KENNEDALE, Texas — His consistent finishes got Jacob Pirkle the 2021 All Star Shootout title.
A convincing flag-to-flag run at the front of the field got him a $1,500 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win in the 25-lap Shootout show Saturday night at Kennedale Speedway Park.
“This is my home track, I started on the front row and I thought I had a lot to prove. Tonight was very good for us,” said Pirkle, who was running in heavy lapped traffic before halfway and was not challenged after the second of back-to-back restarts on lap 18. “I really wanted a win and tonight we got it. The track really played in my favor. I like a little cushion.”
Chris Morris took the runner-up spot from Tanner Whitmire on lap 20 and finished just over a second behind Pirkle at the finish. Steven Whiteaker Jr., Whitmire and Larry Adams completed the top five.
Pirkle started racing a Southern SportMod at KSP; he’s in his third modified season there now.
“I had no idea where second place was. I kept looking for somebody to stick their nose in but it didn’t happen,” he said. “I don’t know if the caution was a good thing but it was fun going through lapped traffic like that.”
Pirkle is already eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. He had taken home another $1,500 check from Kennedale’s Showdown special last November.
Jeffrey Abbey became the first All Star Shootout repeat winner, leading all 20 laps of the caution-free IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature, and New Mexico traveler John Reid Jr. led start to finish in an equally fast paced Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod barnburner.
Both races paid $750 to win.
Abbey had been B & B Racing Chassis All-Star qualifying eligible. Cameron Cook was scored second every time around the track and stayed close much of the way before Abbey got a lapped car between them in the late going.
National points leader Blake Clark, Lance Hanson Jr. and 12th starting Shelby Williams were next across the stripe.
Reid drew the pole and checked out before and after a lap seven caution in the SportMod main. After catching up with the back of the pack, he beat Brandon Geurin to the stripe by 2-1/2 seconds. Andy Hulcy, Boone Evans and Dean Abbey rounded out the top five.
Michael Trammell was the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact winner.
The fourth and final installment of the All Star Shootout is Sunday at Heart O’ Texas Speedway, where pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. Hot laps are at 5:30 p.m. and racing is at 7 p.m.
Speed Sport TV affiliate IMCA.TV broadcasts the finale at Waco.