Thornton Tames Thursday Night Opener at Eagle

EAGLE, NE (May 15, 2025) – Ricky Thornton Jr. regained the lead for good on lap 35 and maintained it to win night one of the Malvern Bank High Bank Heist on Thursday night at Eagle Raceway. This victory marked Thornton’s eighth win of the season in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing and his first at Eagle, after finishing second the previous year to Hudson O’Neal during the series’ inaugural visit to the Roger Hadan-promoted facility.

In the final ten laps of the race, Thornton stumbled briefly in turn four while leading, allowing Jonathan Davenport to slip by for the lead on lap 34. However, Thornton quickly recovered and regained the top spot, going on to win over Davenport by 1.341 seconds. Kyle Bronson came from 11th to secure third place on the Big River Steel Podium. Devin Moran finished fourth, and Garrett Alberson took fifth.

Hudson O’Neal was trying to win for the second time in less than a year at Eagle, bolting to the lead at the start of the 40-lap main event. He paced the field for the first 11 circuits until Thornton grabbed the lead from him on lap 12.

Thornton maintained a steady lead until Davenport emerged as a contender in the final 10 laps of the race. Davenport had multiple chances in the closing stretch, but a caution flag each time cost him the opportunity for the race lead.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 50th time in his career, the defending champion came from the sixth starting spot to get the win in a race that saw three different leaders and four lead changes.

“I just slowed down too much going into four, I didn’t realize the groove was getting as big as it was out there. I tried to pace myself, but I got close to the 15 car, and I thought, alright, I am just going to ride for a lap right here, and I got over the berm. I could barely hold the steering wheel, and it ripped it out of my hand. I thought I was going to destroy the wall, and I was going to spin out down the race track. I had a vibration, and I figured that my right rear wheel cover had to be destroyed. On the restart, I had a terrible start, and then the yellow came back out again, and I thought JD was going to slide me and probably going to win it.”

Davenport had a glimmer of hope leading lap 34, but a couple of cautions kept him from possibly stealing the win from Thornton in the closing laps after Thornton got back around him on lap 35.

“It was just bad timing on the cautions, really. I wouldn’t have had a chance if Ricky hadn’t made that mistake on the cushion, and we got to him. I made a mistake, I should have gone around the top whenever I got past him, but I thought I could hug the bottom and break his momentum coming back to me. It didn’t work, and he got back by me, and then I got another run on him and was going to slide him in three and four, and then somebody had a flat. I got going again and was going to pass him again, and then another caution came out, and then he knew to go to the top. He doesn’t usually make two mistakes in a row. He did a good job, congratulations to him.”

Bronson came from the inside of row six to take the third spot at the finish.

“We brought a different car out today. The scariest moment was when I got a little too low on one of those restarts and got in that slime and slid across the race track. It’s nice to have a track that you could make up for something like that; there was a big ‘ole cushion there. I am just looking forward to tomorrow, it’s been a while since we have been on a track with a lot of grip.”

The winner’s Koehler Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Ultimate Towing and Recovery, Elite Ready Mix, Hoker Trucking, Coltman Farms Racing, Knight’s Companies, Capital Waste, Sunoco Race Fuels, EMD Wraps, Certified Inspection Services.

Completing the top ten were Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Dillon McCowan, Brandon Overton, and Carson Ferguson.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 

Race Summary 

Malvern Bank Presents High Bank Heist | Night 1

Thursday, May 15, 2025

Eagle Raceway – Eagle, NE

Allstar Performance Time Trials

Fast Time Group A: Hudson O’Neal | 13.513 seconds  

Fast Time Group B: Garrett Alberson | 13.409 seconds (overall)

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O'Neal[1]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 4. 93L-Cory Lawler[5]; 5. 16-Tyler Bruening[6]; 6. 18C-Chase Junghans[4]; 7. 19M-Spencer Hughes[7]; 8. 7D-Dusty Leonard[9]; 9. 18-Jesse Sobbing[8]; 10. (DNS) 18J-Jarrett Getzschman

Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 38T-Dylan Thornton[1]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[4]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[6]; 5. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 6. 14S-Collen Winebarger[7]; 7. 28W-Ian Whisler[3]; 8. 1T-Tyler Erb[8]; 9. 10-Junior Coover[9]

Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish ( Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 4. 15-Clay Stuckey[4]; 5. 28-Sam Mars[5]; 6. 8-Dillon McCowan[6]; 7. 04-Tad Pospisil[7]; 8. (DNS) 30G-Jordan Grabouski; 9. (DNS) 45D-Dan Battaglia

