BEATRICE, Neb. — After a lifetime around the sport, Johnny Thomas got an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Thomas made the most of that offer, to drive a Dillon Richards-built Mach-1 Sport Compact, and raced to rookie of the year honors in the 4-cylinder class and a runner-up finish in national standings, second only to Richards’ wife Kaylee.
“Two feature wins was my goal. I just wanted to have fun and see what happened,” said Thomas, who had made just a handful of starts in the Richards-built ride in 2023. “I went out to have a little fun and everything turned out pretty good really quick.”
“When someone like Dillon makes you an offer like that, you can’t say no, especially when you already love the sport,” added Thomas, who dates Richards’ aunt Michelle Moore. “I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d get to race a car, let alone have the success I did this year.”
He totaled 10 feature wins and 30 top five finishes in his 42 starts, along with track championships at hometown Beatrice Speedway and Park Jefferson Speedway.
“I’d never raced before but I’ve been around it my entire life. I grew up with Adam Gullion and Jordan Grabouski and I was going someplace with somebody all the time” helping crew,” said Thomas, whose mother Beverly would run the gas in a crazy cruiser at Beatrice on occasion. “I just enjoyed being around racing, but being able to do it was a whole different ballgame.”
Sold on the class running a limited schedule last year, he ran with a tribute on his hood to friend Travis Sand, who passed away in February, and started 2024 following the early season specials circuit.
He got his first win on opening night April 12 at Junction Motor Speedway and the first of what would become five wins at Beatrice on May 3.
“Just getting to race was a highlight and I was just lucky to be able to do that – it’s still all surreal – but if I had to pick one race as a highlight it was my first win at Beatrice,” he said. “In all the years I was going to Beatrice I never saw myself winning the track championship there, so that was pretty special.”
His final win of the season came on opening night of Shelby County Speedway’s Tiny Lund Memorial, despite a broken safety hub, an issue that reappeared the next night at Harlan and relegated him to a still respectable second place finish.
“I’ve tried to implement what I’ve learned from all the talent I’ve been around, watching and listening to what they’ve done and said, and tried to put that on the track myself without getting overwhelmed by what’s going on,” said Thomas. “I know the names I’m racing against but not enough to let it bother me. That can get into your head. I’ve learned that you’ve got to stay grounded and try to be smooth in each corner and put your race together.”
A big fan of the division’s economics, and of having Richards’ racing knowledge at his disposal, Thomas will follow son Braxton’s athletic and band activities before getting back in a Sport Compact in 2025.