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Brandon Sheppard notches ninth-place finish at Bristol

After rain once again derailed the team’s weekend plans, Brandon Sheppard and Rocket1 Racing invaded Bristol Motor Speedway for a pair of $50,000-to-win XR Super Series events.

During the course of the weekend, Sheppard registered a ninth-place finish and an 11th-place finish in the Valvoline / Seubert Calf Ranches No. 1 Ace Metal Works / XR1 Rocket Chassis / Durham Racing Engine Super Late Model.

“We sure hated to see the Illini 100 get canceled by weather again. It’s one of my favorite events, but it seems like Mother Nature doesn’t have any love for it. We changed direction after the rain out and went to Bristol (Motor Speedway). We weren’t bad throughout the weekend, but we just couldn’t get exactly to where we needed to be, and at that place if you are a little off, it shows in a big way. Still got a couple of solid runs, and we’ll take what we learned and head down the road to the next one,” Sheppard commented.

With unfavorable conditions and wet weather cancelling the Illini 100 at Farmer City Raceway (Farmer City, Ill.), Rocket1 Racing and Brandon Sheppard trekked to Bristol Motor Speedway (Bristol, Tenn.) on Friday afternoon to take part in the final two rounds of the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.

With 30 XR Super Series entries on hand, Sheppard laid down the second-fastest time in his qualifying group before placing first in his heat race. Starting the $50,000-to-win A-Main in third, Brandon slippedsix positions in the 50-lapper to finish ninth.
For another $50,000-to-win A-Main on Saturday, Brandon secured his spot into the finale with a second-place finish in his heat. Coming one spot shy of a Top-10 finish in the 50-lap affair, Sheppard crossed the line in 11th.

Full results from the weekend are available at www.XRSuperSeries.com.

The upcoming weekend has the team ready for a trio of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) events in the Northeast. Action opens with the $30,000-to-win, 53rd annual Hillbilly Hundred on Friday night at Tyler County Speedway (Middlebourne, W.V.). The event which was rained out in 2021 posts a $30,000 top prize.

On Saturday evening the $15,000-to-win Conococheague 50 will be contested at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway, and the weekend draws to a close on Sunday evening at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway with the River Valley 40.

Sheppard currently sits second in the latest LOLMDS standings

For more information regarding the upcoming weekend’s events, please visit www.LucasDirt.com.

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