Brandon Sheppard Leads Green-to-Checkers at Farmer City Raceway

By admin April 2, 2017 Farmer City Raceway, World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series

Brian Shirley Passes Billy Moyer to Round Out the Podium

FARMER CITY, IL- April 1, 2017- During night one of the two day show at Farmer City Raceway for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series Illini 100 event, Brandon Sheppard held on to the lead from green-to-checkers. That’s also how the feature played out with no cautions during the 75-lap event.

Sheppard has had his eyes set on Farmer City Raceway since the start of the season and the results from tonight’s event puts the cherry on top for the young driver. Not only did he defeat the stacked field during the feature, he also set the fastest lap on the track during qualifying, placed second in his heat race and pulled the pole position during the redraw.

Earlier in the day Sheppard said, “It would mean a lot to me and this team if we won tonight. We only have one Outlaw race on the year and there has been a different winner at every track this year so to be the first repeat winner would be awesome.”

Sheppard is now the first repeat driver of the 2017 season with six different drivers appearing in Victory Lane during the first six races of the season. Billy Moyer was trying to continue the trend by becoming the seventh different driver to win as he tirelessly tried to reel in Sheppard for 70 laps of the Feature. Moyer has three Illini 100 wins in the bank but he couldn’t pull it off for the fourth time as he continued to get hung up by lap traffic. Brian Shirley used the lap traffic to his advantage as he was able to pass Moyer to claim the second position within the last five laps.

“We had a pretty good car but honestly we just really needed a caution,” said Shirley. “I think if we would of had a caution we would of had a good chance to win but at the end of the day you can always say what ifs but we’ll take it. I feel like we’ve had a lot of bad luck as well as some good runs and have been pretty fast so maybe it will help us build momentum. Like with Brandon [Sheppard] and [his team], momentum builds success, so if we can keep running good then hopefully a win will come.”

Gaining momentum and remaining consistent seems to come naturally for the Rocket1 team as they continue to remain in the lead of the Series Points Standings ever since the conclusion of DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park.

“We have a good balance that I’m comfortable with which is why we can be so consistent and run at different tracks and still be fast,” said Sheppard. “It also makes like a little easier when you start on the pole. I honestly can’t be more happy with how we are running lately. I just go out there and do the best I can every day.”

Sheppard and Shirley weren’t the only Illinois-natives making moves on their home turf. Shannon Babb and Bobby Pierce found their way through the field fairly easily as Babb passed nine cars to claim a top-five finish from a 14th start and Pierce passed thirteen cars to finish sixth from a 19th start.

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series returns to Farmer City Raceway tomorrow, April 2, for a 25-lap $8,000-to-win event. Tickets for the event are available at the gate.

World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series Statistical Report; Farmer City Raceway April 1, 2017

Feature: 1. 1- Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 3s- Brian Shirley[2]; 3. 21- Billy Moyer[5]; 4. 9- Devin Moran[8]; 5. 18b- Shannon Babb[14]; 6. 32P- Bobby Pierce[19]; 7. 25- Shane Clanton[7]; 8. 44- Chris Madden[3]; 9. 91- Tyler Erb[16]; 10. 32- Chris Simpson[12]; 11. 99jr- Frank Heckenast Jr[11]; 12. 18c- Chase Junghans[4]; 13. 18- Eric Wells[9]; 14. 1*- Chub Frank[15]; 15. 21j- Billy Moyer Jr[17]; 16. 14m- Morgan Bagley[24]; 17. 7- Rick Eckert[23]; 18. 93- Donald Bradsher[25]; 19. 24- Ryan Unzicker[22]; 20. 2c- Joey Coulter[13]; 21. 1mm- Mike Mataragas[20]; 22. 7R- Kent Robinson[6]; 23. B12- Kevin Weaver[10]; 24. 21B- Rich Bell[18]; 25. 15- Kolby Vanderbergh[21]

Last Chance Showdown 1: 1. 21j- Billy Moyer Jr[2]; 2. 32P- Bobby Pierce[1]; 3. 15- Kolby Vanderbergh[5]; 4. C9- Steve Casebolt[8]; 5. 4G- Bob Gardner[6]; 6. 7- Rick Eckert[7]; 7. 14m- Morgan Bagley[12]; 8. 99- Kyle Hardy[4]; 9. 93- Donald Bradsher[9]; 10. 38c- John Gardner Jr[11]; 11. 29- Spencer Diercks[10]; 12. 77- Jay Morris[13]; 13. 25F- Jason Feger[3]

