89C Steven Whiteaker
- (22) 21K Kyle Brown
- (10) 113 Jerry Flippo
- (14) 01 Jacob Hobscheidt
- (20) 13 Bricen James
- (15) 5 Jeff Taylor
- (24) 96J Johnny Saathoff
- (6) 5L Cody Laney
- (16) 96JP Jeremy Payne
- (23) C9 Collen Winebarger
- (19) 44T Tanner Black
IMCA Stock Car Feature
- (2) 18Z Zane DeVilbiss
- (1) 99X Dallon Murty
- (7) 25P Mike Petersilie
- (16) 99 Jesse Sobbing
- (3) 99D Damon Murty
- (19) 82P John Parmeley
- (9) 88H Beau Hutchison
- (10) 08 Chase Berkeley
- (14) 77S Jerry Schram
- (11) 10 Mike Stapleton
- (6) 97M David Murray Jr.
- (17) 38 Jessie Shearin
- (12) 55AK Scott Sluka
- (8) 93 Michael Jaennette
- (23) 23JR Christopher McCurdy Jr.
- (24) 24 Robert Chalupa
- (18) 13M Matt Mayo
- (20) 18 Alex Dostal
- (15) 10J Jake Nelson
- (13) 67 Michael Villanueva
- (4) 82 Shelby Williams
- (5) 40JR Bubba Stafford Jr.
- (22) 50B Brandon Monson
- (21) 7M Anthony Madrid
