After the Checkers
Instant reaction, analysis of Ocala's Lucas opener
By Kyle McFadden
DirtonDirt staff reporter
The battle for the lead at Ocala. (heathlawsonphotos.com)
OCALA, Fla. (Feb. 24) — Instant reaction and analysis from Tuesday’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series action on the Wieland Winternationals at Ocala Speedway, a $7,000-to-win non-points event won by Devin Moran (RaceWire):
PERSPECTIVE CHECK: For those who walked away from Tuesday’s action at Ocala let down or disappointed by how the racing unfolded, here are a few things worth considering. First off, I’m not in that camp. I thought the 30-lap feature delivered plenty of action from start to finish — from Devin Moran knifing through traffic, to Clay Harris and Brandon Overton racing nose-to-tail for third all night, to Hudson O’Neal’s charge from 11th to fifth. But if you’re inclined to be critical after opening night, pump the brakes. It’s tough for a track to truly slick off when the air stays cool all evening. The weather should warm up through the week. Add in the fact it’s a single-division show all, and it may take a night or two for track workers to dial things in. Remember, Lucas Oil has always had a support class at Ocala. I also couldn’t help but wonder if Monday’s practice, when the surface flirted with taking rubber, influenced officials Tuesday erring on the safe side with water rather than risking a locked-down track. Either way, an uninterrupted, eight-minute feature produced solid racing. If anything, it feels like the week is only trending upward from here.
TURN TWO: In the same vein, Ocala Speedway appears to have added some additional banking around the 3/8-mile tri-oval. While some drivers called the change subtle, others, including Brandon Sheppard, found that it added a new wrinkle. Most notably, the exit of turn two looked wider than in years past, and at times, noticeably slick. I saw several drivers wash up the track and struggle to keep their cars pointed straight entering the backstretch. That’s where Sheppard’s momentum stalled while attempting to clear a lapper, opening the door for Devin Moran’s go-ahead pass for the win. The same spot also bit Drake Troutman, who went from running fourth — a transfer position — in his heat race to missing the groove off turn two and getting shuffled back to seventh. A handful of others were caught out there as well throughout the night. Whether that area remains a problem spot or smooths out as the week progresses is worth monitoring.
CHIN UP: After a busted rear-end in heat race action sidelined him for the rest of the night, Carson Ferguson will need to put Tuesday’s deflating outing behind him quickly if he’s to keep building on his strong start to the 2026 season. The Lincolnton, N.C., driver logged just three top-five finishes last season, but already posted two over the weekend at All-Tech. Now, though, he’ll have to rebound without his primary car, as Donald and Gina Bradsher’s Paylor Motorsports team will turn to its backup machine on Wednesday. A solid rebound should help Ferguson and company regain their footing ahead of points action resuming Thursday.
TRAFFIC LESSONS: Put Brandon Sheppard in that same situation again — out front, trying to slice through a hornet’s nest of lapped traffic — and chances are he doesn’t make the mistake he did Tuesday when he tried passing a slower car in the wrong corner — turn two — and instead killed his momentum, opening the door for Moran to snatch the win. Make no mistake: while Devin Moran won fair and square, it’s still Rocket1 that has the car to beat in the Ocala pits this week. Mark Richards even gave me a subtle wink before Sheppard took the green in his heat race. Rocket1 is still on the rise.
CONFIDENCE BOOST: Brenden Smith’s 12th-place finish Tuesday isn’t cause for celebration, but it does represent a step in the right direction as the Dade City, Fla., driver works to get his season rolling as the new JCM Motorsports pilot. After qualifying for just 36 of 53 features and recording only one top-10 finish — a ninth at Huset’s Speedway — in his lone Lucas Oil season in 2024, simply racing in the upper half of the field is a morale boost. Smith climbed as high as eighth Tuesday before fading slightly late, but his confidence remains high the rest of the week at Ocala, a track he knows well thanks to his extensive Crate experience. He believes he can crack the top-five by week’s end if all goes right for him.
STAT OF THE NIGHT: Remember how Devin Moran extended his top-10 streak at All-Tech to 12 races in a row? Well he’s now done the same at Ocala. After Tuesday’s victory, the Dresden, Ohio, driver has four victories, seven podiums, 10 top-fives and 12 top-10s over his last dozen Ocala starts. That gives him an average finish of 3.4 at Ocala since 2022.
