What won the race: Taking advantage of a restart with two circuits remaining, Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., shot from third to first to pull off a dramatic last-lap victory in Saturday’s 50-lap Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series-sanctioned DirtCarLift Doubleheader finale at North Georgia Speedway. O’Neal shot by Ashton Winger for second when the final green flag flew and then overtook race-long pacesetter Joseph Joiner off the outside of turn two on the white-flag lap to grab the $12,000 triumph.

Quotable: “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to pass some guys in the bottom because Ashton just kind of slowed down enough to keep it down there and I had to find something else,” O’Neal said. “So I went to the cushion down there and I knew when that caution came out, I was like, ‘OK, if I can just stay with them, maybe I can get enough of a run down there to maybe slide them down here.’ And luckily, I was able to.”

Key notes: O’Neal recorded his second victory of 2026 and third of his career on the Hunt the Front tour. … O’Neal lost second to Winger on a lap-42 restart after contact with Joiner in turns one and two, but the caution on lap 48 for Jake O’Neil’s stopped car gave him new life to snatch his 11th overall win of the season by 0.509 of a second over Joiner. … Joiner came one lap short of his first HTF triumph in two years despite twice being swept up by slower cars tangling in front of him. First, on lap 16, he barely avoided the spinning pair of Austin Smith and Dillard Hatchett in turn one; later, on lap 42, he made significant contact with Kaede Loudy’s spun car in turn two after Loudy came together with Luke Morey. … Joiner’s car sustained right-rear body damage in the encounter with Loudy but he managed to maintain command until O’Neal pounded the cushion to drive by for the win. … Winger settled for third while Zack Mitchell, who won Friday’s opener, finished fourth. … Four caution flags slowed the feature, including a lap-20 pause for Sam Seawright falling off the pace with damage to his car's right-rear corner.

On the move: Josh Putnam of Florence, Ala., started 21st and finished seventh.

Winner's sponsors: O’Neal’s SSI Motorsports Longhorn Chassis was powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Wheeler Metals, Professional Concrete, Dyno One, Sub-Surface of Indiana, Big River Steel, O'Neal's Salvage & Recycling, Merrill Bonding, Indiana USSSA Fastpitch, SevenSpursRanch.com, Lineal Inc. Contracting, Penske Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels and Midwest Sheet Metal.

Points chase: After North Georgia Saturday: 1. Hudson O’Neal (294); 2. Zack Mitchell (274); 3. Joseph Joiner (254); 4. Ashton Winger (252); 5. Dale McDowell (224).

Current weather: Clear, 64°F

Car count: 34

Fast qualifier: Hudson O'Neal

Time: 13.094 seconds

Polesitter: Joseph Joiner

Heat race winners: Hudson O'Neal, Joseph Joiner, Sam Seawright, Ashton Winger

Consolation race winners: Kaede Loudy, Jake O'Neil

Next series race: May 1, Whynot Motorsports Park (Meridian, MS) $8,000