Poll Position presented by Keyser Manufacturing
Top 25: Marlar (No. 27), McDowell (No. 20) join rankings
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt managing editor
Mike Marlar (heathlawsonphotos.com)
While Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., held onto the No. 1 ranking for the fourth straight week, veteran racers Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., joined DirtonDirt’s weekly power rankings.
O’Neal was the unanimous top pick in the Keyser Manufacturing-sponsored polling while Marlar, Friday’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series winner at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., arrived at No. 17 in the rankings. McDowell, who posted a pair of WoO top-fives at Volunteer and Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn., jumped into the poll at No. 20.
The week’s biggest climber was Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., who captured WoO’s feature at Smoky Mountain for the second straight season. He moved up three spots as he extended his streak of WoO podium finishes to seven in a row.
Also moving up among drivers in the top 10 was Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., who ratcheted up two positions to No. 7 after a pair of podium WoO finishes in Tennessee.
Among the rest of the top five, slipping to third was Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., the runner-up at Smoky Mountain, while idle drivers Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, who became a father Saturday, and Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., rounded out the top five.
Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., involved in a race-ending wreck with sixth-ranked Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., in the final laps at Smoky Mountain, dropped out of the rankings along with Mark Whitener of Middleburg, Fla., who didn’t compete in Super Late Model action over the weekend.
Voting is done by a 10-member committee made up of staffers and contributors to determine the Top 25 power rankings: Richard Allen, Bryan Ault, Jeff Broeg, Kelley Carlton, Ryan Delph, Josh James, Kevin Kovac, Kyle McFadden, Mike Ruefer and Kyle Symons. Results are compiled and tabulated by Todd Turner, who serves as a voting alternate along with fellow staffer Aaron Clay.
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. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
Comment: Not a factor in WoO’s weekend in Tennessee, finishing 10th at Smoky Mountain in lone appearance. He’ll climb into Rumley Engineering ride for Magnolia’s WoO weekend. Series points: 1st (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 1st (nc)
2. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.
Comment: Edges into WoO points lead after third-place run at Volunteer and $20,000 victory at Smoky Mountain, where he leads final two laps after late-race crash. Mag on tap. Series points: 1st (WoO). Previous ranking: 5th (+3)
3. Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, N.C.
Comment: Ninth and second in WoO’s Tennessee trip to Volunteer and Smoky Mountain. Magnolia’s WoO twinbill up next. Series points: 2nd (WoO). Previous ranking: 2nd (-1)
4. Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio
Comment: Double Down Motorsports team idle amid wife Lakia's delivery of their first child, Poppy Jane. Series points: 2nd (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 3rd (-1)
5. Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
Comment: Double L Motorsports team hasn’t publicly posted upcoming schedule after his three-victory Speedweeks run. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 4th (-1)
6. Brandon Overton, Evans, Ga.
Comment: Sore but not seriously injured after frightening backstretch crash while leading at Smoky Mountain. He has Modoc and Cherokee races listed for weekend action. Series points: 3rd (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 6th (nc)
7. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
Comment: Clicks off two podium finishes in WoO’s Tennessee action with Lucas Oil’s Atomic-Brownstown weekend coming in late March. Series points: 5th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 9th (+2)
8. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
Comment: Rocket Chassis house car team remaining idle until Lucas Oil’s trip to Atomic and Brownstown. Series points: 7th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 7th (-1)
T9. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa
Comment: Not a major factor in Tennessee with eighth- and 17th-place finishes; Mag on tap. Series points: 4th (WoO). Previous ranking: 10th (+1)
T9. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
Comment: He’s 12th at Volunteer and fifth at Smoky Mountain. Next is Magnolia, where he’s been third or better in his last four starts (coming in 2020-21). Series points: 3rd (WoO). Previous ranking: 8th (-1)
11. Tyler Erb, New Waverly, Texas
Comment: East Tennessee visit not a good one with 19th- and 15th-place finishes at Volunteer and Smoky Mountain. Magnolia up next, where he was a 2017 winner. Series points: 5th (WoO). Previous ranking: 11th (nc)
12. Max Blair, Centerville, Pa.
Comment: Fails to crack starting field at Smoky Mountain during Lucas Oil break. Series points: 6th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 12th (nc)
13. Clay Harris, Jupiter, Fla.
Comment: On a weekend off, he tries his hand (voice?) at announcing at All-Tech. Atomic-Brownstown weekend awaits at month’s end. Series points: 4th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 13th (nc)
14. Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, N.M.
Comment: Roberts Motorsports on post-Speedweeks break ahead of Lucas Oil’s return in late March. Series points: 9th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 14th (nc)
15. Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif.
Comment: In scrape with Kyle Strickler in Volunteer prelims, he salvages weekend with 22nd-to-eighth run at Smoky Mountain. Magnolia, where he won in 2024, up next. Series points: 8th (WoO). Previous ranking: 16th (+1)
16. Drake Troutman, Hyndman, Pa.
Comment: Worst finishes since Jan. 22 come back-to-back at Volunteer and Smoky Mountain. He’ll debut at The Mag this weekend. Series points: 6th (WoO). Previous ranking: 15th (-1)
17. Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn.
Comment: Rebounding from qualifying crash at Golden Isles, he survives early scrape at Volunteer for $12,000 WoO victory at the Gap. Series points: None. Previous ranking: Unranked
18. Chris Madden, Gray Court, S.C.
Comment: Leads both WoO features in Tennessee, finishing fourth at Volunteer and seeing a runner-up finish at Smoky Mountain evaporate in late-race crash. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 18th (nc)
19. Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, N.C.
Comment: Respectable sixth-place WoO performances in Tennessee send him to Magnolia, where he’s never competed. Series points: 7th (WoO). Previous ranking: 20th (+1)
20. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, Ga.
Comment: Seeing clearly after cataract surgery, Shane McDowell Racing pilot clicks off top-fives at Volunteer and Smoky Mountain. Upcoming schedule less clear. Series points: None. Previous ranking: Unranked
21. Kyle Bronson, Brandon, Fla.
Comment: He’s sitting tight until Lucas Oil Series returns to action in Ohio and Indiana. Series points: 8th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 17th (-4)
22. Carson Ferguson, Lincolnton, N.C.
Comment: Posts 24th- and 15th-place finishes in WoO action in Tennessee; plans to drive Kale Green's car at Modoc and his regular Paylor Motorsports ride at Cherokee. Series points: 10th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 19th (-3)
T23. Dustin Sorensen, Winona, Minn.
Comment: He’s 20th and 13th at Volunteer and Smoky Mountain and heads for Late Model debut at Magnolia Motor Speedway. Series points: 9th (WoO). Previous ranking: 21st (-2)
T23. Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.
Comment: Idle in mid-March, he plans more time off before Lucas Oil resumes at Atomic and Brownstown. Series points: 11th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 2nd (-1)
25. Cody Overton, Thomson, Ga.
Comment: After saying he'd rejoin WoO circuit in Tennessee, he skips Volunteer and Smoky Mountain action. Series points: 19th (WoO). Previous ranking: 24th (-1)
Dropped out: Dennis Erb Jr., Mark Whitener.
Others receiving votes: Cade Dillard, Mark Whitener, Dennis Erb Jr., Tony Jackson Jr., Clay Stuckey, Trey Mills, Sam Seawright, Tanner English, Chris Ferguson, Zack Mitchell.
