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Winner: Brian Shirley 2nd: Bobby Pierce 3rd: Max Blair
Event Info
DIRTcar Summer Nationals
June 21, 2022
Springfield Raceway
2110 N Farm Rd 123
Springfield, MO
Series Racing
DIRTcar Summer Nationals
To Win Amount
$5,000.00
Feature Laps Length
40
Frequently Asked Questions
To Win Amount
$5,000.00
$5,000.00
Track Info
Track Phone
(417) 863-0097
(417) 863-0097
Competitor Info
DIRTVision Highlights
Race Recap
NO AIR, NO PROBLEM: Shirley Wins at Springfield with Deflating Right-Rear Tire
On a restart with three laps to go, leading the Feature for the second time in three days, Brian Shirley could feel something was amiss on his car.
As he rolled into DIRTcar Summer Nationals Victory Lane Tuesday night, the crew discovered the culprit immediately – a flat right-rear tire on the Bob Cullen Racing #3s.
“I didn’t know I had a flat tire, but I knew… something was wrong,” Shirley, of Chatham, IL, said. “For me to go [to the bottom line] and bend, it wasn’t good. I couldn’t bend with the tire being that flat.”
Though it was going flat in the final laps, it didn’t seem to bother the four-time Hell Tour champion. The tire held just enough air in it for Shirley to motor across the finish line, holding off hungry challengers Bobby Pierce and Max Blair to record the 37th DIRTcar Summer Nationals win of his career and first at the big quarter-mile oval of Springfield Raceway.
Starting outside Row 2, Shirley had to work to get the lead in the first half of the race, working around Joe Godsey for second on Lap 8, and later getting past polesitter Payton Freeman for the lead on a Lap 18 restart.
“I was able to get a better drive there off of Turn 2 on that restart and was able to launch in front of [Freeman] in Turns 3-4,” Shirley said. “He wanted to be up top too, and that’s where I wanted to be.”
Once he got the lead, Shirley’s drive to the finish was peppered with yellow flags, putting him through several restarts with a field of relentless drivers behind him. At least five cautions were thrown in the final 20 laps of the 40-lap affair, forcing him to be extra sharp on the gas at the drop of the green.
“I was definitely nervous, I’m not gonna lie,” Shirley said. “I was hoping about two or three [restarts] before the final one that we could just go green for a little while and get some laps, because at that time, I could gap ‘em pretty good.”
Max Blair was his biggest threat for the lead in the closing laps. Using the bottom lane, the Centerville, PA-driver nearly pulled even with Shirley at various points but was unable to match Shirley’s speed on the top.
“He was definitely better; it would’ve taken a mistake for me to get by him,” Blair said of Shirley. “I thought, at one point, I hit the bottom pretty good there for a couple laps in-a-row, and I thought maybe there was a chance. But once he got that top off and got rolling, he was just too good up there.”
Shirley’s anti-kryptonite was the super-smooth top line in Turns 3-4, which he took almost the entire race.
“Tonight, they did a heck of a job,” Shirley said of the track preparation. “They had a mud ring around the bottom, had it to where we could run the top. Even down there, I felt like you could’ve run the top, it was just faster to run the bottom in Turns 1-2. Kudos to the track guys.”
Reigning tour champion Bobby Pierce, of Oakwood, IL, had a steady run from his seventh starting spot to come back and finish second. He trailed Blair for most of the second half of the Feature but was able to get by him with two-to-go, notching his third runner-up finish of the season thus far.
Blair crossed the stripe third for his third top-five finish in the last four races. With his normal World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series schedule on break until this Friday-Saturday at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 vs. the Summer Nationals regulars, he’s taken this past week to refine his Viper Risk Management #111v and work out the bugs before the big money goes on the line this weekend in Pevely.
“I need to steer better,” Blair said. “That’s the thing we’ve been fighting the last few nights. If we can get it to steer better, maybe we’ll have a little something more for them.”
UP NEXT
The DIRTcar Summer Nationals action continues with the second race of Missouri-Illinois Week on Wednesday, June 22, at Adams County Speedway in Quincy, IL. If you can’t be at the track, watch every lap live on DIRTVision.
ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)
Feature 40 Laps | 00:36:11.338
- 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[7]; 3. 111V-Max Blair[5]; 4. 36-Logan Martin[8]; 5. 86-Kyle Beard[16]; 6. F1- Payton Freeman[1]; 7. 93-Mason Oberkramer[6]; 8. 24-Ryan Unzicker[3]; 9. 25-Jason Feger[11]; 10. 91-Rusty Schlenk[13]; 11. 14G-Joe Godsey[2]; 12. 77-Preston Luckman[9]; 13. 10-Garrett Smith[15]; 14. 0-Deshawn Gingerich[10]; 15. 50- Kaeden Cornell[12]; 16. 45-Kylan Garner[17]; 17. 30-Mark Voigt[19]; 18. 14R-Jeff Roth[22]; 19. 26M-Brent McKinnon[18]; 20. 4D-Doug Tye[20]; 21. 23NZ-Mick Quin[14]; 22. 31AUS-Kye Blight[21]
Results
Feature Results
| POS | Start | +/- | # | Driver | Laps | Behind | Led | Status | Points | Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Brian Shirley | -2,171.338 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Bobby Pierce | -2,172.172 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Max Blair | -2,172.716 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Logan Martin | -2,173.919 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Kyle Beard | -2,174.364 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Payton Freeman | -2,174.830 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Mason Oberkramer | -2,175.241 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Ryan Unzicker | -2,175.395 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Jason Feger | -2,175.593 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Rusty Schlenk | -2,176.294 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Joe Godsey | -2,176.730 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Preston Luckman | -2,177.000 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Garrett Smith | -2,177.543 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Deshawn Gingerich | -2,179.657 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Kaeden Cornell | -2,179.767 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Kylan Garner | -2,180.318 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Mark Voigt | -2,180.726 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Jeff Roth | -2,181.152 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Brent McKinnon | -1,189.066 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Doug Tye | -798.334 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Mick Quin | -814.308 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Kye Blight | -780.921 | Running | $ |
Last Chance Showdown Results
| POS | Start | +/- | # | Driver | Laps | Behind | Led | Status | Points | Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Kylan Garner | -175.397 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Brent McKinnon | -176.883 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Cole Wells | -180.052 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Cade Dillard | -180.157 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Jeff Roth | -181.429 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Justin Wells | -181.886 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Scott Crigler | -182.095 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Terry Phillips | -183.612 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Kye Blight | -183.952 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Brennon Willard | -184.407 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Joey Smith | -184.862 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Glen Powell | -185.848 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Doug Tye | -188.060 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Mark Voigt | -49.622 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Dustin Walker | -49.622 | Running | $ | ||||||
| 0 | Steve Johnson | -49.622 | Running | $ |
Heat 1 Results
| Pos. | Start | +/- | # | Driver | Hometown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Brian Shirley | Chatham, IL | -343.813 | |||
