QUARTER MASTERS: Sheppard Beats Dillard & Owens in Remarkable Davenport Battle

For the second time in as many races, the Davenport Speedway 1/4-mile delivered an absolute thriller with the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series in town.

Don’t let the headline news of Brandon Sheppard’s 11th win of the year fool you, Tuesday’s 50-lap, $10,000-to-win feature was a downright barnburner.

Six official lead changes highlighted the action-packed show which brought fans to their feet as they witnessed Sheppard go toe-to-toe and swap the lead multiple times with Cade Dillard down the stretch. A side-by-side battle for the lead not good enough? Well Jimmy Owens made it a three-way war throughout the closing half as three of the nation’s best fought wheel-t0-wheel and raced under a blanket for the win.

In the end, lady luck and lap traffic played a factor in the finish as Sheppard snuck by Dillard with four laps remaining and survived one final frantic sprint to the checkered flag to score his 66th career World of Outlaws Late Model Series win in stunning fashion.

“It was crazy; I just don’t even know how to describe it,” an elated Sheppard said afterwards. “Cade and Jimmy are two of the best guys in the whole country to race with. You know they’ll run you clean and they know I’m gonna race them clean. That was just a blast to be a part of. I’m gonna have to go back and watch that whole thing on DIRTVision.”

Setting a New Track Record (13.979) and winning his Team Drydene heat race, “The O-Show” entered the Morton Buildings Feature Redraw as the favorite alongside fellow heat winners Chad Simpson, “The Rocket Shepp,” and “Thriller.” With Dillard and Simpson lining the front row and Owens and Sheppard behind them, the stage was set for a clash of titans from the beginning.

After Simpson – a World of Outlaws winner on the Davenport 1/2-mile in 2018 – controlled the opening five circuits, Dillard worked his way to the lead on lap six as he mastered the low line around the 1/4-mile. While the Robeline, La. native held the point, the action boiled behind him as Owens attacked Sheppard for second, and momentarily took it, before B-Shepp found a new level in the No. 1.

Acing the bottom as Dillard blasted the top, Sheppard methodically picked at the inside groove and capitalized on lap 19 by driving by Dillard down the backstretch to take command. A pair of lap 24 cautions halted the pace before a lap 28 stoppage proved to be the final restart with Sheppard in control over a stout row two of Dillard and Owens.

“The line just changes so much here,” Sheppard noted on the track. “I thought for sure we were gonna run around the top almost all race long, but I went down to the bottom just because I was alone down there and it ended up taking us to the lead. I mean what do you do, take the lead on the bottom and move to the top? It just didn’t seem like the right thing to do. So we bided our time down there on the bottom, even though I didn’t really want to. But the last time I was here and I was leading when a caution came out Ricky Thornton Jr. drove right by me on the restart, so I decided to go up top after those cautions.”

Sheppard’s switch to the high side opened the door for Dillard to occupy his lane on the bottom, which gave fans an intense side-by-side battle for the lead. Running neck-and-neck down the stretch, Dillard and Sheppard ensued to trade the lead it seemed almost every lap. In reality, Sheppard controlled laps 19-35, then Dillard took command off laps 36-37, Sheppard stole it back on lap 38, and then Dillard again snatched it away on lap 39.

“Cade was right there lap after lap after lap after lap after lap after lap,” Sheppard joked on the heated side-by-side affair.

Closing back in with lap traffic in play, Sheppard and Owens – who was right in the thick of things with both drivers all race long – caught Dillard as the five-to-go signal was given. While Dillard dealt with traffic on the bottom, Sheppard ripped around the top and was able to squeeze by both the lapper and Dillard on lap 46 to reassume control of the lead. From there, it was a mad dash to the finish with Dillard and Owens frantically pursuing the Rocket1 Racing No. 1. In the end, neither Dillard nor Owens could muster up one final challenge for Sheppard, who banked his 11th World of Outlaws win of the year.

“I think we were on a little different tire than Cade was and we were just able to hold our momentum up top which is what really allowed us to win that race,” Sheppard noted. “I don’t know that we had the best car. We were in the right place at the right time. I think a few more laps and he probably would’ve passed me. It was getting ready to get hairy. But hey, sometimes you’ve got to have luck on your side and it was on ours this time.”

Coming home in second, Dillard only fell behind of Sheppard by .521 seconds at the checkered flag. It wasn’t the third career victory the Louisiana native hoped for, but his second-place bid did mark his 11th top five of the season and propelled him closer to Lanigan in the battle for third in the championship standings.

“I couldn’t run around the top like Brandon and Jimmy could, so I just tried to stay down in the mud and keep our softer tire going around the end of the race,” Dillard said on his move to the bottom. “I’ll say it once again, it’s really just an honor to be up here consistently with people like Brandon Sheppard and Jimmy Owens, they’re definitely the best in the business. We’ll keep working on this MB Customs ride and hopefully can outrun them eventually.”

