FAIRBURY, Ill. — Hudson O’Neal bested a talent laden field of 73 super late models to score the FloRacing Night in America feature win on Wednesday night at Fairbury Speedway in the One for the Road presented by I-Beam Sliding Doors.
In a race that saw three different leaders, it was O’Neal who surged back past Shannon Babby to take the lead for good on lap 37 to register the win in the K&L Rumley Enterprises No. 6.
“It was a really good race, had a really good race car. I could roll that middle really, really good and think, maybe, I just tried to live by that middle just a little bit too long and that let (Shannon) Babb slip under me,” O’Neal said. “I knew I wasn’t gonna pass him back on the bottom, so it was time to go to the top and get some of the cushion.”
From the pole, Shannon Babb led the first nine circuits before Josh Rice rocketed past for the lead on lap 10. Babb retook the top spot on lap 16 and would pace the field until lap 22 when O’Neal took his turn at the front.
Babb was not content to fade into the night, leading laps 34-36 before O’Neal used the high groove on lap 37 to get to the lead and ultimately the win.
Tyler Erb looked to be a contender for the win before contact from Josh Rice on lap 29 sent him spinning from contention on the front stretch.
O’Neal, Rice, and Babb were followed across the finish line by Jason Feger and Brandon Sheppard.
O’Neal earned $20,000 for the victory.
The finish:
Feature (50 Laps): 1. 6-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 2. 11R-Josh Rice[2]; 3. 18-Shannon Babb[1]; 4. 25-Jason Feger[4]; 5. 1-Brandon Sheppard[8]; 6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[16]; 7. 99-Devin Moran[6]; 8. 24-Ryan Unzicker[19]; 9. 32-Bobby Pierce[24]; 10. 74X-Ethan Dotson[18]; 11. 60-Dan Ebert[10]; 12. 9-Nick Hoffman[9]; 13. 58V-Daulton Wilson[11]; 14. 40B-Kyle Bronson[28]; 15. 18J-Chase Junghans[21]; 16. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[14]; 17. 45-Kyle Hammer[17]; 18. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[13]; 19. 15-Justin Duty[27]; 20. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[7]; 21. 6H-Clay Harris[23]; 22. 99A-Garrett Alberson[25]; 23. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 24. 17SR-Brody Smith[12]; 25. 13X-Dallon Murty[20]; 26. 09-Michael Leach[26]; 27. 3S-Brian Shirley[15]; 28. 19R-Ryan Gustin[22]
