FAIRBURY, N.Y. — The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models kicked off the 31st annual Prairie Dirt Classic in style Friday with more than 70 cars fighting for 16 spots in Saturday’s 100-lap finale.
Ryan Gustin, Bobby Pierce, Stormy Scott and Hudson O’Neal each collected $3,000 by winning one of Friday’s four Showdowns and have the chance to start on the pole for the Morton Buildings feature.
World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year contender Ryan Gustin has never been afraid to run the outside at any speedway. He used that experience to his advantage Friday, leading all 25 laps to score the $3,000 prize.
The Marshalltown, Iowa, driver also swept the night, winning his Showdown and setting Slick Woody’s Cornhole Co. Quick time.
Gustin received advice from a DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals driver to help him get around Fairbury Speedway.
“Mike Harrison has been helping me out a little bit, telling me what lines to run and stuff,” Gustin said. “He’s got a million laps around [Fairbury Speedway], so I really got to thank him and everyone else that helps.”
Shannon Babb, a three-time Prairie Dirt Classic winner, finished second after starting 13th. Chris Madden crossed the line third, and Chris Simpson grabbed the fourth and final transfer spot.
Pierce was one turn away from winning the Prairie Dirt Classic in 2019 before Brandon Sheppard passed him for the win on the final corner. The “Smooth Operator” proved he’s wasting no time in his quest for redemption, winning Friday’s second Showdown.
The Oakwood, Ill., driver chased down early race leader Jonathan Davenport and pulled an epic slide job in traffic to take the lead away from “Superman” with six laps to go.
Pierce stated he should’ve tried to make the pass a few laps sooner.
“I was kind of kicking myself in the butt for not pulling the trigger on the slider I was thinking about a few laps before that,” Pierce said. “Right place right time with the lap car, and it kind of set the pick for me, so I went right there and capitalized on it.”
Davenport settled for second, followed by Brian Shirley and Tyler Bruening.
Kyle Larson started on the pole for Friday’s third showdown, hoping to find victory lane for the first time at the Prairie Dirt Classic. But Stormy Scott had other ideas, sneaking by Larson on the bottom to grab the $3,000 prize.
The Las Cruces, N.M., driver, bested a field of former series champions, including Brandon Sheppard and Rick Eckert.
“If you had asked me if I thought we were going to be here before this deal started, I would’ve told you no way; I just would’ve been happy to get into the show,” Scott said. “I’m more thrilled for my crew than myself to finally put an entire night together for these guys because they deserve it, and they work their butts off.”
Larson, Sheppard and Eckert grabbed the final three transfer spots into Saturday’s race.
Hudson O’Neal wasted no time driving away from the rest of the field in Friday’s fourth showdown, leading all 25 laps.
The Martinsville, Ind., driver, started on the inside and made sure he beat Jimmy Owens to turn one to carry his momentum to the top.
“I knew that the top was going to be okay, and I wanted to get up there to where I had some momentum built up where if somebody showed me the nose underneath, I could at last do something with him,” O’Neal said. “I didn’t want to get caught on the top and have no momentum built up, so that was kind of just where I stayed for the whole race.”
Owens crossed the line second, followed by Chase Junghans and Allan Weisser.
Weisser was penalized three positions due to a post-race infraction, moving Mckay Wenger into the fourth and final transfer spot.