Although he never led a lap, Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn. was a constant threat for the lead in Tuesday’s trip to Davenport. Hounding both Sheppard and Dillard, “The Newport Nightmare” trailed them both down the stretch and made a few moves into the second spot, but ultimately slipped to third for his second-straight podium finish.

“It was a great race,” Owens noted afterwards. Those guys got the jump on me and got out front and I struggled a bit early on the bottom and those guys were just better up there. Once I moved up I felt really good, but by then Cade and Brandon were both in front of me. You just had to hope one of them would mess up, but they’re two talented guys that aren’t gonna slip.”

Behind Sheppard, Dillard and Owens was “The Iceman” Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wisc. with a fourth-place bid for the MB Customs No. 28M house car. Chris Simpson of Oxford, Iowa held the fort down for the local bunch as the highest-finishing Iowan in the fifth spot.

Jeremiah Hurst of Dubuque, Iowa ran all the way from 23rd-to-sixth to take Hard Charger honors in impressive fashion. “The Smooth Operator” Bobby Pierce finished in seventh aboard his family-owned No. 32 entry. Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. guided his newly-designed No. 29V Viper Motorsports ride to an eighth-place finish. Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill. advanced from 16th-to-ninth in the No. 28 Rocket Chassis machine. Chase Junghans of Manhattan, Kans. picked up his 20th top ten effort of the 2020 season with a 10th-place drive in the No. 18 Rocket.

Up next for the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series is a two-day trip to Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway this Friday and Saturday, July 31 – August 1, for the inaugural Hoosier Dirt Shootout. A FALS Presentation, this $25,000-to-win, $1,500-to-start event features a format identical to the popular Prairie Dirt Classic. Advanced tickets are available for purchase HERE.

Morton Buildings Feature (50 Laps):
1. 1-Brandon Sheppard [4][$10,000]; 2. 97-Cade Dillard [1][$5,000]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens [3][$3,000]; 4. 28m-Jimmy Mars [12][$2,500]; 5. 32s-Chris Simpson [5][$2,000]; 6. 58-Jeremiah Hurst [23][$1,700]; 7. 32-Bobby Pierce [11][$1,400]; 8. 29v-Darrell Lanigan [7][$1,300]; 9. 28-Dennis Erb [16][$1,200]; 10. 18-Chase Junghans [8][$1,100]; 11. 7-Ricky Weiss [10][$1,050]; 12. 15k-Justin Kay [20][$1,000]; 13. 99b-Boom Briggs [19][$950]; 14. 12-Ashton Winger [6][$900]; 15. 21b-Rich Bell [9][$850]; 16. 0-Scott Bloomquist [14][$800]; 17. 58e-Dave Eckrich [13][$770]; 18. 51-Matthew Furman [17][$750]; 19. 29-Spencer Diercks [22][$730]; 20. B1-Brent Larson [21][$700]; 21. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck [24][$700]; 22. 25s-Chad Simpson [2][$700]; 23. 98-Jason Rauen [18][$700]; 24. 59-Garrett Alberson [15][$700]. Lap Leader(s): Chad Simpson 1-5; Cade Dillard 6-18; Brandon Sheppard 19-35; Dillard 36-37; Sheppard 38; Dillard 39-45; Sheppard 46-50. Hard Charger Award: 58-Jeremiah Hurst[+17]

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World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Davenport Speedway
2815 W Locust St
Davenport, Iowa 52804 

Event Description
"The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet" are rumbling into Davenport, Iowa for a special Tuesday night showdown on July 28. Witness World of Outlaws sensations Brandon Sheppard, Ricky Weiss, Darrell Lanigan, Scott Bloomquist & more take on the stout Iowa/Illinois locals on the quarter-mile track.

Series Racing
World of Outlaws Late Model Series

To Win Amount
$10,000.00

Event Schedule
Tickets & Will Call: 2 pm
Pit Gates: 2 pm
Grandstands: 4 pm
Drivers Meeting: 6:00 p.m.
Hot Laps/ Qualifying: 6:30 pm/ 6:45 pm
Opening Ceremony/Race: 7:00 pm

Schedule of Events
1. World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Hot Laps
2. IMCA Sport Mod Hot Laps
3. World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Qualifying - 2 Cars/2 Laps
4. Opening Ceremonies
5. IMCA Sport Mod Heats - 8 Laps
6. World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Heats - 10 Laps
7. IMCA Sport Mod Last Chance Showdowns - 10 Laps (if needed)
8. World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Redraw
9. World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model LCS - 10 Laps
10. IMCA Sport Mod Feature - 15 Laps
11. World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Feature - 50 Laps
*All times Central