Last Chance Showdown 2: 1. 21B- Rich Bell[1]; 2. 1mm- Mike Mataragas[3]; 3. 24- Ryan Unzicker[[7]; 4. 11- Gordy Gundaker[2]; 5. 4-Ds- Chad Hollenbeck[8]; 6. B1- Brent Larson[5]; 7. J12- Jason Wagner[6]; 8. 44T- Matt Taylor[10]; 9. 79- Nick Kurtz[9]; 10. 1M- Eric Midkiff[12]; 11. 6P- Jose Parga[4]; DNS. 15H- Jon Henry[11]

Heat 1: 1. 9- Devin Moran[2]; 2. 1- Brandon Sheppard[1]; 3. 18- Eric Wells[4]; 4. 2c- Joey Coulter[3]; 5. 32P- Bobby Pierce[5]; 6. 25F- Jason Feger[6]; 7. 15- Kolby Vanderbergh[7]; 8. 7- Rick Eckert[10]; 9. 93- Donald Bradsher[9]; 10. 38c- John Gardner Jr[8]; 11. 77- Jay Morris[11]

Heat 2: 1. 44- Chris Madden[2]; 2. 18c- Chase Junghans[1]; 3. B12- Kevin Weaver[4]; 4. 18b- Shannon Babb[5]; 5. 21j- Billy Moyer Jr[3]; 6. 99- Kyle Hardy[4]; 7. 4G- Bob Gardner[7]; 8. C9- Steve Casebolt[9]; 9. 29- Spencer Diercks[10]; 10. 14m- Morgan Bagley[8]

Heat 3: 1. 25- Shane Clanton[1]; 2. 21- Billy Moyer[2]; 3. 99jr- Frank Heckenast Jr[4]; 4. 1*- Chub Frank[3]; 5. 21B- Rich Bell[5]; 6. 1mm- Mike Mataragas[6]; 7. B1- Brent Larson[8]; 8. 24- Ryan Unzicker[10]; 9. 79- Nick Kurtz[9]; 10. 15H- Jon Henry[7]

Heat 4: 1. 7R- Kent Robinson[2]; 2. 3s- Brian Shirley[3]; 3. 32- Chris Simpson[1]; 4. 91- Tyler Erb[4]; 5. 11- Gordy Gundaker[6]; 6. 6P- Jose Parga[8]; 7. J12- Jason Wagner[7]; 8. 4-Ds- Chad Hollenbeck[5]; 9. 44T- Matt Taylor[9]; 10. 1M- Eric Midkiff[10]

Group A Qualifying: 1. 1- Brandon Sheppard, 12.272; 2. 18c- Chase Junghans, 12.535; 3. 9- Devin Moran, 12.537; 4. 44- Chris Madden, 12.543; 5. 2c- Joey Coulter, 12.555; 6. 21j- Billy Moyer Jr, 12.555; 7. 18- Eric Wells, 12.573; 8. B12- Kevin Weaver, 12.577; 9. 32P- Bobby Pierce, 12.618; 10. 18b- Shannon Babb, 12.671; 11. 25F – Jason Feger, 12.687; 12. 99- Kyle Hardy, 12.717; 13. 15- Kolby Vanderbergh, 12.757; 14. 4G- Bob Gardner, 12.836; 15. 38c- John Gardner Jr, 12.894; 16. 14m- Morgan Bagley, 12.943; 17. 93- Donald Bradsher, 12.971; 18. C9- Steve Casebolt, 12.986; 19 .7- Rick Eckert, 13.041; 20. 29- Spencer Diercks, 13.097; 21. 77- Jay Morris, 13.173

Group B Qualifying: 1. 25- Shane Clanton, 12.554; 2. 32- Chris Simpson, 12.555; 3.21- Billy Moyer, 12.606; 4. 7R- Kent Robinson, 12.641; 5. 1*- Chub Frank, 12.671; 6. 3s- Brian Shirley, 12.678; 7. 99jr- Frank Heckenast Jr, 12.726; 8. 91- Tyler Erb, 12.788; 9. 21B- Rich Bell, 12.796; 10. 4-Ds- Chad Hollenbeck, 12.91; 11. 1mm- Mike Mataragas, 12.948; 12. 11- Gordy Gundaker, 13.026; 13. 15H- Jon Henry, 13.038; 14. J12- Jason Wagner, 13.044; 15. B1- Brent Larson, 13.047; 16. 6P- Jose Parga, 13.052; 17. 79- Nick Kurtz, 13.124; 18. 44T- Matt Taylor, 13.132; 19. 24- Ryan Unzicker, 13.359; 20. 1M- Eric Midkiff, 14.31

