Dirt on Dirt - Fighting off J.D., O'Neal tops Golden Isles opener

January 25

Golden Isles Speedway,

Brunswick, GA

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (Super Bowl of Racing) - $10,000

Information provided by: Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated January 26, 1:42 am)

Fighting off J.D., O'Neal tops Golden Isles opener

Super Bowl of Racing

Hudson O'Neal
Jonathan Davenport
Brandon Overton
Ricky Thornton Jr.
Brandon Sheppard
Jimmy Owens
Kyle Bronson
Devin Moran
Daulton Wilson
Dennis Erb Jr.
Garrett Alberson
Drake Troutman
Mark Whitener
Ross Robinson
Clay Harris
Mike Marlar
Max Blair
Garrett Smith
Donald McIntosh
Tim McCreadie
Tony Jackson Jr.
Boom Briggs
Tyler Erb
Dale McDowell
Earl Pearson Jr.
Daniel Adam
Chris Madden

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Hudson O'Neal on his way to a $10,000 victory in Thursday's Lucas Oil Series season opener at Golden Isles Speedway.

What won the race: Leading all but one circuit, Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., kicked off his Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title defense with a $10,000 victory in Thursday night’s 40-lap General Tire Super Bowl of Racing opener at Golden Isles Speedway. The 23-year-old star briefly lost the top spot to Jonathan Davenport on lap 22 after slipping high off turn two but quickly regained command and went on to beat Davenport by 0.633 of a second.

Quotable: "The top, it just was blowing a lot of crumbs out across it, and if you didn’t get set enough you would lose the front end about halfway through the corner,” O’Neal said of his misstep on lap 22. “Jonathan got back by me and then did the exact same thing to let me get back by him. It just worked out in our favor. I thought that one mistake I made was gonna be it, but fortunately he made a little bobble over there too and got us back in it.”

Key notes: O’Neal’s triumph was his first-ever at Golden Isles and the 22nd of his career on the Lucas Oil tour. It came after he won a World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series feature last Saturday at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park in his second start of 2024. … Davenport survived a bout with an infield yuke tire early in the race to contend for the victory; he reached second on lap six. … Brandon Overton spent several mid-race circuits in a close battle for the lead with O’Neal and Davenport — he even nosed into second on lap 23 — before settling for third place. … Ricky Thornton Jr. overtook Brandon Sheppard for fourth on lap 28 but couldn’t mount a bid for the win. … Donald McIntosh’s spin brought out the first caution flag on lap six while Daniel Adam stopped in turn two to trigger a slowdown on lap 27. … The most significant incident — and third and final caution of the race — came on lap 30 when Tyler Erb and Boom Briggs tangled in turn four. … Golden Isles action continues on Friday with a $12,000-to-win event. ... As of Thursday, the tour's Rookie of the Year chase features Drake Troutman (12th in the feature), Tony Jackson Jr. (21st), Daniel Adam (25th), Dillon McCowan (ninth in the first B main), Ethan Dotson (ninth in the second B main), Brenden Smith (13th in the first B main), and Cory Lawler (14th in the first B main).

On the move: Ross Robinson of Georgetown, Del., started 22nd and finished 14th.

Winner's sponsors: O’Neal’s Rocket Chassis has a Durham Racing Engine and sponsorship from Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Rocket Chassis, Ace Metal Works, Gunter’s Honey, Hoosier Racing Tire, Fox Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing Co., Petroff Towing, WR1 Sim Chassis, O’Neal’s Salvage & Recycling, Performance Grading, Slavic Shirts & Decals, Sunoco Race Fuels and Rocket Preowned Motors.

Points chase: After Golden Isles Thursday: 1. Hudson O'Neal (260); 2. Jonathan Davenport (240); 3. Brandon Overton (220); 4. Ricky Thornton Jr. (210); 5. Brandon Sheppard (205); 6. Jimmy Owens (200); 7. Kyle Bronson (195); 8. Devin Moran (190); 9. Daulton Wilson (185); 10. Dennis Erb Jr. (180); 11. Garrett Alberson (175); 12. Drake Troutman (170).

