Dirt on Dirt - Surviving cushion, RTJ captures Eagle's opener

May 15

Eagle Raceway,

Eagle, NE

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (Malvern Bank High Bank Heist) - $10,000

Information provided by: Todd Turner, series and track reports (last updated May 16, 12:00 pm)

Surviving cushion, RTJ captures Eagle's opener

Malvern Bank High Bank Heist

Ricky Thornton Jr.
Jonathan Davenport
Kyle Bronson
Devin Moran
Garrett Alberson
Brandon Sheppard
Hudson O'Neal
Dillon McCowan
Brandon Overton
Carson Ferguson
Cory Lawler
Clay Harris
Dylan Thornton
Donald McIntosh
Daulton Wilson
Daniel Hilsabeck
Dylan Sillman
Clay Stuckey
Collen Winebarger
Chase Junghans
Tyler Bruening
Dan Ebert
Spencer Hughes
Blair Nothdurft

presented by

Live video Photo slideshow Feature highlights Heat highlights Video recap Related story

Heath Lawson/heathlawsonphotos.com

Ricky Thornton Jr. flashes under the checkered flag to capture Thursday's Lucas Oil Series feature at Eagle Raceway.

What won the race: Surviving a scary bout with the turn-four cushion with six laps remaining and two late-race restarts, Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., captured Thursday night’s 40-lap Malvern Bank High Bank Heist opener at Eagle Raceway. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader lost the lead to Jonathan Davenport on lap 34 as he fought to regain control of his car but moved back ahead the following circuit and held on the remainder of the distance for a $10,000 payday and his eighth tour victory of 2025.

Quotable: “I didn’t realize the curb was getting as big as it was out there and I was trying to pace myself,” Thornton said. “I got close to Clay (Harris), I’m like, ‘Alright, I’m just gonna try to ride for a lap right here,’ and I got over (the cushion). It ripped the wheel out of my hands … I thought I was going to destroy the wall and spin out down the racetrack. I had a vibration (from a mud-plugged right-rear) … I feel like I got a terrible (restart), then the yellow (flag) came out and J.D. was gonna slide me and probably win it, so that saved me. Then I was like, ‘We’re either gonna win it running the wall, or I’m gonna wreck it trying.’”

Key notes: Thornton initially grabbed the lead from Hudson O’Neal on lap 12 and appeared headed to a convincing victory, but he slammed the turn-four cushion and slid completely sideways heading to the line at lap 34. Davenport snuck ahead to lead the circuit, but Thornton regained command on lap 35 just before a caution for Daulton Wilson’s engine trouble. … Davenport had his bid for the lead stopped by another caution on lap 36 (debris) and couldn’t stay with the high-running Thornton in the closing stages, finishing 1.341 seconds behind. … Kyle Bronson finished third after slipping by Devin Moran with three laps left. ... O’Neal, who won last year’s Lucas Oil event at Eagle, led laps 1-11 but faded to a seventh-place finish. … Six caution flags slowed the feature. … Blair Nothdurft was involved in the first two cautions. First he slid to a stop sideways in turn four on the first lap, then was involved in a turn-one tangle with Spencer Hughes on the ensuing restart, leaving both drivers with front end damage severe enough to require wrecker service. … Nothdurft and Hughes came together in a chain-reaction pileup after Dan Ebert slowed in front of them with mechanical trouble. … Chase Junghans slowed with a broken brake line on lap seven. … Brandon Sheppard blew a right-rear tire for a lap-20 caution. He rallied to finish sixth after pitting. … Making his second career Lucas Oil start, Dylan Thornton briefly ran as high as second early but finished 13th after losing five spots over the final two laps. ... Tyler Bruening retired on lap two after dropping an valve in his powerplant. ... The weekend continues Friday with another $10,000-to-win program before concluding with Saturday’s 75-lap, $50,000-to-win headliner.

On the move: Dillon McCowan of Urbana, Mo., started 22nd and finished eighth.

