What won the race: Seizing the moment when Cade Dillard left the bottom lane open in turns one and two, Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., surged into the lead on lap 38 and raced to victory in Thursday night’s 40-lap Summertown Showdown at Thunderhill Raceway Park. The $10,000 triumph was Sheppard’s first of 2024 on the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series and moved him into the points lead.

Quotable: “We had a really good car in the heat race, and I knew that, and we just had to get up on the wheel and make it happen because Cade and all these guys do a really good job,” Sheppard said. “Just super tough competition night-in and night-out.”

Key notes: Sheppard added to his all-time winningest driver status on the WoO tour with his 84th career checkered flag. … Dillard settled for second place after leading laps 13-37. He turned back Sheppard’s challenges for most of his time up front, though a caution flag on lap 27 saved him from ceding the position to Sheppard earlier in the distance because the yellow lights blinked on before Sheppard crossed the start-finish line. … Driving a new Rocket Chassis, Brent Larson recorded the second-best WoO finish of his career, placing third. … Bobby Pierce overtook polesitter and early leader Cody Overton for the top spot on lap 10 with a slider through turns three and four, but two circuits later Overton’s bid to regain command resulted in homestretch contact that popped Pierce’s left-rear tire. Pierce nearly spun and was hit in the rear end by Oakley Johns, but returned after pitting and salvaged an eighth-place finish. … Overton faded to 10th in the finishing order after leading laps 1-9. Four caution flags dotted the feature: lap 12’s Pierce incident; Christian Hanger slowing on lap 14; Tyler Bruening slowing on lap 17 with Dustin Walker spinning on the backstretch to avoid; and Max McLaughlin falling off the pace on lap 27. ... Title contender Chris Madden was a no-show after the Gray Court, S.C., driver announced that "unforeseen health issues" have forced a suspension of his WoO series pursuit. A post on social media said he "hopes for a swift recovery and return to the racetrack." ... The WoO tour made Thunderhill debut after two previous attempts (March 22 and April 18) were rained out. … The event kicked off a stretch of eight races in seven states over 10 days for the WoO circuit.

On the move: Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, started 22nd and finished fifth.

Winner's sponsors: Sheppard’s Sheppard Riggs Racing Longhorn Factory Chassis carries sponsorship from Hoist Hydration, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Realtree, Coltman Farms Racing, Riggs Drilling Solutions, Valvoline, I-Beam Sliding Doors, University of Northwestern Ohio, Paulson Rock Products, Stussy Construction, Sheppard Auto Sales & Salvage, Go Lithium, Bilstein, VP Racing Fuels, Night Owl Design and BSheppGear.com.

Points chase: After Thunderhill: 1. Brandon Sheppard (2,072); 2. Nick Hoffman (2,062); 3. Cade Dillard (2,022); 4. Kyle Bronson (1,976); 5. Bobby Pierce (1,948); 6. Tyler Bruening (1,942); 7. Dennis Erb Jr. (1,926); 8. Ryan Gustin (1,894); 9. Chris Madden (1,866); 10. Dustin Sorensen (1,850); 11. Brian Shirley (1,838); 12. Cody Overton (1,824).

Current weather: Clear, 79°F

Car count: 24

Fast qualifier: Bobby Pierce

Time: 11.945 seconds

Polesitter: Cody Overton

Heat race winners: Bobby Pierce, Brandon Sheppard, Cade Dillard

Next series race: June 21, Ponderosa Speedway (Junction City, KY) $15,000