Poll Position presented by Keyser Manufacturing
Top 25: Silver-lined B-Shepp joins top five
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com managing editor
Brandon Sheppard (joshjamesartwork.com)
Silver Dollar Nationals winner Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., cracked the top five in DirtonDirt.com's weekly power rankings while Ricky Thornton Jr. held onto the No. 1 spot for the 10th consecutive week.
Sheppard, earning his richest victory of 2023 Saturday with his $53,000 payday at the new home of the Silver Dollar Nationals, Huset's Speedway in Brandon, S.D., jumped four spots to No. 5 in the rankings presented by Keyser Manufacturing.
Thornton, the fourth-place finisher in the Huset's finale after winning the SDN prelim, collected seven first-place votes to top the balloting while Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., the Silver Dollar Nationals runner-up and third or better in his previous six starts, kept his No. 2 spot with three first-place votes. Hudson O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., inched up to the third spot after his podium finish at Huset's while Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., slipped back to No. 4.
Two drivers improved three spots in the rankings with DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion Ashton Winger of Hampton, Ga., up to No. 12 and Josh Rice of Verona, Ky., at No. 22. Winger captured a home-track victory in Schaeffer's Southern Nationals action at Senoia (Ga.) Raceway while Rice earned a $6,000 unsanctioned triumph in MRP Raceway Park's Dustbuster 40 in Williamsburg, Ohio.
Returning to the rankings was Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C., the Southern Nationals runner-up at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga., while Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., dropped out of the Top 25.
Balloting was done before Monday's preliminaries — won by Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, and Daulton Wilson of Fayetteville, N.C. — were completed for the XR Super Series event at Off Road Speedway in Norfolk, Neb.
Voting is done by a 10-member committee made up of staffers and contributors to determine the Top 25 power rankings: Richard Allen, Jeff Broeg, Kelley Carlton, Ryan Delph, Robert Holman, Derek Kessinger, Kevin Kovac, Kyle McFadden, Mike Ruefer and Kyle Symons. Results are compiled and tabulated by Todd Turner, who serves as a voting alternate.
Rankings appear Tuesdays through mid-November provided at least half of the drivers in the current rankings are in action in the previous week.
1. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
Comment: Wins Silver Dollar opener before 16th-to-fourth run in finale. Gunning for $100,000 at Off Road before heading to Fairbury's Prairie Dirt Classic. Series points: 1st (Lucas Oil); 5th (Castrol); 5th (XRSS). Previous ranking: 1st (nc)
2. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.
Comment: Podium finisher in last six starts was second twice at Huset's for Silver Dollar Nationals. After XRSS run at Off Road, he'll try to end his Prairie Dirt Classic jinx. Series points: 1st (WoO); 2nd (Castrol); 2nd (XRSS). Previous ranking: 2nd (nc)
3. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
Comment: Overcomes wall-crunching mistake on preliminary night at Huset's for a third-place finish in Silver Dollar Nationals finale. Chasing $100,000 at Off Road ahead of PDC. Series points: 2nd (Lucas Oil); 1st (XRSS); 1st (Castrol). Previous ranking: 4th (+1)
4. Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
Comment: Third in Huset's opener after leading early, then fades in Silver Dollar Nationals finale. After Off Road's $100,000 event, he plans to take the last weekend in July off. Series points: 3rd (Lucas Oil); 4th (Castrol); 8th (XRSS). Previous ranking: 3rd (-1)
5. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
Comment: Gets richest victory with Sheppard Riggs Racing with flag-to-flag victory in $53,000 Silver Dollar Nationals. He's at Off Road before gunning for his fourth Prairie Dirt Classic victory. Series points: 5th (WoO); 6th (Castrol); 10th (XRSS). Previous ranking: 9th (+4)
6. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
Comment: Steady with fifth- and sixth-place finishes at Silver Dollar Nationals. He'll chase Off Road's six-figure payday then take a two-week break from Late Model competition. Series points: 5th (Lucas Oil); 4th (Castrol). Previous ranking: 7th (+1)
7. Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn.
Comment: Not a contender during Silver Dollar Nationals, his schedule is unpublicized but he's a likely entrant at $50,000-to-win Prairie Dirt Classic. Series points: 8th (Castrol); 3rd (XRSS). Previous ranking: 5th (-2)
8. Brandon Overton, Evans, Ga.
Comment: After ninth-place run in Huset's opener, he retires early in Silver Dollar Nationals. Following his Nebraska trip to Off Road Speedway he's apparently slated to run Fairbury's Prairie Dirt Classic in Kevin Rumley’s Longhorn Chassis development car. Series points: 4th (Lucas Oil); 11th (Castrol). Previous ranking: 6th (-2)
9. Chris Madden, Gray Court, S.C.
Comment: After a weekend off, he'll try to improve his career-best finish of fourth at Fairbury's Prairie Dirt Classic before heading to Boone and Cedar Lake's USA Nationals. Series points: 2nd (WoO). Previous ranking: 8th (-1)
10. Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio
Comment: Run of three straight runner-up finishes ends with lackluster Silver Dollar Nationals. He'll start on pole for Elkhorn 100's $100,000-to-win XRSS event before Prairie Dirt Classic. Series points: 6th (Lucas Oil); 9th (Castrol); 7th (XRSS). Previous ranking: 10th (nc)
11. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, Ga.
