The first ever visit by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series to Eagle Raceway did not disappoint. The 1/3-mile’s first national touring late model event in 20 years saw Hudson O’Neal return to Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the first time since February 6.
O’Neal, the reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, took the lead for good on lap 13 from Ricky Thornton Jr. to win the Malvern Bank High Bank Heist worth $10,000. Thornton finished in second followed by Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran, and Tim McCreadie.
O’Neal, who started third snared the lead on the opening lap as polesitter Garrett Alberson drifted high in turn two which opened the door for O’Neal. O’Neal held the point until Thornton charged around him to take over the top spot on lap five.
Thornton, the current LOLMDS points leader, led the way for eight laps until O’Neal passed him back for the lead on lap 13. O’Neal led the rest of the way in a torrid battle amongst the top five drivers who were on the same straightaway at one point contesting for the lead.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 28th time in his career O’Neal stood atop the Big River Steel Podium for the first time since East Bay in February.
“It feels awesome. I don’t know if I breathed the last 15 laps or so. It’s so awesome to be back up here again after everything that I have went through this year with the decisions I have made and other decisions or whatever. Man, it’s just awesome to be back up here and be able to represent all of my guys and SSI Motorsports. Hopefully we can continue to build on it. We will just do the best we can and go and try to win the next one.”
Thornton, who leads the series with 11 wins this year was in the hunt the entire 40 laps falling 1.516 seconds short of his 40th career series win.
“The car was really good. I want to thank everyone with Koehler Motorsports. My crew has been working their tails off. We weren’t exactly sure how this place was going to do. Heck, I thought it raced pretty good and hopefully we get to come back next year. I want to thank all of the fans for coming out to support us. This has been pretty awesome.”
Davenport, who never ran outside of the top four during the race rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third.
“My car was pretty good. It was a lot better than it has been. I haven’t had much racing luck lately. It was a race to get by the 58 car he was a little more on harder tires than us three was. Ricky picked the bottom, and I got him on the restart. I was running the top and then the caution came back out and we switched after the next caution. It just wasn’t our night as far as luck goes. At least we didn’t go backwards tonight.”
O’Neal’s Todd and Vickie Burns, SSI Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Wheeler Metals, Professional Concrete Cutting and Drilling, West Side Tractor Sales, Dyno One Inc., Merrill Bonding Company, Bobcat of Batesville, Bob and Tammy Burton, Indiana USSSA Fast Pitch Softball, Paragon Speedway, O’Neal’s Salvage and Recycling, and Sub-Surface of Indiana.
Completing the top ten were Jimmy Owens, Max Blair, Ross Robinson, Drake Troutman, and Blair Nothdurft.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Malvern Bank Presents High Bank Heist
Monday, July 15, 2024
Eagle Raceway – Eagle, NE
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Garrett Alberson | 13.292 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Boom Briggs | 13.609 seconds
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 4. 157-Mike Marlar[5]; 5. 7D-Dusty Leonard[7]; 6. 35D-Dylan Sillman[6]; 7. 93F-Carson Ferguson[4]; 8. 17SS-Brenden Smith[8]; 9. 45D-Dan Battaglia[9]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 99B-Boom Briggs[2]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 4. 43S-Derrick Stewart[3]; 5. 04-Tad Pospisil[7]; 6. 93-Cory Lawler[4]; 7. 51-Logan Seavey[5]; 8. 6-Clay Harris[9]; 9. 53-Andrew Kosiski[8]
Earnhardt Technologies Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 2. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[1]; 3. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 4. 1-Tim McCreadie[3]; 5. 111-Max Blair[6]; 6. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 7. 7T-Drake Troutman[9]; 8. 6H-Al Humphrey[7]; 9. 10-Junior Coover[8]
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 93F-Carson Ferguson[1]; 2. 7T-Drake Troutman[3]; 3. 51-Logan Seavey[2]; 4. 53-Andrew Kosiski[8]; 5. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 6. 10-Junior Coover[9]; 7. 45D-Dan Battaglia[7]; 8. 6H-Al Humphrey[6]; 9. 17SS-Brenden Smith[4]
Race Statistics
Entrants: 27
Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Garrett Alberson
Lap Leaders: Hudson O’Neal (Laps 1-4); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 5-12); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 13-40)
Wieland Feature Winner: Hudson O’Neal
Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/a
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/a
Margin of Victory: 1.516 seconds
Dave Warren Powersports Cautions: Clay Harris (Lap 1); Daulton Wilson (Lap 21); Mike Marlar (Lap 21 restart); Dylan Sillman (Lap 34); Boom Briggs (Lap 34 restart)
Series Provisionals: Clay Harris; Brenden Smith
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Hudson O’Neal, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jonathan Davenport
Penske Shocks Top 5: Hudson O’Neal, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran, Tim McCreadie
Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Drake Troutman (Advanced 11 Positions)
PEM 4th Place Feature: Devin Moran
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Max Blair
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Logan Seavey
MD3 Most Laps Led: Hudson O’Neal (32 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O’Neal
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Drake Troutman
Coltman Farms Fastest Lap of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 5 | 13.770 seconds)
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Hudson O’Neal
Miller Welders Hard Luck Award: Daulton Wilson
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Anthony Burroughs (Hudson O’Neal)
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (14.1368 seconds)
Time of Race: 23 minutes 06 seconds
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series PR
