Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Illinois charged to victory Saturday night at Fairbury Speedway, winning the FALS Spring Shootout presented by Titan Industries. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing event paid $30,000 to the winner.
Sheppard took the lead from Brian Shirley on lap 13 and led the remainder of the race, holding off a late charge from Nick Hoffman over the final five laps to secure his 38th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory and his 17th career win at Fairbury Speedway.
Shirley, who led the opening 12 laps, rounded out the Big River Steel podium in third. Brandon Overton finished fourth, while Bobby Pierce completed the top five.
The victory marked Sheppard’s fourth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season and his seventh overall triumph of 2026. With the win, he moves to third in the championship standings heading into next weekend’s events at Eagle Raceway in Nebraska.
“This feels awesome. It seems like it’s been forever since we won here,” Sheppard said in Lucas Oil Victory Lane. “We always seem to win prelims at the Prairie Dirt Classic, but these bigger races have avoided me for a while, so it’s really special to win one here tonight.”
“When I was growing up, I dreaded coming to Fairbury because it’s so tough to win here. It takes such a different driving style, and the track changes so much throughout the night. The last eight laps, I felt like I was hanging on for dear life. I think the right rear tire may have been going down after I ran over something during that caution, but this car is an absolute dream to drive right now.”
Hoffman, seeking his second career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory, started seventh and finished just 0.423 seconds behind Sheppard in the Tye Twarog Motorsports entry.
Hoffman moved into second with 10 laps remaining after Clay Harris—who advanced from 12th to second by lap 21 – was slowed in lapped traffic.
“He’s the Fairbury GOAT,” Hoffman said of Sheppard. “There were times I felt like I could gain a little on him, and I was hoping we’d get back to lapped traffic after that caution. But he was just better than me up on the cushion and could really pull away down the straightaways. The biggest thing is learning something for when we come back for the Prairie Dirt Classic.”
Shirley, who started from the pole, was also eligible for the $1,000 Steering Buddy Darkhorse Award, presented to a first-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series feature winner in a full-points event.
“I think it’s honestly just track time here,” said the defending Prairie Dirt Classic champion, who is following the LOLMDS full time for the first time in his career. “We haven’t had enough laps here yet to get the feel and balance exactly where we need it. But this was a really solid finish for our team and sponsors. We need to focus on consistently finishing races before worrying about winning them. I felt like we had a shot tonight, and while maybe we weren’t quite as good as Nick or Sheppy, being this competitive is a huge confidence boost for our team.”
Sheppard’s winning Mark Richards Racing, Rocket Chassis is powered by a Durham Racing Engine and backed by Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, Performance Grading, Petroff Towing, Franklin Enterprises, Sunoco Race Fuels, Gunter’s Honey, Stiles Marine and Maintenance, and Collins Brothers Towing.
Completing the top ten were Jason Feger, Josh Rice, Clay Harris, Trey Mills, and Justin Duty.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary
FALS Spring Shootout Presented by Titan Industries
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Fairbury Speedway | Fairbury, IL
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Brian Shirley | 12.883 seconds (Overall)
Fast Time Group B: Shannon Babb | 13.116 seconds
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 3. 111-Max Blair[4]; 4. 09-Michael Leach[3]; 5. 15D-Justin Duty[6]; 6. 60-Dan Ebert[9]; 7. 33-Mike Harrison[7]; 8. 22*-Drake Troutman[10]; 9. 14S-Collen Winebarger[8]; 10. 5S-Kolby Vandenbergh[5]; 11. 122-Timmy Dick[11]; 12. 24-Tyler Wyant[12]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 2. 9H-Nick Hoffman[3]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[1]; 4. 24U-Ryan Unzicker[4]; 5. 93-Carson Ferguson[6]; 6. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[5]; 7. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[7]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[9]; 9. 17A-Austin Howes[11]; 10. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 11. 8L-Jeffrey Ledford[8]; 12. 729-Mike Winn[12]
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 3. 18-Shannon Babb[1]; 4. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[4]; 5. 13-Dallon Murty[6]; 6. 75-Daniel Adam[5]; 7. 16S-Sam Seawright[9]; 8. 99-Devin Moran[7]; 9. 89-Mike Spatola[8]; 10. 19M-Brenden Smith[10]; 11. Z61-Alex Wilson[11]; 12. B12-Kevin Weaver[12]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[1]; 2. 25F-Jason Feger[2]; 3. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 4. 11-Josh Rice[7]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 6. 14-Trey Mills[8]; 7. 8-Dillon McCowan[9]; 8. 45-Kyle Hammer[10]; 9. 42-Mckay Wenger[6]; 10. 16-Tyler Bruening[4]; 11. 32X-Chris Simpson[11]; 12. (DNS) 33 4-Billy Hough
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 15D-Justin Duty[1]; 2. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[4]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[6]; 4. 22*-Drake Troutman[7]; 5. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 6. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 7. 14S-Collen Winebarger[9]; 8. 60-Dan Ebert[3]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[12]; 10. 122-Timmy Dick[13]; 11. 24-Tyler Wyant[15]; 12. 17A-Austin Howes[10]; 13. 5S-Kolby Vandenbergh[11]; 14. 8L-Jeffrey Ledford[14]; 15. 729-Mike Winn[16]; 16. 33-Mike Harrison[5]
