Poll Position presented by Keyser Manufacturing
Top 25: Thornton creeps up to No. 2 spot
By Kevin Kovac
DirtonDirt senior writer
Ricky Thornton Jr. (heathlawsonphotos.com)
Ricky Thornton Jr.’s $60,000 sweep of the Rumble by the River weekend at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway broke Jonathan Davenport’s hold on the No. 2 spot in DirtonDirt’s power rankings, but the Chandler, Ariz., star couldn’t shake the red-hot Bobby Pierce from the top spot in the poll.
Pierce, 28, of Oakwood, Ill., ran his World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series win streak to four with a $32,000 sweep of the national tour’s portion of the Sooner State Showdown at Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, Okla., keeping him No. 1 in the Keyser Manufacturing-sponsored Top 25 for the 20th consecutive week. He was a unanimous selection following a weekend that also saw him record a runner-up finish in the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series-sanctioned program that opened Arrowhead’s tripleheader.
The 34-year-old Thornton jumped Davenport in the rankings to reach the second position on the strength of his perfect weekend at Port Royal, which included a $10,000 preliminary triumph Friday and a hard-fought $50,000 victory in Saturday’s 50-lap finale. He ran the half-mile oval’s rim in the big show to outduel Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., whose runner-up finish helped make him the poll’s biggest mover with a five-spot advance to No. 16.
Blairsville, Ga.’s Davenport slipped to No. 3 after registering finishes of second and fifth at Port Royal. Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, who tallied fourth- and third-place finishes at Port Royal, gained two spots to land at No. 4 while Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., fell one position to No. 5 after finishing third and fourth in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series action at Port Royal.
Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., slid out of the top-five to No. 6 following a run in Port Royal’s finale that saw him start third but fade to 10th.
Madden and Moran were the lone drivers to climb multiple positions and there were no newcomers to the Top 25 after a tie for 25th in last week’s poll created 26 ranked drivers. Sam Seawright of Rainsville, Ala., dropped from the rankings.
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. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.
Comment: After runner-up finish in Comp Cams feature to open Arrowhead’s weekend, sweeps pair of WoO races to push win streak on tour to four. Holiday weekend schedule currently empty as he begins prep for World 100 repeat. Series points: 1st (WoO). 1st (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 1st (nc)
2. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
Comment: Rides the rim to $60,000 sweep of Lucas Oil’s Rumble by the River weekend at Port Royal. Staying in Pennsylvania for Hillbilly Hundred at Lernerville. Series points: 1st (Lucas Oil); 3rd (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 3rd (+1)
3. Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
Comment: Can’t stop RTJ at Port Royal, finishing second and fifth in doubleheader. Heading to Hillbilly Hundred at Lernerville, where he won Firecracker 100 in June. Series points: 2nd (Lucas Oil); 2nd (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 2nd (-1)
4. Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio
Comment: Solid weekend at Port Royal with finishes of fourth and third, gaining momentum for Lernerville’s doubleheader. Series points: 3rd (Lucas Oil); 7th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 6th (+2)
5. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
Comment: Just off Thornton’s pace at Port Royal with finishes of third and fourth. He’ll have a returning Josh Richards as a Rocket1 teammate for Lernerville’s Hillbilly Hundred. Series points: 5th (Lucas Oil); 4th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 4th (-1)
6. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
Comment: Disappointing Port Royal finale run sees him fade from third starting spot to 10th-place finish. He’ll tackle Lernerville next, then add a Sunday run at Tyler County in Rumley Enterprises No. 6. Series points: 4th (Lucas Oil); 6th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 5th (-1)
7. Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, N.C.
Comment: Starts three-day visit to Arrowhead with $10,000 Comp Cams victory before logging fourth- and second-place finishes in WoO action. No racing this weekend as World 100 becomes top priority. Series points: 2nd (WoO); T7th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 7th (nc)
8. Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, N.M.
Comment: Can’t repeat 2024 magic at Port Royal, finishing seventh and 13th in Lucas Oil doubleheader. Lernerville next on agenda. Series points: 6th (Lucas Oil); 10th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: T8th (nc)
9. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa
Comment: Struggles at Arrowhead, failing to crack top-10 in two WoO shows. Series points: 3rd (WoO); T7th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: T8th (-1)
10. Brandon Overton, Evans, Ga.
Comment: Begins Port Royal weekend with fast-time honors on Friday, but only manages 11th- and ninth-place finishes. Hopes for better results at Lernerville. Series points: 7th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 10th (nc)
11. Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn.
