More than 200 races were completed by the end of Thursday during the Tulsa Shootout. (Richard Bales Photo)
More than 200 races were completed by the end of Thursday during the Tulsa Shootout. (Richard Bales Photo)
Other Midgets

SHOOTOUT NOTES: Two Heat Wins For Thornton

December 31, 2021

TULSA, Okla. — Prior to this week, Ricky Thornton Jr. had never raced any type of micro sprint.

By the end of Thursday, Thornton had won two of his three heat races during the 37th Lucas Oil Tulsa Shootout inside the Tulsa Expo Center.

Thornton opened competition during the Tulsa Shootout Wednesday with a victory in the first heat race of the day in non-winged outlaw after starting from the pole.

He backed that heat race win up on Thursday with a triumph from fifth in the stock non-winged division that left him in a comfortable position ahead of Friday’s qualifiers. 

It hasn’t been all roses for Thornton so far during the Tulsa Shootout. He finished last in his winged outlaw heat after being collected in a multi-car pileup Wednesday.

• NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor Hailie Deegan has had a rough go of things thus far during the Tulsa Shootout. 

Poor performances during her non-winged outlaw and A class heats forced her into the alphabet in both divisions. She won her E main in non-winged outlaw but was eliminated from competition in the D main.

Things got a little bit better in A class, where she was eliminated in her C main. 

She’s still alive in one division, stock non-winged, where she finished fifth in her heat Thursday. 

• Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch is learning just how challenging micro sprint racing can be.

After winning his non-winged outlaw heat from eighth on Wednesday, Busch faced an uphill challenge Thursday. He ran his final heat race of the weekend in stock non-winged, where he started from the pole.

Unfortunately, he went backward once the green flag waved and finished fourth. That heat was won by Cale Coons, the young son of USAC Triple Crown champion Jerry Coons Jr. 

In other action, Busch’s weekend ended in A class after he was eliminated in a D main. 

• Busch’s son, six-year-old Brexton Busch, made his Tulsa Shootout debut Thursday with a fifth-place finish in his Junior Sprint heat. 

• Versatile dirt modified, sprint car and midget driver Tim Buckwalter kept his hopes alive in A class by winning his C main. Only the top-two finishers in each E, D and C main advanced.

• The most impressive performance during the alphabet features belonged to Jade Avedisian, who came from 10th to win her D main in the non-winged outlaw division. Unfortunately, she couldn’t repeat that performance in her C main, where she finished 10th. 

• Notable drivers who were eliminated during the alphabet soup in non-winged outlaw included Chuck Gurney Jr. (D main), Brett Moffitt (D main), Santino Ferrucci (C main), Sheldon Creed (C main), Tanner Thorson (C main) and Jason McDougal (C main).

• Notable drivers who were eliminated during the alphabet soup in A class included Cole Bodine (E main), Brent Crews (D main), Ferrucci (D main) and Cannon McIntosh (C main).