Ricky Thornton Jr. tracked down race-long leader Hudson O’Neal and made the winning pass on lap 41, then held on to capture his second Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing victory of the season Friday night at Circle City Raceway.

Thornton’s 58th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win earned him $15,000 in the Series’ second-ever visit to the Indianapolis facility. O’Neal finished second, with Max Blair rounding out the Big River Steel podium in third. Mike Marlar finished fourth, followed by Devin Moran in fifth.

Starting sixth, Thornton now moves into a tie with Brandon Sheppard for fourth in the championship standings heading into Saturday’s event at Florence Speedway.

“I felt like we had a really good car all night, but I just couldn’t quite get it going early. In the feature, everything came together,” said the Chandler, Arizona native. “Watching midget and sprint car races here, you know how technical the top can be and that the bottom will eventually come in. Max (Blair) was strong down there, and after that caution, when Marlar chose the bottom, I knew I had to make my move.”

“I got by Max on the restart, and once I cleared Mikey (Marlar), I felt like I had a shot at Hudson. I knew it might take lapped traffic to slow him down, and it worked out for us.”

With his runner-up finish, O’Neal is now tied with Moran for the championship points lead heading into the Ralph Latham Memorial at Florence Speedway.

“It was probably better not to be the leader at the end,” O’Neal said. “Ricky was really good late in the race. He probably saved his tires better than I did and was able to move around more. When you’re leading, you’re kind of stuck picking a lane and hoping it holds. No excuses—we’re happy to finish second, even though it’s tough to lead that long and get passed late.”

Blair continued his strong run, recording his ninth consecutive top five finish.

“The restart where Ricky got by me actually helped me a bit,” Blair said. “I knew once Marlar picked the bottom on that last restart, it was going to be tough to hold those guys off. It was a lot of fun racing with Ricky for as long as we did.”

Thornton’s winning Koehler Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and backed by Hoker Trucking, Knight’s Companies, Coltman Farms Racing, Capital Waste, Strange Oval, Certified Inspection Services, Sunoco Race Fuels, and SI Towing and Recovery.

Completing the top ten were Dan Ebert, Josh Rice, Brandon Sheppard, Brandon Overton, and Carson Ferguson.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 

Race Summary 

Friday, May 1, 2026

Circle City Raceway | Indianapolis, IN

Allstar Performance Time Trials

Fast Time: Mike Marlar | 12.073 seconds

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 157-Mike Marlar[1]; 2. 111-Max Blair[4]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 4. 11-Josh Rice[5]; 5. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 6. 4G-Kody Evans[6]; 7. 44-Dave Hess Jr[7]; 8. 8-Dillon McCowan[8]; 9. 317-Blake Creech[9]

Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 4. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 5. 12J-Jason Jameson[5]; 6. P3-Steve Peeden[6]; 7. 59-Dillard Hatchett[7]; 8. 4-Cody Mahoney[9]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[8]

Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[2]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 3. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[3]; 4. 93L-Cory Lawler[4]; 5. 58-Garrett Alberson[5]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 7. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 8. 19M-Brenden Smith[7]

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer):1. 44-Dave Hess Jr[1]; 2. 59-Dillard Hatchett[2]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[4]; 4. 19M-Brenden Smith[6]; 5. 6-Clay Harris[3]; 6. 4-Cody Mahoney[5]; 7. C4-Freddie Carpenter[8]; 8. (DNS) 317-Blake Creech

Feature Finish (50 Laps):

Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings

1 – 6 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $16,300

2 – 2 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $8,300

3 – 4 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $5,900

4 – 1 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – $4,000

5 – 3 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $4,400

6 – 5 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $3,400

7 – 10 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $3,300

8 – 7 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $3,200

9 – 13 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $3,100

10 – 11 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $3,000

11 – 18 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $2,900

12 – 8 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,700

13 – 15 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $2,500

14 – 9 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,500

15 – 12 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $1,400

16 – 21 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $2,200

17 – 24 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – $1,200

18 – 20 – 59 – Dillard Hatchett – Cornersville, TN – $1,100

19 – 22 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $1,900

20 – 23 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $1,900

21 – 16 – 4G – Kody Evans – Camden, OH – $1,000

22 – 19 – 44 – Dave Hess Jr – Waterford, PA – $1,000

23 – 17 – P3 – Steve Peeden – Martinsville, IN – $1,000

24 – 14 – 12J – Jason Jameson – Lawrenceburg, IN – $1,000

Race Statistics  

Entrants: 26

Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Mike Marlar

MD3 Lap Leaders: Hudson O’Neal (Laps 1-40); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 41-50)

Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Hudson O’Neal

Wieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.

Margin of Victory: 2.015 seconds

Hellraizer Jacks Cautions: Jason Jameson (Lap 4); Dave Hess, Jr. (Lap 23); Brian Shirley, Dillon McCowan (Lap 29)

MyRacePass Series Provisional: Clay Harris; Freddie Carpenter

Fast Time Provisional: n/a

Emergency Provisionals: n/a

Track Provisional: n/a

Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Max Blair

Penske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Max Blair, Mike Marlar, Devin Moran

Behrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Mike Marlar

PEM 4th Place Feature: Mike Marlar

Diversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Devin Moran

Wilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Josh Rice

Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Brian Shirley

Velocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Garrett Alberson

XS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Cory Lawler

Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Brian Shirley (Advanced 7 positions)

MD3 Most Laps Led: Hudson O’Neal (40 Laps)

Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.

Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin Moran

O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Josh Rice

Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Devin Moran | Lap 11 | 12.576 seconds

FK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Jason Jameson

Victory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.

Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Anthony Burroughs

ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing Engines

Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis

Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Dan Ebert | 12.0761 seconds

Time of Race: 23 minutes 25 seconds

 

Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:

Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings

1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 2300 – $138,449

2 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 2300 – $106,700

3 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 2110 – $52,550

4 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 2100 – $67,800

5 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 2100 – $72,650

6 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 2095 – $50,000

7 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 1835 – $37,225

8 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 1825 – $28,775

9 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 1815 – $41,800

10 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 1800 – $31,800

11 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 1795 – $30,275

12 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 1790 – $30,500

13 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 1725 – $29,875

14 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 1525 – $18,500

15 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 1505 – $20,750

16 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 1485 – $19,025

17 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 1295 – $11,925

18 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 1290 – $6,300

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