SHINNSTON, W.Va. — One year after beginning their season with struggles at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida, Hudson O’Neal and Rocket1 Racing flipped the tables with a triumphant start to this year’s campaign at the Florida oval.
O’Neal drove the team’s No. 1 XR1 Rocket Chassis super late model to the $15,000 victory in Saturday’s Sunshine Nationals finale with the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series.
“It’s ironic,” O’Neal said. “If anybody remembers my first outing with Rocket1 and how bad it was at Sunshine Nationals one year ago. Then, to turn around and come back and have a good showing like we did (tonight). I think we had a critical test session here last year, came back and got to make a lot of laps and it helped a lot.
“I don’t know, I think I’ve found something that I’m comfortable with and something that this place likes,” O’Neal continued. “We’re just happy to be in contention and we are so far ahead of where we started last year and hopefully we can go to Speedweeks and win a few more.”
With Thursday’s opener falling to persistent rain, Rocket1 Racing and O’Neal kicked off the season on Friday afternoon at Volusia for the fifth annual DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals.
Joined by a stacked field of 55 late models, O’Neal raced into the opener with a consolation victory after missing a transfer spot by one car in his heat. Climbing six spots in the 35-lap feature, O’Neal rolled to a 13th-place finish.
Improving on his qualifying effort on Saturday, O’Neal backed up the fifth-fastest time in his group with a convincing, flag-to-flag victory in his heat race.
Outrunning Friday night’s winner and fellow front-row starter Devin Moran in the feature, O’Neal stole the top spot from Moran on lap 27 and led the final 14 circuits to secure the $15,000 victory.
After leading laps 1-14 and 20-21, O’Neal regained the lead for good on lap 27 and went onto capture Rocket1’s first win of the season ahead of Kyle Bronson, Moran, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Brandon Sheppard.
O’Neal now turns his attention to the start of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season, which opens this Thursday at Golden Isles Speedway in Georgia with the General Tire Super Bowl of Racing.