BRANDON, S.D. (July 19) — Hudson O’Neal had one thing on his mind as he sat in his car during a red flag for rain on the 67th circuit of Saturday night’s 80-lap Silver Dollar Nationals at Huset’s Speedway.

“If I could dance in here,” O’Neal told FloRacing pit reporter Ben Shelton through his helmet, “I’d be dancing.”

The 24-year-old star from Martinsville, Ind., meant he wanted to do a rain dance so the race wouldn’t restart since he was in the lead. He couldn’t in his seat, of course, but officials ultimately declared the feature official to give O’Neal the $75,000 first-place prize without having to deal with another 13 laps.

Not that extending the event to its scheduled conclusion would have been unfavorable to O’Neal. He had already paced all 67 laps, turning back a handful of mid-race challenges from Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., in a fashion so powerful that he looked almost inevitable.

When the officials made the call to checkered-flag the race early due to the rain making the third-mile oval’s surface too slick, O’Neal was just thankful that he didn’t have to risk something happening to rob him of his first-ever triumph in the crown jewel event.

“Not the way we necessarily wanted to win it,” O’Neal said, “but we’ll take the rain all day whenever we’re out front leading like that.”

O’Neal was handed the rain-shortened victory over Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., who grabbed second on lap 55 when Davenport slipped high in turn four. Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., finished third after slipping past Davenport on a lap-57 restart while Davenport settled for fourth while Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., completed the top five after regaining fifth from Garrett Alberson of Las Cruces, N.M., on lap 58.

With the victory, O’Neal joined his father Don on the list of Silver Dollar Nationals winners. Don captured the 2011 event at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., where the race was contested until its closure relocated it to Huset’s in 2023.

“Unbelievable,” said O’Neal, who recorded his fourth win of the season and the 30th of his career on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. “You know, to be a race car driver, something you always dream of is being in a position to win big races and win these crown jewel races. And the Silver Dollar Nationals, I’ve never won and my dad won I think the inaugural one back at I-80, and it’s so cool to be standing up here at Huset’s Speedway to be able to call myself a Silver Dollar Nationals winner.”

Starting from the pole position, O’Neal pushed his SSI Motorsports Longhorn Chassis in front at the initial green flag and never looked back. He maintained an edge of several car lengths over Davenport except for brief stretches racing through lapped traffic during the long green-flag run for laps 29-57 when Davenport drew closer.

O’Neal’s strategy amid the slower cars, however, contributed to Davenport pulling within apparent striking distance.

“Whenever I caught lapped traffic there, we had kind of one lane burned in, especially down here and just right above the bottom of one of two, and I just couldn't quite make myself go out there and try to get around them,” O’Neal said. “I was running good, and I just knew that them guys in front of me couldn’t move (up the track), so I knew the guys behind me couldn’t move either.

“And I'm sure (his pursuers) were everywhere trying their best, but I just was trying not to give the race away. I was like, ‘I’m not going to move out of (the bottom). If somebody’s going to pass me, I’m gonna make them pass me somewhere else.’”

The race broke in O’Neal’s favor anyway.

“I was able to get by a couple of lapped cars there and then caught a lot of cautions at the right time, too, which was a big help,” O’Neal said of two late-race cautions that preceded the lap-67 stoppage for rain. “Whenever we’d get in some heavy lapped traffic, the caution come out and put us back in clean air.”

After the field of cars was brought into the infield under red-flag conditions on lap 67 in hopes of waiting out the rain so the full distance could be completed, O’Neal had to wait about 15 minutes before officials checkered the race. That clinched his fourth career crown jewel victory following 2021 triumphs in the Show-Me 100 (worth $30,000) and Topless 100 (worth $40,000) and the 2023 World 100 (paying $56,000).

The SDN’s race-record $75,000 payoff wasn’t O’Neal’s career-high winner’s check, however, because he earned $100,000 for capturing a 2023 XR Super Series event at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway.

Sheppard, who won the first Silver Dollar Nationals held at Huset’s in 2023, never really had a chance to seriously challenge O’Neal once he overtook Davenport for second. The 32-year-old Rocket Chassis house car driver wasn’t especially confident that running 13 more laps would have altered the outcome.

“I don’t know if we would have went back green if anything would have changed there,” said Sheppard, who also won the SDN in 2020 at I-80. “Hudson was really good and, you know, we all know how important it is to get out front at this place. You can momentum so good here that it makes it really hard to pass the leader for sure. There was enough character in the bottom of one and two and it was slick enough in three and four that you could really have a good momentum line and make it hard on the guy behind you.

“We just did the best we could, and the key to winning that race was get the lead early. We were able to get by J.D. there about halfway, and then we were able to run with Hudson, but, you know, like I said, it was going to be tough to pass him either way. I hate that it got shortened by rain for the fans, but at the end of the day, I think the outcome would have been probably the same.

“It was a solid weekend for us,” he added. “We definitely wanted to win, but all in all, it was a good weekend. We’re not gonna hang our heads. We got a fast race car, so we’re looking forward to the rest of the year.”

