BShepp Wins Monday's Rained Out Program at East Bay
- jryanroberts
- Feb 9, 2024
- 2 min read
Photo Credit - Heath Lawson
Brandon Sheppard has been fast during Speedweeks but has been buried in qualifying forcing the Longhorn Factory House Car driver to get up on the wheel to advance through the field but last night started 9th. He passed fellow Illini driver , Brian Shirley , on lap 20 to secure his first win in 2024 and his 32nd career Lucas Oil Series win. Shirley would take 2nd with Devin Moran filling out the podium.
They qualified Tuesday after the feature that night on a one lane surface. Ran their heats and B Mains after Wednesday's program then ran the feature after last night's feature. A handful of drivers elected to start and park saving their equipment for the final nights of racing. This event didn't go towards the season points. Garrett Smith took top time honors in Group A qualifying but Ross Bailes would top the Georgia driver for overall top qualifier. Heat race winners were Smith , Moran , Shirley , Tyler Erb , Ethan Dotson , and Hudson O'Neal. B Mains went to Will Herrington , Max Blair , and Kyle Bronson. Max Blair won Heat 4 but was docked 4 positions in post race tech failing the droop rule. That gave the win to Erb and the outside pole for the feature
At the drop of the green Smith would lead until Devin Moran passed him to lead lap 3. After 5 laps Moran led Smith , Erb , Shirley , and O'Neal. Brian Shirley , who was the hard charger in Thursday's feature , would charge to the lead on lap 14 as Sheppard started to show his muscle moving into third at the halfway mark.
On lap 17 BShepp powered by Moran for 2nd and then passed Shirley in turn 2 but it went all for naught as Garrett Smith slowed with a RR flat. The running order was Shirley , BShepp , Moran , O'Neal , and Terbo.
The two Illini drivers would swap the lead for the next few laps like they were racing on a regular Saturday night at Fairbury from years ago before Sheppard pulled away for the win. The gap was 1.491 to Shirley as Sheppard had plenty of life left in his tires. Hudson O'Neal and Ross Robinson finished out the top 5.
Sheppard would say in victory lane that this was the car that was wrecked in Wednesday's heat race. He was on the outside pole that night but unfortunately avoided contact with Owens and was clobbered by a few cars and went to a backup car. The winning car is powered by a Andy Durham engine giving the builder is second win at East Bay this week.
MONDAY MAKE UP FEATURE RESULTS
BRANDON SHEPPARD
Shirley
Moran
O'Neal
Robinson
Erb
Wilson
Riggs
Dotson
English
Winger
Hughes
Harrington
Nothdurft
Conley
Bailes
Smith
Alberson
Bronson
D. Erb Jr
Cosner
Zarin
Davenport
Blair
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