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Thornton Scores First Career Hagerstown Victory

HAGERSTOWN, MD (April 26, 2025) – Ricky Thornton Jr., the reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, took the lead on lap 32 from Garrett Alberson and then went on to achieve his fifth series win of the season on Saturday night at Hagerstown Speedway. This victory marked Thornton’s first-ever win at Hagerstown, where he took home $25,000 for winning the Conococheague 50.

Alberson, who led the first 31 laps of the race, finished second with Daulton Wilson rounding out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Gregg Satterlee finished in fourth, followed by Brandon Sheppard in fifth.

Alberson, who started outside the front row, dominated the race, running unchallenged for the first 19 laps until a caution closed the gap he had built between himself and Thornton.

On the restart, Thornton was able to stay close to Alberson. After a long stretch of green flag racing, Thornton wrestled the lead away from Alberson on lap 32. He continued to lead the rest of the way, finishing with a 2.984 second advantage over Alberson at the checkers for his first win at the historic track.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 47th time in his career, he moved into fourth place on the all-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win list. Additionally, he became the 14th different winner in 15 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events at Hagerstown.

“The crazy part is I felt like it hasn’t been this windy all night. I was here a few years ago and gave one away on the last lap, so it’s nice to come back and get a win like that tonight,’ said the Chandler, Arizona driver who lost on the last lap to Tim McCreadie in 2021.

“Obviously, Garrett was really good. I felt like if we didn’t get to traffic, there was no way I was going to pass him. He slipped up just a little bit on that first lap getting into traffic, and I knew I had to take it slow and make sure I slid him getting into three, so that way he didn’t have a good chance to cross me over and pass me down the front straightaway. It worked out for us.”

Alberson, who scored his first series win at Port Royal last August returns to the scene of that win on Sunday Night to conclude the Mid-Atlantic weekend.

“Man, it hurts to lead laps like that and not win. I don’t know, we’re just a little out of balance there. I was way too tight getting across the center, and then I had to shake a little bit, and I started to get set up on the right rear, and I couldn’t leave the corner like I wanted to anymore. I hate that for my guys, but congrats to Ricky, he’s been doing a great job all year.”

Wilson, who started from the pole, stayed in the hunt all race long to come home in third.

“We have had a really good race car, my guys have been busting their butts. I don’t have a lot of laps here, but I felt pretty good. When I got to lapped traffic, I didn’t feel the greatest, but all in all to run in the top three tonight, we’ll take it.”

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

Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Erb, Hudson O’Neal, Rick Eckert, and Ross Robinson completed the top ten.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Conococheauge 50
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Hagerstown Speedway – Hagerstown, MD

Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Hudson O’Neal | 17.686 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Garrett Alberson | 18.100 seconds

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 18D-Daulton Wilson[3]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 4. 79-Donald McIntosh[6]; 5. 71-Hudson O'Neal[1]; 6. 66-Justin Kann[8]; 7. 66C-Matt Cosner[2]; 8. 6-Clay Harris[7]

Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 22G-Gregg Satterlee[5]; 3. 2J-Justin Weaver[2]; 4. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 5. 11M-Kyle Hardy[6]; 6. 24Y-Dylan Yoder[7]; 7. 68-Nathan LaSalle[8]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]

Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 3. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[3]; 4. 24-Rick Eckert[4]; 5. 11-Trevor Collins[7]; 6. 27-Trever Feathers[5]; 7. 0-Dale Hollidge[6]; 8. 60-Dan Ebert[8]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 3. 7-Ross Robinson[3]; 4. 19M-Spencer Hughes[6]; 5. 4-Gary Stuhler[5]; 6. 119-Bryan Bernheisel[4]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[7]; 8. 17-Wayne Johnson[8]

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O'Neal[1]; 2. 11M-Kyle Hardy[2]; 3. 24Y-Dylan Yoder[4]; 4. 66-Justin Kann[3]; 5. 66C-Matt Cosner[5]; 6. 6-Clay Harris[7]; 7. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 8. 68-Nathan LaSalle[6]

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 27-Trever Feathers[3]; 2. 11-Trevor Collins[1]; 3. 4-Gary Stuhler[2]; 4. 0-Dale Hollidge[5]; 5. 60-Dan Ebert[7]; 6. 119-Bryan Bernheisel[4]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[6]; 8. 17-Wayne Johnson[8]

Conococheauge 50 Feature Finish (50 Laps):
Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Pay
1 - 6 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $26,100
2 - 2 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $10,800
3 - 1 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - $6,700
4 - 7 - 22G - Gregg Satterlee - Indiana, PA - $4,000
5 - 4 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $4,200
6 - 3 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - $3,800
7 - 9 - 1T - Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX - $2,500
8 - 17 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $3,100
9 - 14 - 24 - Rick Eckert - York, PA - $2,200
10 - 12 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - $2,800
11 - 15 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $3,100
12 - 5 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $2,600
13 - 23 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $2,600
14 - 13 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - $2,400
15 - 16 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - $2,300
16 - 22 - 4 - Gary Stuhler - Greencastle, PA - $1,500
17 - 24 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $2,200
18 - 11 - 2J - Justin Weaver - Clearspring, MD - $1,500
19 - 19 - 11M - Kyle Hardy - Stephens City, VA - $1,500
20 - 18 - 27 - Trever Feathers - Winchester, VA - $1,500
21 - 21 - 24Y - Dylan Yoder - Middleburg, PA - $1,500
22 - 10 - 25Z - Mason Zeigler - Chalk Hill, PA - $1,500
23 - 8 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $2,200
24 - 20 - 11 - Trevor Collins - Seaford, DE - $1,500
25 - 25 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $800

Race Statistics
Entrants: 32
Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Daulton Wilson
MD3 Lap Leaders: Garrett Alberson (Laps 1-31); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 32-50)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Garrett Alberson
Wieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Margin of Victory: 2.984 seconds
Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: Mason Zeigler (Lap 7); Trevor Collins (Lap 13); Dylan Yoder, Kyle Hardy (Lap 18); Carson Ferguson (Lap 19)
Series Provisionals: Daniel Hilsabeck; Dan Ebert
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisional: Clay Harris
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Garrett Alberson, Daulton Wilson
Penske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Garrett Alberson, Daulton Wilson, Gregg Satterlee, Brandon Sheppard
PEM 4th Place Feature: Gregg Satterlee
DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Brandon Sheppard
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Tyler Erb
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Devin Moran
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Daniel Hilsabeck
MD3 24th Place Feature: Trevor Collins
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Hudson O’Neal (Advanced 9 Positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Garrett Alberson (31 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin Moran
O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Daniel Hilsabeck
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Garrett Alberson (Lap 2 | 19.998 seconds)
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Hard Luck Award: Brandon Overton
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: Tyler Erb (17.6325 seconds)
Time of Race: 27 minutes 33 seconds

Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:
Pos - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Points - Pay
1 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - 2130 - $110,300
2 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - 2065 - $120,849
3 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - 1940 - $68,200
4 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - 1800 - $40,550
5 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - 1795 - $37,975
6 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - 1770 - $35,750
7 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - 1700 - $34,225
8 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - 1695 - $30,500
9 - 1T - Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX - 1640 - $25,200
10 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - 1450 - $16,100
11 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - 1445 - $22,075
12 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - 1435 - $17,700
13 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - 1430 - $19,500
14 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - 1405 - $14,500
15 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - 1315 - $11,850
16 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - 1250 - $14,325
17 - 16 - Tyler Bruening - Decorah, IA - 1230 - $25,000
18 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - 1135 - $6,775

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