EAGLE, Neb. — The first visit by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series to Eagle Raceway did not disappoint.
The third-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 Feb. 6.
O’Neal, the reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion, took the lead on lap 13 from Ricky Thornton Jr. to win the Malvern Bank High Bank Heist worth $10,000.
Thornton finished 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 on lap 13. O’Neal led the rest of the way in a torrid battle among the top five drivers who were on the same straightaway at one point contesting for the lead.
“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,” O’Neal said. “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 series win.
“The car was really good. I want to thank everyone with Koehler Motorsports,” he said. “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, rounded out the podium.
“My car was pretty good. It was a lot better than it has been,” Davenport said. “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.”
The finish:
Hudson O’Neal, Ricky Thornton Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran, Tim McCreadie, Jimmy Owens, Max Blair, Ross Robinson, Drake Troutman, Blair Nothdurft, Garrett Alberson, Tad Pospisil, Logan Seavey, Carson Ferguson, Boom Briggs, Cory Lawler, Derrick Stewart, Clay Harris, Brenden Smith, Dylan Sillman, Mike Marlar, Daulton Wilson, Andrew Kosiski, Dusty Leonard.