Ricky Thornton Jr. will be back on the road with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2024, chasing his first championship on the national tour.
This past season, the dirt late model driver wheeled his way to 19 victories with the Lucas Oil Late Models — a staggering new record for the series. However, despite his impressive run, Thornton finished third in the standings after a struggle-ridden season finale.
He pocketed $125,000 for his third-place points finish.
“We’re gonna take it to the Lucas Oil Late Model series again, full time with our late model stuff,” Thornton told SPEED SPORT during the Gateway Dirt Nationals. “We’ll still bounce around a little bit, kind of run everything else, but for the majority of it, it’ll be late model stuff.”
He will pilot a midget for Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports at the Chili Bowl Nationals in January and also expects to run his micro sprint about 10 times next year. But even with all the extracurriculars, the Arizona native’s primary focus is on one thing.
“Our goal is to try to win the (Lucas Oil) championship,” Thornton confessed. “We came really close this year and ended up third, so hopefully we can be a little better.”
What series is Ricky Thornton Jr. running in 2024? Here's an exclusive from the Gateway Dirt Nationals 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/Bp3QRUmTsI
— SPEED SPORT (@SPEEDSPORT) December 18, 2023
Ahead of the Lucas Oil Late Model Series season finale at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway, Thornton had a 530-point lead over Hudson O’Neal.
Due to the “Chase for the Championship” format employed by the Lucas Oil Late Model series this year, the top four drivers in the standings had their points reset for the final race — the $100,000-to-win Dirt Track World Championship on Oct. 22.
Thornton sustained damage early in the 100-lap feature, relegating him to an eighth-place effort, while title rivals O’Neal and Devin Moran finished ahead of the No. 20rt machine.
O’Neal claimed the championship.
Notably, next season, the “Chase for the Championship” format has been altered from a one-race playoff to a seven-race playoff stretch for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
Since his championship loss, Thornton soldiered on to score two World of Outlaws Late Model Series victories at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, as well as a preliminary victory at the Gateway Dirt Nationals.
He has won 40 features this season.