Winner's sponsors: Thornton’s Koehler Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Coltman Farms Racing, Hoker Trucking, Capital Waste, Excel Floor Covering, Five Star Metal Buildings, Ultimate Towing, FK Rod Ends, Dynamic Drivelines, Ultrashield Race Products, Sharp Advantage Safety Products, Winning Edge Carburetion, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bilstein Shocks, Midwest Sheet Metal and EMD Wraps.

Points chase: After Eagle Thursday: 1. Ricky Thornton Jr. (3,215); 2. Jonathan Davenport (3,065); 3. Devin Moran (3,055); 4. Garrett Alberson (2,795); 5. Hudson O’Neal (2,725); 6. Brandon Overton (2,720); 7. Brandon Sheppard (2,660); 8. Daulton Wilson (2,550); 9. Carson Ferguson (2,335); 10. Tyler Erb (2,280); 11. Daniel Hilsabeck (2,205); 12. Donald McIntosh (2,180).

Current weather: Clear, 73°F

Car count: 37

Fast qualifier: Garrett Alberson

Time: 13.408 seconds

Polesitter: Hudson O'Neal

Heat race winners: Hudson O'Neal, Dylan Thornton, Garrett Alberson, Blair Nothdurft

Consolation race winners: Tyler Bruening, Daulton Wilson

Provisional starters: Daniel Hilsabeck, Spencer Hughes

Next series race: May 16, Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE) $10,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

EAGLE, Neb. — Live updates from Thursday’s Malvern Bank High Bank Heist opener, featuring a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win main event for Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Surviving a scary bout with the turn-four cushion with six laps remaining and two late-race restarts, Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., captured Thursday night’s 40-lap Malvern Bank High Bank Heist opener at Eagle Raceway. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader lost the lead to Jonathan Davenport on lap 34 as he fought to regain control of his car but moved back ahead the following circuit and held on the remainder of the distance for a $10,000 payday and his eighth tour victory of 2025.

Feature lineup

(40 laps)

Row 1: Hudson O'Neal, Garrett Alberson
Row 2: Dylan Thornton, Blair Nothdurft
Row 3: Jonathan Davenport, Ricky Thornton Jr.
Row 4: Brandon Sheppard, Carson Ferguson
Row 5: Devin Moran, Brandon Overton
Row 6: Kyle Bronson, Dan Ebert
Row 7: Cory Lawler, Clay Stuckey
Row 8: Clay Harris, Donald McIntosh
Row 9: Tyler Bruening, Daulton Wilson
Row 10: Chase Junghans, Dylan Sillman
Row 11: Collen Winebarger, Dillon McCowan
Row 12: Daniel Hilsabeck, Spencer Hughes

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top three transfer)

First consolation: Tyler Bruening, Chase Junghans, Collen Winebarger, Daniel Hilsabeck, Tyler Erb, Spencer Hughes, Jesse Sobbing, Juinor Coover, Ian Whisler. Scratched: Dusty Leonard, Jarrett Getzschman.

Second consolation: Daulton Wilson, Dylan Sillman, Dillon McCowan, Sammy Mars, Tad Pospisil, Jake Neal, Ben Sukup, Michael Morton. Scratched: Jordan Grabouski, Dan Battaglia.

Heat race recap

Hudson O’Neal led all eight laps from the pole, winning the first heat race by 0.865 of a second over second-starting Jonathan Davenport, earning the pole starting position for Thursday’s $10,000-to-win High Bank Heist opener. Devin Moran started and finished third, with fifth-starting Cory Lawler grabbing the fourth and final transfer position into the 40-lap feature. … Dylan Thornton survived an early-race restart to lead the entire way, winning the second heat by 0.716 of a second over second-starting Brandon Sheppard. Sheppard regained the runner-up spot from Bronson on lap five, relegating Bronson to third, with sixth-starting Clay Harris in fourth. Tyler Erb slowed with a flat tire on the second lap and could only muster an eighth-place finish. … Garrett Alberson cruised to win the third heat by 0.944 of a second over third-starting Ricky Thornton Jr., with Brandon Overton and Clay Stuckey completing the top-four finishers. The race’s only slowdown came on the second lap when Tad Pospisil spun entering turn three, leaving Jordan Grabouski nowhere to go, slamming into Pospisil’s driver’s side door, collecting Dan Battaglia. Grabouski and Battaglia did not continue, while Pospisil finished seventh. … Blair Nothdurft led all eight laps from the pole to win the fourth and final heat race by 1.055 seconds over third-starting Carson Ferguson, who finished with his right-rear quarter panel barely hanging on. Dan Ebert finished third, with Donald McIntosh in fourth, transferring to the main event.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top four transfer)

