Ricky Thornton Jr. Scores Spring 50 $10,000 Win at Florence
LOLMDS Action Resumes this Weekend at Atomic and Brownstown

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (03/18/24) – Ricky Thornton Jr. entered his first event in three weeks on Saturday evening at Florence Speedway and made the most of the opportunity with a $10,000 victory in the Spring 50 with 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 Arizona native led all 50 circuits for his second-career Spring 50 triumph and fourth win of the 2024 season.

“Thank you (James Essex) for putting this whole deal on,” Thornton said, praising the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series announcer who has brought back the NALMS. “I thought the track was pretty good. I really didn’t know if the bottom (line) was going to clean up again, or not, but we got to race there for a little bit. I thought the track was pretty awesome. There was a couple small holes, but nothing crazy.”

Gearing up for the upcoming Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series doubleheader, Ricky Thornton Jr. invaded Florence Speedway (Union, Ky.) on Saturday for the 48th annual Spring 50.

In a field of 32 Northern Allstars Late Model Series entries, Ricky followed up the second-fastest qualifying effort with a dominant victory in his 10-lap heat race.

Leading flag-to-flag in the 50-lap feature, Thornton fended off Mike Marlar following a late restart to secure his second career Spring 50 triumph and his fourth win of the 2024 season. He earned a $10,000 payday ahead of Marlar, Josh Rice, Tyler Erb, and Jason Jameson.

Full results from the event are available at www.FlorenceSpeedway.com .

The team now is ready to resume Lucas Oil late Model Dirt Series action this Friday and Saturday with ventures in Ohio and Indiana. On Friday the $12,000-to-win Buckeye Spring 50 is set for Atomic Speedway (Alma, Ohio), while Indiana’s Brownstown Speedway hosts the $15,000-to-win Indiana Icebreaker on Saturday.

Thornton Jr. currently holds a 5-point advantage atop the latest series standings.

For more information on the weekend as well as the latest series’ standings please visit www.LucasDirt.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 )


Tim McCreadie Joins Rocket1 Racing
Three-Time National Champ Set to Debut with Team this Weekend

SHINNSTON, W.Va. (03/18/24) – Three-time national champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., has officially been named the driver for the Rocket Chassis house car team, Mark Richards Racing announced on Monday.

McCreadie, 49, brings two decades of distinguished Dirt Late Model duty to the Shinnston, W.Va.-based operation that was left in the market for a new driver after Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., ended his successful year-plus run with the team last week.

The New Yorker will debut behind the wheel of the well-known blue No. 1 car in this weekend’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series doubleheader at Atomic Speedway in Alma, Ohio, and Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway and spend the remainder of the season focused on chasing his third career title on the circuit with the team that won the crown last year with O’Neal.

“We’re excited to have Tim McCreadie,” team co-owner Mark Richards said. “He’s got years of experience, he’s a Lucas Oil and World of Outlaws champion, he’s won the World 100 and a lot of other races. We chose Tim McCreadie because he’s the guy that we need right now — somebody with experience and the tenacity to be able to carry the legacy of Rocket1 on.

“Hudson O’Neal is one of the top drivers in the country and I feel like his time with Rocket1 accelerated his climb to get there,” he added. “Hudson will always be part of Rocket1’s history and we were proud to have him on board. We can’t say enough about how great a guy Hudson is, we wish him the best in the future, and I’m sure he will have continued success in his career.”

McCreadie, who earned World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2004 and the championship in ’06 while running Rocket cars for most of the first decade of his full-fender career, expressed excitement to return to the Rocket fold as the company’s flagship driver. He joins Rocket1 Racing after a stint of four-plus years driving for Donald and Gena Bradsher’s Paylor Motorsports highlighted by back-to-back Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series titles in 2021-22.

“I’m extremely ecstatic and humbled at the same time to have the opportunity to drive the Rocket house car,” McCreadie said while thanking the Bradshers for their backing since 2020. “It’s an iconic ride for a long, long time. To be one of the guys Mark thought could do the job is very humbling from my end.

“If you would’ve told me several years ago I’d be driving this car, I would’ve been like, ‘I don’t see that ever happening.’ But here I am. I’m not gonna try to figure out why they want me. I’m just happy and fired up that they want me. I’m ready to get to work.”

McCreadie enters this weekend’s Lucas Oil Series action with one tour victory in 2024 and ranked ninth in the points standings, 225 points out of the lead and just 100 points away from the fourth-place spot. He’s sixth on the tour’s all-time win list with 35 career triumphs.

