GRANITE CITY, Ill. – Brian Shirley’s season was supposed to be over, that was until a late season opportunity came knocking.
Wheeling the Steve Lampley’s No. 33, Shirley took full advantage of the chance to race and parked the team’s XR-1 Rocket in victory lane Saturday night at Tri-City Speedway in the season finale for the Lucas Oil MLRA.
Tony Jackson Jr. clinched his second MLRA title by taking the green on Saturday.
It was Jeff Herzog who took the lead at the start of the 40-lap feature, with the first caution coming on lap two when Tim Simpson stopped on the bottom of turn one. With the green in the air Herzog took back to the top side of the speedway only to see Shirley, who started in the third spot, rocket past off the exit of turn four as the duo completed lap four.
While Shirley was pacing the field, four-time MLRA winner Jackson was making his presence felt by running down the race leader from seventh. As Jackson got to within striking distance of the leader in traffic, disaster nearly struck as Brennon Willard spun directly in front of Jackson in turn one. Jackson made slight contact but never stopped on the track and maintained his runner up spot as the caution waved.
Another pair of cautions would slow the pace on lap 28 as Bobby Pierce came to a stop on the track after running in fifth and again on lap 36 when Chad Simpson spun in turns three and four. The final caution set up a four lap dash to the checkered that would see Gordy Gundacker restarting in the second spot and Frank Heckenast Jr. in third.
Gundacker would chase Shirley on the low line while Heckenast charged along the high line of the three-eighths-mile facility. Heckenast would clear the 11 of Gunaker coming to the white but fell just shy of the win at the line, finishing a mere .123 seconds behind Shirley. Shirley would pocket the $7,000 win ahead of Heckenast and Gundaker. Alberson came home in fourth while series champion Jackson would finish his night in fifth.
Shirley was excited to get the win for Lampley’s team, which races with a handful of different drivers on a part-time basis.
“Once I got my rhythm going I felt like we were pretty good,” Shirley said. “Then I seen on that last restart and was like man – there was four to go and I seen that Gordy was on the bottom. I kind of got a little timid and tried to hit my marks too much and then I seen Frankie must have gotten around him (Gundaker) and then I was a little nervous. I just knew on that final lap that we had to go in there and try and hit our marks the best.”
“I’ve got to thank Bob and Lisa Cullen for letting me come race when we have been trying to get ready for 2022. At the end of the day it’s good to stay in the car and keep your feet wet.”
The finish:
1. 33-Brian Shirley[3]; 2. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[6]; 3. 11-Gordy Gundaker[2]; 4. 59-Garrett Alberson[4]; 5. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[7]; 6. 11H-Jeff Herzog[1]; 7. 1X-Aaron Marrant[13]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[9]; 9. 18B-Shannon Babb[8]; 10. 15-Justin Duty[18]; 11. 91P-Jason Papich[12]; 12. 0-Dewayne Kiefer[10]; 13. 93-Mason Oberkramer[25]; 14. 16-Rusty Griffaw[14]; 15. 51F-Matt Furman[21]; 16. 44W-David Webster[16]; 17. 50C-Kayden Clatt[19]; 18. 25-Chad Simpson[5]; 19. 14M-Reid Millard[22]; 20. (DNF) 32P-Bobby Pierce[11]; 21. (DNF) F15-Jeremy Conaway[15]; 22. (DNF) 11T-Trevor Gundaker[17]; 23. (DNF) 3W-Brennon Willard[24]; 24. (DNF) 18M-Jimmy Miller[23]; 25. (DNF) 17-Tim Simpson[20]