BRANDON, S.D. — Hudson O’Neal won his first Silver Dollar Nationals presented by MyRacePass on Saturday night at Huset’s Speedway.
O’Neal earned $75,000 in the richest first-place prize in the 15-year history of the event. His father, Don, won the inaugural race in 2011 at the now-closed I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb.
O’Neal led all 67 completed laps of the originally scheduled 80 laps and was declared the winner after officials called the race due to rain that fell over the track and became too intense to continue.
The race was then declared official shortly thereafter.
Brandon Shappard, who took the second spot on lap 55 from Jonathan Davenport, finished in second, followed by Bobby Pierce, Davenport and Ricky Thornton, Jr.
The 2023 Series Champion picked up the second most significant win of his career, second only to a $100,000 payday at Kokomo Speedway in 2023, as he became the 11th different winner of the Silver Dollar Nationals.
“This is unbelievable. You know, to be a race car driver is something you always dream of — to be in a position to win big races, to win crown jewel races,” O’Neal said. “The Silver Dollar Nationals – I have never won it before; my dad won the inaugural one back at I-80. It’s so cool to be standing here at Huset’s Speedway and call myself a Silver Dollar Nationals winner. I am about speechless.”
Sheppard, who was attempting to equal Davenport’s event record with three Silver Dollar Nationals wins, finished as the runner-up for the second straight night, earning $25,000.
“I don’t know if we would have gone back to green, it would have changed anything,” Sheppard said. “Hudson was really good, and we all know how important it is to get out front at this place; especially because you can build momentum so well here, it makes it really hard to pass the leader for sure.”
Pierce who won the Silver Dollar Nationals in 2019 rounded out the podium.
“It is what it is. Hudson ran a really good race, congrats to him. Congrats to Brandon, and I don’t know if 13 laps would have changed anything. It was follow the leader forever, and then the track finally got good, and then came the rain.”
Zach Olivier won the street stock feature.
The finish:
Feature (80 Laps): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal (1); 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard (3); 3. 32-Bobby Pierce (6); 4. 49-Jonathan Davenport (4); 5. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr (5); 6. 58-Garrett Alberson (2); 7. 60-Dan Ebert (20); 8. 76-Brandon Overton (19); 9. 28-Dennis Erb Jr (8); 10. 99-Devin Moran (12); 11. 19M-Spencer Hughes (18); 12. 1T-Tyler Erb (7); 13. 79-Donald McIntosh (9); 14. 18D-Daulton Wilson (16); 15. 6-Clay Harris (21); 16. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck (11); 17. 76N-Blair Nothdurft (22); 18. 3S-Brian Shirley (10); 19. 93L-Cory Lawler (23); 20. 17SS-Brenden Smith (24); 21. 74X-Ethan Dotson (17); 22. 93-Carson Ferguson (14); 23. 22*-Drake Troutman (13); 24. 01J-Jacob Hobscheidt (15).
