SEDALIA, MO – Brian Shirley sure does know how to make things exciting for the fans.
The 27-year-old driver from Chatham, Ill., pulled off a dramatic victory on Tuesday night, passing Billy Moyer for the lead on the final circuit to win the 30-lap UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals A-Main at Sedalia State Fair Speedway.
“It was a really exciting night,” said Shirley, who registered his first victory of the 2008 Summer Nationals in the tour’s ninth event. “The last five laps I just hit my marks perfect.”
Competing in the first Summer Nationals event at the big, fast Sedalia half-mile oval since 1992, Shirley proved patience was a virtue after starting third. He rode for 29 laps on the bottom before making a last-lap pass of six-time Summer Nationals champion Moyer, pulling alongside the legend from Batesville, Ark., through turns one and two and then surging ahead on the backstretch.
Shirley was very happy to finally break into RacingJunk.com Victory Lane – and gave credit to the “the people that help me,” including car owner Ed Petroff and his sponsors.
Shirley padded his Summer Nationals points lead with the $6,000 success. He unofficially leads defending champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., who finished fourth on Tuesday night, by 29 points.
Moyer led laps 1-29 after starting second but settled for runner-up money.
“I think it was more tires just going away than anything,” said Moyer, who chose softer tires for the main event than Shirley. “The top was better down in (turns) one and two and I think the bottom was probably better in three and four, but I think we just had the wrong tires on.”
Former UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Champion Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., registered a third-place finish.
“It was way too free into the corner,” O’Neal said of his machine. “I was lucky to hang on to third, that’s how bad I felt. But that’s a start with the way we’ve been the past two nights, not making the shows.”
Erb and the polesitting Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich., completed the top five.
With 27 cars on hand, VanWormer turned the overall fastest lap of 19.742 seconds in time trials.
Heat winners were VanWormer, Moyer and Shirley, and Will Vaught of Crane, Mo., topped the B-Main.
UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Feature Finish (30 laps):
1. Brian Shirley
2. Billy Moyer
3. Don O'Neal
4. Dennis Erb Jr.
5. Jeep Van Wormer
6. Randy Korte
7. Steve Sheppard Jr.
8. Darren Miller
9. Jeremy Payne
10. Wes Steidinger
11. Will Vaught
12. Terry English
13. Eric Turner
14. Dewayne Kiefer
15. Jason McBride
16. Terry Phillips
17. Rusty Dukes
18. J.D. Hubert
19. Jason Feger
20. Jordan Bland
21. Ryan Unzicker
22. Larry Clawson
B-Main Finish: Will Vaught, Eric Turner, Terry Phillip, Rusty Dukes, Ryan Unzicker, Chris Smyser, Tim Lance, Billy Moyer Jr., Andrew McKay, Reid Millard, Jason McBride (DNS) Miller
2008 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summer Nationals Schedule (Date/Day/Track/Location/To Win/Winner – Car Count):
June 12 – Thurs. - Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway/Calvert City, KY - $7,500 (Brad Neat - 40)
June 13 – Fri. - Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rain – postponed to July 11)
June 14 – Sat. - Kamp Motor Speedway/Boswell, IN - $10,000 (Wes Steidinger - 36)
June 15 – Sun. – Tri-State Speedway/Haubstadt, IN - $6,000 (Dennis Erb Jr. – 39)
June 16 – Mon - OFF
June 17 – Tues. – Highland Speedway/Highland, IL - $6,000 (Terry English – 47)
June 18 – Wed. – Belle Clair Speedway/Belleville, IL - $6,000 (Will Vaught – 41)
June 19 – Thurs. – I-57/I-64 Raceway/Mt. Vernon, IL - $6,000 (Darren Miller – 37)
June 20 – Fri. – Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL - $10,000 (Darren Miller – 50)
June 21 – Sat. – I-55 Raceway/Pevely, MO - $10,000 (CANCELED – flooding)
June 22 – Sun. – Vermilion Co. Speedway/Danville, IL - $6,000 (Jeep VanWormer – 43)
June 23 – Mon. - OFF
June 24 – Tue. – Sedalia State Fair Speedway/Sedalia, MO - $6,000 (Brian Shirley – 27)
June 25 – Wed. – Lake Ozark Speedway/Eldon, MO - $6,000
June 26 – Thurs. – Paducah Int’l Raceway/Paducah, KY - $6,000
June 27 – Fri. – Lawrenceburg Speedway/Lawrenceburg, IN - $10,000
June 28 – Sat. – Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN - $10,000
June 29 – Sun. – Lincoln Speedway/Lincoln, IL - $6,000
June 30 – Mon. - OFF
July 1 – Tue. – Peoria Speedway/Peoria, IL - $6,000
July 2 – Wed. – Morgan Co. Speedway/Jacksonville, IL - $6,000
July 3 – Thurs. – Macon Speedway/Macon, IL - $6,000
July 4 – Fri. – Tri-City Speedway/Pontoon Beach, IL - $10,000
July 5 – Sat. – Fairbury American Legion Speedway/Fairbury, IL -$10,000
July 6 – Sun. – Quad City Raceway/East Moline, IL - $6,000
July 7 – Mon. - OFF
July 8 – Tue. – Quincy (IL) Speedway - $6,000
July 9 – Wed. – Spoon River Speedway/Canton, IL - $6,000
July 10 – Thurs. – La Salle Speedway/La Salle, IL - $6,000
July 11 – Fri. – Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rescheduled date)
July 12 – Sat. – Oakshade Raceway/Wauseon, OH - $10,000