The 28-year-old Pierce, who won the SDN in 2019 at I-80, wasn’t happy that the race was called official without a heavy downpour deluging the track. He would have liked those 13 more laps even if he wouldn’t have been able to climb higher in the finishing order.

“My feelings are the track feels like it’s good to race on, so …” Pierce said in his post-race interview. “Yeah, I don't know .. we waited (out a rain delay) at Knoxville (the Late Model Nationals at the Iowa track) last year when I had the lead, there was about 10 to go, and we finished the race (with Pierce winning). You tell me.

“It is what it is,” he continued. “Hudson ran a really good race. Congrats to him. Congrats to Brandon. And I don’t know if 13 laps would have done anything. It was follow-the-leader forever, and then the track finally got good, and there came the rain.”

Six caution flags slowed the race, including the final yellow for rain on lap 67.

Multi-car tangles caused cautions on lap two (Ethan Dotson, Drake Troutman, Daniel Hilsabeck and Jacob Hobscheidt) and lap 57 (Tyler Erb, Brian Shirley, Daulton Wilson and Cory Lawler). Other cautions flew on lap 13 (debris), lap 29 (Carson Ferguson's turn-four spin following a scramble) and lap 59 (Hilsabeck's turn-two spin).

Silver Dollar Nationals
Pos. Driver (car no.), hometown, chassis, earnings
1. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., Longhorn, $75,000
2. Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., Rocket, $25,000
3. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., Longhorn, $10,000
4. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., Longhorn, $9,000
5. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., Longhorn, $8,000
6. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., Longhorn, $7,000
7. Dan Ebert (60), Lake Shore, Minn., Rocket, $6,000
8. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., Longhorn, $5,000
9. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., Rocket, $4,500
10. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, Longhorn, $4,000
11. Spencer Hughes (19M), Meridian, Miss., Rocket, $3,800
12. Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, Rocket, $3,700
13. Donald McIntosh (79), Dawsonville, Ga., Longhorn, $3,600
14. Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., Longhorn, $3,500
15. Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., Longhorn, $3,400
16. Daniel Hilsabeck (22), Earlham, Iowa, Capital, $3,300
17. Blair Nothdurft (76), Renner, S.D., Longhorn, $3,200
18. Brian Shirley (3S), Chatham, Ill., Longhorn, $3,100
19. Cory Lawler (93L), Hanover, Pa., Longhorn, $3,000
20. Brenden Smith (17SS), Dade City, Fla., Rocket, $2,900
21. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., Longhorn, $2,800
22. Carson Ferguson (93), Lincolnton, N.C., Longhorn, $2,700
23. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., Longhorn, $2,600
24. Jacob Hobscheidt (01J), Plattsmouth, Neb., Capital, $2,500
Lap leaders: O’Neal 1-67 (shortened from 80 laps by rain)
Fast qualifier (among 44 cars): O’Neal, 13.571 seconds
Heat race winners: O’Neal, Sheppard, Alberson, Davenport
Consolation winners: Dotson, Hughes
Provisional starters: Lawler, Smith
Preliminary feature winners: Moran, Davenport

Feature lineup

(80 laps)

Row 1: Hudson O'Neal, Garrett Alberson
Row 2: Brandon Sheppard, Jonathan Davenport
Row 3: Ricky Thornton Jr., Bobby Pierce
Row 4: Tyler Erb, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 5: Donald McIntosh, Brian Shirley
Row 6: Daniel Hilsabeck, Devin Moran
Row 7: Drake Troutman, Carson Ferguson
Row 8: Jacob Hobscheidt, Daulton Wilson
Row 9: Ethan Dotson, Hughes
Row 10: Brandon Overton, Ebert
Row 11: Clay Harris, Nothdurft
Row 12: Cory Lawler, Brenden Smith

Consolation results

(10 laps; top three transfer)

First B-main: Ethan Dotson, Brandon Overton, Clay Harris, Brenden Smith, C.J. Horn, Trevor Anderson, J.T. Wasmund, Bill Leighton Jr., Tad Pospisil, Charlie McKenna, Corey Zeitner, Curt Schroeder, Dylan Schmer, Cory Lawler.

Second B-main: Spencer Hughes, Dan Ebert, Blair Nothdurft, Jesse Sobbing, Dylan Sillman, Josh Leonard, Tim Ward, Brody Smith, Lane Brenden, Shane DeMey, Braxten Leonard, Curt Kranz, Junior Coover, Darrel DeFrance.