Ticket Phone
(844) 347-8849

Options And Prices
Advance GA Adult: $25
Day of GA Adult: $30
GA Child (12 and under): Free
Box Seats: $30 each

Discounts
None

Grandstand Type
Bleachers

Reserved Seating
there is 9 or 12 box seats available

Family Section Location
N/A

Handicapped Seating Location
Front Row

Pit Pass Price
$40 Adults/ $20 Children 12 and under

Pit Age Requirement
none

Parking Cost
free

Handicapped Parking Location
Front gate

Camping Availability
electric hookup, non-electric, onsite, sanitary facility, showers, waste services

Camping Cost
No reservations are being taken. First come, first serve. Fees will be collected upon arrival. Tent Camping - $60 for three days, $20 extra if arriving on Wednesday. Dry Camping - $90 for three days, $30 extra if arriving on Wednesday. Hook Ups - $150 for three days, $50 extra if arriving on Wednesday.

To Win Amount
$10,000.00

Reserved Seating
there is 9 or 12 box seats available

Type of Grandstand
Bleachers

Stadium Seating
Stadium seats are not allowed

Handicapped Seating
Front Row

Handicapped Parking
Front gate

Pit Age Limit
none

Personal Coolers
Coolers are prohibited.

ATMs
1

Alcohol Sales
No alcohol is allowed. Beer is available for purchase.

Smoking Policy
No smoking in the grandstands

Family Section
N/A

Parking Cost
free

Camping Availability
electric hookup, non-electric, onsite, sanitary facility, showers, waste services

Camping Cost
No reservations are being taken. First come, first serve. Fees will be collected upon arrival. Tent Camping - $60 for three days, $20 extra if arriving on Wednesday. Dry Camping - $90 for three days, $30 extra if arriving on Wednesday. Hook Ups - $150 for three days, $50 extra if arriving on Wednesday.

Davenport Speedway
2815 W Locust St
Davenport, Iowa 52804 

Track Phone
(563) 349-5044

Ticket Phone
(844) 347-8849

Track Email
[email protected]

Track Type
0.250;

Late Model Track Record
13.207 seconds by Bobby Pierce on 8/25/22

Travel Tips
My Place Hotel: $122
20 minutes from Davenport Speedway, off I-74; pet friendly, free parking, all rooms include full-size refrigerator, two-burner cooktop, coffee maker, and microwave.
4653 Progress Drive, Davenport, IA (563) 424-1427

Best Western Plus Steeple Gate Inn: $119
Located right off I-80, just 15 minutes from the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds.
100 West 76th Street Davenport IA (563) 386-6900

Comfort Inn & Suites Davenport: $120
Free parking, breakfast, and Wi-Fi.
8300Northwest Blvd. Davenport IA (563) 324-8300

Hilton Garden Inn: $109
Rate includes Wi-Fi and parking.
959 Middle Road Bettendorf IA (563) 265-2121

Isle Casino Hotel: $69-$94 (Thur $69 / Fri $89 / Sat $94 exclusive of $10 daily fee & 12% tax)
Rate includes $10 casino play for guests over 21.
1777 Isle Parkway Bettendorf IA
Book online or call direct (563) 441-7114

Quality Inn & Suites: $89.99-$99.99 ($89.99 when booking 3 or more nights)
Rate includes free hot breakfast, Wi-Fi, and parking.
6605 Brady Street Davenport IA (563) 386-8336

Closest Airport
Moline

Other Airport
Mt. Joy

Track Map

Competitor Downloads
 https://www.dirtcarmembers.com/downloads.php

Competitor Info
Tire Rules:
ALL FOUR (4) CORNERS: HOOSIER LM-30/W30
RIGHT REAR OPTION: HOOSIER LM-40
GROOVING AND SIPING IS ALLOWED

Technical/Safety Rules:
Will be under the guidelines of the 2020 World of Outlaws Rulebook
Heat races, Last Chance Showdowns, and Feature you will get one (1) pound lap.(Not in Qualifying)

Event Format:
1-20 Entries = Overall Qualifying | Two Heats | All Cars Transfer | Top 2 from each heat redraw
21-24 Entries = Overall Qualifying | Three Heats | All Cars Transfer | Top 2 from each heat redraw
25-27 Entries = Overall Qualifying | Three Heats | Top 6 Transfer | Top 2 from each heat redraw | One LCS | Top 4 Transfer
28-47 Entries = A/B Group Qualifying | Four Heats | Top 4 Transfer | Top 2 from each heat redraw |Two LCS | Top 3 Transfer
48+ Entries = A/B Group Qualifying | Six Heats | Top 3 Transfer | Heat Race Winner Redraws | Three LCS | Top 2 Transfer

Radio Frequencies:
Driver Radio: 454.0000