June 13, 2009
I finally got an interview with Bob Pierce !!!!! and it was well worth it..
Bob Pierce is 57 years old and lives in Oakwood, Illinois with his wife Angie and children Ciara and Bobby,jr..
Bob as everyone knows is called "The Tall Cool One" as his son is called the "Short Cool One"..
He started racing late model at age 17...
His first year he raced someone elses car but the following year he built his own..
he told me in 1992 he raced a sprint five times... he liked the late model better...
Bob claimed Vermillion County Speedway as his hometrack... His favorite tracks to run were West Plains,Mo; Florence Co Speedway in Ky; Eldora and Brownstown, Indiana..
Bob raced several different late model chassi's during his racing career including Rayburn, Warrior, Larry Shaw and Masterbilt...
His #32 .............he told me that when he was a kid his Uncle Harold Yenk raced sprints.... raced them for fifteen years....He quit racing them when he was nine...
That was the number he used so it was handed down to Bob...now it has been passed on to Bobby,Jr...
His Uncle Yenk is what inspired him to start racing...
Bob told me that he has been building modified chassi's for fifteen years and late model chassi's for four years.... He said it got to be a handful when he was racing and building cars... unfortunately for us he retired .... Bob is never to far from a race track though and now that Bobby at twelve is racing a crate late model we know he is in for the long haul..........
The driver that Bob most admires is RANDY SILVERNESS
When asked who his toughest competitors were he said two of the toughest were SCOTT BLOOMQUIST AND BILLY MOYER.. but added it was never just one guy...he said he always tried to beat himself...said you need to race your own race and it will come to you....
To be a good driver Bob said you need CONCENTRATION....... you have to stay focused.....said you have to be hard on yourself.....also added that anyone can race a muddy track...when it is slick and smooth thats where the racing is... says you need to work on your style..get to know your car...
A goal for Bob was to win the World 100.....although he never earned that award he did several others...and also led at the World 100 once........he just may be a Crew Chief for another Pierce that may earn that title one day..
Bob said he preferred to run the high side in his early days but in big races and later in his career would race the bottom....
He did like running a dry slick track.....
Bob...thankyou so much for interview... you have so much knowledge and so many stories to share.... wish I could catch you sometime when I had my recorder and just let you talk.... I just hope I did you justice with the interview... Again...thanks so much for making time for me..... much appreciated..
CJ
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