First heat: Hudson O'Neal, Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran, Cory Lawler, Tyler Bruening, Chase Junghans, Spencer Hughes, Dusty Leonard, Jesse Sobbing. Scratched: Jarrett Getzschman.

Second heat: Dylan Thornton, Brandon Sheppard, Kyle Bronson, Clay Harris, Daniel Hilsabeck, Collen Winebarger, Ian Whisler, Tyler Erb, Junior Coover.

Third heat: Garrett Alberson, Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Overton, Clay Stuckey, Sammy Mars, Dillon McCowan, Tad Pospisil, Jordan Grabouski, Dan Battaglia.

Fourth heat: Blair Nothdurft, Carson Ferguson, Dan Ebert, Donald McIntosh, Daulton Wilson, Dylan Sillman, Jake Neal, Ben Sukup, Michael Morton.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 13.513
2. Dylan Thornton (38T), Orcutt, Calif., 13.610
3. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 13.671
4. Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 13.703
5. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 13.766
6. Ian Whisler (28w), Otis, Ore., 13.841
7. Chase Junghans (18c), Manhattan, Kan., 13.894
8. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 13.970
9. Cory Lawler (93L), Hanover, Pa., 13.987
10. Daniel Hilsabeck (22), Earlham, Iowa, 14.062
11. Tyler Bruening (16), Decroah, Iowa, 14.062
12. Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., 14.216
13. Spencer Hughes (19m), Meridian, Miss., 14.221
14. Collen Winebarger (14s), Corbett, Ore., 14.337
15. Jesse Sobbing (18), Malvern, Iowa, 14.548
16. Tyler Erb (1T), New Waverly, Texas, 14.558
17. Dusty Leonard (7D), Marysville, Kan., 14.694
18. Junior Coover (10), Norfolk, Neb., no time
19. Jarrett Getzschman (18J), Council Bluffs, Iowa, no time
Group B
1. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 13.408
2. Blair Nothdurft (76n), Renner, S.D., 13.409
3. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 13.437
4. Dan Ebert (60), Lake Shore, Minn., 13.440
5. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 13.485
6. Carson Ferguson (93), Lincolnton, N.C., 13.585
7. Clay Stuckey (15), Shreveport, La., 13.693
8. Donald McIntosh (79), Dawsonville, Ga., 13.725
9. Sammy Mars (28), Menomonie, Wis., 13.726
10. Ben Sukup (07), Norfolk, Neb., 13.894
11. Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Mo., 13.933
12. Dylan Sillman (35D), Alvo, Neb., 13.973
13. Tad Pospisil (04), Norfolk, Neb., 14.068
14. Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., 14.131
15. Jordan Grabouski (30G), Beatrice, Neb., 14.137
16. Jake Neal (6J), Omaha, Neb., 14.199
17. Dan Battaglia (45D), Gretna, Neb., 14.767
18. Michael Morton (71m), Omaha, Neb., 15.567

Thursday’s schedule

(All times local)
2 p.m. - Pits open
2:45 p.m. - Tech and registration open
5:30 p.m. - Grandstands open
5:45 p.m. - Tech and registration close
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Modified hot laps
7:30 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (10 laps)
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
- Modified consolation (12 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (40 laps)
- Modifieds (20 laps)