| 0 | Max Blair | Centerville, PA | -344.433 | |||
| 0 | Preston Luckman | Coos Bay, OR | -345.678 | |||
| 0 | Rusty Schlenk | McClure, OH | -348.349 | |||
| 0 | Brent McKinnon | Carlyle, IL | -349.261 | |||
| 0 | Jeff Roth | Bentonville, AR | -350.128 | |||
| 0 | Dustin Walker | Polk, MO | -354.326 | |||
| 0 | Scott Crigler | Alton, MO | -99.423 |
Heat 2 Results
| Pos. | Start | +/- | # | Driver | Hometown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Ryan Unzicker | El Paso, IL | -275.577 | |||
| 0 | Mason Oberkramer | Broseley, MO | -275.702 | |||
| 0 | Deshawn Gingerich | Dover, PA | -276.579 | |||
| 0 | Mick Quin | Hawks Bay, NZ | -277.340 | |||
| 0 | Glen Powell | Nixa, MO | -278.357 | |||
| 0 | Doug Tye | Troy, IL | -278.599 | |||
| 0 | Steve Johnson | Joplin, MO | -280.891 | |||
| 0 | Cade Dillard | Robeline, LA | -156.816 |
Heat 3 Results
| Pos. | Start | +/- | # | Driver | Hometown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Joe Godsey | Edinburgh, IN | -137.438 | |||
| 0 | Bobby Pierce | Oakwood, IL | -137.481 | |||
| 0 | Jason Feger | Bloomington, IL | -138.518 | |||
| 0 | Garrett Smith | Eatonton, GA | -140.809 | |||
| 0 | Kylan Garner | Diamond, MO | -141.720 | |||
| 0 | Joey Smith | Pomona, MO | -145.085 | |||
| 0 | Cole Wells | AURORA, MO | -145.160 | |||
| 0 | Brennon Willard | Lebanon, MO | -147.778 |
Heat 4 Results
| Pos. | Start | +/- | # | Driver | Hometown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Payton Freeman | Commerce, GA | -135.257 | |||
| 0 | Logan Martin | West Plains, MO | -135.995 | |||
| 0 | Kaeden Cornell | Willard, MO | -139.714 | |||
| 0 | Kyle Beard | Trumann, AR | -140.846 | |||
| 0 | Kye Blight | Katanning, WAU | -141.376 | |||
| 0 | Justin Wells | AURORA, MO | -142.240 | |||
| 0 | Terry Phillips | Springfield, MO | -143.290 | |||
| 0 | Mark Voigt | Marine, IL | -89.906 |
Qualifying Results
| POS | Start | Car | Driver | Time | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 12 | Scott Crigler | 12.706 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 5 | 3S | Brian Shirley | 12.784 | -0.078 |
| 3 | 7 | 111V | Max Blair | 12.853 | -0.147 |
| 4 | 1 | 26M | Brent McKinnon | 12.941 | -0.235 |
| 5 | 4 | 77 | Preston Luckman | 12.998 | -0.292 |
| 6 | 8 | 14R | Jeff Roth | 13.252 | -0.546 |
| 7 | 6 | 91 | Rusty Schlenk | 13.377 | -0.671 |
| 8 | 2 | 14W | Dustin Walker | 13.498 | -0.792 |
Qualifying Flight 2 Results
| POS | Start | Car | Driver | Time | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 97 | Cade Dillard | 12.755 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 4 | 93 | Mason Oberkramer | 12.906 | -0.151 |
| 3 | 3 | 24 | Ryan Unzicker | 13.048 | -0.293 |
| 4 | 2 | 0 | Deshawn Gingerich | 13.322 | -0.567 |
| 5 | 5 | 23NZ | Mick Quin | 13.359 | -0.604 |
| 6 | 1 | 26 | Glen Powell | 13.794 | -1.039 |
| 7 | 7 | 4D | Doug Tye | 13.854 | -1.099 |
| 8 | 6 | 11 | Steve Johnson | 14.281 | -1.526 |
Qualifying Flight 3 Results
| POS | Start | Car | Driver | Time | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 14G | Joe Godsey | 12.736 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 7 | 32 | Bobby Pierce | 12.887 | -0.151 |
| 3 | 2 | 25 | Jason Feger | 12.972 | -0.236 |
| 4 | 5 | 10 | Garrett Smith | 13.133 | -0.397 |
| 5 | 4 | 7 | Cole Wells | 13.173 | -0.437 |
| 6 | 3 | 3 | Brennon Willard | 13.449 | -0.713 |
| 7 | 8 | 45 | Kylan Garner | 13.458 | -0.722 |
| 8 | 6 | 13 | Joey Smith | 13.461 | -0.725 |
Qualifying Flight 4 Results
| POS | Start | Car | Driver | Time | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | F1 | Payton Freeman | 12.650 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 5 | 36 | Logan Martin | 12.933 | -0.283 |
| 3 | 2 | 86 | Kyle Beard | 13.026 | -0.376 |
| 4 | 1 | 50 | Kaeden Cornell | 13.247 | -0.597 |
| 5 | 6 | 75 | Terry Phillips | 13.254 | -0.604 |
| 6 | 4 | 49 | Justin Wells | 13.570 | -0.920 |
| 7 | 3 | 30 | Mark Voigt | 13.785 | -1.135 |
| 8 | 8 | 31AUS | Kye Blight | 13.785 | -1.135 |
