by Bill Wright
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (September 15, 2023) – Ricky Thornton Jr. left no doubt that he’s the man to beat by winning for the second night in a row at the 19th Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals Presented by Your Life Iowa at the Knoxville Raceway in Friday’s second night of action. The Chandler, Arizona driver has put himself on the pole for Saturday night’s $50,000 to win 75-lap finale. The win was Thornton’s second career win in a late model at Knoxville, and he already holds a series record for the Lucas Oil Late Models with nineteen wins on the year. Mount Vernon, Iowa’s Chad Simpson will join Thornton on the front row Saturday night (Lineups Below).
Thorton started from the pole and led from the outset ahead of Simipson, Daulton Wilson, Spencer Hughes and Brandon Overton. Overton moved into fourth on lap three and began a battle with Hughes for the spot that lasted eight laps and saw five changes in position. By lap 11, Overton passed both Wilson and Hughes to move into third behind Thornton and Simpson. Wilson then battled back by for the show position on lap 13.
Thornton hit lappers by the fourteenth circuit. Overton was back in third before the fifth running Mike Marlar slowed and stopped with nine to go, bringing the only caution of the event. Thornton led Overton, who had just taken second, Chad Simpson, Wilson and Kyle Bronson back to green.
Great racing ensued behind the leader, as Simpson retook second, Bronson went from fifth to third, and Devin Moran shot from sixth to fourth. Thornton was cruising up front with Simpson in tow. Moran grabbed third with five to go, and finished there ahead of Overton and Bronson. Wilson, Hughes, Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal and Ryan Gustin rounded out the top ten. Brian Shirley and Overton set quick time over their perspective groups, while Thornton, O’Neal, Sheppard and Earl Pearson Jr. won heat races. Shirley and Davenport claimed the B mains. Tim Simpson got upside down in turn two in his heat race, but was uninjured.
“My car is really good,” said Thornton in Victory Lane. “I love coming here, this is one of the best facilities we come to as far as racing goes. It’s pretty awesome to win two in a row, and who knows? It’d be pretty awesome to make it three. I bust my butt in the car, and my crew busts their butt and it kind of shows. I feel like we’ve had the best car all year.”
Join us tomorrow night for the $50,000 to win finale of the 19th Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals Presented by Your Life Iowa! The Malvern Bank Late Model Series will also be in action. For more information on the Knoxville Raceway, visit us online at www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com!
19th Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals Presented by Your Life Iowa Night #1 Results
Time Trial Group 1 (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 8S, Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL (16), 17.294; 2. 157, Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN (18), 17.320; 3. 19R, Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA (15), 17.475; 4. 25, Chad Simpson, Mount Vernon, IA (8), 17.499; 5. 20RT, Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ (3), 17.581; 6. 32, Chris Simpson, Marion, IA (12), 17.657; 7. 22F, Christopher Ferguson, Mt. Holly, NC (14), 17.665; 8. 1H, Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN (19), 17.699; 9. 30, Todd Cooney, Des Moines, IA (10), 17.826; 10. 1T, Tyler Erb, Houston, TX (2), 17.954; 11. 58, Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, NM (17), 18.024; 12. 17, Tim Simpson, Iowa City, IA (6), 18.105; 13. 39, Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY (20), 18.150; 14. 98, Corey Hedgecock, Loudon, TN (11), 18.167; 15. 7W, Ricky Weiss, Headingley, MB, Can. (5), 18.232; 16. 22, Daniel Hilsabeck, Earlham, IA (9), 18.397; 17. 1X, Aaron Marrant, Orrick, MO (13), 18.575; 18. 99JR, Frank Heckenast Jr., Orland Park, IL (1), 18.828; 19. 10W, Junior Coover, Norfolk, NE (4), 19.456; 20. 22M, Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake, IA (7), 19.744
