Dirt on Dirt - Overton on pole for Wheatland's Show-Me opener

May 21

Lucas Oil Speedway,

Wheatland, MO

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (Cowboy Classic) - $10,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac, series and track reports (last updated May 21, 10:14 pm)

Overton on pole for Wheatland's Show-Me opener

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Heath Lawson/heathlawsonphotos.com

Brandon Overton (76) nipped Gordy Gundaker to win the first heat race.

Key notes: A rainstorm hit the area just before the 45-lap feature was scheduled to hit the track. ... Tyler Kuykendall of Warsaw, Mo., missed the night's action for his high school graduation. ... Lucas Oil Speedway since 2010 has hosted the Show-Me 100, an event founded at the former West Plains (Mo.) Motor Speedway in 1993. … Lucas Oil Series competitors take to the track all three nights, starting with Thursday’s 45-lap, $10,000-to-win 13th annual Cowboy Classic preceding Friday’s 40-lap, $10,000-to-win Tribute to Don & Billie Gibson (the former West Plains track owners) before culminating with Saturday’s $75,000-to-win 34th annual Show-Me 100. … The series is forging ahead with some rain in the forecast; if a prelim night is lost, the other prelim night will set up Saturday's finale. Sunday is an option if necessary. ... Bobby Pierce won last year’s $75,000 Show-Me finale after also topping the event in 2017, worth $30,000. … Jonathan Davenport swept April’s Spring Nationals event there and enters with two career Show-Me 100 triumphs (2015, ’24). In total, Davenport has topped 14 Wheatland specials since 2015, earning more than $217,000 over that span. … Ricky Thornton Jr. has three Lucas Oil Series wins at Wheatland, including a sweep of both 2024 Show-Me prelims. … Reigning series champ Devin Moran inherited 2023’s $50,000 Show-Me 100 finale after Thornton was DQ’d for a deck height violation in postrace tech. … Current points leader Hudson O’Neal topped four features last season at Wheatland after winning the 2021 Show-Me finale. … Watch live on FloRacing.

Who to watch: Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., chases his third Lucas Oil Speedway victory of the season.

Points chase: Before Wheatland Thursday: 1. Hudson O’Neal (2,945); 2. Devin Moran (2,855); 3. Brandon Sheppard (2,780); 4. Ricky Thornton Jr. (2,695); T5. Brandon Overton (2,650); T5. Max Blair (2,650); 7. Brian Shirley (2,410); 8. Garrett Alberson (2,405); 9. Kyle Bronson (2,325); 10. Josh Rice (2,300).

Current weather: Overcast Light Rain, 64°F

Car count: 51

Fast qualifier: Brandon Overton

Time: 15.306 seconds

Polesitter: Brandon Overton

Heat race winners: Brandon Overton, Tony Jackson Jr., Josh Rice, Bobby Pierce, Garrett Alberson, Hudson O'Neal

Consolation race winners: Kyle Bronson, Carson Ferguson

Provisional starters: Devin Moran, Clay Harris, Dillon McCowan

Next series race: May 22, Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO) $10,000

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

From staff reports

WHEATLAND, Mo. — Updates from Thursday’s 34th annual Show-Me 100 first prelim at Lucas Oil Speedway, highlighted by a 45-lap, $10,000-to-win feature for Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature lineup

(45 laps)

Row 1: Brandon Overton, Bobby Pierce
Row 2: Tony Jackson Jr., Garrett Alberson
Row 3: Josh Rice, Hudson O'Neal
Row 4: Gordy Gundaker, Jonathan Davenport
Row 5: Cory Lawler, Max Blair
Row 6: Aaron Marrant, Chase Junghans
Row 7: Ricky Thornton Jr., Chris Ferguson
Row 8: Brandon Sheppard, Brian Shirley
Row 9: Trevor Gundaker, Clay Stuckey
Row 10: Kyle Bronson, Carson Ferguson
Row 11: Daniel Hilsabeck, Dan Ebert
Row 12: Devin Moran, Clay Harris
Row 13: Dillon McCowan

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top two transfer)

First consolation: Kyle Bronson, Daniel Hilsabeck, Clay Harris, Jeff Herzog, Eli Ross, Mason Oberkramer, Kolby Vandenbergh, Brenden Smith, Matthew Larson, Chevy Boyer, Kylan Garner, Cam Harris, Scott Crigler, Jason Sivils, Dalon Helm. Scratched: Dalton Imhoff.

Second consolation: Carson Ferguson, Dan Ebert, Devin Moran, Dillon McCowan, Brennon Willard, Brandon Conkwright, Shannon Parker, Jaxon Ertel, Ryan Johnson, Chris Simpson, Steve Stultz, Neil Baggett, Kayden Clatt, R.C. Whitwell, Brian Rickman, Reggie Jackson. Scratched: Tyler Kuykendall.

