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Ricky Thornton Jr. Overcomes Adversity for First-Career PDC Triumph
Scores $100,000 Triumph Earlier in the Week in the Elkhorn 100
MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (07/31/23) – Challenging track conditions, a super-talented field of foes, and even a mechanical failure couldn’t slow Ricky Thornton Jr.’s pursuit of his first-career Prairie Dirt Classic title on Saturday night.
Thornton Jr. rebounded from a broken crank trigger that knocked him out of the lead with 21 laps remaining to score the $61,500 victory aboard his SSI Motorsports / Coltman Farms / Hoker Trucking No. 20RT Dyno One Inc. / Excel Floor Covering / Sub-Surface of Indiana/ Longhorn Chassis/ Clements Racing Engine Super Late Model.
The triumph was paired with a thrilling $100,000 victory earlier in the week in the XR Super Series sanctioned Elk Horn 100.
“We broke a crank trigger there in turn three, and I’m freaking flipping switches and everything else. Then it finally came back to me. I didn’t think I was that far back. We just had a little motivation. After that, I said, ‘Screw it. If we aren’t going to win, we’re going to tip it over’,” Thornton Jr. said in Victory Lane on Saturday night.
“It’s all my crew. My job is easy,” Thornton Jr. continued. “We have a good enough car where I don’t have to run hard the whole time. … Bobby [Pierce] was really good there. Then once we got to traffic, I was a little better than he was. I just knew once we got to traffic and if we’d have a really long run, we’d have a really good shot. It worked out for us. I figured the whole right side was going to be killed on this thing. After I went to the back, it was whatever it takes to get it done. It was pretty awesome. I have to thank all these great fans here for stopping by.”
Ricky Thornton Jr. was back in action on Monday afternoon at Off Road Speedway (Norfolk, Neb.) aboard the SSI Motorsports No. 20RT Longhorn Chassis Late Model for the opening leg of the two-day Elkhorn 100.
Drawing 28 XR Super Series entries for a pair of prelims leading up to Tuesday’s $100,000-to-win main event, Thornton outdueled fellow front-row starter Dennis Erb Jr. in his heat to pick up the eight-lap victory. With $5,000 on the line in his preliminary feature, Ricky chased race-long pacesetter Dalton Wilson to the checkers in the 25-lap affair with Dennis Erb Jr. coming in third.
With Monday’s finish locking him on the second row for Tuesday night’s Elkhorn 100 A-Main, Ricky led at two different stages in the first half of the race before a charging Bobby Pierce stole the top spot amid lapped-traffic. Hitting his marks and remaining within striking distance, Thornton regained the lead on lap 81 and led the remainder of the 100-lapper to capture the $100,000 top prize and his 22nd overall win of the 2023 season. He collected his second career six-figure payday ahead of Pierce, Kyle Bronson, Brandon Sheppard, and Daulton Wilson.
Next, the mega weekend for the 33rd annual Illinois State Rifle Association Prairie Dirt Classic opened at Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway on Friday evening with 62 World of Outlaws (WoO) Case Late Model Series entries on hand for opening round action. The field was divided into four $5,000-to-win prelim programs, and Ricky earned the fourth-starting spot for his 25-lap qualifying feature via time trials. He moved into the second position late in the feature before overtaking Hudson O’Neal for the top spot on the final circuit to snare the win, which moved him into Saturday’s redraw for the main event.
Receiving the third-starting spot for the 100-lap finale atop a track surface that was left aggressive after persistent weekend rain, Thornton Jr. ran in the Top 5 throughout the first half of the feature before overtaking Bobby Pierce for the lead for the first time on lap 61. Pierce retook control on lap 62 before Ricky retook the top spot on lap 71.
He looked to be on his way to a comfortable win before the crank trigger broke on the 80th circuit. He was able to switch to a backup but not before the caution flew for him. Via the blend rule he was realigned sixth for the restart. With added inspiration in his corner he worked his way back to the front on the 87th circuit and went on to pace the remainder of the feature for the $50,000 win.
He received an additional $11,500 for lap leader money as his take on the night elevated to $61,500. He now holds 24 victories on the season.
Full results from last week’s events are available at www.XRSuperSeries.com and www.WoOLMS.com .
Four nights of World of Outlaws (WoO) Case Late Model Series action dots this weekend’s landscape for the Arizona native. Action opens with a $15,000-to-win program at Boone (Iowa) Speedway. From there the 2023 edition of the USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway (New Richmond, Wisc.) comes to life with a $6,000-to-win program on Thursday followed by prelims for the $50,000-to-win edition of the crown jewel on Friday followed by the finale on Saturday.
