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Pierce Powers to Victory in LaSalle Speedway Reopening

La Salle, IL (5/7/25) — The grand reopening of LaSalle Speedway & Event roared back to life in spectacular fashion Tuesday night, as the 2025 season opener played host to the FloRacing Night in America presented by Kubota series. In a storybook return to the Illinois bullring, it was none other than 2023 miniseries champion Bobby Pierce who stole the spotlight—charging to victory lane at LaSalle and cementing his legacy with a record-setting eighth career win in the series.

Fans packed into the revitalized venue, eager to witness top-tier Dirt Late Model action under the direction of promoter Tony Izzo Jr. and Justin McCoy, and they weren’t disappointed. The 50-lap main event launched with Ryan Gustin and Drake Troutman on the front row, with Gustin leading the opening circuits. But Troutman wasn’t content to ride — the young gun from Pennsylvania surged ahead on lap 4, showcasing poise and speed through both clean air and lapped traffic.

Meanwhile, sixth-starting Bobby Pierce, known for his daring high-line heroics, was slicing through the field. As Troutman maintained the point, Pierce steadily reeled him in, finally pouncing on lap 27 with a bold move up top to seize the lead.

The intensity only ramped up from there. Ricky Thornton Jr., who launched from seventh, made his presence known as he closed in on Pierce, setting the stage for a dramatic duel. But with just eight laps to go, the Midwest Sheet Metal caution reset the field and gave Pierce the breathing room he needed. On the restart, he was flawless—pulling away to a convincing win that sent the LaSalle crowd into a frenzy.

“Tony Izzo Jr. did a great job, the track was phenomenal,” said Pierce in Victory Lane. “It’s pretty cool to see a racetrack come back to life like this. The fans here deserve it.”

Thornton Jr. held on for second, followed by Nick Hoffman, Brandon Sheppard, and Jonathan Davenport rounding out a stacked Top 5.

With the energy of a reborn facility and a barnburner of a finish, LaSalle Speedway is officially back—and Bobby Pierce is back on top.

A Feature (50 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[6]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[7]; 3. 9H-Nick Hoffman[9]; 4. 1-Brandon Sheppard[4]; 5. 49-Jonathan Davenport[11]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[5]; 7. 157-Mike Marlar[3]; 8. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[12]; 9. 74X-Ethan Dotson[10]; 10. 22*-Drake Troutman[2]; 11. 111-Max Blair[19]; 12. 9-Tim McCreadie[18]; 13. 1T-Tyler Erb[14]; 14. 58-Garrett Alberson[8]; 15. 19R-Ryan Gustin[1]; 16. 76-Brandon Overton[15]; 17. 96-Tanner English[21]; 18. 81-Jason Riggs[16]; 19. 18D-Daulton Wilson[24]; 20. (DNF) 40B-Kyle Bronson[17]; 21. (DNF) 99-Devin Moran[13]; 22. (DNF) 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[20]; 23. (DNF) 2-Cody Overton[23]; 24. (DNF) 89-Mike Spatola[22]

B Feature 1 (10 Laps): 1. 111-Max Blair[1]; 2. 96-Tanner English[2]; 3. 2-Cody Overton[4]; 4. 25-Jason Feger[3]; 5. 32S-Chris Simpson[9]; 6. 31-Tyler Millwood[6]; 7. 27-Rodney Melvin[13]; 8. 15D-Justin Duty[5]; 9. 51-Dean Carpenter[12]; 10. D1-Turk Letizia[8]; 11. 21-Billy Moyer Sr[10]; 12. M27-Mike Provenzano[11]; 13. 10N-Rob Sanders[15]; 14. 24-Ryan Unzicker[7]; 15. 25W-Allen Weisser[16]; 16. (DNS) 18-Shannon Babb

B Feature 2 (10 Laps): 1. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[2]; 2. 89-Mike Spatola[3]; 3. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 4. 15-Clay Stuckey[1]; 5. 21B-Rich Bell[6]; 6. 75-Mike McKinney[7]; 7. 93-Carson Ferguson[11]; 8. 11T-Trevor Gundaker[4]; 9. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 10. 09-Michael Leach[13]; 11. 17A-Austin Howes[12]; 12. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[9]; 13. 60-Dan Ebert[10]; 14. 3-Dale Markham[14]; 15. 55X-Mike Lofgren[15]

Entries: 49
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Lap: Brandon Sheppard (12.468 sec.)
Sunoco Race Fuels Fast Qualifier Group A (& Overall): Ricky Thornton Jr. (12.437 sec.)
Sunoco Race Fuels Fast Qualifier Group B & Overall: Tyler Erb (12.531 sec.)
Integra Racing Shocks Heat Race #1 Winner: Ryan Gustin
K1 Race Gear Heat Race #2 Winner: Mike Marlar
Buzze Racing Heat Race #3 Winner: Brian Shirley
Eibach Springs Heat Race #4 Winner: Drake Troutman
Sweet Manufacturing Heat Race #5 Winner: Brandon Sheppard
Dave Poske Performance Race #6 Winner: Bobby Pierce
Coltman Farms B-Main Winners: Max Blair, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Lap Leaders: Ryan Gustin (1-3), Drake Troutman (4-26), Bobby Pierce (27-50)

Photo Credit: Vahana Sports Media

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