ROSSBURG, OH (October 18, 2024) - The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series took to the track on Friday night at Eldora Speedway for the preliminary night portion of the 44th Annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship presented by ARP. Sixty-one entries were divided into six heat races.

Tim McCreadie, who set the Allstar Performance overall fastest lap in time trials, bolted to the lead at the start of Penske Shocks heat number one, leading all ten circuits to earn the Victory Fuel Pole Award for Saturday night’s $100,000 to win finale. Daulton Wilson came from the fourth spot to finish in second place, with Max Blair grabbing the third and final transfer spot.

Ricky Thornton, Jr., the current series points leader, dominated all ten laps, leading wire-to-wire in winning Summit Racing Equipment heat number two. Thornton was never challenged for the race lead as he led Carson Ferguson and James Rice to the finish line to advance to the Dirt Track World Championship.

In Earnhardt Technologies heat three, Jonathan Davenport split the middle of two other drivers on a restart and pulled away for the win. Trailing Davenport to the line and qualifying for the Dirt Track World Championship were Josh Rice and Hudson O’Neal.

In a pivotal Simpson Race Products heat four where the winner would start on the outside front row of the Dirt Track World Championship, Mason Zeigler, a former Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year barely edged Dale McDowell in a photo finish. McDowell and World 100 winner Bobby Pierce completed the top three to punch their ticket into the finale.

The fifth heat race saw Jordan Koehler race his way into his first Dirt Track World Championship, leading all 10 laps as the 22-year-old North Carolina racer crossed the line ahead of the 2024 O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year Drake Troutman, who will start his first career Dirt Track World Championship on Saturday as well. Ryan Gustin finished third.

Mike Marlar, coming off a Jackson 100 win at Brownstown Speedway last weekend, cruised to victory in the sixth and final heat race of the night. Brian Shirley, the runner-up in the Knoxville Late Model Nationals, came home in second, followed by Devin Moran, who was third.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 
Race Summary 
44th Annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship presented by ARP | Night 1
Friday, October 18, 2024
Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, OH

Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (15.1228 seconds)

Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Tim McCreadie | 15.522 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Zak Mitchell | 15.559 seconds

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1-Tim McCreadie[1]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[4]; 3. 111-Max Blair[5]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 5. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]; 6. 96-Tanner English[7]; 7. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 8. 12-Jason Jameson[6]; 9. 93-Cory Lawler[10]; 10. 99J-Donnie Jeschke[9]; 11. (DNS) 29-Clint Keenan

Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 93F-Carson Ferguson[2]; 3. 11J-James Rice[4]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[6]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 6. 4G-Kody Evans[5]; 7. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[9]; 8. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[8]; 9. 7B-Jeff Babcock[7]; 10. 21B-Rich Bell[10]

Earnhardt Technologies Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[4]; 2. 11R-Josh Rice[2]; 3. 71-Hudson O'Neal[5]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 5. 9-Nick Hoffman[3]; 6. 89-Mike Spatola[7]; 7. 51-Devin Shiels[8]; 8. 69-Jon Hodgkiss[9]; 9. 39-Brandon Moore[10]; 10. 74-Ethan Dotson[1]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[2]; 2. 17M-Dale McDowell[3]; 3. 32P-Bobby Pierce[4]; 4. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[5]; 5. 17D-Zack Dohm[6]; 6. 17SS-Brenden Smith[8]; 7. 11K-Evan Koehler[9]; 8. 8-Rob Anderzack[10]; 9. 28B-Carson Brown[7]; 10. 57-Zack Mitchell[1]

Lucas Oil Heat Race #5 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 2. 1-Tim McCreadie[3]; 3. 2J-Justin Weaver[4]; 4. 15K-Jamie Lathroum[2]; 5. 0-Rick Eckert[6]; 6. 9M-Hayes Mattern[5]; 7. 32J-Shaun Jones[7]; 8. 4-Gary Stuhler[8]