Current weather: Scattered Clouds, 66°F

Car count: 51

Fast qualifier: Hudson O'Neal

Time: 15.166 seconds

Polesitter: Hudson O'Neal

Heat race winners: Hudson O'Neal, Jimmy Owens, Brandon Overton, Jonathan Davenport, Kyle Bronson, Daulton Wilson

Consolation race winners: Mike Marlar, Mark Whitener

Provisional starters: Max Blair, Earl Pearson Jr., Boom Briggs, Tony Jackson Jr., Daniel Adam

Next series race: January 26, Golden Isles Speedway (Brunswick, GA) $12,000

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

From staff reports

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (Jan. 25) — Updates and results from Thursday's General Tire Super Bowl of Racing, highlighted by a $10,000-to-win season opener for Lucas Oil Series-sanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Leading all but one circuit, Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., kicked off his Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title defense with a $10,000 victory in Thursday night’s 40-lap General Tire Super Bowl of Racing opener at Golden Isles Speedway. The 23-year-old star briefly lost the top spot to Jonathan Davenport on lap 22 after slipping high off turn two but quickly regained command and went on to beat Davenport by 0.633 of a second.

Feature lineup

(40 laps)
Row 1: Hudson O’Neal, Jonathan Davenport
Row 2: Jimmy Owens, Kyle Bronson
Row 3: Brandon Overton, Daulton Wilson
Row 4: Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Sheppard
Row 5: Devin Moran, Dale McDowell
Row 6: Chris Madden, Garrett Smith
Row 7: Dennis Erb Jr., Donald McIntosh
Row 8: Clay Harris, Drake Troutman
Row 9: Garrett Alberson, Tyler Erb
Row 10: Mike Marlar, Mark Whitener
Row 11: Tim McCreadie, Ross Robinson
Row 12: Max Blair, Earl Pearson Jr.
Row 13: Boom Briggs, Tony Jackson Jr.
Row 14: Daniel Adam

Consolation results

(10 laps; top two transfer)

First consolation finish: Mike Marlar, Tim McCreadie, Max Blair, Brian Shirley, Boom Briggs, Blair Nothdurft, Spencer Hughes, Haiden Cowan, Dillon McCowan, Steven Roberts, Matt Cosner, Jack Riggs, Brenden Smith, Cory Lawler, Jackson Hise, Jason Riggs, Brennon Willard.

Second consolation finish: Mark Whitener, Ross Robinson, Earl Pearson Jr., Tanner English, Cody Overton, Tony Jackson Jr., Wil Herrington, Ryan Gustin, Ethan Dotson, Trey Mills, Bob Gardner, Carson Brown, Daniel Adam (DNS) Dylan Thompson, Terry Casey, Tyler Bruening.

Heat race notes

A brief shower hit the track one lap into the fifth heat, putting the program into a rain delay. The cars in the prelim returned to the track at 8:25 p.m. to complete the run-in process. … Kyle Bronson, who was penalized one starting row in the fifth heat because he failed the post-qualifying droop rule check, outdueled Dale McDowell — making his first start at Golden Isles since 2006 — to win by 0.449 of a second. … Dylan Thompson stopped the track after the checkered flag of Heat 5 and scrambled out of his cockpit as flames flared up underneath his car’s hood. He said something must have been shaken loose when he slapped the wall earlier in the race, causing the fire a few circuits later. … Tyler Bruening smacked the turn-four wall hard between turns three and four after tangling with Tyler Erb on the first lap of Heat 6. … Daulton Wilson turned back a late threat from Garrett Smith to win the sixth heat. … The fourth heat featured a titanic battle for the lead between Jonathan Davenport and Brandon Sheppard, who raced side-by-side for several laps with Sheppard pacing lap seven and the Davenport surging back ahead to win the prelim by 0.020 of a second. … Brandon Overton surged past Chris Madden for the lead on lap four and went on to capture the fourth heat. … Hudson O’Neal led all the way in the first heat while Jimmy Owens outran Devin Moran to top the second prelim.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top three transfer)

First heat finish: Hudson O’Neal, Ricky Thornton Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Tim McCreadie, Mike Marlar, Hayden Cowan, Brennon Willard, Steven Roberts, Cory Lawler.

