The driver that swept through last year’s Sunoco North-South 100 action at Florence Speedway with three consecutive Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series wins won’t be sweeping this year’s crown jewel weekend, but Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., was a single position shy of Thursday’s second semifeature victory in an eventful 25-lapper that saw him fall back as far as 18th.

It’s not too often the best drivers in Sprint Car and Dirt Late Model racing compete together on the same nightly program.

Winning Thursday night’s 25-lap preliminary feature to kick off the Castrol Gateway Dirt Nationals certainly excited Nick Hoffman. But it didn’t satisfy him.

As Nick Hoffman stood amid dozens of closed, parked trailers in the quiet convention center pit area of The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Mo., on Wednesday night, he wistfully thought of the Castrol Gateway Dirt Nationals that would begin in less than 24 hours.