SARVER, Pa. — Ricky Thornton Jr. and Jonathan Davenport spilt the 25-lap Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series features on Thursday night at Lernerville Speedway.
Thornton captured the first 25-lap main worth $5,000 for his tenth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of 2024.
Mike Marlar was second followed by Garrett Alberson, Michael Norris and Jimmy Owens.
Thornton received the most pressure during the race from Devin Moran who ran in second from lap nine to lap 22 when he slowed in turn two with a flat right rear tire. His night would come to an end after bringing out the final caution of the race.
Marlar then picked up the second spot and tried valiantly to stay with Thornton but fell 0.555 seconds short at the finish.
Thornton broke a tie for sixth-place with Tim McCreadie on the series’ all-time win list with his 38th victory.
Thornton, who is the reigning Firecracker 100 winner got off to a good for the weekend.
“It was super technical tonight. I felt like getting in both turns the cushion was over the top,” Thornton said. “I am thankful for that first yellow, because Devin drove right around us on the top. I didn’t really know if the bottom or the top was going to be good, and I fired off so good on the bottom and I thought the bottom was going to be really good. When Devin drove by me I think he might have set sail. I think he might have won.”
Marlar, who started fifth moved to second after Moran’s departure and had one last shot at Thornton in a three-lap shootout at the end.
“I knew when he had those three laps in the clean air, I wasn’t going to be able to pass him,” Marlar said. “I hated to see that caution come out, but it was going to be hard to get by him anyway. It was treacherous there on that cushion, it will bite you. I as wanting to run it so bad and after what I seen happen to Devin, I thought man after three or four nights of bad finishes I need to get something going here. I wanted to get it back to the trailer without wrecking.”
Feature Two
Davenport led wire-to-wire in the second 25-lapper also worth $5,000 for his 78th career win with the tour. Chub Frank was second followed by Drake Troutman, Daulton Wilson, and Ross Robinson.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the fourth time this season, Davenport had to wait through several caution flags to get the win.
“We weren’t as good after about the third time when you are hit in the left rear tire on the restarts,” Davenport said. “I don’t know if we bent a shock or whatever we will have to check that out. We were OK last weekend, but we weren’t great. This car performs better than that, so we took this whole thing apart, and we found a few things that just wasn’t right about it. So, we brought it here and obviously it was a lot better. I like the place I just have never been able to figure it out.”
Frank, who was looking for his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win in 18 years, came from the sixth starting spot and stayed in the hunt until the checkers fell coming home runner-up.
“I needed a little more bottom on the track,” Frank said. “He [Davenport] got up on top and that top was a little treacherous, we saw some of those other guys having trouble up there. I ran the top a couple of times on the restart, but there was no way I was staying up there. I have already flipped once this week so there was no reason to go up there. I really like this car and I really don’t want to flip it. I probably just needed a little more bottom to have a chance to run with him. It started drying out pretty bad on the bottom and I just couldn’t get off the corner as good as I could earlier.”
Troutman, who currently holds down the second spot in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year chase rounded out the podium in third.
The finishes:
First Feature: Ricky Thornton Jr., Mike Marlar, Garrett Alberson, Michael Norris, Jimmy Owens, Hudson O’Neal, Tim McCreadie, Spencer Hughes, Max Blair, Mason Zeigler, Ken Schaltenbrand, Jamie Lathroum, Trevor Collins, Levi Yetter, Jared Miley, Michael Dunitsky Jr., Devin Moran, Bo Lockwood, Gary Lyle, John Garvin Jr., Breyton Santee, Alex Ferree, Dan Stone, Brock Pinkerous.
Second Feature: Jonathan Davenport, Chub Frank, Drake Troutman, Daulton Wilson, Ross Robinson, Carson Ferguson, Tyler Wyant, Forrest Trent, Colton Flinner, Clay Harris, Dan Agnelicchio, Jon Lee, Boom Briggs, Cory Lawler, Brenden Smith, Logan Zarin, Ryan Payne, Dennis Fenton, Gregg Satterlee, Bump Hedman, Kyle Lukon, Chad Green, Tyler Dietz, Zachary Kane.