Time Trial Group 2 (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 4, Brandon Overton, Evans, GA (1), 17.344; 2. 40B, Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL (5), 17.383; 3. 11, Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS (6), 17.396; 4. 18D, Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC (3), 17.505; 5. 16, Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA (4), 17.807; 6. 21, Billy Moyer, Batesville, AR (2), 17.829; 7. 49, Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA (13), 17.840; 8. 99, Devin Moran, Dresden, OH (11), 17.860; 9. 111B, Max Blair, Centerville, PA (16), 17.910; 10. 46, Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, FL (12), 18.020; 11. B5, Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL (18), 18.044; 12. 18, Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS (14), 18.062; 13. 62, Justin Zeitner, Malvern, IA (7), 18.101; 14. 7, Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE (17), 18.318; 15. 51, Matt Furman, Iowa City, IA (19), 18.486; 16. 99B, Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA (10), 18.682; 17. 21M, Luke Merfeld, Dubuque, IA (15), 19.015; 18. D45, Dan Battaglia, Gretna, NE (9), 20.617; 19. 6, Al Humphrey, Giltner, NE (8), NT
Heat one (started), 12 Laps, 3:49.0: 1. Ricky Thornton Jr. (4); 2. Garrett Alberson (1); 3. Christopher Ferguson (3); 4. Ryan Gustin (5); 5. Todd Cooney (2) / 6. Brian Shirley (6); 7. Ricky Weiss (8); 8. Tim McCreadie (7); 9. Aaron Marrant (9); 10. Junior Coover (10)
Heat two (started), 12 Laps, NT: 1. Hudson O’Neal (3); 2. Chad Simpson (5); 3. Mike Marlar (6); 4. Corey Hedgecock (7); 5. Tyler Erb (2) / 6. Daniel Hilsabeck (8); 7. Chris Simpson (4); 8. Frank Heckenast Jr. (9); 9. Tim Simpson (1); 10. Charlie McKenna (10)
Heat three (started), 12 Laps, 3:51.0: 1. Brandon Sheppard (1); 2. Max Blair (2); 3. Spencer Hughes (5); 4. Tyler Bruening (4); 5. Brandon Overton (6) / 6. Jonathan Davenport (3); 7. Justin Zeitner (7); 8. Matt Furman (8); 9. Luke Merfeld (9) DNS – 10. Al Humphrey
Heat four (started), 12 Laps, 3:49.0: 1. Earl Pearson Jr. (2); 2. Devin Moran (3); 3. Chase Junghans (1); 4. Kyle Bronson (6); 5. Daulton Wilson (5) / 6. Billy Moyer (4); 7. Ross Robinson (7); 8. Dan Battaglia (9); 9. Boom Briggs (8)
B main one (started), 12 Laps, 3:49.0: 1. Brian Shirley (1); 2. Daniel Hilsabeck (2) / 3. Ricky Weiss (3); 4. Tim McCreadie (5); 5. Chris Simpson (4); 6. Aaron Marrant (7); 7. Frank Heckenast Jr. (6); 8. Junior Coover (8) DNS – 9. Tim Simpson 10. Charlie McKenna
B main two (started), 12 Laps, 3:51.0: 1. Jonathan Davenport (1); 2. Justin Zeitner (3) / 3. Ross Robinson (4); 4. Matt Furman (5); 5. Billy Moyer (2); 6. Dan Battaglia (6); 7. Boom Briggs (8); 8. Luke Merfeld (7) DNS – 9. Al Humphrey
A main (started), 25 Laps, NT: 1. Ricky Thornton Jr. (1); 2. Chad Simpson (3); 3. Devin Moran (12); 4. Brandon Overton (8); 5. Kyle Bronson (6); 6. Daulton Wilson (2); 7. Spencer Hughes (4); 8. Brandon Sheppard (18); 9. Hudson O’Neal (11); 10. Ryan Gustin (5); 11. Brian Shirley (21); 12. Tyler Erb (15); 13. Chase Junghans (20); 14. Tyler Bruening (10); 15. Garrett Alberson (17); 16. Justin Zeitner (24); 17. Corey Hedgecock (19); 18. Todd Cooney (13); 19. Daniel Hilsabeck (23); 20. Mike Marlar (7); 21. Christopher Ferguson (9); 22. Jonathan Davenport (22); 23. Max Blair (14); 24. Earl Pearson Jr. (16). Lap Leader: Thornton 1-25. Hard-charger: Sheppard.
19th Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals Presented by Your Life Iowa Finale Lineups
A main
1. 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr. 494
2. 25 Chad Simpson 489
3. 22F Christopher Ferguson 488
4. 99 Devin Moran 487
5. 157 Mike Marlar 483
6. 4 Brandon Overton 482
7. 40B Kyle Bronson 481
8. 18D Daulton Wilson 480
9. 11 Spencer Hughes 478
10. 1H Hudson O’Neal 470
11. B5 Brandon Sheppard 469
12. 19R Ryan Gustin 469
13. 8s Brian Shirley 465
14. 46 Earl Pearson Jr. 465
15. 16 Tyler Bruening 457
16. 1T Tyler Erb 456
17. 111B Max Blair 454
18. 49 Jonathan Davenport 452
19. 32 Chris Simpson 449
20. 58 Garrett Alberson 449
21. 18 Chase Junghans 448
22. 30 Tood Cooney 438
23. 22 Daniel Hilsabeck 434
24. 98 Corey Hedgecock 433
B main
1. 21 Billy Moyer 428
2. 62 Justin Zeitner 428
3. 39 Tim McCreadie 426
4. 48 Tim Lance 417
5. 7 Ross Robinson 402
6. 7w Ricky Weiss 400
7. 51 Matt Furman 395
8. 99B Boom Briggs 389
9. 17 Tim Simpson 388
10. D45 Dan Battaglia 385
11. 1x Aaron Marrant 384
12. 21M Luke Merfeld 383
13. 99JR Frank Heckenast Jr. 383
14. 22M Charlie McKenna 381
15. 6 Al Humphrey 379
16. 21B Rich Bell 378
17. 10W Junior Coover 373