Full details on the week’s slate are available at www.WoOLMS.com .
Ricky Thornton Jr. would like to thank all of his marketing partners, which include: SSI Motorsports, Dyno One, Excel Floor Covering, Coltman Farms, Hoker Trucking, Certified Inspection Service (CSI), High Performance Lubricants, Big River Steel, Van Meter Insurance Group, Varsitee Screen Printing, West Side Tractor Sales Co., Sub-Surface of Indiana, Midwest Sheet Metal, D&E Outside Services, Lethal Chassis, Dylan Earven Foundation, EMD Wraps, Brembo, Keyser Manufacturing, Wiles Driveshafts, Barnes Systems, Strange Oval, Schoenfeld Headers, The Joie of Seating, Earnhardt Technologies, FK Rod Ends, BMRS, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Hoosier Tire, Performance Bodies, Jones Racing Products, Simpson Racing Products, NAPA (Morgantown – Bargersville), Swift Springs, Bilstein, Winning Edge Carburetion, Longhorn Chassis, Clements Racing Engines, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
Visit the team’s official website at www.TwentyRT.com often for the latest team information. You can also stay connected with Ricky Thornton Jr. on social media at https://www.facebook.com/rickythorntonjrracing on Facebook, and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RThornton20rt.
PR Contact:
Ben Shelton (ben.shelton@myracepass.com)
Dale McDowell Collects Pair of $10,053 Southern Nationals Victories
Duck River Raceway Park’s Deep Fried 75 on Deck
MOORESBURG, Tenn. (07/31/23) – Dale McDowell banked a pair of $10,053 triumphs with the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals over the course of a steamy weekend in the driver’s seat of the Shane McDowell Racing / E-Z-GO No. 17m Cometic Gaskets / Klotz Synthetic Lubricants / Connected Strategy Advisors / Team Zero Race Cars / Clements Racing Engine Super Late Model.
McDowell collected the winner’s spoils on Friday night at North Georgia Speedway, followed by another victorious performance at Tazewell Speedway on Sunday evening.
“It was a long and hot weekend for everyone, but our team did an amazing job of giving me what I needed. We were able to steal one on Friday at North Georgia [Speedway]. Carson [Ferguson] is becoming a heck of a littler acer and was doing everything good,” McDowell said. “It’s just you don’t know where to go [to get by the lapped traffic]. I had been playing with the top down there [in turns three and four] just to try to get a run if we got to lapped traffic and really couldn’t do anything down here [in turns one and two]. We just got a little lucky there, ya know he got pinned down there on the bottom.
“Then on Sunday at Tazewell [Speedway] we put ourselves in a good position from the time we unloaded. I’m very very blessed to drive a car like this and it’s so good, things are going our way. I can’t emphasize that enough. I’m blessed to drive it when it’s no good and when I’m not doing a good job, but I’m super blessed right now and I feel really fortunate. Everything is just clicking.”
Kicking off a three-race stretch with the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals, Shane McDowell Racing and Dale McDowell invaded Tri-County Racetrack (Brasstown, N.C.) on Thursday afternoon for the $7,553-to-win opener.
Earning the eighth-starting position for the A-Main via his qualifying effort, McDowell advanced three spots in the 40-lap affair to register a fifth-place finish. He chased Jimmy Owens, Ricky Weiss, Donald McIntosh, and Carson Ferguson to the checkers.
In a field of 36 Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals entries on Friday at North Georgia Speedway (Chatsworth, Ga.), Dale followed up the sixth-fastest qualifying lap in his group with a runner-up showing in his heat. Stealing the lead from Carson Ferguson on the final lap of the feature after the race-long pacesetter got caught up in lapped-traffic, McDowell soared to the $10,053 victory, which came ahead of Ferguson, Donald McIntosh, Michael Page, and Ricky Weiss.
With Saturday’s Ray Varner Ford 53 at Tazewell Speedway (Tazewell, Tenn.) shifted to Sunday by wet weather, McDowell raced his way into the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals finale with an eight-lap heat race win.
Soaring to his second win in as many nights, Dale led flag-to-flag in the caution-plagued 53-lapper to register his eighth win of the season and 13th career with the tour. He banked a $10,053 payday ahead of Ricky Weiss, Jimmy Owens, Donald McIntosh, and Jason Trammell.
Full results from the events are available at www.SouthernNationalsSeries.com .
