Bobby Pierce scored the World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series victory on Saturday night at Cedar Lake Speedway. Photo: Jacy Norgaard
Bobby Pierce survived a last-lap move by Hudson O’Neal to score the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Series victory at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisconsin on Saturday night.
The win was worth a $50,000 payday to the Oakwood, Illinois driver, who beat O’Neal to the checkered flag by 0.073 seconds.
O’Neal, the outside pole sitter, grabbed the lead on lap 1 of the 100-lap battle, storming past Ricky Thornton, Jr. on the outside of turn 2. Meanwhile, fifth place starting Pirced drove around Brandon Sheppard and Thornton on the outside to move into second on lap 22. That’s when he set his sights on O’Neal.
Pierce made his first attempt at the lead 10 laps later, but O’Neal slid in front of him in turn 4 to stay ahead. As the two reached turns 1 and 2, Pierce dove underneath O’Neal, sliding in front of him to take the lead.
From there, Pierce cruised through the next 60 laps. But with five laps to go, traffic became heavier, allowing O’Neal another chance at the win.
As Pierce took the white flag, Kyle Bronson, a lap car, was right in front of him in the outside lane. That allowed O’Neal to get a burst of speed in turn 2, closing rapidly on Pierce’s spoiler. O’Neal dove under Pierce in turn 3, and as they reached the apex of the corner, slid across the nose of the #32.
When O’Neal’s spoiler shot across his nose, Pierce switched lanes as they entered turn 4, diving to the bottom and powering back to the lead and taking the win.
“I knew (O’Neal) was getting pretty close,” Pierce said. “I barely saw the flagman throw the white, and I was like, ok, last corner here. My last couple of laps weren’t that great, and I caught (Kyle) Bronson. He pushed really bad, and I was kind of at the mercy of him. And I couldn’t quite get to the point where I could slide him.
“I saw Hudson’s blue flopper there last second, and then I backed it into the wall and tried to shoot down the corner as fast as I could. He hit it really good, too. I did not expect him to get off the corner that well. We came to the line pretty close, but I figured I had him when I nosed ahead of him and pinched him a little bit.”
The win is Pierce’s eighth series victory of 2023, and the 12th of his career.
O’Neal finished in second, with Tanner English in third, Dennis Erb, Jr. in fourth, and Sheppard in fifth.
The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models next travel to Iowa’s Davenport Speedway August 24-26. For more information, visit WorldofOutlaws.com.
World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series
Cedar Lake Speedway – New Richmond, WI
USA Nationals – August 5, 2023
1. 32-Bobby Pierce
2. 1-Hudson O’Neal
3. 96V-Tanner English
4. 28-Dennis Erb, Jr.
5. B5-Brandon Sheppard
6. 49-Jonathan Davenport
7. B1-Brent Larson
8. 44-Chris Madden
9. 25-Shane Clanton
10. 7W-Ricky Weiss
11. 40B-Kyle Bronson
12. 97-Cade Dillard
13. 19R-Ryan Gustin
14. 11-Gordy Gundaker
15. 3S-Brian Shirley
16. 28S-Dustin Sorensen
17. 1ST-Johnny Scott
18. 9-Nick Hoffman
19. 31-Kye Blight
20. 20RT-Ricky Thornton, Jr.
21. 49T-Jake Timm
22. 12-Ashton Winger
23. 8-Kyle Strickler
24. 1T-Tyler Erb
25. 18D-Daulton Wilson
26. 18-Shannon Babb
27. 30-Todd Cooney
28. 14W-Dustin Walker
29. 14G-Trevor Gundaker
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