ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Sheppard and Tyler Erb each captured a 20-lap preliminary feature on Saturday night at Muskingum County Speedway.
The format allowed all drivers to participate in an A-Main event to set the first nine rows of the feature for the track’s richest race ever on Sunday night for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned $30,000-to-win race.
The first feature that kicked off the night turned into a four-car battle the entire distance. Thornton, who had won the previous night in Portsmouth, Ohio, after starting in fifth came from the same starting spot in Saturday’s prelim main event to take the lead on the 11th lap to score the feature win, earning the pole starting spot for the 60-lap main event on Sunday.
Thornton snuck by a tight battle for the lead between Hudson O’Neal and Tim McCreadie. O’Neal was able to secure the second spot at the checkers with Earl Pearson Jr., McCreadie, Tyler Carpenter, and Gregg Satterlee all advancing to the feature on Sunday.
The second 20-lap feature was all Brandon Sheppard as the current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader led from start to finish to dominate the race. The battle for second was entertaining the entire way as five drivers battled as to who would finish second to Sheppard.
Spencer Hughes, who started on the outside front row alongside Sheppard fell back to fourth at one point but recovered and moved back into second in the last five laps of the race. Ashton Winger, who currently leads the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie-of-the-Year chase ran in second for several laps until losing the spot to Hughes. Winger would cross the line in third followed by Ross Robinson, Brandon Overton and Zack Dohm who all transferred to Sunday night’s finale.
The third and final feature turned out to be another barnburner as Tyler Erb, Devin Moran, and Garrett Alberson raced to the finish line with Erb coming out ahead over Moran and Alberson. Moran and Erb traded sliders in the first two laps as Erb flexed his muscle and was able to slightly pull away from a heated two-car tussle between Moran and Alberson.
A caution with four laps to go set up a dash between those three as Moran tried to make his car stick on the outside in turn four but slid too far up the track allowing Erb to secure the win.
Moran settled for the second spot with Alberson coming home in third. The next three finishers would also transfer into Sunday night’s race as Nathon Loney, Daulton Wilson, and Tim Vance will start the Freedom 60.
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