Defending a lead against Kyle Larson is as hard as racing gets. The Hendrick Motorsports star is easily the most versatile driver among the current generation of NASCAR drivers. His credentials on dirt tracks are as good as his Cup Series achievements. Be it Dirt Late Models, Midgets Cars, or Sprint Cars, Larson has excelled in every discipline of dirt racing. His recent maiden win in the Wild West Shootout at the Vado Speedway was a statement about the same.

However, it was just his first win in the tourney. The one who dominated the whole week in New Mexico was former Truck Series driver and reigning World of Outlaws champion, Bobby Pierce. In fact, Pierce had a chance to claim the $100,000 cash bonus for winning all five races, but ended up with a flattened tire that dismantled his pursuit of a fifth win. While some argued that the late contact with Kyle Larson triggered it, Pierce has dismissed the claims with his statement.

Bobby Pierce knows nothing was intentional

After a seamless heat race domination, Larson qualified for the final feature. Hoping to win his first-ever race in the Wild West Shootout, he needed to fend off competition from tough guys like Mike Marlar and Bobby Pierce. With seven laps to the completion of the race, the 2021 Cup Series champion was behind race leader Pierce.

Having won four of the previous Penske Racing Shocks Paydirt Jackpot feature races, Pierce was going all in for the $100,000 cash prize. Kyle Larson‘s #6 late model collided with Pierce’s #32 as the lap turned. This damaged the #32 car’s rear tire, forcing it to the grid’s back. While Larson was apologetic about it and expressed his wish to have competed against #32 until the end, it is what it is for Bobby Pierce.

Speaking to FloRacing, Pierce clarified that Kyle Larson wasn’t at fault for the incident. Claiming his #32 to have worn out through six races, he said, “Six races here, parts fall off the car and get knocked up against the cushion and run it up in there, you know. Sometimes, you’re just the unlucky one.“

“We’ve been pretty lucky and fast all week. At the end of the race, we must have ran something over. Kyle got into me here but that was after my tire was already going flat off the corner. So I was slowing down and nothing either there. Just one of them days, man.”

One of the reasons for the #32 taking extensive tire damage was his team’s choice of tires. Bobby Pierce and Co chose the Hoosier NLMT-4 tire compound for the right rear tire. NLMT-4 is the hardest tire compound possible, and the team prepared it per previous feature races’ needs. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out as he had planned.

As the conversation advanced, Bobby Pierce spoke about how his four wins on previous nights affected him mentally. The 27-year-old commended Kyle Larson for his effort and claimed that he was pretty confident he would win, despite Larson being hot on his heels.

Read More: “Never Thought I’d Hear That Out of a Tough Guy” – NASCAR Veteran Unmasks Dale Sr & Rusty Wallace’s Unrivaled Mental Grit

Bobby Pierce was undeterred by Larson’s challenge

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Kyle Larson’s continuous barrage of overtake attempts can be unsettling for a driver. Like a relentless machine, the 31-year-old keeps going at it lap after lap. His ability is amplified to a certain extent when racing on dirt tracks. At Vado Speedway, Larson tried to do the same again. Not so surprisingly, Pierce wasn’t having much trouble with it.

“Yeah I was pretty confident with around 15-20 laps to go,” claimed the former MB Motorsports driver. “I wasn’t really feeling pressured, and knew Larson was closing in on me. I saw a No.6 on the board at second.”

Speaking about the missed opportunity to pocket a whopping $100,000 and achieve a never-done-before feat at the prestigious Wild West Shootout, Pierce explained, “You know, we would have won that first night out and if we would have been going for 6 tonight, I’d have felt really bad and maybe the insurance company won’t feel too bad now. They don’t lose as much money, so hopefully, they will come back next year and do it again to win all six of them.“

While it was a missed opportunity for Bobby Pierce, the shootout final will definitely go down as one of the most memorable races for him. After all, losing out on a 100 grand is no small matter, is it?

Watch This Story: Kyle Larson claims career first Wild West shootout win at Vado Speedway