Three for Three: Brian Shirley Wins Hawkeye 100

Brian Shirley and Kyle Bronson competing at Maquoketa Speedway in Maquoketa, Iowa. (Photo: Emily Schwanke | World Racing Group)

MAQUOKETA, Iowa — With 40 of the 100 laps being run on Friday, that meant that the remaining 60 of the Hawkeye 100 would run on Saturday. Night Two at Maquoketa Speedway was an intense event.

Cody Overton and Brandon Sheppard made up the front row for the $20,000-to-win race. Overton claimed the lead off of Turn 2, but Sheppard and Brian Shirley encased him between them. As they headed into the corner, Shirley went to the bottom and stuck his nose out ahead of Overton, but did not find the momentum needed to get by him. As they shot out of 4, Sheppard closed in on Shirley to keep him at bay in third.

Four laps later, Shirley had slid to the bottom of Sheppard and looked to get into second. As they headed into Turn 2, Shirley stuck to the bottom and came out of the corner like a rocket, getting ahead of Sheppard for the runner-up spot.

One lap later, Shirley was side-by-side with Overton for the lead. The two of them battled it out heavily for about two-and-a-half laps before Shirley was finally able to find the speed needed to pull away from Overton to put some space between the two of them.

Lap 9 going into Lap 10 saw Bobby Pierce run the top side and come crashing down onto the front stretch, stealing second away from Overton and looking for a “buy one, get one free” deal with Shirley. However, he made his move too soon. Although Pierce was right behind him, Shirley held the “Smooth Operator” off.

Kyle Bronson, Nick Hoffman and Chad Simpson went three-wide down the front straightaway on Lap 26/27. As they went into the corner, Bronson emerged victorious, but it was not long before they were three-wide again in the next set of turns. As they came off of Turn 4, Hoffman stuck his nose out ahead of Bronson and Simpson to claim sixth.

Brandon Sheppard competing at Maquoketa Speedway in Maquoketa, Iowa. (Photo: Emily Schwanke | World Racing Group)

The No. 32 of Pierce used the end of Lap 32 to his advantage as he pulled a massive slide job on Shirley for the lead going into Turn 4. Due to the immense momentum that he carried into the corner, Pierce drifted up the racetrack exiting Turn 4, allowing Shirley to cross over and keep the lead at the line. Pierce realized his mistake and tried again on the next lap without drifting up, becoming the new race leader for Lap 34.

With Shirley and Pierce battling it out for the lead, Hoffman and Overton decided to tango for fifth. Going into Turn 4, Hoffman went up high and came out of the turn ahead of Overton. He was officially scored as having cracked the top five.

Lap 47 saw the move that would change the trajectory of the race. Going into Turn 2, Pierce was running the high side like he did all night long, battling with Shirley, when he went over the berm. He suffered a flat right rear tire, which ended his whole night as well as handed the lead back over to “Squirrel.”

With one lap to go, Hoffman and Sheppard were side-by-side for second. As they came around Turns 3 and 4 for the final time, Hoffman used the high side to his advantage and finished just a little bit ahead of Shepherd to be scored as the runner-up.

“We had a pretty good racecar and so did Bobby [Pierce] and we were running different tires: he was hard and I was soft,” said Shirley. “Tonight, the good Lord was looking after us and truthfully, I’d like to pinch myself.”