Comment: After winning early on the Schaeffer's Southern Nationals, he'll run tour's final three races at Tri-County, North Georgia and Tazewell. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 11th (nc)
12. Ashton Winger, Hampton, Ga.
Comment: After DIRTcar Summer Nationals championship, he races to flag-to-flag victory on Southern Nationals at his home-track Senoia Raceway. Series points: Champion (Summer Nationals). Previous ranking: 15th (+3)
13. Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.
Comment: After skipping Silver Dollar Nationals, going for six-figure payday at Off Road before heading back home for Prairie Dirt Classic. Series points: 7th (WoO); 6th (XRSS). Previous ranking: 12th (-1)
T14. Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, N.C.
Comment: Profitable weekend away from WoO with runner-up finish at MRP and victory on Iron-Man circuit at Atomic. Prairie Dirt Classic on tap. Series points: 4th (WoO). Previous ranking: 16th (+2)
T14. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill.
Comment: Not a fan of new home for Silver Dollar Nationals, he'll chase Off Road's big payday before Fairbury's Prairie Dirt Classic. Series points: 9th (WoO); 7th (Castrol). Previous ranking: 13th (-1)
16. Jason Feger, Bloomington, Ill.
Comment: Grabs MARS victory at Jacksonville and survives near-disaster at I-55 for third-place finish. He'll hit MARS stop at Davenport before Prairie Dirt Classic. Series points: 1st (MARS); 2nd (Summer Nationals). Previous ranking: 17th (+1)
17. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa
Comment: Takes a crack at six-figure payday at Off Road Speedway before heading to Prairie Dirt Classic, where he finished finished fifth last season and set fast time in 2021. Series points: 3rd (WoO). Previous ranking: 14th (-3)
18. Kyle Bronson, Brandon, Fla.
Comment: Rallies from deep at Huset's for eighth-place finish in Silver Dollar Nationals finale. Prairie Dirt Classic up next after a stop for XRSS action at Off Road Speedway. Series points: 6th (WoO); 7th (XRSS). Previous ranking: 19th (+1)
19. Tanner English, Benton, Ky.
Comment: Competes in XRSS action at Off Road Speedway before heading to Fairbury, where he's been a big winner before. Series points: 8th (WoO); 10th (Castrol); 9th (XRSS). Previous ranking: 18th (-1)
20. Carson Ferguson, Lincolnton, N.C.
Comment: Runner-up at Senoia but hits wall in Screven prelims, salvaging the night in 11th. He'll battle Jimmy Owens for series championship. Series points: 2nd (Southern Nationals). Previous ranking: 20th (nc)
21. Tyler Erb, New Waverly, Texas
Comment: Fifth-place run in Silver Dollar Nationals gives him rare top-five on Lucas Oil circuit. Needs equipment refresh as he runs at Off Road and then Fairbury. Series points: 7th (Lucas Oil); 4th (XRSS); 13th (Castrol). Previous ranking: 21st (nc)
22. Josh Rice, Verona, Ky.
Comment: Collects $6,000 victory in MRP's Dustbuster 40 before runner-up finish in Iron-Man action at Atomic. He's heading to Fairbury's Prairie Dirt Classic. Series points: 2nd (Iron-Man South); 1st (Iron-Man North). Previous ranking: 25th (+3)
23. Max Blair, Centerville, Pa.
Comment: Not a factor at Silver Dollar Nationals, team potentially taking a break until Florence's North-South 100 next month. Series points: 8th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 22nd (-1)
24. Chris Ferguson, Mount Holly, N.C.
Comment: Fifth or better in three Southern Nationals starts, including runner-up finish at Screven. He's penciled in Fairbury's Prairie Dirt Classic on his schedule. Series points: None. Previous ranking: Unranked.
25. Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, Tenn.
Comment: Hasn't been better than ninth in his Super Late Model since May. He's planning for final three Southern Nationals events at Tri-County, North Georgia and Tazewell. Series points: Champion (CRUSA Winter Shootout). Previous ranking: 23rd (-2)
Dropped out: Jimmy Owens
Others receiving votes: Ryan Unzicker (14), Kyle Hardy (12), Zack Mitchell (9), Jimmy Owens (9), Gregg Satterlee (8), Drake Troutman (3), Ricky Weiss (3), Gordy Gundaker (1).
Correction: Corrects Carson Ferguson as second in Southern Nationals points sted first.