Rocket1 Racing would like to thank all of their marketing partners, which include Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Rocket Chassis, Ace Metal Works, Durham Racing Engines, Five Star RaceCar Bodies, Gunter’s Honey, Performance Grading, Stiles Marine & Maintenance, Hoosier Racing Tire, Fox Racing Shox, Keyser Manufacturing, Petroff Towing, Slavic Custom Racing Shirts & Decals, Franklin Enterprises, Bubba Army, Sweet Manufacturing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Accu-Force Shock Service, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Rod Ends, Barnes Dry Sump Oil Systems, Bazell Race Fuels, Beyea Custom Headers, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Brinn Transmissions, Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, CP Carrillo, Dohm Cycles, Edelbrock, Fibreworks Composites, Hardrock Powder Coating, Howe Racing Enterprises, Jones Racing Products, Kenny’s Components, Maxima Racing Oils, MSD, E3 Spark Plugs, Tel Tac, Performance Bodies, Peterson Fluid Systems, Powers Performance, Performance Rod & Custom, Quarter Master, QuickCar Racing Products, Rocket Pre-Owned Motors, Safecraft, Show Trucks Unlimited, Simpson, Stealth Carburetors, Strange Oval, Suave Talk, Total Power Valvoline Pro-V Racing, Walker Performance Filtration, Weld Racing, Wiles Driveshafts, Wilwood Brakes, Winters Performance Products, Wrisco Aluminum, Xceldyne Valvetrain, and MyRacePass Website & Marketing Services.

For the latest information on Rocket1Racing please visit the team website at www.Rocket1Racing.com as well as their social media channels at www.facebook.com/Rocket1Racing, www.twitter.com/Rocket1_Racing, and www.instagram.com/rocket1racing .

PR Contact:
Ben Shelton (ben.shelton@myracepass.com)


Donny Schatz with success in Texas; Another Lone Star State double on deck

2024 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Standings: 3rd | 978 Points (-18)

Dates: Friday and Saturday, March 15th & 16th
Event: Texas Two Step
Series: World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series
Track: Cotton Bowl Speedway | Paige, Texas
Donny Schatz A-Main Finishes (Start):
Friday: 9th (10th)
Saturday: 3rd (1st)

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (March 18, 2024) - Donny Schatz’ 2024 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series top-ten streak continued during the recent weekend, concluding the two-day Texas Two Step at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas, with a pair of results no worse than ninth. In fact, Schatz, ace of the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Carquest, Advance Auto Parts, Ford Performance, Curb Records, Sage Fruit, Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts, Mobil 1, No. 15 sprint car, highlighted the pair with a podium on Saturday night, finishing third after starting from the pole position.

“I would’ve liked to have won that, but I guess third is better than fourth,” Schatz said. “You’ve got to think about the big picture. All in all a decent night. This isn’t one of my best places. I think everybody that has a cell phone could see that all weekend it didn’t look like we were going to get to race, and we got two great nights of racing.”

Despite backing up two spots in the Cotton Bowl finale, the ten-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion was in the hunt the entire distance, forced to surrender the top spot to eventual winner, Gio Scelzi, at the initial start.

Friday night winner, Brent Marks, who snuck by Schatz on lap 13, finished second in the Texas Two Step nightcap. A caution with two laps remaining gave Schatz the opportunity to overtake the runner-up position, but Marks proved too strong.

Speaking of Friday, Schatz raced on to finish ninth in the Texas Two Step opener, but not without some challenges. A “nowhere to go” tangle with 18 laps recorded forced the Fargo, North Dakota, native to the work area. The team was able to make the necessary changes, and although Schatz was forced to restart at the tail of the field, he battled back to earn the aforementioned top ten.

ON DECK:
Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing and Donny Schatz will continue their 2024 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series campaign with another double in the Lone Star State, this time visiting Big O Speedway in Ennis, Texas, on Friday, March 22, and Kennedale Speedway Park in Kennedale, Texas, on Saturday, March 23.

ADDITIONAL MEDIA:
Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing and Donny Schatz would like to thank all of their marketing partners: Carquest, Advance Auto Parts, Ford Performance, Curb Records, Sage Fruit, Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts, Mobil 1

Broadcast Coverage:
Watch the World of Outlaws online at www.dirtvision.com

Donny Schatz:
Web: www.donnyschatzmotorsports.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DonnySchatz
Twitter: www.twitter.com/donnySchatz
Instagram www.instagram.com/donnyschatz

Tony Stewart Racing:
Web: www.tonystewartracing.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TonyStewartRacing
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Tonystewart_rcg
Instagram: www.instagram.com/@TonyStewart_Rcg

2024 Donny Schatz / Tony Stewart Racing WoO Statistics:
Races: 7
Wins: 1
Top-5s: 3
Top-10s: 7
 
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CONTACT:
Photo Credit: Frank Smith
Tyler Altmeyer
#FIMotorsports presented by DKW Transport
Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises