MARYVILLE, Tenn. — With Ricky Thornton winning his last three starts at Smoky Mountain Speedway, there was no secret who the driver to beat was in Saturday's Mountain Moonshine Classic on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

Leading all 60 laps and keeping Thornton in check late in the race, Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., was able to get it done, pocketing $50,000 and his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory in 16 months.

"Somebody's got to beat that damn Ricky boy," Overton said with a smile in victory lane. "He's been kicking our ass."

Overton repelled early challenges from Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, and outran Chandler, Ariz.'s Thornton late, taking the checkers 0.824 of a second ahead of the series-leading runner-up while Gustin settled for third. Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., was fourth and ninth-starting Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., rounded out the top five.

A former Lucas Oil regular now running the Southeastern-based Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series in 2024, Overton has six victories on the season but none in national touring competition.

"My mama told me the other day: 'You ever gonna, you ever gonna race with the big boys again?' Maybe she's proud. I kicked the big boys' ass tonight," Overton said.

While Thornton won a semifeature and the $50,000 finale last season, he also dominated Friday's $10,000 weekend opener this year, a race where Overton finished seventh.

"I've been knotted up all day," Overton said in victory lane. "We were not very good last night and we worked on it and qualified good, heat-raced good — and I knew it was all up to me to not screw it up."

He didn't appear to make a mistake through the race, steering his Infinity Chassis developed in his team's Wells & Sons Motorsports shop to its richest victory in its maiden season.

"We made the right decisions," Overton said. "I think the first lap, me and Ryan, I think we both go about getting out and clean air, how much it means. We kind of rubbed down there, but that's awesome. The only two Infinity cars here run 1-2 most of the race. So, like I said, hats off to Eric and everybody back at the shop."

On a "special night," Overton also thanked his crew for helping him keep his chin up.

"My boys, you know, they've been, they've been busting their ass, man," Overton said. "I need them to keep me upbeat. You know what I mean? I'm pretty hard on myself and I get down and they've got a good attitude and (the success is credited) more to them than it is to me. They give their life to this stuff."

When Thornton realized that the way time trials fell that Overton would likely start in front of him, he knew he'd have his hands full starting third behind Overton and Gustin.

"Especially with (Overton) being on the pole, I knew he'd be really tough to pass," Thornton said. "The lapped cars made it tough for him. There's a lot of them that he really had to slide and hoped they'd slow down. It's just tough at this place. It hard to really juice up the bottom to make it fast enough to compete with that middle (groove). But overall, a really good weekend for us.

"It sucks following him, but at the same time. he's really good, too. It was a good race with Ryan, also."

Gustin ran second most of the way, briefly giving up the spot to Thornton on lap 26 before regaining it. But Thornton took the runner-up spot for good on a lap-46 restart.

"Obviously them yellows kept coming out and I kept (restarting on) the top and getting a good start, but Ricky had a really good restart there in the last one. And he got us. I gotta give tip my hat to him. He left me room on every restart — thanks to him for that," Gustin said. "These Infinity chassis that have been really good. We were just a little bit off there and compared to what we needed to be."

Four cautions slowed the 60-lapper, all for incidents involving Pennsylvania drivers. Cory Lawler got into the frontstretch wall on lap 46, 10 laps after Max Blair spun in turn one. Boom Briggs and Drake Troutman tangled for the lone caution on lap 26 when Troutman slowed in turn one. Briggs drew another caution on lap 34.

Notes: Overton notched his 16th career Lucas Oil Series victory and first since Jan. 28, 2023, at Golden Isles Speedway near Brunswick, Ga. ... Overton's victory was his richest since a $50,000 World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series payday April 22, 2023, at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala. ... The feature was set to roll before 11 p.m., but there was a medical emergency and officials elected to have driver introductions while the track awaited for the return of the ambulance. ... Benji Hicks lost his left-front wheel in time trials and scratched for the night. ... Chris Ferguson stalled and didn't get a time-trial lap. ... Ferguson was among drivers failing to make the feature along with Mike Benedum and Kaede Loudy.

