Week 1: DIRTcar Summer Nationals / Summit Modified Nationals

Though he now rolls on the national trail of the Outlaws, Brian Shirley hasn’t forgotten how to compete and win with the DIRTcar Summer Nationals. The four-time Hell Tour champion led all 40 laps en route to his 39th career Feature win with the tour in the season opener Wednesday night at Peoria Speedway. For his efforts in holding off rivals Shannon Babb and Dennis Erb Jr. throughout the race, Shirley pocketed a $5,000 grand prize and his fifth Summer Nationals victory at the 1/4-mile of Peoria. A win in Heat Race #4 set Shirley up to redraw the pole for the main event. He wasted little time at the drop of the green, winning the mad dash into the first corner with outside polesitter Chase Osterhoff and Erb Jr. right behind him. Erb got first dibs in trying to get by Shirley for the lead, digging down low in signature Erb fashion. For nearly the entire first half of the race, Erb chased Shirley through lapped traffic, passing several cars in his efforts to hunt down the leader, but was unsuccessful. Shirley (3s) and Erb Jr. (28) own a total of 64 Summer Nationals Feature wins and seven championships. (Terry Page Photo) “I was confused – I knew Erb was behind me for a while, so I was definitely more protective of that bottom,” Shirley, of Chatham, IL, said....