McDowell will venture to Duck River Raceway Park (Wheel, Tenn.) this Saturday for the Deep Fried 75, which posts a $20,000 top prize for the Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series.
For more information on the event, please visit www.HTFseries.com .
Shane McDowell Racing would like to thank all of their sponsors and marketing partners including E-Z-GO, Cometic Gaskets, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, Connected Strategy Advisors, Northeastern Fabrication, S&H Systems, FOX Racing Shox, BSI Well Service, Black Rock Enterprises, Campbell Insulation, M&S Motors, Clements Racing Engines, Team Zero Race Cars, Shackelford Enterprizes, Spring Pro, Campbell Insulation Specialists, Winning Edge Carburetors, Swift Springs, FK Rod Ends, Go Lithium, Schoenfeld Headers, Keyser Manufacturing, MSD Ignition, All Star Performance, Performance Bodies, Five-Star Bodies, Hoosier Tire, Wiles Driveshafts, Weld Racing Wheels, Butlerbuilt Seats, DMI Racing Products, Jones Racing Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Dyers Top Rods, QuickCar, PEM Racing, Mark IV ATV's, Winters Rearends, Strange Oval Products Sweet Manufacturing, Peterson Fluid Systems, DirtWraps, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
Jimmy Owens Claims Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Championship
Jordan Koehler Crowned Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Rookie of the Year
Mount Airy, N.C. (07/31/23) – Koehler Motorsports with drivers, Jimmy Owens and Jordan Koehler put a wrap on a successful 2023 Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals run on Sunday evening at Tazewell Speedway.
Owens collected his first title with the miniseries aboard his Koehler Motorsports / Reece Monument Company No. 20 Boom Test Well Service / Ultimate Towing & Recovery / XR1 Rocket Chassis / Vic Hill Race Engine Super Late Model. He received $10,053 for the championship.
Meanwhile, in his first full season in Super Late Model action, Jordan claimed the miniseries Rookie of the Year title with his Koehler Motorsports / Traffic Control Safety Services No. 114 Ultimate Towing & Recovery / Longhorn by Wells / Vic Hill Racing Engine Super Late Model. He received a $1,000 bonus for the title.
“I’ve been lucky enough to get to accomplish a lot in my career, and it’s nice to add a [Schaeffer’s Oil] Southern Nationals title to the list. There’s a great bunch of racers out here, and I’ve really enjoyed racing with everyone on the series,” Owens said. “The Koehler family are great folks to work with. They give us a great hot rod, and we’ve found some good momentum the past few months, and I just thank them and everyone, who sponsors this car and makes it all possible.”
For Jordan Koehler the Rookie of the Year title meant a lot.
“This is awesome man. It might not seem like much to a lot of people, but for our team and our family it means a lot. Every track we went to on this tour… it was new to us, so it’s a big accomplishment to win the Rookie [of the Year] title,” Koehler shared. “This gives us confidence as we head into the rest of the year. Thank you to my whole family and all our supporters for what they do for us.”
Cruising into the final week of Schaeffer's Oil Southern Nationals Series competition, Jimmy Owens and Jordan Koehler traveled to Toccoa (Ga.) Raceway on Tuesday evening with their Koehler Motorsports machines for the tour's fifth event of the summer.
Locking in the Top 5 in qualifying, Owens was third-fastest in his group while Koehler missed an A-Main transfer by one spot before transferring through his B-Main. For the $7,553-to-win main event, Jimmy landed in the Top-5, while Jordan recorded his first Top-10 of the series with a 10th-place finish.
Rolling into Ray Cook's Tri-County Racetrack (Brasstown, N.C.) on Thursday afternoon, Jordan transferred to the feature with a runner-up finish in his B-Main while Jimmy was once again third-fastest in his qualifying group. With another 40-lap showdown on tap, Owens would rip the lip before maneuvering around race-long leader Donald McIntosh on lap 18. Owens led the final 22 circuits to collect the $7,553 payday and his second victory on the tour.
Ricky Weiss, Donald McIntosh, Carson Ferguson, and Dale McDowell completed the Top-5 while Koehler recorded a 13th-place outing.
For the penultimate event of the summer tour at North Georgia Speedway (Chatsworth, Ga.), Owens started the 53-lap feature from the fifth row, while Koehler used a provisional starting spot. With both drivers moving forward in the $10,053-to-win show, Jimmy finished just outside the Top-5 in sixth and Jordan finished 15th.
With Saturday's finale at Tazewell Speedway (Tazewell, Tenn.) pushed to Sunday evening by inclement weather, both drivers earned a Top-10 starting position in the feature with a strong showing in their heat races.