Comment: Port Royal trip yields finishes of fifth and sixth (plus a pair of open-wheel modified victories). Uncertain if he’ll race again before World 100. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 12th (+1)
12. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
Comment: Performs well at Arrowhead with fourth in Comp Cams feature, third in WoO opener and eighth in finale after rallying from flat tire. Waiting until midweek to decide if he’ll enter Hillbilly Hundred before trekking to World 100. Series points: 4th (WoO). Previous ranking: 11th (-1)
13. Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.
Comment: Strong stretch continues with three top-fives at Arrowhead, including runner-up finish in opener. Might run Fairbury’s MARS event on Saturday before embarking on Eldora trip. Series points: 7th (WoO); 5th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 13th (nc)
14. Tyler Erb, New Waverly, Texas
Comment: Makes long haul to Oklahoma and improves each night of Arrowhead’s meet, topping out with third-place finish in WoO finale. Planning visit to Lernerville plus a World 100 tuneup in Sunday’s Baltes Classic at Eldora. Series points: 2nd (Summer Nationals). Previous ranking: 14th (nc)
15. Jason Feger, Bloomington, Ill.
Comment: MARS doubleheader produces win at Kankakee and runner-up finish at Red Hill. Big MARS weekend coming up at Farmer City, Fairbury and Spoon River. Series points: Champion (Summer Nationals); 1st (MARS). Previous ranking: 15th (nc)
16. Chris Madden, Gray Court, S.C.
Comment: Records second straight runner-up finish in a big-money affair as he chases Thornton to finish in Port Royal’s finale. Attention now solely pointed to World 100. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 21st (+5)
17. Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn.
Comment: Scores third-place finish in Southern All Star event at Kentucky’s Lake Cumberland. Has Sunday’s Baltes Classic on schedule to get laps before World 100 weekend. Series points: 1st (Hunt the Front); T2nd (Southern Nationals). Previous ranking: 18th (+1)
18. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill.
Comment: Kicks off Arrowhead weekend with third-place Comp Cams finish but doesn’t reach top-five in WoO features. Staying close to home on off WoO weekend with MARS races at Farmer City, Fairbury and Spoon River. Series points: 6th (WoO); 9th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 16th (-2)
19. Josh Rice, Crittenden, Ky.
Comment: Sits idle for weekend to begin preparation for World 100. Eyeing Sunday’s Baltes Classic to begin World 100 assault. Series points: 1st (Northern Allstars). Previous ranking: 17th (-2)
20. Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, Tenn.
Comment: North Georgia’s Hunt the Front rainout keeps him home. Plans to spend holiday weekend running Southern All Star show at Volunteer and Sunday’s Baltes Classic at Eldora. Series points: 3rd (Hunt the Front). Previous ranking: 20th (nc)
21. Zack Mitchell, Enoree, S.C.
Comment: Goes from 21st to third before losing power and retiring from Southern All Star feature at Lake Cumberland, where mechanical trouble in preliminaries forced him to backup car. Series points: 2nd (Hunt the Front). Previous ranking: 19th (-2)
22. Max Blair, Centerville, Pa.
Comment: Pair of top-10s (eighth, seventh) at Port Royal raise spirits before home-state Hillbilly Hundred at Lernerville. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 22nd (nc)
23. Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, N.C.
Comment: Port Royal weekend goes south with engine trouble in Saturday heat putting him in backup car for feature. After 17th-place finish, heads back to Kentucky shop to regroup for Lernerville. Series points: 8th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 23rd (nc)
T24. Tanner English, Benton, Ky.
Comment: Debut at Arrowhead is forgettable as he fails to nab a top-10 finish in three attempts. Holiday weekend off to ready for World 100. Series points: 9th (WoO). Previous ranking: 24th (nc)
T24. Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, Pa.
Comment: Struggles in Port Royal’s Rumble by the River continue with DNQ on Friday, but he rebounds with 17th-to-eighth run in finale. All-Pennsylvania weekend on tap at Bedford, Port Royal and Selinsgrove. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 25th (+1)
Dropped out: Sam Seawright
Others receiving votes: Drake Troutman, Jason Jameson, Ashton Winger, Kyle Bronson, Sam Seawright, Dylan Thornton, Dale McDowell, Colten Burdette, Tristan Chamberlain, Ethan Dotson.
