Dillon McCowan scored the biggest victory of his racing career in front of his hometown crowd Friday night at Lucas Oil Speedway, capturing the inaugural Salute to Forrest Lucas and earning his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory.
The two-time Lucas Oil Speedway Modified track champion, who grew up racing at the Wheatland facility, became the 95th different winner in series history. McCowan collected the $15,000 winner’s purse along with an additional $1,000 bonus from Steering Buddy.
McCowan took the lead on lap 29 from fellow O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year contender Josh Rice and pulled away over the closing laps to win by 2.104 seconds. Rice finished second, while Jonathan Davenport completed the Big River Steel Podium in third.
Chase Junghans finished fourth, followed by Hudson O’Neal in fifth. O’Neal’s fifth-place finish, combined with Brandon Sheppard’s 16th-place result after entering the night as the series points leader, leaves the two drivers tied atop the championship standings heading into Saturday night’s CMH Diamond Nationals finale.
McCowan, a native of Urbana, Missouri, became the race’s third different leader before celebrating an emotional victory lane interview in front of a cheering hometown crowd.
“I have tried my whole life to do this right here. It’s the only thing I ever wanted in my life, to win a Lucas Oil feature over here. I used to sit right up there in those stands and watch every feature every Saturday night. I honestly can’t put it into words. This is unreal,” said the 22-year-old, who lives approximately 20 minutes from Lucas Oil Speedway.
“I joked with my dad that we just may retire if we ever win one of these things over here. I can’t explain it. Nobody knows the hours we spend in the shop or what we have overcome to get here. I can’t thank everybody enough. My mom and dad have sacrificed so much for us to be out here on the road, and for my dad to be with me. This is a dream come true.”
McCowan admitted the closing laps were anything but comfortable.
“I could tell my right rear was getting hot. I started to feel a heck of a vibration. I took the lead, and when I saw there were five laps to go, I said, ‘The heck with it, we’ll burn it down.’ This place has been my rock. We’ve been coming over here every Saturday night since I was 15 years old trying to win these feature races. It’s such a blessing to race at such a beautiful facility and for everything the Lucas family has done for this place and for motorsports in general.”
Rice, who won the Cowboy Classic at Lucas Oil Speedway in May, led a race-high 23 laps after taking the lead from Davenport on lap five. Contact with the wall in turns three and four ultimately cost him the lead.
“I remember my first Lucas Oil win at Florence, so it was pretty cool to see him (McCowan) win that. I slid up there and thought I barely hit the fence, but I guess my spoiler caught the catch fence just right. I knew he was right there. I wish we could have raced it out because he did a heck of a job. He stayed right there the whole time and pressured me just enough that I got into the fence. That’s just part of it, I guess. It’s cool for us to run second, but obviously you want to win.”
Davenport, who led the opening five laps, challenged Rice for second during the closing stages but settled for third.
“No doubt these young guys are tough to run with. Congratulations to McCowan. That’s awesome. Getting your first win here when you’re from this area makes it even more special. I guess I just wasn’t driving hard enough. We all had the same tire, and I felt like my car was pretty decent. I ran the top one lap before that caution came out, and it was a little slimy up there. I stayed on the bottom too long. I just didn’t move to the top quickly enough, and after that I was just trying to keep pace with them.”
The winning Longhorn Chassis, owned by Charles McCowan, is powered by a Scott Bailey Racing Engine and sponsored by Midwest Sheet Metal, BLC Transportation, Sonic America’s Drive-In, Empire Energy, Pomeroy Services, and Mel Hambleton Ford.
