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Brian Shirley sure does know how to make things exciting for the fans.
The 27-year-old driver from Chatham , Ill. , pulled off a dramatic victory on Tuesday night, passing Billy Moyer for the lead on the final circuit to win the 30-lap UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals A-Main at Sedalia State Fair Speedway.
“It was a really exciting night,” said Shirley, who registered his first victory of the 2008 Summer Nationals in the tour’s ninth event. “The last five laps I just hit my marks perfect.”
Competing in the first Summer Nationals event at the big, fast Sedalia half-mile oval since 1992, Shirley proved patience was a virtue after starting third. He rode for 29 laps on the bottom before making a last-lap pass of six-time Summer Nationals champion Moyer, pulling alongside the legend from Batesville , Ark. , through turns one and two and then surging ahead on the backstretch.
Shirley was very happy to finally break into RacingJunk.com Victory Lane – and gave credit to the “the people that help me,” including car owner Ed Petroff and his sponsors.
Shirley padded his Summer Nationals points lead with the $6,000 success. He unofficially leads defending champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville , Ill. , who finished fourth on Tuesday night, by 29 points.
Moyer led laps 1-29 after starting second but settled for runner-up money.
“I think it was more tires just going away than anything,” said Moyer, who chose softer tires for the main event than Shirley. “The top was better down in (turns) one and two and I think the bottom was probably better in three and four, but I think we just had the wrong tires on.”
Former UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Champion Don O’Neal of Martinsville , Ind. , registered a third-place finish.
“It was way too free into the corner,” O’Neal said of his machine. “I was lucky to hang on to third, that’s how bad I felt. But that’s a start with the way we’ve been the past two nights, not making the shows.”
Erb and the polesitting Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich. , completed the top five.
With 27 cars on hand, VanWormer turned the overall fastest lap of 19.742 seconds in time trials.
Heat winners were VanWormer, Moyer and Shirley, and Will Vaught of Crane, Mo. , topped the B-Main.
For more information on the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals, visit www.dirtcar.com.
UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Feature Finish (30 laps):
1. Brian Shirley
2. Billy Moyer
3. Don O'Neal
4. Dennis Erb Jr.
5. Jeep Van Wormer
6. Randy Korte
7. Steve Sheppard Jr.
8. Darren Miller
9. Jeremy Payne
10. Wes Steidinger
11. Will Vaught
12. Terry English
13. Eric Turner
14. Dewayne Kiefer
15. Jason McBride
16. Terry Phillips
17. Rusty Dukes
18. J.D. Hubert
19. Jason Feger
20. Jordan Bland
21. Ryan Unzicker
22. Larry Clawson
B-Main Finish: Will Vaught, Eric Turner, Terry Phillip, Rusty Dukes, Ryan Unzicker, Chris Smyser, Tim Lance, Billy Moyer Jr., Andrew McKay, Reid Millard, Jason McBride (DNS) Miller |
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