Heat race recap

Brandon Overton narrowly fended off Gordy Gundaker in winning the first heat race, beating Gundaker by 0.136 of a second to earn the pole starting position for the night’s 45-lap main event. Gundaker will join Overton in the feature along with Ricky Thornton Jr., who finished just 0.154 of a second behind Gundaker in third. The lone caution flew on the fifth lap when fourth-running Jeff Herzog spun in turn one, but avoided contact; Herzog continued to finish sixth. … Polesitter Tony Jackson Jr. slid by Brandon Sheppard on the fourth lap and paced the final five circuits in winning the second heat by 0.780 of a second over third-starting Cory Lawler, who nipped Sheppard by 0.036 of a second to finish runner up, relegating Sheppard to third. … Third-starting Josh Rice took the lead on the opening lap and paced all eight circuits to win the third heat by 2.605 seconds over Aaron Marrant, who fended off Trevor Gundaker by 0.274 of a second in claiming the runner-up spot. The younger Gundaker will join Rice and Marrant in the 13th annual Cowboy Classic. … After trading the lead multiple times with slide jobs and crossover moves, second-starting Bobby Pierce nipped Jonathan Davenport by 0.229 of a second to lead only the final lap of the fourth heat. Sixth-starting Chris Ferguson claimed the third and final transfer spot in the night’s $10,000-to-win Show-Me 100 opener. … Garrett Alberson earned a flag-to-flag victory in the fifth heat, taking the checkers by 2.198 seconds ahead of Max Blair, who trailed Alberson the entire way. Brian Shirley prevailed after a back-and-forth battle with Carson Ferguson in rounding out the podium finishers. … Hudson O’Neal led all eight laps from the pole to win the night’s sixth and final heat race, crossing the line by 2.128 seconds ahead of fourth-starting Chase Junghans, who trailed O’Neal for the final seven circuits. Seventh-starting Clay Stuckey finished third for the final transfer position into the feature.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top three transfer)

First heat: Brandon Overton, Gordy Gundaker, Ricky Thornton Jr., Mason Oberkramer, Kolby Vandenbergh, Jeff Herzog, Jason Sivils, Cam Harris, Matthew Larson.

Second heat: Tony Jackson Jr., Cory Lawler, Brandon Sheppard, Kyle Bronson, Clay Harris, Brenden Smith, Chevy Boyer. Scratched: Dalton Imhoff.

Third heat: Josh Rice, Aaron Marrant, Trevor Gundaker, Daniel Hilsabeck, Eli Ross, Kylan Garner, Scott Crigler, Dalon Helm.

Fourth heat: Bobby Pierce, Jonathan Davenport, Chris Ferguson, Chris Simpson, Dan Ebert, Devin Moran, R.C. Whitwell, Shannon Parker, Reggie Jackson.

Fifth heat: Garrett Alberson, Max Blair, Brian Shirley, Carson Feguson, Steve Stultz, Brennon Willard, Brian Rickman, Jaxon Ertel. Scratched: Tyler Kuykendall.

Sixth heat: Hudson O'Neal, Chase Junghans, Clay Stuckey, Dillon McCowan, Neil Baggett, Kayden Clatt, Brandon Conkwright, Ryan Johnson.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 15.306
2. Tony Jackson Jr. (56), Lebanon, Mo., 15.335
3. Trevor Gundaker (11T), St. Charles, Mo., 15.361
4. Jeff Herzog (11H), Festus, Mo., 15.377
5. Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 15.440
6. Aaron Marrant (1x), Richmond, Mo., 15.524
7. Gordy Gundaker (11G), St. Charles, Mo., 15.554
8. Cory Lawler (93L), Hanover, Pa., 15.608
9. Josh Rice (11), Crittenden, Ky., 15.611
10. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 15.627
11. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 15.671
12. Eli Ross (66), Muskogee, Okla., 15.688
13. Mason Oberkramer (93o), Broseley, Mo., 15.697
14. Brenden Smith (19m), Dade City, Fla., 15.705
15. Daniel Hilsabeck (22), Earlham, Iowa, 15.741
16. Kolby Vandenbergh (5s), Ashland, Ill., 15.767
17. Chevy Boyer (25B), New Haven, Mo., 15.816
18. Kylan Garner (128), Neosho, Mo., 15.862
19. Cam Harris (32c), Columbus, Miss., 15.885
20. Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., 15.886
21. Scott Crigler (12), Alton, Mo., 15.954
22. Jason Sivils (0x), Bolivar, Mo., 16.136
23. Dalton Imhoff (96x), Jamestown, Mo., 16.159
24. Dalon Helm (4x), Lahoma, Okla., 16.199
25. Matthew Larson (8L), Lake Elmo, Minn., 16.358
Group B
1. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga.. 15.346
2. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 15.350
3. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 15.375
4. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 15.417
5. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 15.548
6. Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Mo., 15.588
7. Chris Simpson (32x), Oxford, Iowa, 15.629
8. Carson Ferguson (93), Lincolnton, N.C., 15.644
9. Neil Baggett (21xxx), Columbus, Miss., 15.652
10. R.C. Whitwell (96), Tucson, Ariz., 15.662
11. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 15.681
12. Chase Junghans (18J), Manhattan, Kan., 15.691
13. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 15.705
14. Steve Stultz (78s), Peoria, Ariz., 15.771
15. Kayden Clatt (50), Edina, Mo., 15.786
16. Chris Ferguson (22F), Mount Holly, N.C., 15.804
17. Brennon Willard (3w), Lebanon, Mo., 15.816
18. Ryan Johnson (7J), Aurora, Mo., 15.830
19. Shannon Parker (18), Ashdown, Ark., 15.875
20. Brian Rickman (90), Columbus, Miss., 15.999
21. Clay Stuckey (15), Shreveport, La., 16.045
22. Dan Ebert (60), Lake Shore, Minn., 16.110
23. Jaxon Ertel (1/4J), Neosho, Mo., 16.199
24. Brandon Conkwright (24c), Wamego, Kan., 16.467
25. Reggie Jackson (00), Lebanon, Mo., 17.299
26. Tyler Kuyekendall (8k), Warsaw, Mo., no time

Thursday’s schedule

(All times local)
2:45 p.m. - Tech and registration opens
3:30 p.m. - Pits cleared and closed
4 p.m. - Gates open
5:45 p.m. - Tech and registration closes
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (45 laps)