VADO, N.M. — Bobby Pierce ended Jonathan Davenport’s three-race winning streak during round four of the Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts at FK Rod Ends Vado Speedway Park.
Lots of questions were rolling through Bobby Pierce’s mind before a two-lap shootout to conclude the 30-lap event.
Could he snap Jonathan Davenport’s three-race winning streak? Could he grab his first career victory in a Longhorn Chassis? Could he earn $10,000 and fire the six-shooters in victory lane?
Instead of getting antsy behind the wheel, the 26-year-old Oakwood, Ill., driver made sure he didn’t get caught up in the moment.
The fifth-starting driver who overtook Davenport with an 18th-lap slide job at the three-eighths-mile oval held on the final two laps to end Davenport’s chances at the $300,000 Penske Racing Shocks Paydirt Jackpot and six-race sweep by taking the checkers .950 seconds ahead of the winner of the first three miniseries events.
The runner-up can still cash in on the bonus program Saturday and Sunday with a fourth victory, worth $25,000, or a fifth victory, worth $100,000.
Pole-starting Garrett Alberson mixed it up with the frontrunners halfway through the 30-lapper and finished third while 20th-starting Kyle Larson and Brandon Sheppard rounded out the top five.
While Davenport had been the only driver to visit victory lane, Pierce’s Longhorn was strong in leading the most laps of the opener followed by third- and second-place finishes. Pierce’s calming strategy Friday following a lap-29 caution for Dillon McCowan’s flat tire — an incident just in front of the leaders — helped him snap Davenport’s streak.
“I sat there on that restart with two (laps) to go, and I was like, ‘You know, it’s my race to lose,’ I thought to myself you know, it’s definitely a win that I wanted. My first win in a Longhorn and J.D.’s been on a hot streak here,” Pierce said. “But I just thought to myself, just pretend that you’re not racing for a big win. Just think you’ll be in this situation many more times, racing for maybe a million dollars.”
While the stakes weren’t quite that high, Pierce was glad to get on track after an offseason switch from his family’s Pierce Race Car to the North Carolina-based Longhorn Chassis.
“I can’t thank everybody enough for putting me in this position,” he said. “I just really hats off to everybody, whether it’s the crew guys, sponsors, everyone helps me out. I was on the phone with Matt (Langston of Longhorn Chassis today and he) helped me get through these holes. We finally made the right call on the tires.”
While Davenport had to give up the black cowboy hat he’d worn three times in victory lane, the outside front-row starter took his hat off to Pierce for outrunning him on the high side.
“I just changed my line a little bit (after a lap-10 restart) and then I guess Bobby found the extreme high side, you know, there in (turns) one and two,” Davenport said. “Once I moved up there, I could keep pace with him, but it’s just (that) sometimes it’s better (to be running) second. But I ain’t got no excuses. My guys gave me another great car again. Cory (Fostvedt), Vinny (Guliani) and Michael (Bixby) done a great job. I did the best I could. We just come up one spot short. But hey, we still run second. We can’t hang your head about that.”
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[5]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 4. 6-Kyle Larson[20]; 5. B5-Brandon Sheppard[4]; 6. 7-Ricky Weiss[13]; 7. 157-Mike Marlar[8]; 8. 97-Cade Dillard[7]; 9. 1ST-Johnny Scott[17]; 10. 04-Tad Pospisil[10]; 11. 24-Bill Leighton[21]; 12. 14M-Morgan Bagley[24]; 13. 2S-Stormy Scott[19]; 14. 91-Rusty Schlenk[16]; 15. 28-Dustin Sorensen[6]; 16. 25-Mikey Kile[9]; 17. 8-Dillon McCowan[11]; 18. 15S-Clayton Stuckey[18]; 19. 21-Billy Moyer Sr[3]; 20. 1T-Tyler Erb[15]; 21. 75-Terry Phillips[14]; 22. 86-Kyle Beard[12]; 23. 15-Justin Duty[23]; 24. 42S-Don Shaw[22]