Second heat finish: Jimmy Owens, Devin Moran, Clay Harris, Spencer Hughes, Brian Shirley, Boom Briggs, Dillon McCowan, Brenden Smith, Jackson Hise.

Third heat finish: Brandon Overton, Chris Madden, Garrett Alberson, Max Blair, Blair Nothdurft, Jason Riggs, Matt Cosner, Jack Riggs.

Fourth heat finish: Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Sheppard, Donald McIntosh, Mark Whitener, Cody Overton, Earl Pearson Jr., Ethan Dotson, Ryan Gustin, Carson Brown.

Fifth heat finish: Kyle Bronson, Dale McDowell, Drake Troutman, Tanner English, Tony Jackson Jr., Wil Herrington, Dylan Thompson (DNS) Terry Casey.

Sixth heat finish: Daulton Wilson, Garrett Smith, Tyler Erb, Ross Robinson, Trey Mills, Bob Gardner, Daniel Adam, Tyler Bruening.

Time trials

First group
1. Hudson O’Neal (1), Martinsville, Ind., 15.166
2. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 15.208
3. Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C., 15.233
4. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20RT), Chandler, Ariz., 15.349
5. Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., 15.389
6. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 15.503
7. Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 15.516
8. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 15.520
9. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 15.532
10. Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 15.598
11. Spencer Hughes (19M), Meridian, Miss., 15.634
12. Blair Nothdurft (76), Sioux Falls, S.D., 15.638
13. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 15.649
14. Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 15.659
15. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 15.701
16. Haiden Cowan (214), Rincon, Ga., 15.781
17. Jackson Hise (388), Ocala, Fla., 15.849
18. Matt Cosner (66C), Ridgeley, W.Va., 16.021
19. Brennon Willard (3W), Lebanon, Mo., 16.067
20. Brenden Smith (17SS), Dade City, Fla., 16.118
21. Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Mo., 16.172
22. Jason Riggs (81), College Grove, Tenn., 16.243
23. Cory Lawler (93), Hanover, Pa., 16.319
24. Jack Riggs (81J), Nolensville, Tenn., 16.479
25. Steven Roberts (111), Jesup, Ga., 16.661
26. Brian Shirley (3S), Chatham, Ill., 15.599 (DQ - did not report to scales)
Second group
1. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 15.299
2. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 15.394
3. Garrett Smith (10), Eatonton, Ga., 15.468
4. Donald McIntosh (79), Dawsonville, Ga., 15.472
5. Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 15.531
6. Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., 15.544
7. Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 15.595
8. Drake Troutman (7T), Hyndman, Pa., 15.620
9. Tyler Bruening (16), Decorah, Iowa, 15.632
10. Cody Overton (97), Evans, Ga., 15.675
11. Wil Herrington (19M), Hawkinsville, Ga., 15.685
12. Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 15.686
13. Ethan Dotson (174), Bakersfield, Calif., 15.764
14. Tony Jackson Jr. (56), Lebanon, Mo., 15.778
15. Ross Robinson (7R), Georgetown, Del., 15.796
16. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 15.797
17. Tanner English (96V), Benton, Ky., 15.912
18. Trey Mills (14Jr), St. Augustine, Fla., 15.930
19. Mark Whitener (5), Middleburg, Fla., 16.069
20. Dylan Thompson (99T), Paducah, Ky., 16.092
21. Daniel Adam (75), Wade, N.C., 16.095
22. Earl Pearson Jr. (46), Jacksonville, Fla., 16.200
23. Terry Casey (42), New London, Wis., 16.381
24. Bob Gardner (4G), East Peoria, Ill., 16.418
25. Carson Brown (28B), New London, N.C., 16.577

Thursday’s schedule

1:30 p.m. - Pits cleared
2 p.m. - Pits open
3 p.m. - Grandstands open
5 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
5:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- 602 Crate group qualifying
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model qualifying (2 laps)
- 604 Crate group qualifying
- Mini late model group qualifying
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heat races (8 laps)
- 602 Crate consolations (8 laps)
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
- 604 Crate consolations (8 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (40 laps)
- Mini late models
- 602 Crates
- 604 Crates