What won the race: Third-starting Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., took the lead with an inside move on lap 14 and never looked back, winning Friday's $5,000 Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association season opener at Lucas Oil Speedway. Thornton notched his second career MLRA series victory and his fourth victory overall of 2023.

Quotable: “We were really good there. We practiced really good yesterday, I was super comfortable and kinda the same there,” said winner Ricky Thornton Jr., competing for the first time since Feb. 18. “I was waiting for the track to slow down a little bit, then it really kinda took off, so it shows how hard our guys work.”

Key notes: Sixth-starting Bobby Pierce moved into the runner-up position on lap 18 and trailed Thornton Jr. by just over one second, but was unable to narrow the gap and finished 4.925 seconds back. ... Jonathan Davenport advanced seven positions and finished third. ... Tanner English gained four spots and finished fourth. ... Teenager Dillon McCowan of Urbana, Mo., led the first 13 laps before fading to finish fifth. McCowan had an impressive battle with Pierce to win his heat race earlier in the evening. ... Polesitter Earl Pearson Jr. failed to lead a lap and finished sixth. ... Still growing accustomed to his new Longhorn Chassis Brandon Sheppard advanced four spots and finished eighth. ... Friday's feature, the opener of the MLRA's 35th anniversary season, was completed without incident and lasted only 11 minutes, with 11 competitors completing 40 laps. ... The 10th annual Spring Nationals concludes with Saturday's $10,000-to-win finale. ... Watch live on FloRacing.

On the move: Reigning MLRA series champion Chad Simpson of Mount Vernon, Iowa, started 21st and finished ninth.

Winner's sponsors: Thornton’s SSI Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements engine and sponsored by Dyno One, Hoker Trucking, Certified Inspection Service, High Performance Lubricants, Big River Steel, Van Meter Insurance Group, Murty Farms, D&E Outside Services, West Side Tractor Sales, Bilstein Shocks, FK Rod Ends, Allstar Performance, Barnes Pumps, Performance Bodies, Winters Performance, Strange Oval, Accu-Force, Quickcar, Sunoco Race Fuels and Sub-Surface of Indiana.

Current weather: Overcast, 64°F

Car count: 48

Fast qualifier: Bobby Pierce

Time: 16.337 seconds

Polesitter: Earl Pearson Jr.

Heat race winners: Earl Pearson Jr., Ricky Thornton Jr., Dillon McCowan, Billy Moyer

Consolation race winners: Garrett Alberson, Daniel Hilsabeck

Provisional starters: Kolby Vandenbergh, Steve Stultz, Tony Jackson Jr., Aaron Marrant

Next series race: April 1, Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO) $10,000