CONCORD, N.C. — Lower than 5 years in the past, Bobby Pierce was nonetheless making an attempt to make his first journey to victory lane with the World of Outlaws Actual American Beer Late Mannequin Collection introduced by DIRTVision.
He checked that off his to-do checklist on April 3, 2021, lower than an hour from house at Farmer Metropolis Raceway. Since then, Pierce has repeated the feat 41 extra occasions on his meteoric stand up the winners checklist and picked up two championships alongside the best way.
5 different drivers – Brandon Sheppard, Josh Richards, Darrell Lanigan, Shane Clanton and Billy Moyer – have eclipsed the 42-win mark on the World of Outlaws path, taking a mean of 10 seasons after their first win to achieve that mark. Nobody had gone at a sooner tempo than Sheppard, who received his forty second race in 2019 lower than seven years after his first rating in 2012. Then got here the “Easy Operator.”
Solely 4 years and 4 months faraway from that maiden victory at Farmer Metropolis, Pierce scored win quantity 42 at Arrowhead Speedway in August to tie himself with Moyer for fifth on the all-time wins checklist. And he’s nowhere near being completed.
“I used to be 13 once I began racing tremendous late fashions, and that’s not likely that way back, I assume,” the now 29-year-old Pierce stated. “From the time I began racing Summer time Nationals, I feel I used to be 16 once I ran my first complete 12 months of Summer time Nationals. After which I used to be 19 once I received the World 100, that was lower than 10 years in the past, and right here we at the moment are. I assume I consider all of the years I’d nonetheless be racing, it’s a very long time. Heaps extra alternative to get much more championships if we’re adequate.”
The objective of including to his win complete was secondary to Pierce’s predominant mission in 2025 – reclaiming the World of Outlaws championship crown after developing 38 factors quick to Sheppard in 2024. After an up-and-down begin to the 12 months at Volusia Speedway Park, it was off to Smoky Mountain Speedway to start the spring slate of racing.
The slick crimson clay on the east Tennessee oval wasn’t considered the place the place the Oakwood, Unwell., native would kick his season into excessive gear, particularly with a subject filled with southeastern legends to deal with. However Pierce led each lap and held off Jonathan Davenport on the finish to flip the script on that evening.
By the tip of April, Pierce added two extra southern scores at Swainsboro Raceway and Talladega Brief Monitor. The area that was as soon as considered one of Pierce’s few weaknesses had turn into fairly the alternative, which he attributed to a rising stage of consolation each as a driver and along with his race automotive in comparison with the beginning of his full-time World of Outlaws profession.
“During the last three years of working Outlaws and venturing out extra, I’m undoubtedly extra well-rounded,” Pierce stated. “That is my third 12 months racing a Longhorn, so yearly since I’ve been racing Outlaws full-time, I’ve had a Longhorn. We’ve needed to be taught that during the last couple years, and I feel we’re undoubtedly getting slightly bit extra of a deal with on it. If it’s not what it takes to make it go quick, we undoubtedly know for those who mess up, what to not do.”
That success down south was merely the beginning of considered one of a championship-caliber stretch of consistency for the No. 32 group. Within the 22 races between Smoky Mountain in March and the late-July cease at Wilmot Raceway, Pierce received seven occasions and completed worse than seventh solely as soon as.
Pierce was already the odds-on favourite for the title after a run of that magnitude, however his swing by means of the heartland in mid-August that included a four-race win streak additional cemented that standing. It didn’t matter if he was at an Illinois bullring like Spoon River Speedway that he had identified since childhood, or someplace like Arrowhead that he had by no means seen earlier than, Pierce left with the trophy simply the identical.
Getting into the autumn months, anybody else would have wanted an other-worldly mixture of pace and luck to have any hope of conserving Pierce from his second title. And he wouldn’t have needed it some other means.
“Final 12 months occurred, we have been sort of coming from behind the entire 12 months, nearly bought it performed,” Pierce stated. “This 12 months was sort of the vengeance tour. Had our objective set on successful this championship, making an attempt to do the most effective we might all year long so we might come into Charlotte and lock it up once more, and that’s sort of what we did. Had it locked up the final two nights, so all of the arduous work from the season paid off.”
Even a dream season like Pierce had in 2025 didn’t come with out its trials and tribulations. His lone DNF over the summer time got here on NAPA Auto Elements Gopher 50 weekend at Deer Creek Speedway, the place he was caught in a pileup and ended up on his roof. That compelled the group into scramble mode to get a brand new chassis prepared for the subsequent cease on tour seven days later at Sharon Speedway, the place Pierce wheeled the brand new set of wheels to victory to cap off one other hectic week within the lifetime of a touring grime Late Mannequin group.
“All of the crew that I’ve bought serving to out, I can’t thank sufficient,” Pierce stated. “It undoubtedly takes everyone to make it work. It’s a grind, for positive. Particularly like us, we race 90-some races a 12 months. Fifty-whatever with the Outlaws and the opposite races are one thing else, so we’re at all times racing. Generally we’ll be on the store for Monday, after which we’re gone on Tuesday. Within the busy occasions of 12 months, that’s sort of how it’s. It’s a number of sacrifice to do that life-style.”
That sacrifice has granted Pierce entry to one of the crucial unique golf equipment within the sport, as he joins Moyer, Lanigan, Richards and Sheppard because the fifth multi-time World of Outlaws champion. Three years faraway from his first season on tour, which had him questioning if he was able to competing on the highest stage, week in and week out, Pierce has etched his identify in historical past as among the best to ever name themselves an Outlaw.
However Pierce stays equally as motivated to be taught, develop and enhance as he was in 12 months one. That’s a course of that received’t be full till each checklist within the file e book has a 32 on the prime.
“This 12 months, I feel I discovered simply as a lot as I did the primary 12 months,” Pierce stated. “Continually studying new issues, making an attempt to get the automotive higher. Simply feels wonderful to come back [to Charlotte] and get it performed for the second time. Generally you win issues for the primary time and also you by no means know for those who’re going to win it once more, so to do it twice, it’s like, ‘Alright, we’re undoubtedly meant to be right here.’ Now we’re going to attempt to win it a 3rd time.”