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 14-Trey Mills[4]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[7]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 4. 13-Dallon Murty[1]; 5. 45-Kyle Hammer[8]; 6. 75-Daniel Adam[3]; 7. 16S-Sam Seawright[5]; 8. 42-Mckay Wenger[10]; 9. 32X-Chris Simpson[14]; 10. 8-Dillon McCowan[6]; 11. 16-Tyler Bruening[12]; 12. 19M-Brenden Smith[11]; 13. Z61-Alex Wilson[13]; 14. 89-Mike Spatola[9]; 15. B12-Kevin Weaver[15]; 16. (DNS) 33 4-Billy Hough
FALS Spring Shootout Presented by Titan Industries Feature Finish (60 Laps):
Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings
1 – 2 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $30,900
2 – 7 – 9H – Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – $15,000
3 – 1 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $7,900
4 – 6 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $6,400
5 – 11 – 32 – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – $4,500
6 – 8 – 25F – Jason Feger – Bloomington, IL – $3,500
7 – 16 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $4,000
8 – 12 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $3,400
9 – 18 – 14 – Trey Mills – ST. Augustine, FL – $2,400
10 – 17 – 15D – Justin Duty – Molalla, OR – $2,300
11 – 15 – 24U – Ryan Unzicker – El Paso, IL – $2,200
12 – 3 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $3,000
13 – 10 – 18 – Shannon Babb – Moweaqua, IL – $2,000
14 – 14 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $1,900
15 – 24 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,700
16 – 26 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,250
17 – 9 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $2,600
18 – 4 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,650
19 – 5 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,000
20 – 20 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,850
21 – 23 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,450
22 – 22 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,400
23 – 25 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $1,000
24 – 13 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – $1,500
25 – 21 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $2,800
26 – 19 – 99JR – Frank Heckenast Jr – Frankfort, IL – $1,500
27 – 27 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $100
Race Statistics
Entrants: 48
Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Brian Shirley
MD3 Lap Leaders: Brian Shirley (Laps 1-12); Brandon Sheppard (Laps 13-60)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Brandon Sheppard
Wieland Feature Winner: Brandon Sheppard
Margin of Victory: 0.423 seconds
Hellraizer Jacks Cautions: Trey Mills (Lap 13); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 18); Devin Moran (Lap 27); Ricky Thornton, Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Tyler Erb (Lap 52)
MyRacePass Series Provisional: Carson Ferguson; Dan Ebert
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisionals: Dillon McCowan; Daniel Hilsabeck; Brenden Smith
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Nick Hoffman, Brian Shirley
Penske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Sheppard, Nick Hoffman, Brian Shirley, Brandon Overton, Bobby Pierce
Behrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Nick Hoffman, Brian Shirley
PEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon Overton
Diversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Bobby Pierce
Wilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Josh Rice
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Ryan Unzicker
Velocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Shannon Babb
XS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Dan Ebert
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Daniel Hilsabeck (Advanced 10 positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (48 Laps)
Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon Sheppard
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Hudson O’Neal
O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Josh Rice
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Brian Shirley | Lap 3 | 13.558 seconds
FK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Devin Moran
Victory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Nick Hoffman
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Danny White
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Tyler Erb | 12.5271 seconds
Time of Race: 29 minutes 35 seconds
Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:
Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings
1 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 2695 – $136,100
2 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 2660 – $152,699
3 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 2560 – $103,600
4 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 2490 – $61,750
5 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 2465 – $82,750
6 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 2440 – $56,200
7 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 2210 – $44,625
8 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 2210 – $41,600
9 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 2155 – $47,600
10 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 2135 – $36,875
11 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 2135 – $34,275
12 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 2090 – $36,950
13 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 2060 – $35,575
14 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 1795 – $21,975
15 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 1785 – $21,900
16 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 1755 – $23,250
17 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 1560 – $13,625
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