For the final $10,053-to-win race of the series, Jimmy kept his nose clean and secured the championship with a third-place outing in the 53-lap main event. Jordan recorded a career-best seventh-place finish with the series and earned the Rookie of the Year title. Owens pocketed $10,053 for his efforts on the tour while Jordan snagged an extra $1,000 payday.
Jimmy topped the series points standings, while Jordan landed sixth in series points.
Full results from the events are available at www.SouthernNationalsSeries.com .
Jordan’s next race will be the $4,000-to-win Carolina Clash Series event at Carolina Speedway (Gastonia, N.C.) on Friday, August 11 while his younger brother Evan will next be in the driver’s seat in his 602 Late Model on Saturday, August 26, when the Koehler family hosts the grand re-opening of Ultimate Motorsports & RV Park (Elkins, N.C.). The facility formerly operated as Friendship Motor Speedway, and the Koehler family recently announced they had acquired the facility and will be reopening it with a bevy of improvements in the pipeline.
Koehler Motorsports would like to thank all of his marketing partners, which include: Ultimate Towing & Recovery, Traffic Control Safety Services, Ultimate Environmental, Scenic Ford Automotive Group, Reece Monument Company, Law & Order Auto Sales, Tim Short Chevrolet, SRI, Georgia Arms Ammunition, AB Co Performance, Shelton Lock & Key, Quesinberry’s Garage, Boom Test Well Services, Five Star Metal Buildings, capital Waste, Red Line Oil, Sybesma Graphics, Dirtwrap, BHR 55 Fabrication, Colt W. Simmons Construction company, Ramey Racing Engines, Hawks Concrete, Goodridge, RK Designs, VP Racing, k1 Race Gear, Wells & Sons Motorsports, Midwest Sheet Metal, Penske Racing Shocks, Go Lithium, Vic Hill Race Engines, Performance Rod & Custom, Racing Optics, FK Rod Ends, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Impact Race Gear, Wiles Racing Driveshafts, Five Star Shop Services, Monster Tower, Boylan’s Steak-On-A-Stick, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Ultra-Shield Race Products, Hypercoils, PRO FABrication, Quarter Master, Sunoco Race Fuels, Outerwears, Performance Bodies & Parts, K&N Filters, Jones Racing Products, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
Visit the team’s official website at www.KoehlerMotorsports.com for the latest news and updates.
PR Contact:
Ben Shelton (ben.shelton@myracepass.com)
Mallett Bound for First 360 Knoxville Nationals Start Since 2020
Inside Line Promotions - GREENBRIER, Ark. (July 31, 2023) - Jordon Mallett is making his first trip to Knoxville Raceway since August 2020 this week to tackle the 33 rd annual Xtream Powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank.
Mallett's preliminary night at the half-mile oval in Knoxville, Iowa, is Friday before the event finale is Saturday.
"I have good expectations," he said. "We've been making gains on our program. As far as for places like that I have solid expectations, but I also know that's one of the toughest races of the year and the locals are tough. Just to get it in the show is a big enough deal to try to accomplish. We'll see what cards we're dealt. We haven't been dealt good cards in the past as far as qualifying position. If those line up I feel we'll be all right."
Mallett has limited laps at the famed oval, where he battled problems throughout his most recent visit when he won the C Main and placed 18 th in the B Main during preliminary action. He capped the event with a 14th-place finish in the D Main.
"There's so many good cars there," he said. "The stars have to be lined up the moment you pull your pill for qualifying position because that sets you up for the rest of the weekend. You can't have any hiccups. In 2020, we had a decent qualifying position and we rolled out there and a spark box died on us, which resulted in us going back to the pits. We had to time in last with only one lap at the end. The year previous we drew the last qualifying pill. Everything has to go your way from the get-go at a show like that. Hopefully things can go in the right direction because any time anything goes wrong it takes a lot to overcome that."
The 2020 outing was a career best at the 360 Knoxville Nationals. Mallett finished 16 th in the D Main during his debut in 2019.
SEASON STATS -
28 races, 0 wins, 8 top fives, 19 top 10s, 22 top 15s, 24 top 20s
UP NEXT -
Friday and Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, for the 33 rd annual Xtream Powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank with the ASCS National Tour
MEDIA LINKS -
Website: http://jordonmallett.myracepass.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmmotorsports14
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordonmallettmotorsports
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT - Awakening Events
Awakening Events is a nationwide, full service, live event company that is based in Nashville, Tenn., and Conway, Ark. For more information, http://www.AwakeningEvents.com .
