WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa — It was finally Garrett Alberson’s night on Thursday at 34 Raceway.
The Las Cruces, New Mexico native won his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event of the season.
Alberson, who entered the event leading in most feature laps this season without a win, earned $15,000 for his second series victory.
Alberson led the first 35 laps of the race and the final four as he held off Hudson O’Neal and Brandon Overton for the victory. Jonathan Davenport finished fourth and regained the championship points lead from Ricky Thornton, Jr., who failed to finish the race. Carson Ferguson rounded out the top five.
Alberson, who led 39 laps, fell to third with 10 laps remaining but rallied using the top side of the race track to go from third to first in the final five laps of the race.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the first time since winning at Port Royal in August of 2024, Alberson came home with the win in dramatic fashion.
“That was a crazy race right there,” Alberson said. “You know, we went hard on tires, and on some of those restarts, the track kept hacking. At first, I thought it was going to go our way, and then later I started skating around a little bit, and it was a little dirty here and there. It was like that last run we actually cleaned it up on the top and got that right rear going, and we just never quit.”
O’Neal, who won the last series race at Muskingum County on July 5, came from 11th to claim the runner-up spot.
“We raced all over this thing, from wall-to-wall and uke tire to uke tire,” O’Neal said. “Man, 34 put on a show tonight. I really feel like I had something there. I was rolling on Brandon (Overton) and he went down there to protect and he kind of just shut it down on that bottom. Then I heard a motor firing up there outside of me and I thought oh no and then we got to the center of the corner, and I saw the white nose and I figured it was Garrett. He (Alberson) made a great move he just kind of took advantage of Brandon trying to protect a little bit and he was able to make the winning move.”
Overton, who led 11 laps, rounded out the podium.
“I zigged when I should have zagged, I guess. Hats off to the race track, man that was an awesome race. You could go wherever you wanted to. I seen Hudson and I’m like man just get down and kind of block him and run back to the top and as soon as I moved down, I stalled out and I saw Garrett come around me. I didn’t know he was still there. It is what it is. We have been struggling, but we’re all working together, tonight I feel like was a big step. I am always on Burroughs, and I’m doing this and doing that; we are still learning each other. It has taken us a lot longer than we wanted to, but that’s alright, we are just going to keep working.”
The finish:
Garrett Alberson, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Jonathan Davenport, Carson Ferguson, Chad Simpson, Daniel Hilsabeck, Tyler Bruening, Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Daulton Wilson, Clay Stuckey, Derrick Stewart, Donald McIntosh, Gordy Gundaker, Trevor Gundaker, Spencer Hughes, Cory Lawler, Chevy Boyer, Ricky Thornton Jr., Dan Ebert, Rickey Frankel, Tim Simpson, Matt Furman, Clay Harris, Chris Simpson.
