Dirt on Dirt - Thornton rebounds, wins first evening semi

June 23

Lernerville Speedway,

Sarver, PA

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (Firecracker 100 first Friday semifeature) - $5,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac and series reports (last updated June 24, 9:55 am)

Thornton rebounds, wins first evening semi

Firecracker 100 first Friday semifeature

Ricky Thornton Jr.
Brandon Overton
Jonathan Davenport
Gregg Satterlee
Hudson O'Neal
Tyler Erb
Spencer Hughes
Darrell Bossard
Trevor Collins
Chub Frank
Ross Robinson
Ken Schaltenbrand
Alex Ferree
Benji Hicks
Daryl Charlier
Brent Vosbergen
Bump Hedman
Gary Lyle
Earl Pearson Jr.
Mike Smith
Nicholas Eck
Doug Eck

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Ricky Thornton Jr. (20RT) outdueled Jonathan Davenport (49) in the closing laps to win Friday night's first semifeature.

What won the race: Rebounding from a tangle with a lapped car in the afternoon’s postponed semifeature, Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., stormed to a stirring victory in the first of Friday night’s regularly-scheduled 25-lap Firecracker 100 presented by Big River Steel preliminary events at Lernerville Speedway. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader lost the lead to a slider from Jonathan Davenport through turns three and four on lap 22 but returned the favor the next circuit in turn two and went on to the $5,000 triumph.

Quotable: “I heard J.D. (Davenport) on the bottom, and I knew he was going to slide me,” Thornton said. “I about ruined his night over there in turn two. I didn’t really want to slide him. I just wanted to get alongside of him and then my right-rear caught his left front. Hopefully I didn’t really ruin his night.”

Key notes: Thornton’s first-ever win at Lernerville was his 14th overall of 2023. … Davenport slipped over the lip of the backstretch on lap 23 when he attempted to regain the lead from Thornton; he lost second to Brandon Overton in the process as he settled for a third-place finish. … Gregg Satterlee moved to fourth on lap 20 and finished there with Hudson O’Neal completing the top five after reaching fifth on lap 22. … Two caution flags slowed the race: on lap 19 when Nicholas Eck slowed on the homestretch and lap 20 when Earl Pearson Jr. spun on the inside of turn three. … Kyle Strickler and Tyler Dietz scratched from the semifeature due to mechanical trouble. … The Friday evening program was delayed over two hours by a downpour that struck moments after time trials were completed. … Points earned in the preliminary programs will determine the starting lineups for Saturday night’s heat races leading into the $50,000-to-win Firecracker 100.

On the move: Trevor Collins of Seaford, Del., started 16th 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.

Points chase: Before Lernerville: 1. Ricky Thornton Jr. (3,660); 2. Hudson O’Neal (3,475); 3. Brandon Overton (3,320); 4. Tim McCreadie (3,230); 5. Devin Moran (3,100); 6. Jonathan Davenport (3,095); 7. Daulton Wilson (3,000); 8. Tyler Erb (2,925); 9. Max Blair (2,925); 10. Spencer Hughes (2,875).

Current weather: Overcast, 66°F

Car count: 49

Fast qualifier: Brandon Overton

Time: 15.736 seconds

Polesitter: Ricky Thornton Jr.

Heat race winners: Ricky Thornton Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Spencer Hughes

Next series race: June 24, Lernerville Speedway (Sarver, PA) $50,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

SARVER, Pa. (June 23) — Live updates from Friday night’s first 25-lap semifeature during the Firecracker 100 presented by Big River Steel weekend at Lernerville Speedway:

Semifeature

Rebounding from a tangle with a lapped car in the afternoon’s postponed semifeature, Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., stormed to a stirring victory in the first of Friday night’s regularly-scheduled 25-lap Firecracker 100 presented by Big River Steel preliminary events at Lernerville Speedway. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader lost the lead to a slider from Jonathan Davenport through turns three and four on lap 22 but returned the favor the next circuit in turn two and went on to the $5,000 triumph.

Heat results

(Eight laps; all drivers transfer)

First heat finish: Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Overton, Darrell Bossard, Tyler Erb, Chub Frank, Trevor Collins, Nicholas Eck, Mike Smith.

Second heat finish: Jonathan Davenport, Gregg Satterlee, Hudson O’Neal, Earl Pearson Jr., Daryl Charlier, Alex Ferree, Bump Hedman, Brent Vosbergen.

Third heat finish: Spencer Hughes, Ken Schaltenbrand, Ross Robinson, Tyler Dietz, Benji Hicks, Gary Lyle, Kyle Strickler, Doug Eck.

Cars on track

With no rain falling since about 7:30 p.m., officials sent Crate Late Models onto the track at 8:45 p.m. to finish packing the surface. The green light for hot laps was turned on just after 9 p.m.

Officials announced that the schedule of events will begin with the six RUSH Crate Late Model heats, followed by the six Lucas Oil Series heats, the RUSH dash and the twin 25-lap Firecracker 100 semifeatures.

Rain delay

Friday night’s time trials were completed despite light rain falling during the second qualifying group, but moments later a downpour hit — beginning over the third and fourth turns — during RUSH Crate Late Model hot laps. The suddenly slick track surface caused Tony Musolino to hit the turn-four wall and all other drivers on the speedway to slide to a stop over the turn-four berm.

The burst of rain began at 7:03 p.m. and lasted less than 15 minutes, but it drenched the racetrack enough that Musolino’s disabled car was still on the track after the shower ceased because the surface was too slick for tow trucks to immediately reach him.

While spots of blue sky were visible off turns one and two at 7:20 p.m., a dark cloud hovering over the track simultaneously began to dump more rain. Officials have the program in a rain delay as they wait out the unpredictable weather.

Qualifying

1. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 15.736
2. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 15.739
3. Spencer Hughes (11H), Meridian, Miss., 15.934
4. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20RT), Chandler, Ariz., 15.959
5. Gregg Satterlee (22), Indiana, Pa., 16.239
6. Ken Schaltenbrand (29S), Sarver, Pa., 16.290
7. Daryl Charlier (3RK), Bulger, Pa., 16.351
8. Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 16.351
9. Ross Robinson (7R), Georgetown, Del., 16.376
10. Darrell Bossard (22B), Centerville, Pa., 16.460
11. Hudson O'Neal (1), Martinsville, Ind., 16.477
12. Kyle Strickler (8), Mooresville, N.C., 16.497
13. Trevor Collins (11T), Seaford, Del., 16.531
14. Bump Hedman (B22), Sugar Grove, Pa., 16.577
15. Gary Lyle (10L), Leechburg, Pa., 16.612
16. Chub Frank (1*), Bear Lake, Pa., 16.640
17. Earl Pearson Jr. (46), Jacksonville, Fla., 16.646
18. Tyler Dietz (77), Pittsburgh, Pa., 16.681
19. Mike Smith (96), Arkport, N.Y., 16.687
20. Alex Ferree (1c), Saxonburg, Pa., 16.697
21. Doug Eck (20D), Corry, Pa., 16.755
22. Nicholas Eck (20N), Corry, Pa., 16.920
23. Brent Vosbergen (AUS1), Perth, W. Australia, 16.991
24. Benji Hicks (55), Mount Airy, N.C., no time