"We're excited to represent Awakening Events on the ASCS National Tour again in 2023," Mallett said. "The pandemic hampered all of us so we're thrilled to have Awakening Events back as a major part of our time as we return to the road full time this year. Awakening Events puts on some of the best shows in the entertainment industry so we encourage everyone to check out their website for events in your area."
Mallett would like to thank Awakening Events, Awakening Foundation, Water for Christ, Porter Commercial Refrigeration, Red River Rack Co., D&K Farms, Powers HVAC, DHR Suspension, Racing Optics, Triple X Race Co., KSE Racing Products, FK Rod Ends, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Sinco, Inc., Autometer, Callies Racing Products, DynoTech Race Engines, Hero Graphics, Hilborn Fuel Injection, ISC Racers Tape, K&N Engineering, Lone Star Super Gas (Sunoco), HRP Wings, Schoenfeld Headers, Simpson Race Products, Smiley's Racing Products, MetTec Titanium, MotorState Distributing, DMI, Fast 5 Solutions and Superior Bearing and Supply for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS -
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com . For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
Contact: Shawn Miller
Inside Line Promotions
Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com | (541) 510-3663
Hagar Earns First Career All Star Victory and Adds ASCS Mid-South Region Win
Inside Line Promotions - BYRAM, Miss. (July 31, 2023) - Derek Hagar accomplished a dream last Wednesday when he earned his first career Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions feature triumph.
"It's crazy," he said. "We weren't even supposed to race on Wednesday. It was special not only for me, but for my guys. To go up there and have the night we had on the biggest stage and put Kenny (Conrad) up there, to have everyone in Victory Lane at the end of the night makes it that much more special. That's probably about as pumped up about a win I've had in a long time."
Hagar piloted a sprint car for Paul Hart at Benton Speedway in Benton, Mo., where he last competed in June 2013. He qualified second quickest overall before charging from fourth to second place in a heat race. That garnered a spot into the dash, in which Hagar maneuvered from fifth to fourth.
"It was crazy," he said. "We pretty much did our same setup and we were decent in hot laps. We drew a good pill and that helped us quite a bit. We qualified second and drove to second in our heat race. We gained a position in the dash. We started fourth in the feature, on the outside, which I think was a better line to start."
Hagar advanced into third place on the opening lap and into the runner-up position only a couple of laps later. An early red flag allowed the crew to make some changes on the race car and Hagar capitalized, powering into the lead on Lap 11.
"We threw a couple of sliders on (Tim) Shaffer," he said. "The first one didn't stick and I left him enough room to drive around me. We were able to get a slider to stick and I protected the slider going into turn one. Zeb (Wise) was a straightaway in front of me. Before the second red (Cole) Macedo slid me and luckily they opened the red. We worked on the car to get it tighter to where I was comfortable. I couldn't commit to running the top as hard as I wanted to. We made some adjustments to get some balance in the car. After the restart whenever I dove to the bottom the car kept driving. I finished the slider on Zeb and protected the slider on the next corner. Then I moved up and felt really good up top."
Hagar ran the top mostly before he moved down the track at the right time and was patient in traffic en route to the special triumph.
"I started short sliding the corner once I got to lapped traffic," he said. "One time coming off turn four I rode up on the wall and the car turned left. I saw Zeb's nose wing underneath me drive to my left rear. I knew as slick as it was that wasn't possible without rubber so I immediately went to the bottom. I rode in the rubber on the bottom the rest of the race. I used the brakes up trying not to screw up."
It was the first of another two-win week during Hagar's hot season, which now showcases 13 sprint car victories in 15 races.
He returned to his No. 9jr on Saturday during an ASCS Mid-South Region race at Jackson Motor Speedway. Hagar powered from second to win both a heat race and the main event.
"It wasn't supposed to rain, but a big yellow and red cell landed on the track," he said. "I don't know how they got it in, but they did. The track was rough and heavy. I tried to stay out of the holes. We had to work through thick traffic halfway through the feature and was able to get away from that cleanly. We just played it safe and rode around the yuke tires. I tried to stay out of holes and made it work."
QUICK RESULTS -
July 26 - Benton Speedway in Benton, Mo. - Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 2 (4); Dash: 4 (5); Feature: 1 (4).
July 29 - Jackson Motor Speedway in Byram, Miss. - Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 1 (2).
SEASON STATS -
15 races, 13 wins, 14 top fives, 14 top 10s, 14 top 15s, 15 top 20s
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