Wrecking your primary race car on the opening night of a crown jewel short-track event is a daunting challenge to overcome. But that is exactly what Hudson O’Neal did to win the 21st Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway.
O’Neal was involved in an accident Thursday at the famed half-mile track that saw his No. 71 late model destroyed after flipping high into the air. After shaking down his new mount on Friday, O’Neal started Saturday night’s 75-lap event in 15th.
Blasting toward the front of the field, O’Neal grabbed the lead on 55, lost it a lap later and regained it a lap after that. From there, it was over as he wheeled to a $75,000 triumph, and along with his dad, Don, who won the race in 2011, became the first father-and-son duo to win the late model crown jewel race at the track known as the Sprint Car Capitol of the World.
