Portsmouth Raceway Park welcomed the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Car Series Friday evening for the Able Air Independence 50 that paid $12,000 to the winner. Thirty Late Models were on hand for the event which was won by 2021 Dirt Track World Championship winner Ricky Thornton Jr. from Adel, IA.
The race was cut five laps short due to rain, which was fine with Thornton, who picked up his first Lucas Oil win of the season. The Late Model A-Main had two different leaders and was halted by five different cautions, including the final South Shore Beverage Center yellow flag due to weather.
Polesitter Daulton Wilson from Fayetteville, NC dominated early on leading the first 29 laps, but he got a little high off turn 4 which opened up the door for Thornton to get by. Wilson would fade back to fifth.
Thornton would hold on the next 16 circuits until the rain shortened race came to an end. With rain pouring down, he was shown the Texas Peach Grill Checkered Flag. Tim McCreadie, Hudson O’Neal, Earl Pearson Jr, and Wilson would make up the top five. Rounding out the top 10 were Brandon Sheppard, Tyler Erb, Devin Moran, Rod Conley, and Steve Casebolt.
Placing 11th through 20th were Garrett Alberson, Brandon Overton, RJ Conley, Ashton Winger, Mason Zeigler, Max Blair, Ross Robinson, Spencer Hughes, Brandon Fouts, and Nick Bocook. Completing the 24-car field Robby Hensley, Tim Vance, Zack Dohm, and Kirk Phillips.
Friday’s Lucas Oil Heat Race winners were Wilson, McCreadie, Moran, and Overton. Defending track champion Brandon Fouts won the B-Main. Wilson set quick time.
There were 23 Local Happenings App Modifieds on hand for this kickoff to The 4th of July Weekend along with 13 O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Lates. Unfortunately, their A-Mains were rained out.
Prior to the rainfall, Brian Skaggs set quick time in The Dynamic Shock Service Modified Time Trials. Skaggs, Jeremy Rayburn, and Mitch Thomas were Friday’s Modified Heat Race winners.
Catlettsburg, KY Evyian Terry and Vanceburg, KY’s Robbie Lewis prevailed in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Late Model Heats.
Portsmouth Raceway Park will be back in action on Saturday, July 16th for the “Smoke Out Pizza & BBQ” Jackie Boggs Night For The Kids presented by 4B Motorsports. Children 12 and under receive free general admission. On the card will be Giovanni’s Pizza Wholesale Late Models presented by Impact Race Gear, The Local Happenings App Modifieds, O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Lates, and The Express Oil & Tire Engineers Sport Mods. Gates will open at 4 p.m.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Able Air Independence 50
Friday, July 1st, 2022
Portsmouth Raceway Park – Portsmouth, OH
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Daulton Wilson / 14.546 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Devin Moran / 14.629 seconds
Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 3. 7-Ross Robinson[5]; 4. C9-Steve Casebolt[6]; 5. 81-Brandon Fouts[3]; 6. 58-Garrett Alberson[4]; 7. 00-Justin Cooper[8]; 8. 17T-Shannon Thornsberry[7]
Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[1]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 3. 111V-Max Blair[3]; 4. 11-Spencer Hughes[4]; 5. 9Z-Mason Zeigler[5]; 6. 21K-Kirk Phillips[6]; 7. 17-Tim Vance[7]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 3. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[3]; 4. 71C-RJ Conley[4]; 5. 21H-Robby Hensley[5]; 6. 93-Cory Lawler[6]; 7. CJ1-Charlie Jude[7]; 8. (DNS) 1L-Corey Lewis
Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 2. 71-Hudson O'Neal[2]; 3. 89-Ashton Winger[1]; 4. 17D-Zack Dohm[5]; 5. 71R-Rod Conley[6]; 6. B1-Josh Bocook[7]; 7. 1B-Nick Bocook[4]
Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 81-Brandon Fouts[1]; 2. 71R-Rod Conley[4]; 3. 21H-Robby Hensley[2]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[5]; 5. 9Z-Mason Zeigler[3]; 6. 21K-Kirk Phillips[7]; 7. 1B-Nick Bocook[12]; 8. 17-Tim Vance[11]; 9. 00-Justin Cooper[9]; 10. 93-Cory Lawler[6]; 11. B1-Josh Bocook[8]; 12. (DNS) CJ1-Charlie Jude; 13. (DNS) 17T-Shannon Thornsberry; 14. (DNS) 1L-Corey Lewis
Able Air Independence 50 Feature Finish:
Race Statistics
Entrants: 30
Lap Leaders: Daulton Wilson (Laps 1-29); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 30-45)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/a
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/a
Margin of Victory: 2.165 seconds
Stop-Tech Cautions: Steve Casebolt (Lap 16); Spencer Hughes (Lap 16 restart); Debris (Lap 26); Garrett Alberson, RJ Conley (Lap 28); Rain (Lap 45)
Series Provisionals: n/a
Fast Time Provisional: Nick Bocook; Tim Vance
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisionals: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Tim McCreadie, Hudson O’Neal
Penske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Tim McCreadie, Hudson O’Neal, Earl Pearson, Jr., Daulton Wilson
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Rod Conley (Advanced 9 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon Sheppard
Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Daulton Wilson (29 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Daulton Wilson
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Daulton Wilson (Lap 3 – 15.536 seconds)
Feature DirtonDirt.com Tough Break of the Race: Spencer Hughes
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Anthony Burroughs (Ricky Thornton, Jr.)
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Devin Moran (14.7724 seconds)
Time of Race: 30 minutes 46 seconds