Illinois Racing Standouts Pierce, Sheppard, Babb, Feger & Shirley to Defend Home Turf Tuesday at Lincoln Speedway; NASCAR’s Carson Hocevar Returns to Challenge Dirt Racing’s Best
LINCOLN, Ill. — Illinois dirt racing fans won’t have to travel far to see some of the biggest names in the sport this week.
A powerhouse lineup of Illinois stars will defend their home turf on Tuesday, July 21, when the FloRacing Night In America series returns to Lincoln Speedway for the continuation of the Graue Chevrolet Showdown, where the nation’s top Super Late Model drivers will battle for a $20,000 winner’s prize.
Leading the Illinois contingent is New Berlin’s Brandon Sheppard, who enters the event atop the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship standings. Sheppard has enjoyed another remarkable season, collecting eight feature victories while consistently racing against the toughest competition in the country. The five-time World of Outlaws Late Model champion comes to Lincoln fresh off a preliminary feature victory at the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Shelby County Speedway.
Another Illinois favorite riding a wave of momentum is Oakwood’s Bobby Pierce. The defending World of Outlaws Late Model champion has been nearly unstoppable during the middle part of the season, winning seven of the last eight World of Outlaws events. Pierce also claimed a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory at Adams County Speedway before backing it up with another podium finish at Shelby County. His 17 victories in just 37 World of Outlaws starts this season have him leading that national championship chase.
Few drivers have enjoyed more success at Lincoln Speedway in recent years than Bloomington’s Jason Feger. Although Feger doesn’t compete full-time with either the Lucas Oil or World of Outlaws national tours, he has repeatedly proven to be one of the toughest competitors at the Logan County bullring. He added another Lincoln victory to his impressive résumé just a few weeks ago by winning the DIRTcar Summer Nationals stop at the quarter-mile.
Veteran Illinois stars Shannon Babb of Moweaqua and Brian Shirley of Chatham are also expected to contend. Both drivers have built Hall of Fame-caliber careers with countless victories across the Midwest and have enjoyed tremendous success throughout Illinois. Their familiarity with Lincoln Speedway makes each a legitimate threat to contend for Tuesday night’s $20,000 payday.
While Illinois boasts an impressive roster of hometown talent, the national stars won’t make it easy.
Defending Graue Chevrolet Showdown winner Devin Moran returns after mastering Lincoln Speedway one year ago. Moran currently sits third in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series standings after capturing the national championship a season ago.
Fresh off his Lucas Oil victory Saturday night at Shelby County Speedway is Ricky Thornton Jr., who has once again established himself among the elite dirt late model racers in America. Other nationally recognized competitors expected include Nick Hoffman, Hudson O’Neal, Tyler Erb, Brandon Overton, Garrett Alberson, Dennis Erb Jr., Ryan Gustin, Carson Ferguson, Kyle Bronson, Ethan Dotson, and many more.
Adding another layer of excitement is the return of NASCAR Cup Series standout Carson Hocevar. The Michigan native has become one of NASCAR’s fastest-rising stars, but his passion for dirt racing continues to bring him back to events like FloRacing Night In America. While Hocevar has already proven he can win at the highest levels on pavement, he continues chasing a breakthrough performance against the country’s premier dirt late model racers.
Tuesday’s event resumes following the May 7 weather postponement. One Super Late Model heat race had been completed before rain halted the remainder of the evening’s program. Racing will resume with the second Super Late Model heat race before completing the remaining qualifying races, B-Mains, and the 50-lap, $20,000-to-win Graue Chevrolet Showdown feature.
Also on the program, the Taco Bell DIRTcar Modifieds will compete in a complete show from start to finish, racing for $2,000 to win.
Pit gates open at 2:00 p.m., grandstands open at 3:00 p.m., hot laps begin at 6:00 p.m., and racing gets underway at 7:00 p.m.
Fans who attended the May 7 event should bring their original wristbands for admission. Tickets and pit passes will also be available at the gate for those unable to attend the original event.
For advance tickets and additional event information, visit LincolnSpeedwayIL.com or call Track Enterprises at (217) 764-3200.