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[1]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[3]; 3. 60-Dan Ebert[2]; 4. 79-Donald McIntosh[4]; 5. 18D-Daulton Wilson[7]; 6. 35D-Dylan Sillman[6]; 7. 6J-Jake Neal[8]; 8. 07-Ben Sukup[5]; 9. 71M-Michael Morton[9]

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 16-Tyler Bruening[1]; 2. 18C-Chase Junghans[3]; 3. 14S-Collen Winebarger[4]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[8]; 6. 19M-Spencer Hughes[5]; 7. 18-Jesse Sobbing[9]; 8. 10-Junior Coover[10]; 9. 28W-Ian Whisler[6]; 10. (DNS) 7D-Dusty Leonard; 11. (DNS) 18J-Jarrett Getzschman

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 18D-Daulton Wilson[2]; 2. 35D-Dylan Sillman[4]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[3]; 4. 28-Sam Mars[1]; 5. 04-Tad Pospisil[5]; 6. 6J-Jake Neal[6]; 7. 07-Ben Sukup[8]; 8. 71M-Michael Morton[10]; 9. (DNS) 30G-Jordan Grabouski; 10. (DNS) 45D-Dan Battaglia

Malvern Bank Presents High Bank Heist | Night 1 Feature Finish (40 Laps):

Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Pay

1 - 6 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $10,200

2 - 5 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - $5,500

3 - 11 - 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL - $3,500

4 - 9 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $2,700

5 - 2 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $2,500

6 - 7 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $2,300

7 - 1 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $2,200

8 - 22 - 8 - Dillon McCowan - Urbana, MO - $2,100

9 - 10 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $2,050

10 - 8 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $2,000

11 - 13 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - $1,600

12 - 15 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $1,400

13 - 3 - 38T - Dylan Thornton - Orcutt, CA - $1,200

14 - 16 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - $1,100

15 - 18 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - $950

16 - 23 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $925

17 - 20 - 35D - Dylan Sillman - Alvo, NE - $900

18 - 14 - 15 - Clay Stuckey - Shreveport, LA - $875

19 - 21 - 14S - Collen Winebarger - Corbett, OR - $850

20 - 19 - 18C - Chase Junghans - Manhattan, KS - $825

21 - 17 - 16 - Tyler Bruening - Decorah, IA - $800

22 - 12 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $800

23 - 24 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - $800

24 - 4 - 76N - Blair Nothdurft - Renner, SD - $800

Race Statistics  

Entrants: 37

Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Hudson O’Neal

MD3 Lap Leaders: Hudson O’Neal (Laps 1-11); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 12-33); Jonathan Davenport (Lap 34); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 35-40)

Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.

Wieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.

Margin of Victory: 1.341 seconds

Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: Blair Nothdurft (Lap 1); Spencer Hughes, Blair Nothdurft, Dan Ebert (Lap 2); Chase Junghans (Lap 7); Brandon Sheppard (Lap 20); Daulton Wilson (Lap 35); Debris (Lap 36)

Series Provisionals: Daniel Hilsabeck; Spencer Hughes

Fast Time Provisional: n/a

Emergency Provisional: n/a

Track Provisional: n/a

Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Kyle Bronson

Penske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Kyle Bronson, Devin Moran, Garrett Alberson

PEM 4th Place Feature: Devin Moran

DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Garrett Alberson

Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Hudson O’Neal

Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Cory Lawler

Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Dylan Thornton

MD3 24th Place Feature: Blair Nothdurft

Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Dillon McCowan (Advanced 14 Positions) 

MD3 Most Laps Led: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (28 Laps)

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

Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.

O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Donald McIntosh

Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 7 | 13.990 seconds)

Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Jonathan Davenport

Fresh Roof Hard Luck Award: Spencer Hughes

Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Zach Frields

ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engines

Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis

Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Carson Ferguson (13.6982 seconds)

Time of Race: 26 minutes 43 seconds

Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:

Pos - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Points - Pay

1 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - 3215 - $164,950

2 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - 3065 - $120,200

3 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - 3055 - $143,049

4 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - 2795 - $55,650

5 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - 2725 - $55,675

6 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - 2720 - $60,900

7 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - 2660 - $63,300

8 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - 2550 - $47,500

9 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - 2335 - $35,175

10 - 1T - Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX - 2280 - $31,700

11 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - 2205 - $24,975

12 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - 2180 - $23,100

13 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - 2145 - $27,350

14 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - 1965 - $22,000

15 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - 1960 - $17,450

16 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - 1780 - $12,175