ROSSBURG, Ohio — Bobby Pierce rallied from a heat race crash to pass Cody Coughlin and win Wednesday night’s 15-lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last chance qualifier at Eldora Speedway.
Pierce started last after his team had to make repairs to the left-rear quarter panel of his No. 63 Gotta Race Chevrolet, but rolled the bottom early and found himself third by the end of the opening lap.
He then methodically worked his way higher and higher up the track as the laps clicked off, eventually running right against the cushion and taking half a second at a time out of polesitter Cody Coughlin’s nearly three-second lead out front.
By the time the field took five to go, Pierce was knocking on the back decklid of Coughlin’s truck for the lead and the next time by, he snuck to the outside off Turn 4 and never looked back after that.
Pierce will start 26th by virtue of his win in the LCQ, while Coughlin also gained a transfer spot into the main event by finishing second. The driver of the No. 13 Ride TV/JEGS Toyota will roll off 27th.
Wendell Chavous, Korbin Forrister, Norm Benning and Mike Harmon finished third through sixth, respectively, followed by Ray Ciccarelli and Tommy Regan.
Positions 28-32 in the starting grid were awarded by points, with Regan being the lone driver to miss the show. J.R. Heffner was the 34th truck on the property, but withdrew earlier in the day due to a blown motor.
RESULTS: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series; Eldora Dirt Derby; Eldora Speedway; July 19, 2017
Last Chance Qualifier (15 laps; top two transfer to A-Main): 1. Bobby Pierce, 2. Cody Coughlin / 3. Wendell Chavous, 4. Korbin Forrister, 5. Norm Benning, 6. Mike Harmon, 7. Ray Ciccarelli, 8. Tommy Regan.
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Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.
Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
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