5/17/2025
Ricky Thornton Jr
Ricky Thornton Jr. Hustles to $50,000 High Bank Heist 50 at Eagle Raceway
Leads 74 Laps En Route to Ninth Lucas Oil Victory of 2025
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (05/19/25) – Ricky Thornton Jr. bagged a pair of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) victories this past weekend in inaugural Malvern Bank High Bank Heist at Eagle Raceway aboard his Ultimate Towing & Recovery / Elite Ready Mix / Coltman Farms Racing / Hoker Trucking No. 20RT Longhorn Chassis Late Model.
The reigning LOLMDS champion extended his lead atop the latest series standings — now 45 points ahead of Jonathan Davenport — with a preliminary win on Friday and a $50,000 triumph in Saturday’s finale during the debut event at the Nebraska oval.
“I was big time concerned,” Thornton said in victory lane Saturday night. “Anytime you can look over and see the deck messed up, it’s not good. What a racetrack. I tried to slow down a couple of times and I just about wrecked, and I said you know what, I was going to go as hard as I can and if I wreck, I wreck and if not, it wasn’t for trying.”
While Thornton enjoyed a strong weekend in Nebraska, his week began on a more challenging note during Tuesday’s fourth round of the FloRacing Night in America presented by Kubota miniseries.
Joining 30 entries at Marshalltown Speedway, Ricky advanced to the feature with a victory in his consolation race. However, a late-race flat tire while running in eighth relegated him to a 15th-place finish at the checkers.
Shifting his focus to Eagle Raceway for the inaugural Malvern Bank High Bank Heist, Thornton opened the three-day event with a $10,000 victory in Thursday’s preliminary, charging from sixth-to-first in the 25-lapper.
Despite suffering a broken steering rack after heavy contact with the wall on Friday, Thornton returned on Saturday with redemption in mind. After winning his heat race to earn a front-row starting spot, he fended off a mid-race challenge from Jonathan Davenport on lap 36 and powered to a $50,000 triumph in the finale—marking his 13th win of the 2025 season.
Thornton crossed the line 1.8 seconds ahead of Davenport, with Devin Moran, Tyler Bruening, and Hudson O’Neal completing the top five.
With the victory, Thornton extended his lead in the LOLMDS standings over Davenport.
Complete results from the entire week can be found at www.FloSeries.com and www.LucasDirt.com.
Thornton is slated to return to LOLMDS action this weekend as the immaculate Lucas Oil Speedway plays host to the prestigious Show-Me 100. The three-day event kicks off with Thursday’s Cowboy Classic, followed by Friday’s Tribute to Don and Billie Gibson—two key preliminary nights that will set the stage for Saturday’s $75,000-to-win Show-Me 100 finale.
Full event details are available at www.LucasOilSpeedway.com.
Ricky Thornton Jr. and the Koehler Motorsports team would like to thank their sponsors, which include: Longhorn Chassis, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Cornett Racing Engines, Clements Racing Engines, Knight’s Companies, Coltman Farms Racing, High Performance Lubricants, Hoker Trucking LLC, Capital Waste, Ultimate Towing & Recovery, Elite Ready Mix, Jones Racing Products, Certified Inspection Service Co., Inc., Varsitee Screenprinting, D and E Outside Services, Shocker Hitch, EMD Wraps, GoSunoco, Dynamic Drivelines, Excel Floor Coverings, Performance Bodies, Swift Springs, Buzze Performance, Dirtcarlift, Impact Racing, Behrent's Performance Warehouse, Ultra Shield Race Products, LLC, Sharp Advantage Safety Products, LLC, Team SRI Motorsports, MPI - Max Papis Innovations, Strange Oval, Pit Boss Jacks, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
Fans can also stay connected by subscribing to Thornton's official mailing list at https://pages/RickyThorntonJrRacing.
Article Credit: Heath Lawson image
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