WHEATLAND, Mo. — J.C. Morton enjoyed a career night as Lucas Oil Speedway celebrated its annual Casey’s Thursday Night Thunder Kids’ Night at the Races.
Morton, from Springfield, captured his first career Hermitage Lumber Late Model feature victory in the headliner of the program coming just a few minutes after driving his Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod to a feature victory.
While he’s won countless times in his B-Mod over the years, the late model win was special for Morton. He was driving the car for Moon Brothers Racing. Morton held off veteran Justin Wells, the Lucas Oil Speedway run away points leader, for the win
“We’ve been really close,” Morton said. “We’ve had a bunch of seconds. I keep giving Justin a hard time to just let me win, but finally it all came together.”
Other feature winners were Nic Bidinger (Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifieds) and Darrin Schmidt (O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars).Â
A total of 96 cars checked into the pits for the special program.
Shortly after after winning the USRA B-Mod feature, Morton went from his B-Mod straight to the late model and started on the pole in the Late Model feature. He quickly set the pace in the 25-lapper, opening a three-second lead over sixth-starting Cole Wells by lap seven with Justin Wells in third.
Morton’s lead continued to grow, reaching 3.5 seconds by lap 10 before Cole Wells began to whittle into the margin just as Wells started to deal with lapped traffic. Cole Wells cut the gap to 2.1 seconds by lap 15 with Justin Wells another second behind.
Morton was able to push his lead back to three seconds over Justin Wells when the caution appeared on lap 18 when Jason Sivils spun in turn two.Â
After the restart, Morton rode the high side just as he did in the B-Mod feature, to hold a slim lead over Justin Wells who worked the inside. But it was Morton’s night to double down and he held off the six-time 2023 feature winner by .642 seconds at the checkers.
“Man, I watched Justin growing up as a kid and he was kind of an idol,” Morton said. “He is so good and to be able to compete with his is phenomenal. He raced me very clean. I ripped that lip the last time as hard as I could to try and get away.
“I have to thank Larry Moon, Dale Moon and Moon Brothers Racing and all the sponsors on the car. They do all the prep work to get it ready. Without those guys I wouldn’t be in this position.”
Cole Wells finished third with Larry Ferris fourth and Joe Walkenhorst fifth.
Morton pulled off a dramatic victory, with a final-lap pass to edge race-long leader Eric Turner for the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod win.Â
Turner set the pace from his outside front-row starting position, opening a one-second over Ryan Edde by lap five with Logan Smith running third. They remained in that order as the race hit the midpoint with seventh-starting Morton advancing into fourth.
By lap 13, Kris Jackson moved from 16th to fifth, but Turner was still setting the pace comfortably up front as the laps clicked by. The event’s first caution flag few on lap 17 for debris in turn three, taking away Turner’s 1.06-second lead over Eddie.
Morton mounted a charge on the three-lap sprint to the finish and rode the high groove to sail around Turner for the lead and the win in turn four of the final lap. Morton’s margin was .207 seconds while earning his first Lucas Oil Speedway feature win of the season.
Eddie wound up third with Smith fourth and Jackson fifth.
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