Pierce Makes History in 43rd Sunoco North/South 100 at Florence

 

 

Column By: LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES / FLORENCE SPEEDWAY – WALTON, KY –  Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Illinois, moved from the 14th starting spot to win the 43rd Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 presented by Lucas Oil on Saturday night at Florence Speedway. Pierce earned $75,000 for the victory.

In the process, Pierce became the first driver in the history of the event to win three years in a row, as he also became the first driver to win four North/South 100s in his career.

Pierce and Jonathan Davenport had a spirited battle for the lead after a lap 52 caution that saw the two competitors get together several times before Pierce was able to pull away. Devin Moran got to second on lap 65 and had a shot at Pierce after a caution came out with eight laps to go, but Pierce was able to get a good restart and drive off for the win.

Moran lost the second spot to Ricky Thornton Jr. on lap 98, and then on the final lap, Davenport was able to secure the last Big River Steel Podium spot as he also got Moran. Moran finished fourth, with Zack Dohm rounding out the top five drivers.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 28th time in his career and for the fourth time this season, he earned a hard-fought win after starting on the outside of the seventh row.

“I’ve been in this position before. I was in a bad mood because I didn’t want to start that far back; you know, it’s a lot harder that way. We were coming through the field, and I was worried about my tires. I was spinning really bad in some sections, but then in others, I was really hooked up. It was tough, and once I got to second, I was trying to win the race. I got the job done. I can’t thank my team enough and everyone who helps me out. And thank you to the fans for coming out and watching.”

Pierce was asked in Victory Lane about his battle with Davenport after the lap-52 caution that saw the two drivers go back and forth for the lead, which also included contact between the two.

“It was about halfway through the race, but you want to get the lead as quickly as you can because if the track transitions, you never know what could happen. Last year, here it went to the bottom, and it was really hard to run the top toward the end of the race. So I didn’t want to give anyone that opportunity if I could take it. I was planning to take the lead and just hold on for the rest of the race. Sometimes, it’s a lot easier to lead late in the race than to run in second, especially with a restart where you’re double-file again. Yes, we raced hard—me and JD—and I know he was mad, but it’s just hard racing here.”

Thornton, who got the runner-up spot, took home $25,000 for second and cut Davenport’s point lead to five heading to Batesville, Arkansas, next weekend for the Topless 100.

“I definitely felt like I was running as hard as I could there, and it just wasn’t enough. Bobby’s stuff was really good. I could barely see him in the last couple of laps, so we will go back to the drawing board and try to improve. The track was a little different than it usually is here; typically, the curb isn’t that big—it’s usually against the wall. But this time, it was about a car length off the wall. I feel like we have good speed, though not quite the great speed we had at the start of the year.”

Davenport, who was aiming for his third North/South 100 victory, led 60 of the 100 laps but finished in third place.

“Obviously, he (Pierce) is always right, so I don’t know how to throw sliders, and he does. I won’t sit here and talk bad about him, because he’s really good. We all know the top is going to be very competitive here at Florence, and I was just running my race and keeping my tires under me. I was planning to try and make a run back at him in the last 10 or 15 laps since I knew he was probably going to pass me and be gone, but that’s just how this place races. I have a lot of damage, but I still managed to get back to third.”

The winner’s Bobby Pierce Racing, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by Low Voltage Solutions, Churchill Transport, Collins Brothers Towing, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Carnaghi Towing and Repair, Rio Grande Waste Services, Pontiac RV, Steidinger Construction, Toyota of Danville, Ted Brown’s Quality Paint and Body Shop, Fast 1 Speed Shop, Leka Tree Service, Floyd’s Waste Services, VP Fuels, DuroMax Oil, and Bert by Budda.

Completing the top ten were Jason Jameson, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Cory Hedgecock, and Nick Hoffman.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 

Race Summary 

43rd Annual Sunoco North/South 100 presented by Lucas Oil | Night 3

Saturday, August 9, 2025

Florence Speedway – Union, KY

 

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 3. 11R-Josh Rice[1]; 4. 16J-Justin Rattliff[3]; 5. 8K-Kyle Strickler[5]; 6. 11-Adam Stricker[7]; 7. 15R-Brad Rickels[6]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 9. C6-Calvin Carlton[9]

 

Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 9-Nick Hoffman[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 3. 32P-Bobby Pierce[4]; 4. 23V-Cory Hedgecock[2]; 5. 60-Dan Ebert[8]; 6. 4-Tripp Gerrald[5]; 7. 22B-Brandon Hardgrove[7]; 8. 15W-Roger Williams[9]; 9. (DNS) D48-Derek Groomer

Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 22F-Chris Ferguson[1]; 2. 17D-Zack Dohm[3]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[4]; 4. 10-Joseph Joiner[5]; 5. 1Z-Logan Zarin[2]; 6. 317-Blake Creech[6]; 7. 33AJ-Austin Lay[8]; 8. (DNS) 32-Chad Stapleton; 9. (DNS) 1G-Devin Gilpin

 

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[4]; 2. 79-Donald McIntosh[1]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 4. 18D-Daulton Wilson[3]; 5. 18-Trevor Landrum[6]; 6. 93L-Cory Lawler[5]; 7. 81-Conner Mertens[8]; 8. 3:16-Mike Bargo[7]

 

Lucas Oil Products Heat Race #5 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 5N-Dustin Nobbe[2]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[3]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[4]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[6]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 6. 6M-Michael Chilton[1]; 7. 90-Michael LeFevers[7]; 8. (DNS) 49G-Billy Green

 

