MORRISTOWN, Tenn. – Hudson O’Neal will go back on the road with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series next year after striking a deal to join Double Down Motorsports.
O’Neal will pilot an XR1 Rocket Chassis throughout the 2021 season adorned with the No. 71. Double Down Motorsports, owned by Roger Sellers, most recently fielded Longhorn Chassis’ entries, but O’Neal’s familiarity with Rocket Chassis prompted the switch.
O’Neal started the season as the pilot of the MasterSbilt House Car, but he parted ways with the team in mid-July. He later began driving for Craig and Shannon Sims, for whom he earned his lone victory of the season so far at Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park on Sept. 5.
“First off, I have to thank Craig and Shannon Sims and the entire Sims family for stepping up and fielding a car for the past couple of months,” O’Neal said in a press release on his website. “I am very excited about this new deal and it will be an honor to represent Double Down Motorsports in first class fashion both on and off the racetrack in 2021. I can’t thank Roger (Sellers) and everyone associated with Double Down Motorsports enough for believing in me and providing me with such an awesome opportunity. Roger pours his heart and soul into that race program and has such great equipment – it is going to be an incredible year I believe.”
Double Down Motorsports competed during the entire Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season in 2019 with Shanon Buckingham behind the wheel, finishing the season ranked 10th in the series standings.
The team was again a fixture for much of the 2020 season before pulling off the tour in late August due – in part – to Buckingham’s work commitments.
“I can’t express just how excited I am to have Hudson on board and driving our equipment in 2021 and beyond,” said Sellers. “Hudson is an exceptional talent behind the wheel, but is also a very polite and well-spoken young man that will be very marketable to our current group of partners, as well as potential sponsors in the future. We have a lot of details to still figure out heading into 2021, but I think the pieces will all come together to have a terrific season, as we vie for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Championship.”
The team plans to continue fielding a second car in regional events for Sellers’ son-in-law Robby Moses.