CONCORD, N.C. — Updates from Thursday’s second preliminary night of the 18th annual World Finals, highlighted by a 35-lap, $15,000-to-win World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series feature (results unofficial):

Feature

Winning his third straight World Finals race stretching back to last season, polesitter Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., went around race-long leader Drake Troutman on 22nd lap and led the rest of Friday's 35-lap World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series at The Dirt Track at Charlotte for a $15,000 payday. Troutman finished 0.780 of a second back in the caution-free event with Chris Madden third. Nick Hoffman's 10th-to-sixth run moved him into second in the WoO title chase with two races remaining, 26 points behind 18th-place finisher Brandon Sheppard. Bobby Pierce was 13th and is 34 points behind.

Feature lineup

(35 laps)

Row 1: Ricky Thornton Jr., Drake Troutman
Row 2: Chris Madden, Mike Marlar
Row 3: Jordan Koehler, Daulton Wilson
Row 4: Ethan Dotson, Hudson O’Neal
Row 5: Kyle Bronson, Nick Hoffman
Row 6: Dale McDowell, Jimmy Owens
Row 7: Cody Overton, Tyler Bruening
Row 8: Bobby Pierce, Austin Smith
Row 9: Jonathan Davenport, Trent Ivey
Row 10: Cade Dillard, Zack Mitchell
Row 11: Kyle Strickler, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 12: Tim McCreadie, Max McLaughlin
Row 13: Brandon Sheppard, Ryan Gustin
Row 14: Brian Shirley, Dustin Sorensen
Row 15: Brent Larson, Tristan Chamberlain

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top two transfer)

First consolation: Cade Dillard, Dennis Erb Jr., Carson Ferguson, Tanner English, Dustin Sorensen, Chris Ferguson, Ross Bailes, Bryan Bernheisel, Michael Leach, Haiden Cowan, Kale Green, Daniel Adam, Danny Snyder, Hardy Youmans III, Seth Zacharias, Payton Freeman.

Second consolation: Zack Mitchell, Tim McCreadie, Max Blair, Brian Shirley, Luke Morey, Gavin Cowan, Brandon Sheppard, Dalton Jacobs, Wil Herrington, Evan Koehler, Logan Seavey, Tristan Chamberlain, Austin Holcombe, Brent Robinson, Cory Crasper, Tyler Wyant.

Third consolation: Kyle Strickler, Max McLaughlin, Benji Hicks, Dillon McCowan, Anthony Sanders, Ben Watkins, Beckham Malone, Ryan Gustin, Carson Brown, Ethan Wilson, Jamison McBride, Gray Parton, Kevin Wilson, Brian Ledbetter, Brent Larson, Dustin Walker.

Consolation race lineups

(10 laps; top two transfer)

First consolation
Row 1: Cade Dillard, Carson Ferguson
Row 2: Dustin Sorensen, Ross Bailes
Row 3: Dennis Erb Jr., Bryan Bernheisel
Row 4: Tanner English, Kale Green
Row 5: Chris Ferguson; Haiden Cowan
Row 6: Danny Snyder, Michael Leach
Row 7: Seth Zacharias, Daniel Adam
Row 8: Payton Freeman, Hardy Youmans III
Second consolation
Row 1: Zack Mitchell, Tim McCreadie
Row 2: Brian Shirley, Luke Morey
Row 3: Evan Koehler, Max Blair
Row 4: Brandon Sheppard, Wil Herrington
Row 5: Austin Holcombe, Dalton Jacobs
Row 6: Logan Seavey, Gavin Cowan
Row 7: Tyler Wyant, Brent Robinson
Row 8: Cory Crapser, Tristan Chamberlain
Third consolation
Row 1: Ben Watkins, Kyle Strickler
Row 2: Max McLaughlin, Ethan Wilson
Row 3: Dillon McCowan, Jamison McBride
Row 4: Benji Hicks, Anthony Sanders
Row 5: Brent Larson, Carson Brown
Row 6: Ryan Gustin, Dustin Walker
Row 7: Gray Parton, Beckham Malone
Row 8: Kevin Wilson, Brian Ledbetter