Completing the top 10 were Garrett Alberson, Brandon Overton, Brian Shirley, Tyler Bruening, and Daniel Hillsabeck.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Salute to Forrest
Friday, July 10, 2026
Lucas Oil Speedway | Wheatland, MO
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport | 14.922 seconds (Overall)
Fast Time Group B: Josh Rice | 15.090 seconds
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 5. 58-Garrett Alberson[8]; 6. 99-Devin Moran[6]; 7. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[3]; 8. 3J-Jake Nightingale[7]; 9. 7J-Ryan Johnson[9]; 10. 8K-Tyler Kuykendall[10]; 11. 15L-Payton Looney[11]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 8-Dillon McCowan[1]; 2. 18J-Chase Junghans[2]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 4. 21-Billy Moyer Sr[3]; 5. 93O-Mason Oberkramer[10]; 6. 17SR-Brody Smith[4]; 7. 3W-Brennon Willard[7]; 8. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 9. 17A-Austin Howes[9]; 10. 13-Dallon Murty[6]
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 11-Josh Rice[1]; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 4. 111-Max Blair[4]; 5. 60-Dan Ebert[6]; 6. 4W-Tyler Wolff[5]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 8. 24C-Brandon Conkwright[11]; 9. 50-Kayden Clatt[7]; 10. 7D-Dusty Leonard[8]; 11. (DNS) 44-Cole Wells
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 4. 15-Clay Stuckey[6]; 5. 17SS-Brenden Smith[8]; 6. 1X-Aaron Marrant[5]; 7. 98-Justin Wells[4]; 8. 96X-Dalton Imhoff[9]; 9. 25B-Chevy Boyer[11]; 10. 53-Andrew Kosiski[7]; 11. 0X-Jason Sivils[10]
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 93O-Mason Oberkramer[2]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 4. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[5]; 5. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 6. 17SR-Brody Smith[4]; 7. 3W-Brennon Willard[6]; 8. 15L-Payton Looney[13]; 9. 8K-Tyler Kuykendall[11]; 10. 7J-Ryan Johnson[9]; 11. 17A-Austin Howes[10]; 12. 3J-Jake Nightingale[7]; 13. (DNS) 13-Dallon Murty
UNOH B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 2. 17SS-Brenden Smith[2]; 3. 4W-Tyler Wolff[3]; 4. 1X-Aaron Marrant[4]; 5. 24C-Brandon Conkwright[7]; 6. 93L-Cory Lawler[5]; 7. 98-Justin Wells[6]; 8. 53-Andrew Kosiski[12]; 9. 96X-Dalton Imhoff[8]; 10. 0X-Jason Sivils[14]; 11. (DNS) 50-Kayden Clatt; 12. (DNS) 25B-Chevy Boyer; 13. (DNS) 7D-Dusty Leonard; 14. (DNS) 44-Cole Wells
Salute to Forrest | Feature Finish (40 Laps):
Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings
1 – 3 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $16,100
2 – 2 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $7,000
3 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $5,000
4 – 7 – 18J – Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS – $4,000
5 – 11 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,000
6 – 17 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $2,500
7 – 10 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $2,400
8 – 4 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $2,300
9 – 6 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $2,200
10 – 5 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $2,100
11 – 8 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,000
12 – 14 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,800
13 – 23 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $1,600
14 – 9 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $1,500
15 – 21 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $1,400
16 – 12 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $1,400
17 – 13 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $1,200
18 – 19 – 93O – Mason Oberkramer – Broseley, MO – $1,100
19 – 15 – 21 – Billy Moyer Sr – Batesville, AR – $1,000
20 – 18 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $1,000
21 – 16 – 15 – Clay Stuckey – Shreveport, LA – $1,000
22 – 22 – 4W – Tyler Wolff – Fayetteville, AR – $1,000
23 – 24 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $1,000
24 – 20 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $1,000
Race Statistics
Entrants: 43
Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Jonathan Davenport
MD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-5); Josh Rice (Laps 6-28); Dillon McCowan (Laps 29-40)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Josh Rice
Wieland Feature Winner: Dillon McCowan
Margin of Victory: 2.104 seconds
Hellraizer Jacks Cautions: Brandon Sheppard (Lap 2)
MyRacePass Series Provisional: Clay Harris; Cory Lawler
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Dillon McCowan, Josh Rice, Jonathan Davenport
Penske Shocks Top 5: Dillon McCowan, Josh Rice, Jonathan Davenport, Chase Junghans, Hudson O’Neal
Behrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Dillon McCowan, Josh Rice, Jonathan Davenport
PEM 4th Place Feature: Chase Junghans
Diversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Hudson O’Neal
Wilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Brandon Overton
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Carson Ferguson
Velocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Clay Harris
XS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Devin Moran
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Garrett Alberson (Advanced 11 positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Josh Rice (23 Laps)
Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Josh Rice
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon Sheppard
O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Dillon McCowan
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Josh Rice | Lap 3 | 15.712 seconds
FK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Brandon Sheppard
Victory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Josh Rice
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Riley Duncan
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Scott Bailey Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Dan Ebert | 15.0907 seconds
Time of Race: 13 minutes 24 seconds
Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:
Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings
1 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 4735 – $205,500
2 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 4735 – $196,750
3 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 4605 – $258,924
4 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 4370 – $102,100
5 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 4315 – $114,475
6 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 4200 – $125,225
7 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 4070 – $84,625
8 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 3995 – $81,975
9 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 3980 – $71,750
10 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 3845 – $62,575
11 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 3810 – $64,500
12 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 3805 – $75,550
13 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 3600 – $61,250
14 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 3530 – $62,400
15 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 3255 – $45,175
16 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 3035 – $35,925
17 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 2855 – $25,175
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