CONTINGENCY WINNERS: Craftsman/Sears ($200 Cash): Brandon Sheppard, Brian Shirley, Devin Moran, Shane Clanton, Chris Madden; Craftsman/Sears ($100 Cash): Billy Moyer; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Brandon Sheppard; MSD Ignition ($50 Cash): Brandon Sheppard; Quarter Master ($100 Product Certificate): Brandon Sheppard; Wrisco (Three Sheets of aluminum): Brandon Sheppard; Penske Racing Shocks ($50 Product Certificate): Eric Wells; JE Pistons ($50 Cash): Chris Simpson; VP Racing Fuels ($50 Cash): Chris Madden; Edelbrock ($50 Cash):Chase Junghans.; Comp Cams ($50 Cash): Frank Heckenast Jr.;Cometic ($50 Cash):Chase Junghans; JRI Shocks ($50 Cash):Chub Frank;Superflow Dyno’s ($50 Cash):Chub Frank; Quartermaster ($25 Product Certificate): Donald Bradsher; JE Pistons (One set of piston rings): Rick Eckert; Quartermaster ($50 Product Certificate): Ryan Unzicker; Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 Product Certificate):Joey Coulter.;JE Pistons (One set of piston rings): Brandon Sheppard; MSD Ignition ($25 Cash):Brandon Sheppard; QA-1 ($50 Cash): Shane Clanton; Rookie Bonus: Devin Moran; Bonus Bucks: Bobby Pierce

SEASON WINNERS:
Rick Eckert- 1 (Screven Motorsports Complex on Feb. 17)
Chris Madden- 1 (Screven Motorsports Complex on Feb. 18)
Shane Clanton- 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 24)
Don O’Neal- 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 25)
Brandon Sheppard- 2 (Whynot Motorsports Park on March 24, Farmer City Raceway on April 1 )
Timothy Culp- 1 (LoneStar Speedway on March 26)

Unofficial World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series Championship Standings

Pos.	Car #	Driver	Points	Trail By
1	1	Brandon Sheppard	924	0
2	91	Tyler Erb	860	64
	44	Chris Madden	860	64
3	7	Rick Eckert	856	68
4	18	Eric Wells	844	80
5	3S	Brian Shirley	842	82
6	99JR	Frank Heckenast Jr.	840	84
7	9	Devin Moran	838	86
8	1*	Chub Frank	826	98
9	21JR	Billy Moyer Jr.	814	110
10	25	Shane Clanton	802	122
11	14M	Morgan Bagley	772	152
12	2C	Joey Coulter	748	176
13	18C	Chase Junghans	710	214
14	93	Donald Bradsher	684	240
15	4-D’s	Chad Hollenbeck	482	442
16	116	Brandon Overton	448	476
17	B1	Brent Larson	432	492
18	21	Billy Moyer	392	532
19	21	Ivedent Lloyd Jr.	374	550
20	2F	Dennis Franklin	340	584
21	17M	Dale McDowell	320	604
22	C9	Steve Casebolt	316	608
23	16T	Tyler Bruening	310	614
24	0F	Coleby Frye	300	624
25	C8	Timothy Culp	296	628

The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Textron Off Road (Official Side-by-Side Vehicle), Craftsman (Official Tool), Extended Stay America (Official Hotel), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Morton Buildings (Official Building), Sears (Official Home Store), The Kenny Wallace Dirt Racing Experience (Official Racing Experience, VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel) and DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, MSD, Penske Shocks, QA1, QuarterMaster, Superflow Dynos and Wrisco Aluminum (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, Integra Shocks, Impact Racing Products, Intercomp, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis and TNT Rescue.

Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, N.C., is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

Sources: Sources: Kayla May/World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series PR
http://www.woolms.com/news/race-reports/267-2017-race-reports/2104-sheppard-leads-green-to-checkers-at-farmer-city-raceway