Dirt on Dirt - RaceWire

October 17

West Virginia Motor Speedway,

Mineral Wells, WV

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (DTWC Saturday first semifeature) - $5,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac, Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated October 18, 12:11 am)

Thornton captures first DTWC semi at WVMS

DTWC Saturday first semifeature

Ricky Thornton Jr.
Dillon McCowan
Devin Moran
Chris Ferguson
Max Blair
Dennis Erb Jr.
Eddie Carrier Jr.
Tyler Erb
Kyle Bronson
Drake Troutman
Kyle Hardy
Clay Harris
Michael Lake
Benji Hicks
Brenden Smith
Brian Shirley
Chris Carpenter
Corey DeLancey
Brock Morris
Ryan Montgomery
Corey Miller
Garrett Smith
Ethan Dotson
Tyler Carpenter

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Ricky Thornton Jr. heads to victory at West Virginia Motor Speedway.

What won the race: Taking command on the 10th lap, Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., captured Saturday's opening semifeature for Carl Short’s 46th annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship at West Virginia Motor Speedway. The fourth-starting Thornton took the checkers 1.358 seconds ahead of 10th-starting Dillon McCowan in securing his third victory in a row on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, $5,000 and a solid starting spot in Sunday's $100,000-to-win DTWC.

Quotable: "I can (win Sunday's DTWC) if I can do the right things, the guys will make the right calls," Thornton said. "We really didn't know what I needed to do tire-wise there. We flipped a quarter and the quarter didn't let us down."

Key notes: Ricky Thornton Jr. won his ninth Lucas Oil Series feature of the season. ... He won the previous two races last weekend at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. ... Polesitter Tyler Carpenter led the first nine laps and ended up pitting on the 14th lap, giving up the third spot and retiring. ... Five cautions slowed the race, the first with Tyler Erb and Kyle Bronson tangled in turn four before officially taking the green. ... On the seventh lap, turn-four debris drew a yellow. ... Fourth-running Benji Hicks spun inside turn two on the 14th lap, forcing Garrett Smith to come to a stop. ... On the next two restarts, multiple-car scrambles tied up numerous drivers including Smith, Brock Morris, Ethan Dotson, Chris Carpenter and the numberless car of Corey Miller. ... On the 21st lap, Garrett Smith stopped inside turn four. ... The 24-minute feature concluded at 9:17 p.m. ... In prelims, Corey Galbreath got upside down starting the first consolation; he wasn't injured. ... Time-trial scoring issues caused delays with qualifying starting at 5:13 p.m. and concluding at 6:38. ... The top 18 preliminary points earners from Saturday will be locked into Sunday's $100,000-to-win DTWC. ... Gates open at 10 a.m. with hot laps at 5:30 p.m., daily; a church outreach service will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday followed by a driver autograph session from 4-4:45. … Watch live on FloRacing.

On the move: Runner-up Dillon McCowan of Urbana, Mo., started 10th; Max Blair of Centerville, Pa., started 14th and finished fifth.

Winner's sponsors: Thornton's Koehler Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is sponsored by Knight's Companies, Hoker Trucking, Capital Waste, Certified Inspection Service, Coltman Farms Racing, Elite Ready Mix, Five Star Metal Buildings, D&E Outside Services, SI Towing & Recovery, Velocity Manufacturing Group, Jones Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Tire South, Henry's Headers & Exhaust, High Performance Lubricants, Strange Oval, Sharp Advantage Safety Products, DirtCarLift, Midwest Sheet Metal and Slicker Graphics.

Points chase: Before WVMS: 1. Brandon Sheppard (7,355); 2. Devin Moran (7,310); 3. Hudson O’Neal (7,215); 4. Ricky Thornton Jr. (6,945); 5. Brandon Overton (6,740); 6. Max Blair (6,670); 7. Josh Rice (6,475); 8. Brian Shirley (6,260); 9. Garrett Alberson (6,095); 10. Kyle Bronson (5,905).

Current weather: Clear, 45°F

Car count: 68

Fast qualifier: Dennis Erb Jr.

Time: 14.377 seconds

Polesitter: Tyler Carpenter

Heat race winners: Tyler Carpenter, Drake Troutman, Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton Jr.

