(RURAL RETREAT, VIRGINIA) Hudson O’Neal, of Martinsville, Indiana, etched his name into the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series record books on Friday night at Wythe Raceway by becoming the 47th different feature winner with the tour! Hudson stopped the clock second quickest overall during the qualifying session prior to securing a heat race triumph. After rolling off from the outside of the front row in the 40-lap main event, Hudson led the opening circuit of the contest before giving way to fourth-starting Chris Ferguson.
Ferguson then led up until the halfway mark when his #22 machine stripped the oil pump drive spud and lost all power. Hudson regained the point – due to Fergy’s demise – on the twentieth lap and never looked back on his way to collecting the $10,053 first place prize money. Fast timer and fellow heat race winner Chris Madden finished in the runner-up spot – 1.594 seconds behind O’Neal at the checkers. Fifteenth-starting Matthew Nance rallied up through the field to round out the podium in third. Benji Hicks was strong all night in finishing fourth, while twelfth-starting Kennie Compton passed seven competitors to nab the final position inside of the top five.
“It was probably going to be Chris Ferguson’s race to lose,” quoted the winning O’Neal in victory lane at the sprawling Rural Retreat, Virginia speedplant. “I messed up down there and let him get by me. I don’t know that I would ever have gotten back by him in lapped traffic or anything because he was pretty good and balanced. He could go wherever he wanted to. So, it is a heartbreak for him, but we had to be there and we had to put ourselves in position to be able to capitalize on his misfortune.”
Hudson O’Neal piloted a #6 Longhorn Chassis for K&L Rumley Enterprises with sponsorship in part from D&E Marine, Senior Life Insurance Company, Rumley Engineering, Mesilla Valley Transportation, American Racing Wheels, Sub Surface of Indiana, Longhorn Dynamics, Ohlins Shocks, Wheeler Metals, Sunoco Race Fuels, and Mark 4 of Wytheville, VA.
A total of 17 Super Late Model competitors were in the infield pit area on Friday for the fifth round of Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing and fueled by Sunoco competition. Chris Madden topped the speed chart in both MRP Fantasy Racing hot laps and FK Rod Ends qualifying prior to Madden and O’Neal winning the pair of heat races. The 40-lapper was slowed by only three caution flags – all of which were for flat right rear tires.
The Easter weekend triple shot for the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series will conclude in a big way on Saturday, April 4 with the 6th Annual Lil’ Bill Corum Memorial at the bad-fast Tazewell Speedway. Joining the Super Late Models, who will be competing for a $21,000 winner’s check, on the racing card at “The Taz” will be the Sportsman ($1,000 to win), Street Stock ($600 to win), and Classic Car ($600 to win) divisions. The pit area will open up at 2:00pm, while the hillside grandstand will open at 4:00pm. The drivers meeting will get underway at 5:00pm and hot laps will take to the high banks starting at 5:45pm.
Grandstand admission into this great event is $30.00, while children ages 9 and under will be admitted for FREE. A pit pass will be $45.00 for adults and $35.00 for kids ages 12 and under. Tazewell Speedway is located at 1400 Bacchus Road in Tazewell, Tennessee and additional information on the Lil’ Bill Corum Memorial can be accessed by logging onto www.tazewellspeedway.net.
Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing
Round 5 Race Summary
Friday, April 3, 2026
Wythe Raceway – Rural Retreat, Virginia
Schaeffer’s Oil Feature Finish (40 Laps):
1. (2) Hudson O’Neal $10,053
2. (1) Chris Madden $5,000
3. (15) Matthew Nance $3,000
4. (3) Benji Hicks $2,000
5. (12) Kennie Compton $1,500
6. (7) Garrett Smith $1,000
7. (9) Ben Watkins $800
8. (5) Michael Leach $700
9. (8) Kaede Loudy $675
10. (14) Sam Seawright $650
11. (11) Wil Herrington $625
12. (6) Brandon Overton $600
13. (13) Luke Morey $575
14. (10) Beckham Malone $550
15. (4) Chris Ferguson $525
16. (16) Matthew Porter $500
17. (17) Larry Blankenship DNS
Entries: 17
Lap Leaders: Hudson O’Neal (Lap 1), Chris Ferguson (Laps 2-19), Hudson O’Neal (Laps 20-40)
Caution Flags: 3
Deatherage Opticians 4th Place Finisher ($50.00 Product Certificate): Benji Hicks
Deatherage Opticians 13th Place Finisher ($50.00 Product Certificate): Luke Morey
MRP Fantasy Racing Hot Laps:
Fastest Lap Overall: Chris Madden 15.559
FK Rod Ends Time Trials:
Fast Time Overall: Chris Madden 15.772
Qualifying Results: 1. 44-Chris Madden, 15.772[14]; 2. 6-Hudson O’Neal, 16.003[4]; 3. 09-Michael Leach, 16.018[1]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton, 16.020[3]; 5. 49-Luke Morey, 16.052[2]; 6. 22-Chris Ferguson, 16.138[9]; 7. 55-Benji Hicks, 16.150[10]; 8. 126-Kaede Loudy, 16.153[16]; 9. 16W-Ben Watkins, 16.187[6]; 10. 23-Beckham Malone, 16.262[17]; 11. 10-Garrett Smith, 16.438[15]; 12. 10C-Kennie Compton, 16.472[7]; 13. 13-Wil Herrington, 16.649[12]; 14. 16-Sam Seawright, 16.650[8]; 15. 4-Matthew Nance, 16.774[13]; 16. 19P-Matthew Porter, 16.901[5]; 17. (DNS) 32-Larry Blankenship
Sunoco Race Fuels Heat #1 Finish (All Cars Transfer): 1. 44-Chris Madden[1]; 2. 55-Benji Hicks[4]; 3. 09-Michael Leach[2]; 4. 10-Garrett Smith[6]; 5. 16W-Ben Watkins[5]; 6. 13-Wil Herrington[7]; 7. 49-Luke Morey[3]; 8. 4-Matthew Nance[8]
American Racer South Heat #2 Finish (All Cars Transfer): 1. 6-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 22-Chris Ferguson[3]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 4. 126-Kaede Loudy[4]; 5. 23-Beckham Malone[5]; 6. 10C-Kennie Compton[6]; 7. 16-Sam Seawright[7]; 8. 19P-Matthew Porter[8]
Current Spring Nationals Series Point Standings:
1. Garrett Smith – 980
2. Tucker Anderson – 790
3. Brandon Overton – 724
4. Kendall Franklin – 586
5. Ben Watkins – 528
6. Will Hicks – 488
7. Payton Freeman – 461
8. Chris Madden – 396
9. Hudson O’Neal – 396
10. Zack Mitchell – 390
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