Lucas Oil Products Heat Race #6 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 12-Jason Jameson[2]; 2. 157-Mike Marlar[1]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[4]; 4. 111-Max Blair[3]; 5. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[5]; 6. 09-Michael Leach[6]; 7. 96-Josh Vinyard[7]; 8. 99J-Donnie Jeschke[8]

 

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 23V-Cory Hedgecock[2]; 2. 16J-Justin Rattliff[1]; 3. 8K-Kyle Strickler[3]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[4]; 5. 11-Adam Stricker[5]; 6. 4-Tripp Gerrald[6]; 7. 15R-Brad Rickels[7]; 8. 22B-Brandon Hardgrove[8]; 9. C6-Calvin Carlton[11]; 10. 15W-Roger Williams[10]; 11. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[9]; 12. (DNS) D48-Derek Groomer

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 10-Joseph Joiner[1]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[2]; 3. 18-Trevor Landrum[4]; 4. 1Z-Logan Zarin[3]; 5. 93L-Cory Lawler[6]; 6. 317-Blake Creech[5]; 7. 33AJ-Austin Lay[7]; 8. 81-Conner Mertens[8]; 9. 3:16-Mike Bargo[9]; 10. (DNS) 32-Chad Stapleton; 11. (DNS) 1G-Devin Gilpin

 

MyRacePass B-Main Race #3 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[1]; 2. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[4]; 3. 111-Max Blair[2]; 4. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 5. 09-Michael Leach[6]; 6. 90-Michael LeFevers[7]; 7. 96-Josh Vinyard[8]; 8. 99J-Donnie Jeschke[10]; 9. (DNS) 6M-Michael Chilton; 10. (DNS) 49G-Billy Green

43rd Annual Sunoco North/South 100 presented by Lucas Oil Feature Finish (100 Laps):

Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Pay

1 – 14 – 32P – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – $75,000

2 – 8 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $26,100

3 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $11,200

4 – 7 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $10,000

5 – 9 – 17D – Zack Dohm – Cross Lanes, WV – $8,000

6 – 6 – 12 – Jason Jameson – Lawrenceburg, IN – $7,000

7 – 17 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $6,800

8 – 4 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $5,700

9 – 19 – 23V – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – $4,750

10 – 2 – 9 – Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – $4,500

11 – 11 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $4,950

12 – 18 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $4,700

13 – 10 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $4,450

14 – 12 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – $3,700

15 – 3 – 22F – Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly, NC – $3,650

16 – 21 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $4,300

17 – 15 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $4,250

18 – 5 – 5N – Dustin Nobbe – Batesville, IN – $3,500

19 – 26 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $4,200

20 – 25 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $4,200

21 – 13 – 11R – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $3,500

22 – 20 – 10 – Joseph Joiner – Milton, FL – $3,500

23 – 23 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $4,200

24 – 22 – 16J – Justin Rattliff – Campbellsville, KY – $3,500

25 – 16 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – $3,500

26 – 24 – 12M – Ryan Montgomery – Fairmont, WV – $3,500

 

Non-Qualifier Race (20 Laps): 1. 8K-Kyle Strickler[1]; 2. 111-Max Blair[3]; 3. 11-Adam Stricker[6]; 4. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 5. 1Z-Logan Zarin[4]; 6. 93L-Cory Lawler[7]; 7. 09-Michael Leach[8]; 8. 18-Trevor Landrum[2]; 9. 81-Conner Mertens[16]; 10. 3:16-Mike Bargo[19]; 11. 22B-Brandon Hardgrove[15]; 12. 33AJ-Austin Lay[13]; 13. 90-Michael LeFevers[11]; 14. 96-Josh Vinyard[14]; 15. C6-Calvin Carlton[18]; 16. 99J-Donnie Jeschke[17]; 17. 15W-Roger Williams[20]; 18. 15R-Brad Rickels[12]; 19. 317-Blake Creech[10]; 20. 4-Tripp Gerrald[9]

 

Race Statistics

Entrants: 51

Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Jonathan Davenport

MD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (1-55); Bobby Pierce (56); Jonathan Davenport (57-61); Bobby Pierce (62-100)

Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan Davenport

Wieland Feature Winner: Bobby Pierce

Margin of Victory: 2.875 seconds

Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: Debris (Start); Dalton Wilson (Lap 29); Debris (Lap 52); Hudson O’Neal (Lap 71)

Series Provisionals: Daniel Hilsabeck, Dan Ebert

Fast Time Provisional: n/a

Emergency Provisional: n/a

Track Provisional: n/a

Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton Jr., Jonathan Davenport

Penske Shocks Top 5: Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran, Zack Dohm

PEM 4th Place Feature: Devin Moran

DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Zack Dohm

Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Hudson O’Neal

Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Carson Ferguson

Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Donald McIntosh

MD3 24th Place Feature: Justin Rattliff

Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Bobby Pierce (Advanced 13 Positions)

MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (60 Laps)

Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton Jr.

Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jonathan Davenport

O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Donal McIntosh

Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport | Lap 1 | 16.507 seconds

Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton Jr.

Fresh Roof Hard Luck Award: Daulton Wilson

Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Bob Pierce

ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Vic Hill Racing Engines

Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis

Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Hudson O’Neal | 15.648 seconds

Time of Race: 43 minutes 10 seconds

 

Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:

Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Pay

1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 6575 – $309,000

2 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 6570 – $343,050

3 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 6260 – $254,775

4 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 6170 – $234,049

5 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 5955 – $200,500

6 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 5955 – $146,950

7 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 5695 – $126,000

8 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 5275 – $105,125

9 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 5015 – $85,875

10 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – 4930 – $73,450

11 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 4725 – $66,650

12 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 4435 – $58,925

13 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 4355 – $58,700

14 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – 4335 – $59,700

15 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 3840 – $41,000