Curious which drivers you should keep an eye on at each World of Outlaws Late Model Series event? Series Announcer Ruben Mireles will bring you his five drivers to watch each week.
This week: Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury Speedway, July 25-26
RUBEN’S FIVE:
Bobby Pierce
Why: The reigning Prairie Dirt Classic champion and current World of Outlaws point leader is hard not to pick. Pierce kicked off the weekend in dominant form after a 3.26-second victory over Ricky Thornton Jr. and the rest of the field on Wednesday at Fairbury. Pierce may not win it in the dramatic form like last year, but he’s a driver you never count out if he’s running first or last in the PDC. Bobby has five top fives and eight top 10s in his 10 PDC starts. Fun fact, Bob Pierce is the last driver to win the PDC back-to-back years, and he won it three years in a row from 1999-2001. Billy Moyer is the only other driver to win the PDC back-to-back in 1992 and 1993. Pierce could accomplish going back-to-back. Which hasn’t been done in 24 years!
Jonathan Davenport
Why: Nine Prairie Dirt Classic champions are scheduled to race this weekend, and the 2015 champion stands out to me. Davenport finished third on Wednesday night and won the Lucas Oil race at Fairbury back in May. Davenport has mentioned in previous interviews that he’s working with Nick Hoffman on some setup strategy and let’s not forget how good Hoffman was last year during the PDC. Those two have been working on something and even though Davenport hasn’t made a PDC start since 2022, he will still be one to watch!
Nick Hoffman
Why: After leading a total of 78 laps in last year’s Prairie Dirt Classic, Nick Hoffman knows how to get around Fairbury. He’s dominated the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals finale for years at the PDC, but he’d love nothing more than that first crown jewel in the Late Model. Hoffman made his first PDC start in a Scott Bloomquist ride in 2021. He didn’t participate the next couple of years but returned in 2023 with Tye Twarog’s team and finished eighth. He then nearly won it last year. Returning to the PDC with Twarog for the third straight year in a row, a bigger and better notebook, and bouncing ideas with Jonathan Davenport, this could be a winning combo!
Dennis Erb Jr
Why: The 2004 Prairie Dirt Classic champion and 2022 World of Outlaws Series champion Dennis Erb Jr. has been on a hot streak as of late. Dennis has seven straight top 10s in World of Outlaws competition and four of those finishes being in the top five. Not to mention he finished eighth out of 66 entries Wednesday night at Fairbury. He and two-time Crew-Chief of the Year Heather Lyne have been working hard on this Rocket Chassis and while everyone might love the FALS cushion, let’s not sleep on the bottom groove here at Fairbury. Dennis has 12 top fives and 16 top 10s in his 24 Prairie Dirt Classic starts.
Brandon Sheppard
Why: It’s always great to see Sheppard race with the World of Outlaws, but especially in Illinois. Last time we saw Sheppard in a Rocket Chassis in the PDC he led flag-to-flag cashing $100,000 in 2022. Sheppard returns with the Rocket house car where he’s won the Prairie Dirt Classic three times (’17, ’19, ’22)! Sheppard returned to Fairbury with Lucas Oil back in May with the Rocket1 team and finished second to Davenport. Sheppard already has success in Illinois with the World of Outlaws as he won the Illini 100 back in April. The five-time series champion is back in his stomping grounds and has only finished outside of the top 10 twice in all 12 PDC starts!
You can follow these drivers and more all weekend by getting your tickets in advance or at the gate.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every lap live – with Ruben Mireles – on DIRTVision.
UP NEXT: Wilmot Late Model Showdown at Wilmot Raceway on Monday, July 28