Heat race recap

Hudson O’Neal controlled the first heat race, leading all eight laps and crossing the line 1.137 seconds ahead of third-starting Ricky Thornton Jr., who grabbed second from Donald McIntosh on the second lap, relegating McIntosh to settle for third. Drake Troutman held off Brandon Overton for the race’s fourth and final transfer position into Saturday’s 80-lap Silver Dollar Nationals finale. … Brandon Sheppard overcame a late-race restart and earned a flag-to-flag victory in winning the second heat by 0.526 of a second over third-starting Tyler Erb, who trailed Sheppard the entire way. Fourth-starting Daniel Hilsabeck finished third while Jacob Hobscheidt narrowly Held off seventh-starting Ethan Dotson by 0.070 of a second for the fourth and final transfer spot into the $75,000-to-win feature. Hobscheidt will be making his series debut. The race’s lone caution came on the sixth lap for debris in turn two. … Garrett Alberson commanded the entire way to win the third heat by 0.699 of a second over Bobby Pierce, who pursued him all eight laps. Brian Shirley got the jump on Carson Ferguson at the race’s initial start to finish third, relegating Ferguson to fourth. … Jonathan Davenport overcame multiple restarts to lead all eight laps of the fourth and final heat race, winning by 1.108 seconds over third-starting Dennis Erb Jr., who grabbed second Devin Moran on the fifth lap, relegating Moran to third. Eighth-starting Daulton Wilson improved four positions for the fourth and final transfer spot. Curt Kranz spun twice (lap three and lap five) for both of the race’s slowdowns; he continued and finished 11th.

Heat results

(Eight laps; top four transfer)

First heat: Hudson O'Neal, Ricky Thornton Jr., Donald McIntosh, Drake Troutman, Brandon Overton, Brenden Smith, Trevor Anderson, Tad Pospisil, Curt Schroeder, Corey Zeitner, Cory Lawler.

Second heat: Brandon Sheppard, Tyler Erb, Daniel Hilsabeck, Jacob Hobscheidt, Ethan Dotson, Clay Harris, C.J. Horn, J.T. Wasmund, Bill Leighton Jr., Charlie McKenna, Dylan Schmer.

Third heat: Garrett Alberson, Bobby Pierce, Brian Shirley, Carson Ferguson, Spencer Hughes, Dylan Sillman, Josh Leonard, Braxten Leonard, Lane Brenden, Shane DeMey, Juinor Coover.

Fourth heat: Jonathan Davenport, Dennis Erb Jr., Devin Moran, Daulton Wilson, Blair Nothdurft, Dan Ebert, Jesse Sobbing, Brody Smith, Tim Ward, Darrel DeFrance, Curt Kranz.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 13.571
2. Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 13.780
3. Donald McIntosh (79), Dawsonville, Ga., 13.788
4. Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., 13.920
5. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 13.956
6. Tyler Erb (1T), New Waverly, Texas, 13.974
7. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 14.066
8. Daniel Hilsabeck (22), Earlham, Iowa, 14.133
9. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla.,  14.178
10. Jacob Hobscheidt (01J), Plattsmouth, Neb., 14.223
11. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 14.275
12. C.J. Horn (01), Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 14.359
13. Trevor Anderson (20), Watertown, S.D., 14.464
14. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 14.467
15. Tad Pospisil (04), Norfolk, Neb., 14.484
16. Dylan Schmer (5s), Aurora, Neb., 14.522
17. Curt Schroeder (15c), Newton, Iowa, 14.531
18. J.T. Wasmund (51w), Pine Island, Minn., 14.591
19. Corey Zeitner (26jr), Omaha, Neb., 14.618
20. Bill Leighton Jr. (24L), La Vista, Neb., 14.624
21. Cory Lawler (93L), Hanover, Pa., 14.676
22. Charlie McKenna (22c), Ames, Iowa, 14.740
Group B
1. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 13.908
2. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 14.052
3. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 14.058
4. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 14.093
5. Carson Ferguson (93), Lincolnton, N.C., 14.122
6. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 14.132
7. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 14.374
8. Blair Nothdurft (76n), Renner, S.D., 14.427
9. Spencer Hughes (19m), Meridian, Miss., 14.454
10. Jesse Sobbing (18), Malvern, Iowa, 14.536
11. Josh Leonard (85), Gibbon, Neb., 14.547
12. Dan Ebert (60), Lake Shore, Minn., 14.566
13. Shane DeMey (15m), Denison, Iowa, 14.580
14. Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 14.627
15. Dylan Sillman (35D), Alvo, Neb., 14.639
16. Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., 14.661
17. Lane Brenden (8), Mitchell, S.D., 14.680
18. Tim Ward (4tw), Mesa, Ariz., 14.690
19. Braxten Leonard (85jr), Gibbon, Neb., 14.701
20. Curt Kranz (87), Watertown, S.D., 14.990
21. Junior Coover (10), Norfolk, Neb., 15.099
22. Darrel DeFrance (99D), Marshalltown, Iowa, 15.377

Saturday’s schedule

(All times local)
2 p.m. - Pits open
2:45 p.m. - Tech and registration opens
4 p.m. - Grandstands open
5-5:45 p.m. - Driver autograph session
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Super Late Model hot laps
- Super Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Street stock hot laps
Opening ceremonies
- Super Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Street stock heats (8 laps)
- Super Late Model consolations (12 laps)
- Street stock feature (30 laps)
- Super Late Model non-qualifier (16 laps)
Intermission/driver introductions
- 15th annual Silver Dollar Nationals (80 laps)