7/26/2025
Brian Shirley
Brian Shirley Claims First Prairie Dirt Classic Victory at FALS
Career-Best $88,500 Payday for Illinois Veteran
CHILTON, Wis. (07/28/25) – Brian Shirley secured one of the most coveted victories of his career on Saturday night, capturing the $50,000 Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury Speedway in his Bob Cullen Racing / Thomason Express No. 3s J&J Ventures & Gaming / Longhorn Chassis Super Late Model.
The Illinois native sealed the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series victory by fending off a dramatic last-lap charge from fellow Illinoisan Brandon Sheppard in a race that concluded in the early hours of Sunday morning after a weather delay pushed the finale past midnight.
With the event’s unique format awarding $500 for each lap led, Shirley’s total earnings ballooned to $88,500—his richest payday to date.
“Those last couple laps, I could feel ‘B-Shepp’ down there,” Shirley said. “I just kept telling myself to try and stay up on that wheel. I was so nervous to go down there and try because I had just been running that same line for so long. The good Lord was just letting it just come down to one lap.”
The 35th annual Prairie Dirt Classic weekend began for Shirley and the Bob Cullen Racing team on Wednesday with the FloRacing Night in America event, serving as a tune-up for the crown jewel weekend. Shirley advanced through his heat race and went on to finish 14th in the 50-lap One for the Road preliminary feature.
With showdown features scheduled for Friday, Shirley’s qualifying effort placed him on the second row for one of the night’s 25-lap preliminaries. He muscled past early front-runner Jonathan Davenport on lap 14 and powered to the $3,000 victory.
From the fourth-starting position in Sunday morning's rain-delayed main event, Shirley went on the offensive early, applying heavy pressure on leaders Brandon Sheppard and Hudson O’Neal. He overtook O’Neal for the lead on lap 23 and held the point through multiple cautions. A late-race bid from Sheppard came up just short as Shirley claimed his first Prairie Dirt Classic crown.
The victory marked his 13th career World of Outlaws win and his long-awaited first PDC triumph in 15 attempts. A visibly emotional Shirley dedicated the milestone victory to his wife, who is currently hospitalized.
“This is for my wife, she’s in the hospital right now,” Shirley added. “Luckily, on that day off (Thursday), I got to go up and see her and spend the night with her before we head off to Wisconsin here.”
Shirley’s 100-lap triumph was his third victory of 2025 and his second of the season at the Illinois bullring.
Complete results from the entire Prairie Dirt Classic week can be found at www.FairburySpeedway.com.
Shirley and the Bob Cullen Racing team will rejoin the World of Outlaws on Monday as the tour rolls into Wisconsin, beginning with an event at Wilmot Raceway. The action continues Thursday and Friday with preliminary nights at Cedar Lake Speedway, leading into Saturday’s USA Nationals finale, which offers a massive $100,000 payday to the winner.
Full event details are available at www.WorldofOutlaws.com.
Brian Shirley and Bob Cullen Racing would like to thank all of their marketing partners which include Bob Cullen Racing, Thomason Express LLC, Hoker Trucking LLC, J&J Ventures and Gaming, KBC Graphix, Allgaier Performance, Hoosier Tire Midwest, Inc., Durham Racing Engines, Inc., Ted Brown's Quality Paint and Body Shop, Midwest Sheet Metal Company, Bass Livestock, Longhorn Chassis, VP Racing Fuels, Race Ranch, CHEAP Cars, VG Performance, Swift Springs, ProFabrication, Inc., Bell Helmets, AfterBurner Performance, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
For the latest news and updates on Bob Cullen Racing, visit www.BobCullenRacing.com and www.BrianShirley.com. Fans can also subscribe to the team’s official mailing list at https://pages/BobCullenRacing.
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