Consolation race winners: Brian Shirley

Next series race: October 18, West Virginia Motor Speedway (Mineral Wells, WV) $100,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

MINERAL WELLS, W.Va. — Updates from Saturday’s 46th annual Dirt Track World Championship preliminary night at West Virginia Motor Speedway, highlighted by twin 25-lap, $5,000-to-win spit-field semifeatures for Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Taking command on the 10th lap, Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., captured Saturday's opening 25-lap semifeature of Carl Short’s 46th annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship at West Virginia Motor Speedway. The fourth-starting Thornton took the checkers 1.358 seconds ahead of 10th-starting Dillon McCowan in securing his third victory in a row on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, $5,000 and a solid starting spot in Sunday's $100,000-to-win DTWC.

Consolation race results

(12 laps; top four transfer)

Results: Brian Shirley, Chris Carpenter, Corey DeLancey, Brock Morris, Cory Workman, Dave Loudin, Brandon Weigle, Ryan Payne, Matthew Bosley, Jon Hodgkiss, Jordan Stotts, Kenney Newhouse, Corey Galbreath. Scratched: Wyatt Ervin.

Heat race results

(10 laps; top five transfer)

First heat: Tyler Carpenter, Ethan Dotson, Ryan Montgomery, Dennis Erb Jr., Tyler Erb, Brian Shirley, Cory Workman, Jordan Stotts. Scratched: Wyatt Ervin.

Second heat: Drake Troutman, Eddie Carrier Jr., Chris Ferguson, Kyle Bronson, Brenden Smith, Corey Delancey, Jon Hodgkiss, Corey Galbreath.

Third heat: Devin Moran, Benji Hicks, Dillon McCowan, Max Blair, Corey Miller, Chris Carpenter, Brock Morris, Ryan Payne, Kenney Newhouse.

Fourth heat: Ricky Thornton Jr., Garrett Smith, Michael Lake, Kyle Hardy, Clay Harris, Dave Loudin, Brandon Weigle, Matthew Bosley.

Time trials

Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
Group A1

Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 14.377
Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 14.463
Tyler Carpenter (28), Parkersburg, W.Va., 14.486
Eddie Carrier Jr. (75), Salt Rock, W.Va., 14.509
Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 14.516
Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 14.561
Drake Troutman (5), Hyndman, Pa., 14.606
Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 14.606
Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 14.610
Chris Ferguson (22), Mount Holly, N.C., 14.641
Ryan Montgomery (12), Fairmont, W.Va., 14.868
Jon Hodgkiss (69), Kennedy Township, Pa., 15.402
Cory Workman (W1), Gratiot, Ohio, 15.502
Corey DeLancey (9-11), Parkersburg, W.Va., 15.529
Jordan Stotts (8), Pomeroy, Ohio, 15.639
Corey Galbreath (21), Mineral Wells, W.Va., no time
Wyatt Ervin (8w), Charleston, W.Va., no time

Group A2

Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 14.471
Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 14.484
Corey Miller (22), Parkersburg, W.Va., 14.517
Garrett Smith (10), Eatonton, Ga., 14.532
Benji Hicks (55), Mount Airy, N.C., 14.608
Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., 14.609
Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Mo., 14.709
Kyle Hardy (99), Stephens City, Va., 14.736
Brock Morris (17kn), Charleston, W.Va., 14.746
Brandon Weigle (47), Middlebourne, W.Va., 14.811
Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 14.873
Michael Lake (27), Uniontown, Pa., 14.978
Chris Carpenter (18), Parkersburg, W.Va., 15.050
Dave Loudin (12), Volga, W.Va., 15.193
Kenney Newhouse (17), Elkview, W.Va., 15.312
Matthew Bosley (R3x), Parkersburg, W.Va., 15.390
Ryan Payne (12), Pennsboro, W.Va., 15.422

Saturday’s schedule

(All times local)
10 a.m. - Pits and grandstands open
1:45 p.m. - Tech and registration open
4:45 p.m. - Tech and registration close
5 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
5:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (10 laps)
- Late Model consolations (12 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Late Model first semifeature (25 laps)
- Late Model second semifeature (25 laps)