BY BROOKE JOHNPIER, SPORTS STAFFER
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series: On Thursday, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series made its debut in the 2024 season at Golden Isles Speedway in Waynesville, Georgia, for the Super Bowl of Racing. The race was won by the defending champion of the series, Hudson O’Neal.
O’Neal led the race until Lap 22, when fellow competitor Jonathan Davenport took the lead from him.
“The top was just blowing a lot of crumbs across it. If you didn’t get set enough you would lose the front end halfway through the corner,” said O’Neal. “Jonathan got back by me and did the exact same thing and let me get back by him. Things just worked out in our favor, and I thought that one mistake I made it was going to be it, but fortunately he made a little bobble over there in two and got us back in it.”
O’Neal fought hard to get his spot back and would end up winning the race 0.633 seconds ahead. Davenport and Brandon Overton came in second and third, respectively.
Saturday night, the series finished off the event with Ricky Thornton Jr. taking home the $25,000 prize. Thornton took the lead early in the 60-lap main event, with Mike Marlar, who wound up finishing fourth, right behind. On Lap 37, Marlar went around Thornton and bumped into him, allowing Davenport to get around both. Davenport held the lead until Lap 48 when Thornton took the lead back, with Chris Madden and Davenport right on his heels. Thornton held off his fellow competitors to win by 0.425 seconds.
“When I got passed, I didn’t think I was going to get back to the front,” said Thornton. “I am not quite sure why the 49 and the 157 kept racing there. Mikey drove across my right front in three and is mad at me, and with JD I tried to cross him, and I probably shouldn’t have tried to stuff it in there. Everyone is already counting us out after one night, maybe the rest of the week will be elbows up.”
The series travels to Ocala Speedway (formerly Bubba Raceway Park) this week to continue its season.
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