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Thornton Holds Off Rice in Buckeye Spring 50 at Atomic

CHILLICOTHE, OH (March 21, 2025) – Reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion Ricky Thornton Jr. secured his first career victory at Atomic Speedway, taking home the $15,000 prize for winning the Buckeye Spring 50 on Friday night. Thornton successfully fended off a determined Josh Rice, marking his fourth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season.

Rice, who closed in on Thornton several times during the last 39 laps of the race, finished second by 0.541 seconds at the line. Devin Moran came in third, followed by Mike Marlar and Hudson O’Neal.

Thornton jumped to the lead at the start of the race, with Jonathan Davenport running in second place. Davenport stayed close to Thornton until a lapped car came down on him, forcing Davenport to spin in turn two after ten laps as the caution was displayed for him, requiring a restart from the back of the field.

Rice then moved into second place as he and Garrett Alberson raced hard for that position, with Moran joining the battle after starting in ninth. Moran briefly took second, but Rice fought back to reclaim the position. In the closing laps, Rice managed to catch up to Thornton, but he couldn't pull off a last-minute move on the final lap to try and steal the win from Thornton.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 46th time in his career, Thornton has now assumed the championship points lead as he heads to Brownstown on Saturday.

“I knew Josh (Rice) was going to be good, really, I thought he was a little better than I was there I was just able to get out in front of him. I’ve got a little right-side damage. I got behind a lapped car, and he kept kind of going low, and he turned back to the bottom finally, and I knew it was time I had to go, or I was going to get passed, so I and he hit a little bit, obviously I got some right-side damage. It’s part of it, so we will have it ready tomorrow at Brownstown.”

“It was a hard-earned 50 laps for sure. With JD starting next to me this is one of his better race-tracks. I don’t know what happened to him. You don’t want to see a guy be the yellow, especially him; you want to beat guys like that straight up.”

Rice, who came into the event with two career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victories at Florence Speedway, nearly stole the show at Atomic.

“Really, I felt like I needed it to stay green. We were a little bit harder on tires than he was. It was a heck of a race. Ricky did everything he had to do to win that one. I am sure all of the fans loved it. Really, this is our first weekend out; last weekend wasn’t so good. We adjusted good on the car tonight. I feel like we did some stuff we don’t normally do, and it worked out from hot laps to qualifying. I had a totally different racecar with just a slight adjustment.”

Moran, who maintained second in the points and heads to Brownstown tomorrow as the defending Indiana Icebreaker winner, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third.

“I’ve got to start closer to the front. I feel like I have been starting all these races in the back and having to pass cars. Ricky and Josh were really good. I had a couple of chances to slide Josh, and I knew he was going to be on the gas, and I didn’t want to do that. All-in-all, they did an awesome job with the racetrack.”

The winner’s Koehler Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Ultimate Towing and Recovery, Elite Ready Mix, Capital Waste, Hoker Trucking, Coltman Farms Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bilstein Shocks, EMD Wraps, Certified Inspection Services, and Knight’s Companies.

Completing the top ten were Garrett Alberson, Brandon Overton, Carson Ferguson, Donald McIntosh, and Jonathan Davenport.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Buckeye Spring 50
Friday, March 21, 2025
Atomic Speedway – Waverly, OH

Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 13.220 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport | 13.313 seconds

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 4. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 5. S21-Seth Daniels[8]; 6. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 7. 6-Clay Harris[7]; 8. 71R-Rod Conley[5]; 9. 90-Michael LeFevers[9]

Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 11-Josh Rice[1]; 2. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 3. 71-Hudson O'Neal[3]; 4. 17SS-Brenden Smith[6]; 5. 29-Christian Hanger[4]; 6. 19M-Spencer Hughes[7]; 7. 9Y-Levi Yetter[5]; 8. 18-Jacob Stuhr[8]

Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 3. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 4. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 5. 00-Justin Cooper[6]; 6. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 7. 24-Tyler Wyant[8]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[7]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71C-RJ Conley[1]; 2. 79-Donald McIntosh[2]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 4. 28-Tyler Carpenter[4]; 5. 60-Dan Ebert[6]; 6. 21-Kirk Phillips[7]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[8]; 8. 4-Tripp Gerrald[5]