Feature lineup

(60 laps)

Row 1: Brandon Overton, Ryan Gustin
Row 2: Ricky Thornton Jr., Dale McDowell
Row 3: Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran
Row 4: Cory Hedgecock, Kyle Bronson
Row 5: Brandon Sheppard, Carson Ferguson
Row 6: Garrett Alberson, Tim McCreadie
Row 7: Max Blair, Nick Hoffman
Row 8: Jensen Ford, Mike Marlar
Row 9: Hudson O'Neal, Jimmy Owens
Row 10: Ross Robinson, Ricky Weiss
Row 11: Clay Harris, Drake Troutman
Row 12: Daulton Wilson, Boom Briggs
Row 13: Brenden Smith, Cory Lawler

Consolation results

(10 laps; top three transfer)

First consolation: Hudson O'Neal, Ross Robinson, Clay Harris, Daulton Wilson, Mike Benedum, Chris Ferguson, Boom Briggs, Jay Scott, Stacy Boles, Jimmy Johnson, Cory Lawler. Scratched: Corey Roulette.

Second consolation: Jimmy Owens, Ricky Weiss, Drake Troutman, Kaede Loudy, Heath Hindman, Haiden Cowan, Brenden Smith, Josh Henry, Trevor Landrum. Scratched: Rusty Ballenger, Benji Hicks.

Heat race results

(8 laps; top four transfer)

First heat: Brandon Overton, Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Sheppard, Max Blair, Hudson O'Neal, Clay Harris, Daulton Wilson, Stacy Boles, Cory Lawler, Corey Roulette.

Second heat: Ricky Thornton Jr., Cory Hedgecock, Garrett Alberson, Jensen Ford, Ross Robinson, Mike Benedum, Chris Ferguson, Jay Scott, Boom Briggs, Jimmy Johnson.

Third heat: Ryan Gustin, Devin Moran, Carson Ferguson, Nick Hoffman, Jimmy Owens, Kaede Loudy, Heath Hindman, Trevor Landrum, Josh Henry. Scratched: Benji Hicks.

Fourth heat: Dale McDowell, Kyle Bronson, Tim McCreadie, Mike Marlar, Ricky Weiss, Drake Troutman, Haiden Cowan, Rusty Ballenger. Scratched: Brenden Smith.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 15.459
Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 15.576
Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 15.705
Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 15.773
Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 15.906
Cory Hedgecock (36v), Loudon, Tenn., 15.975
Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 15.995
Jensen Ford (83), Johnson City, Tenn., 16.059
Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 16.064
Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., 16.064
Mike Benedum (25B), Salem, W.Va., 16.069
Ross Robinson (7), Georgetown, Del., 16.200
Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., 16.203
Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 16.240
Stacy Boles (11B), Clinton, Tenn., 16.245
Jimmy Johnson (11), Monroe, Ga., 16.763
Cory Lawler (93), Hanover, Pa., 16.898
Jay Scott (J27), Taft, Tenn., 16.979
Corey Roulette (05), Daholenga, Ga., 17.108
Chris Ferguson (22), Mount Holly, N.C., no time
Group B
Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 15.483
Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 15.484
Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 15.708
Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 15.762
Carson Ferguson (93F), Lincolnton, N.C., 15.840
Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 15.904
Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 15.913
Tim McCreadie (1), Watertown, N.Y., 15.922
Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 16.055
Ricky Weiss (7w), Headingley, Manitoba, 16.057
Kaede Loudy (126), Rogersville, Tenn., 16.107
Drake Troutman (7T), Hyndman, Pa., 16.209
Heath Hindman (91), Signal Mountain, Tenn., 16.248
Rusty Ballenger (1G), Seymour, Tenn., 16.291
Trevor Landrum (18), Florence, Ky., 16.299
Haiden Cowan (14), Rincon, Ga., 16.304
Benji Hicks (55H), Mount Airy, N.C., 16.352
Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 16.701
Josh Henry (B00), Newport, Tenn., 16.709

Saturday’s schedule

(All times local)
Noon - All gates open
3:30 p.m. - Dirt Racing Outreach service (track pavilion)
5:30-6:15 p.m. - Drivers’ autograph session (concourse)
6:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
7 p.m. - On-track activity
- Street stock hot lap qualifying
- Late Model hot laps
- Sportsman hot lap qualifying
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Street stock dash (6 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Sportsman dash (6 laps)
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Street stock feature (20 laps)
- Late Model feature (60 laps)
- Sportsman feature (20 laps)