Dirt Track Rising Star, 16-Year-Old Bobby Pierce To Make Pavement Debut At Memphis International Raceway 

Prairie State Teenager to race in JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour portion of 'Racing's Back!' Memphis 250 Weekend

October 23, 2013

Salem, Indiana (October 23, 2013) – The current crop of rising stars in the dirt track racing

world is led by a 16-year-old from Oakwood, Illinois with a legendary Father as his Car Owner,

Car Builder and Mentor. The son of one of the most accomplished dirt track drivers and car

builders in the country is making the rare leap into the world of pavement short track racing as

Bobby Pierce will trade in his tear-offs, wedge body and high horsepower engine he's

accustomed to on the dirt for a template car with a crate engine on asphalt.

Pierce will make his pavement debut with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by

Chevrolet as the premier crate motor series in the country will join the premier division within

CRA, the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS at the 3/4s (0.750) semi-banked paved

tri-oval of Memphis International Raceway, located northeast of Memphis in Millington,

Tennessee on Friday-Saturday, October 25-26th as MIR will host stock car racing for the first

time since the 2009 season when the NASCAR Nationwide Series raced there with the

running of the 'Racing's Back!' Memphis 250.

"We really look forward to having Bobby race with us at Memphis," Remarked Glenn Luckett,

Managing Partner of Champion Racing Association (CRA) Powered by JEGS. "He has proved

that he can race the high powered dirt late models and has a great racing pedigree, we hope

he has a successful asphalt debut and that we see him race with us more in the future."

Luckett added.

The son of Bob Pierce, founder and owner of Bob Pierce Race Cars, a widely known chassis

builder within the dirt track racing world, will climb behind the wheel of the familiar black and

green #08 Green Smart Buildings / Ford driven during the 2013 season by fellow Illinois

teenager, Jake Griffin. "I have always wanted to race in some sort of asphalt, no matter what

it is or where I was going to race, just to get good experience." The Oakwood, Illinois

teenager remarked.

"I have known Jake and his Father, Dan for a long time, ever since I was eight years old when

we were racing quarter midgets together. We also raced together in the KidModz class, the

UMP Pro (Crate) Late Models, and the UMP Super Late Models. So we put this asphalt deal

together and we are excited to race." He continued. "This deal came about only within the

last week. I do hope that I can get some more asphalt experience in the future for sure. I

would really like to get more involved with asphalt, but its hard enough racing 80 dirt races per

year." He laughed.

Pierce started racing in 2006 racing Quarter Midgets and in the KidModz divisions. In just

three seasons (2006-2008) before moving up to full-size cars (2009), he would collect a total

of 49 Feature Wins while racking up an impressive four different series Championships.

During the 2013 racing season, Pierce made an astonishing 80 starts traveling throughout the

country as he has recorded 11 Feature Wins, 47 top five finishes and 58 top 10 showings.

One of the highlights of the season was his fourth place finish in the most prestigious race for

Dirt Late Models anywhere in the world; the 43rd annual World 100 at the famed Eldora

Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Overall during the season, he finished second in the country in

the United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) DIRTcar Racing Series Late Model National Points

Standings. Included in his impressive stats is the marathon UMP Summer Nationals Hell

Tour, which consisted of 26 races in 38 days.

The Prairie State teenager finished second in the points while recording Four Feature Wins,

becoming the youngest driver to Win a Hell Tour race when he scored the first of those four

triumphs at Lincoln Speedway (IL) on June 30th. He would go on to visit victory lane three

more times at LaSalle Speedway (IL-July 4th), Kankakee County Speedway (IL-July 12th)

and 34 Raceway (IA-July 13th). In addition, he finished at least in the top five an impressive

21 times and only finished outside of the top 10 just once in those 26 events. He was only 15 points behind 2013 Tour Champion, Brandon Sheppard in what is widely considered the most grueling tour in all of motorsports.

"2013, has been a great year. I think that dirt might be a lot more different, but whenever you get the chance to race more than twice a week, at least, then that definitely helps your racing career." The soon to be 17-year-old (On November 24th) continued. "My future plans do include more pavement events. The only thing is, we still have to find a ride but I would love to. Winning the 2013 Champion Spark Plugs Search for a Champion sponsorship helped us a lot too." He added.

In 2012, at just 15 years old, he finished 11th in the nation in the UMP DIRTcar Racing Series Late Model National points standings while collecting Six Feature Wins, 29 tops fives and 47 top 10 finishes while in 2011, his first full year in a full blown UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model, he won the 2011 UMP DIRTcar Racing Series National Rookie of the Year title at just 14 years old while scoring Six Feature Wins as well as 27 top five finishes and 38 top 10 runs in 54 starts that first season.

One of the more unique aspects and one of the constants in Pierce's dirt track career is his crew chief, who just happens to be his older sister, 20-year-old Ciara Pierce. Although not serving as the Crew Chief this weekend for her brother, she will be on hand absorbing everything surrounding the pavement side. "I'm going to be paying close attention to the crew and maybe someday take part in their responsibilities." She explained. "I do see myself being a part of my brothers' crew in his asphalt career in the future. This weekend is the first time my brother and I have been a part of an asphalt team and we are really excited and curious." She added. Kevin Crider will serve as Pierce's Crew Chief in Memphis.

Pierce is actually no stranger to Crate Engine racing having started his full-bodied racing career as a 12-year-old in the UMP DIRTcar Racing Series Pro (Crate) Late Model Division in 2009. In just two years of running the division from 2009-2010, he racked up an impressive 23 Feature Wins in 76 career starts. An impressive 60 top five finishes during the time span and a mind boggling 73 finishes out of 76 starts resulted in at least a top 10 finish.

A long list of awards and accolades came with the astounding results during that two-year period. As a 13-year-old, he won the 2010 UMP DIRTcar Racing Series Pro (Crate) Late Model Illinois State Champion as well as the 2010 Farmer City Raceway and Vermillion County Speedway Pro Late Model Track Championships. He also finished second overall in the UMP DIRTcar Racing Series Pro (Crate) Late Model National point's standings by just 24 markers.

"I thing racing a crate is different than a super. As far as driving style, everything's the exact same but you have to keep your momentum in the crate." Continued the Prairie State teenager. "I think it's going to be the same for pavement. We are excited for this experience." He ended. To learn more about Bobby Pierce and the entire Bobby Pierce Racing Team, log onto the team website at: www.bobbypierceracing.com

After the Memphis event, the rest of Pierce's pavement schedule is 'To Be Announced' while his final dirt race of the 2013 racing season will be at The Dirt Track At Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina on November 7-9th for the World of Outlaws Late Models World Finals as the premier tour in the World for Dirt Late Models will be vying for a $12,000 top prize. Over 60+ Dirt Late Models from all over North America and beyond will be in attendance.

As for the 'Racing's Back!' Memphis 250, the weekend will feature Twin 125-lap mains for both the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour as well as the ARCA/CRA Super Series. In addition, the stars of the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience will run a special 50-Lap race in support of the two premier tours within Champion Racing Association (CRA) Powered by JEGS. The 3/4 mile will be the largest track the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour teams have competed on in the series' three-year history.

For more information about all four touring series’ within Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, go to the CRA website at: www.cra-racing.com You can also follow along with CRA on Facebook at: www.facebook.com and search for "Champion Racing Association" as well as on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CRAracing Finally for more information about Memphis International Raceway, the host facility for the final race of the 2013 season for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance, go to the track website at: www.racemir.com