Heat race recap

With Wednesday's single-car time trials setting the stage for Thursday's heat lineups, Late Model heat races went green right before 4:45 p.m. on a 75-degree evening at the 4/10-mile oval. … Gray Court, S.C.’s Chris Madden staved off Bakersfield, Calif.’s Ethan Dotson by a half-second to win the first heat race aboard the Team 22 Inc. No. 44 Chassis. Second-starting Tanner English of Benton, Ky., lost five spots in finishing seventh after nearly losing control of his race machine on the opening lap. … Hyndman, Pa.’s Drake Troutman powered from the outside front row to take the second heat by 1.3 seconds over Brandon, Fla.’s Kyle Bronson, who also overtook pole-starting and eventual third-finishing Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill. … Chandler, Ariz.’s Ricky Thornton Jr. held off Chickamauga, Ga.’s Dale McDowell to win the third heat by 0.7 seconds. Blairsville, Ga.’s Jonathan Davenport advanced Kevin Rumley’s No. 6 Longhorn Chassis three positions to claim the final transfer spot in third from the sixth-starting spot. WoO points leader Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., struggled in the third heat, starting fourth and finishing seventh as he’s relegated to a B-main. … Ninteen-year-old Jordan Koehler of Mount Airy, N.C., kept Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., at bay to win the fourth heat by 0.8 seconds. Seventh-starting Tim McCreadie of Watertown, NY., fell one spot short of a transfer in fourth driving the Viper-Big Frog Motorsports No. 58v. … Winfield, Tenn.’s Mike Marlar rolled to a three-second victory in the fifth heat over Mooresville, N.C.’s Nick Hoffman. ... Fayetteville, N.C.'s Daulton Wilson took care of business in the sixth heat, topping seven-time World Finals winner Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., by 1.9 seconds. Stanley, N.C.'s Brian Ledbetter brought out the lone caution between the six heats in the sixth and final heat. ... Advancing to the redraw: Madden, Troutman, Thornton, Koehler, Marlar, and Wilson.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top three transfer)

Heat race lineups

(Eight laps; top three transfer)

First heat
Row 1: Chris Madden, Tanner English
Row 2: Ethan Dotson, Cody Overton
Row 3: Cade Dillard, Payton Freeman
Row 4: Chris Ferguson, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 5: Dustin Sorensen, Seth Zacharias
Row 6: Danny Snyder
Second heat
Row 1: Bobby Pierce, Drake Troutman
Row 2: Michael Leach, Kyle Bronson
Row 3: Carson Ferguson, Ross Bailes
Row 4: Bryan Bernheisel, Kale Green
Row 5: Haiden Cowan, Daniel Adam
Row 6: Hardy Youmans
Third heat
Row 1: Ricky Thornton Jr., Dale McDowell
Row 2: Zack Mitchell, Brandon Sheppard
Row 3: Evan Koehler, Jonathan Davenport
Row 4: Austin Holcombe, Brian Shirley
Row 5: Logan Seavey, Tyler Wyant
Row 6: Cory Crapser
Fourth heat
Row 1: Jordan Koehler, Max Blair
Row 2: Hudson O’Neal, Tyler Bruening
Row 3: Luke Morey, Tristan Chamberlain
Row 4: Tim McCreadie, Dalton Jacobs
Row 5: Wil Herrington, Brent Robinson
Row 6: Gavin Cowan
Fifth heat
Row 1: Mike Marlar, Austin Smith
Row 2: Nick Hoffman, Dillon McCowan
Row 3: Brent Larson, Max McLaughlin
Row 4: Ryan Gustin, Ben Watkins
Row 5: Gray Parton, Benji Hicks
Row 6: Kevin Wilson
Sixth heat
Row 1: Daulton Wilson, Kyle Strickler
Row 2: Jimmy Owens, Trent Ivey
Row 3: Ethan Wilson, Anthony Sanders
Row 4: Jamison McBride, Beckham Malone
Row 5: Carson Brown, Brian Ledbetter
Row 6: Dustin Walker

Thursday’s schedule

(All times local)
11 a.m. - Pits open; pit pass sales begin
Noon - Souvenir and display areas open (midway)
Noon-3 p.m. - Race Day Live radio show (Sage Fruit stage)
3 p.m. - Grandstands open; ticket sales begin
3:45 p.m. - Sprint car motor heat
4 p.m. - Opening ceremonies; on-track activity
- Sprint car non-qualifier (8 laps)
- Sprint car heats (8 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Big-block modified heats (8 laps)
- Sprint car C-main (10 laps)
- Sprint car dash (6 laps)
- Sprint car B-main (12 laps)
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
- Big-block modified consolations (10 laps)
Feature events
- Sprint cars (25 laps)
- Late Models (35 laps)
- Big-block modified (30 laps)