Former Major League Baseball Pitcher Lefty Gomez once said, “I’d rather be lucky than good.” For three-time and defending champion Brandon Sheppard, why not both?
The New Berlin, IL driver, drew the outside pole and took advantage of his starting position to cruise to his seventh win of the season Friday night at Davenport Speedway.
Sheppard wasted no time getting the lead, using his momentum to blast around Jason Feger on the top of the racetrack. It’s a move the “Rocket Shepp” needed to make quickly, as the track started taking rubber near the halfway point.
“[Starting second] was definitely key tonight for sure,” Sheppard said. “We had a really good car for the slick before it rubbered, so that makes me feel good for [Saturday].”
Sheppard’s win is the 76th World of Outlaws triumph of his career and third trip to Victory Lane in the last six races. He’s also won three of the previous four Series events at Davenport Speedway.
Sheppard stated his crew is starting to hit a stride, even as they are trying different setups to better the Rocket1 race team.
“My guys have been just working their butts off on this thing, getting it going good for me,” Sheppard said. “We’re hit and miss some nights, but we’re doing a lot of trial and error and trying to fine-tune this thing in and get it figured back out again.”
Bobby Pierce finished in the runner-up spot for the second consecutive night and had a chance at the lead toward the end. The Oakwood, IL driver stuck his nose underneath Sheppard but backed out of it when he realized he couldn’t make the pass.
“I didn’t want to try anything crazy,” Pierce said. “When you dip down on that rubber line, you’re kind of in a death slide. If I had a really clear shot, maybe, but it’s very unlikely to do that in the rubber, so you kind of hang on to your spot.”
Pierce, who started fourth, made a move on an early restart to get to second. Like Sheppard, the “Smooth Operator” found an open lane on the outside.
“I was unlucky with the draw, but I was lucky with that caution coming out,” Pierce said. “[Chris Madden] did the best thing he could’ve done for me and dive down to that middle. I knew the top was good for me, so I just found it out and basically rolled to second.”
Devin Moran backed up his win on Thursday with a third-place finish. The Dresden, OH driver felt he had a good car again, but was limited to how far he could go.
“I felt like my [Longhorn] chassis was really good; I just couldn’t get any further than third,” Moran said.
Feger crossed the line fourth, and Chris Madden rounded out the top five.
Brandon Sheppard put himself in position for luck to go his way by qualifying well and winning his Drydene Heat Race. If the “Rocket Shepp” can be “good” again on Saturday, a little luck could lead him to $30,000 and put him one step away from World of Outlaws history.
Up Next: The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models return to Davenport Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 28, for the final night of the Quad Cities 150 presented by Hoker Trucking.
Here are the top six in points entering Saturday’s event:
- Devin Moran
- Brandon Sheppard
- Bobby Pierce
- Chris Madden
- Cade Dillard
- Frank Heckenast Jr.
Morton Buildings Feature (40 Laps)-1. 1-Brandon Sheppard [2][$10,000]; 2. 32P-Bobby Pierce [4][$6,000]; 3. 9-Devin Moran [8][$3,500]; 4. 25-Jason Feger [1][$2,800]; 5. 44-Chris Madden [3][$2,500]; 6. 97-Cade Dillard [7][$2,300]; 7. 28M-Jimmy Mars [5][$2,200]; 8. 99JR-Frank Heckenast [6][$2,100]; 9. 0-Nick Hoffman [12][$2,050]; 10. 18-Shannon Babb [9][$2,000]; 11. 19R-Ryan Gustin [14][$1,600]; 12. 32-Chris Simpson [20][$1,400]; 13. 7-Ricky Weiss [22][$1,200]; 14. 99B-Boom Briggs [11][$1,100]; 15. 3S-Brian Shirley [10][$1,050]; 16. B1-Brent Larson [15][$1,000]; 17. 41-Jeremiah Hurst [16][$1,000]; 18. 16-Tyler Bruening [18][$1,000]; 19. 59-Garrett Alberson [24][$1,000]; 20. 28-Dennis Erb [17][$1,000]; 21. 15K-Justin Kay [21][$1,000]; 22. 19G-Richie Gustin [19][$1,000]; 23. 29-Spencer Diercks [13][$1,000]; 24. 49-Jake Timm [23][$1,000] Hard Charger: 7-Ricky Weiss[+9]
Qualifying Flight-A –1. 1-Brandon Sheppard, 13.842; 2. 25-Jason Feger, 13.878; 3. 18-Shannon Babb, 13.911; 4. 99JR-Frank Heckenast, 13.998; 5. 28M-Jimmy Mars, 14.035; 6. 28-Dennis Erb, 14.092; 7. 29-Spencer Diercks, 14.193; 8. 99-Brian Harris, 14.334; 9. 30-Todd Cooney, 14.402; 10. 19G-Richie Gustin, 14.407; 11. 15K-Justin Kay, 14.423; 12. 99B-Boom Briggs, 14.452; 13. 49-Jake Timm, 14.511; 14. B1-Brent Larson, 14.542; 15. 90-Lance Matthees, 14.572; 16. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck, 14.661; 17. 51-Matt Furman, 14.782; 18. 44W-David Webster, 15.071
Qualifying Flight-B-1. 44-Chris Madden, 13.784; 2. 9-Devin Moran, 13.806; 3. 97-Cade Dillard, 13.86; 4. 32P-Bobby Pierce, 13.874; 5. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 13.932; 6. 21-Billy Moyer, 13.944; 7. 3S-Brian Shirley, 14.029; 8. 59-Garrett Alberson, 14.083; 9. 32-Chris Simpson, 14.099; 10. 0-Nick Hoffman, 14.105; 11. 16-Tyler Bruening, 14.215; 12. 7-Ricky Weiss, 14.257; 13. 27-Rayce McCord, 14.391; 14. 41-Jeremiah Hurst, 14.411; 15. 10-Paul Parker, 14.507; 16. 55-Chris Kratzer, 15.438; 17. 91-Michael Guldenpfennig, 16.902; DNS. 17-Tim Simpson, NT
