MARYVILLE, Tenn. — Ricky Thornton Jr. took the lead on lap 26 from Chris Ferguson and dominated the final 34 laps to win the Mountain Moonshine Classic on Saturday night at Smoky Mountain Speedway.
The $50,000 triumph was Thornton’s eighth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory this season.
The fourth-starting Thornton, the current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader, held a healthy advantage at the finish line winning by over six seconds ahead of Hudson O’Neal. Chris Ferguson crossed the line in third with Jonathan Davenport and Kyle Strickler completing the top five.
Ferguson bolted to the lead at the start of the 60-lap race ahead of pole sitter and dash winner, Spencer Hughes. Hughes held the second spot until a restart after a lap four caution when he fell third behind Thornton.
Thornton then hounded Ferguson for the next 20-plus laps and was finally able to take the lead from him on lap 26.
O’Neal slid into the second position on lap 37 but by then Thornton was well out in front and without any caution flags and several lapped cars between the two, Thornton had put enough distance between himself and O’Neal to secure the win.
“It was an awesome night for us,” Thornton said. “I am glad they went out and worked the track before the feature. It made it so you could run the top in both corners there for a while. Fergy got out front. I tried to move around to see what was better or worse. I moved down through the middle, I wouldn’t say I was any faster, but I was making more consistent laps I felt. The top finally slowed down enough to where I was able to get to Chris. He started moving around and it was too late for him. Luckily the lapped cars weren’t in the way.”
O’Neal will maintain second in the points headed to the Big River Steel Firecracker 100 next weekend at Lernerville Speedway.
“It really was a good night. You know we just got behind yesterday qualifying and we had to start farther back in one of those preliminary features,” O’Neal said. “We were just able to salvage our way up through every race. We were able to get a little better and a little better. We had a really good race car. I just used my stuff up so hard around that top trying to get to second and by the time I got to second Ricky was driving off and I was running out of steam. So, we are happy to finish second from where we started in seventh. I think this track turned out to be away better than anyone thought it was going to be. We raced all over it for 40 or 50 laps. They can’t hang their head about that. They did a good job.”
Ferguson, who led the first 25 laps, came home in third.
“Congratulations to Ricky and Hudson. That was some good racing there. I had a lot of fun out there. Hats to the track crew here at Smoky Mountain they did a great job getting this thing turned around tonight. I am just thankful to be up here again. I am just happy to be leading some laps. Ricky has been on a tear this year.”
The finish:
Ricky Thornton Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Chris Ferguson, Jonathan Davenport, Kyle Strickler, Carson Ferguson, Tyler Erb, Spencer Hughes, Jimmy Owens, Tim McCreadie, Daulton Wilson, Max Blair, Cory Hedgecock, Mike Marlar, Earl Pearson Jr., Devin Moran, Boom Briggs, Garrett Alberson, Ross Robinson, Garrett Smith, Tyler Bruening, Dale McDowell, Brandon Overton, Jensen Ford.