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. S21-Seth Daniels[1]; 2. 29-Christian Hanger[2]; 3. 7-Ross Robinson[3]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 5. 19M-Spencer Hughes[4]; 6. 71R-Rod Conley[7]; 7. 18-Jacob Stuhr[8]; 8. 9Y-Levi Yetter[6]; 9. (DNS) 90-Michael LeFevers

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[2]; 3. 24-Tyler Wyant[5]; 4. 4-Tripp Gerrald[8]; 5. 00-Justin Cooper[1]; 6. 93L-Cory Lawler[6]; 7. 21-Kirk Phillips[4]; 8. (DNS) 22-Daniel Hilsabeck

Buckeye Spring 50 Feature Finish (50 Laps):
Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Earnings
1 - 1 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $16,100
2 - 3 - 11 - Josh Rice - Crittenden, KY - $7,000
3 - 9 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $6,000
4 - 7 - 157 - Mike Marlar - Winfield, TN - $4,000
5 - 11 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $3,800
6 - 5 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $3,200
7 - 6 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $3,100
8 - 12 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $3,000
9 - 8 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - $2,900
10 - 2 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - $3,200
11 - 26 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $2,700
12 - 20 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - $2,500
13 - 17 - 1T - Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX - $1,600
14 - 23 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $1,500
15 - 13 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - $2,100
16 - 19 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $2,000
17 - 15 - 28 - Tyler Carpenter - Parkersburg, WV - $1,200
18 - 10 - 16 - Tyler Bruening - Decorah, IA - $1,800
19 - 24 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $800
20 - 4 - 71C - RJ Conley - Wheelersburg, OH - $1,000
21 - 22 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - $1,700
22 - 14 - 17SS - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL - $1,000
23 - 21 - 24 - Tyler Wyant - Oil City, PA - $1,000
24 - 25 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - $100
25 - 18 - 29 - Christian Hanger - Winchester, TN - $1,000
26 - 16 - S21 - Seth Daniels - Jackson, OH - $1,000

Race Statistics
Entrants: 33
Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
MD3 Lap Leaders: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 1-50)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Wieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Margin of Victory: 0.541 seconds
Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: Dan Ebert; Daniel Hilsabeck (Initial Start); Jonathan Davenport (Lap 10); Tyler Erb (Lap 19); Daulton Wilson (Lap 24); Tyler Bruening (Lap 40)
Series Provisionals: Spencer Hughes; Daniel Hilsabeck
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisionals: Clay Harris; Cory Lawler
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Josh Rice, Devin Moran
Penske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Josh Rice, Devin Moran, Mike Marlar, Hudson O’Neal
PEM 4th Place Feature: Mike Marlar
DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Hudson O’Neal
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Brandon Overton
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Brandon Sheppard
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Tyler Erb
MD3 24th Place Feature: Cory Lawler
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Brandon Sheppard (Advanced 15 Positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (50 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jonathan Davenport
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 2 | 14.336 seconds)
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Josh Rice
Hard Luck Award: Jonathan Davenport
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Zach Frields
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (13.344 seconds)
Time of Race: 26 minutes 08 seconds

Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:
Pos - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Points - Earnings
1 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - 1410 - $64,400
2 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - 1380 - $70,500
3 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - 1355 - $54,700
4 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - 1250 - $27,450
5 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - 1180 - $21,650
6 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - 1175 - $24,575
7 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - 1170 - $25,025
8 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - 1140 - $19,400
9 - 1T - Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX - 1135 - $19,500
10 - 16 - Tyler Bruening - Decorah, IA - 1035 - $21,800
11 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - 1000 - $11,500
12 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - 995 - $15,375
13 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - 970 - $9,300
14 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA - 965 - $20,950
15 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - 940 - $8,200
16 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - 935 - $13,600
17 - 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL - 900 - $12,000
18 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - 875 - $9,625
19 - 22* - Drake Troutman - Hyndman, PA - 850 - $16,750
20 - 20 - Jimmy Owens - Newport, TN - 820 - $12,800
21 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - 810 - $6,050
22 - 9 - Tim McCreadie - Watertown, NY - 800 - $16,150
23 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - 760 - $4,075
24 - 17SS - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL - 740 - $6,600

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