What won the race: After beating polesitter Will Vaught back to the line to lead the opening lap, third-starting Earl Pearson Jr., of Jacksonville, Fla., led the entire 25-lap distance to win Saturday’s Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association main event at Thunderbird Speedway. Pearson earned $3,000 for winning ahead of Vaught and Payton Looney, who started fifth.

Quotable: “That was going to be the race, there ain't no doubt about it,” said Pearson of the initial start. “(Vaught) slipped up there and the track took a little bit of rubber right around the bottom, so once we got out in front I just had to stay on the bottom and run my own race."

Key notes: Earl Pearson Jr., finished 3.025 seconds ahead of Will Vaught. … Pearson’s visit to Muskogee’s half-mile oval came after the national touring star’s original plans were scrapped. He’d planned to compete in the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series race at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill., but when that race rained out, he and the Black Diamond house car team headed to Oklahoma instead. … Pearson’s biggest obstacle at Thunderbird was negotiating lapped traffic as the race progressed. … Pearson earned his fourth career MLRA victory, but it was his first MLRA win that wasn’t co-sanctioned with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. All three of his previous MLRA wins (’07, ’09, ’17) came at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. … The MLRA tour made just its third visit to Thunderbird since 1997.

On the move: Logan Martin of West Plains, Mo., started 10th and finished fifth.

Winner's sponsors: Pearson’s Black Diamond Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Lucas Oil, Etchberger Trucking, P&W Sales, Tegeler Wrecker & Crane, driveEtch.com, DP Motorsports, Performance Bodies & Parts, Papich Construction, Midwest Sheet Metal, Peterson Fluid Systems, J&C Properties, Lone Star Super Gas Sunoco, Five Star Shop Service, Moring Motorsports and MSR Mafia Marketing Services.

Points chase: Before Thunderbird, Chad Simpson (198 points) of Mount Vernon, Iowa, led Bobby Pierce (196), with three drivers — Chase Junghans, Chris Simpson and Jordan Yaggy — tied for third with 184.

Current weather: Clear, 64°F

Car count: 12

Polesitter: Will Vaught

Heat race winners: Mitch McGrath, Will Vaught

Next series race: April 27, Caney Valley Speedway (Caney, KS) $3,000