Lucas Oil Heat Race #6 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 157-Mike Marlar[1]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[2]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens[4]; 5. C4-Freddie Carpenter[6]; 6. 18-Shannon Babb[7]; 7. 10S-Garrett Smith[10]; 8. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 9. 49X-Brian Ruhlman[8]; 10. W1-Cory Workman[9]

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Line-Up (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer):
Row - Car # - Driver - Hometown | Car # - Driver - Hometown
1 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA | 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL
2 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM | 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL
3 - 96 - Tanner English - Benton, KY | 4G - Kody Evans - Camden, OH
4 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA | 28 - Dennis Erb Jr - Carpentersville, IL
5 - 12 - Jason Jameson - Lawrenceburg, IN | 95J - Jerry Bowersock - Wapakoneta, OH
6 - 93 - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA | 7B - Jeff Babcock - Wayne, OH
7 - 99J - Donnie Jeschke - Dayton, OH | 21B - Rich Bell - Sheffield, IL
8 - 29 - Clint Keenan - Pataskala, OH

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Line-Up (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer):
Row - Car # - Driver - Hometown | Car # - Driver - Hometown
1 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE | 20TC - Tristan Chamberlain - Richmond, IN
2 - 9 - Nick Hoffman - Mooresville, NC | 17D - Zack Dohm - Cross Lanes, WV
3 - 89 - Mike Spatola - Manhattan, IL | 17SS - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL
4 - 51 - Devin Shiels - Britton, MI | 11K - Evan Koehler - Mount Airy, NC
5 - 69 - Jon Hodgkiss - Pittsburgh, PA | 8 - Rob Anderzack - Swanton, OH
6 - 39 - Brandon Moore - Fostoria, OH | 28B - Carson Brown - New London, NC
7 - 74 - Ethan Dotson - Bakersfield, CA | 57 - Zack Mitchell - Enoree, SC

MyRacePass B-Main Race #3 Line-Up (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer):
Row - Car # - Driver - Hometown | Car # - Driver - Hometown
1 - 15X - Wil Herrington - Hawkinsville, GA | 20 - Jimmy Owens - Newport, TN
2 - 99B - Boom Briggs - Bear Lake, PA | C4 - Freddie Carpenter - Parkersburg, WV
3 - B5 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL | 18 - Shannon Babb - Moweaqua, IL
4 - 28C - Tyler Carpenter - Parkersburg, WV | 10S - Garrett Smith - Madison, GA
5 - 54 - David Breazeale - Four Corners, MS | 1T - Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX
6 - 88 - Chad Green - Flemington, WV - 49X | Brian Ruhlman - Clark Lake, MI
7 - 23 - Cory Hedgecock - Loudon, TN | W1 - Cory Workman - Gratiot, OH

44th Annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship presented by ARP A-Main Line-Up (100 Laps):
Row - Car # - Driver - Hometown | Car # - Driver - Hometown
1 - 1 - Tim McCreadie - Watertown, NY | 25Z - Mason Zeigler - Chalk Hill, PA
2 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Martinsville, IN | 114 - Jordan Koehler - Mount Airy, NC
3 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA | 157 - Mike Marlar - Winfield, TN
4 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC | 17M - Dale McDowell - Chickamauga, GA
5 - 93F - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC | 7T - Drake Troutman - Hyndman, PA
6 - 11R - Josh Rice - Crittenden, KY | 3S - Brian Shirley - Chatham, IL
7 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA | 32P - Bobby Pierce - Oakwood, IL
8 - 11J - James Rice - Verona, KY | 19R - Ryan Gustin - Marshalltown, IA
9 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN | 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH
10 - B-Main #1 – 1st Place | B-Main #2 – 1st Place
11 - B-Main #3 – 1st Place | B-Main #1 – 2nd Place
12 - B-Main #2 – 2nd Place | B-Main #3 – 2nd Place
13 - LOLMDS Provisional #1 | LOLMDS Provisional #2
14 - LOLMDS Emergency Provisional #1 (if needed) | LOLMDS Emergency Provisional #2 (if needed)