Dirt on Dirt - RaceWire

August 7

Florence Speedway,

Union, KY

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (North-South 100 Friday first semifeature) - $6,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac, series and track reports (last updated August 7, 11:26 pm)

Overton outduels Marlar in Florence semifeature

North-South 100 Friday first semifeature

Brandon Overton
Mike Marlar
Hudson O'Neal
Jimmy Owens
Adam Stricker
Carson Ferguson
Ricky Thornton Jr.
Dillon McCowan
Shannon Babb
Ryan Montgomery
Kyle Bronson
Trevor Landrum
Brian Shirley
Jonathan Davenport
Donald McIntosh
Brenden Smith
Devin Gilpin
Jake O'Neil
Drake Troutman
Dustin Nobbe
Billy Green
Derek Groomer
Chris Ferguson
Michael Leach

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Brandon Overton beats Mike Marlar to the Florence Speedway checkers.

What won the race: Regaining the lead from Mike Marlar on the last lap, polesitter Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., ended a 15-month Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series drought with a Sunoco North-South semifeature victory as Florence Speedway. Marlar dove past Overton on the 24th lap, but Overton went back ahead in turn two on the final lap to take the $6,000 checkers 0.190 of a second ahead of Marlar, a semifeature winner the previous night.

Quotable: "It's $6,000 and we're racing like it's a Daytona 500. Do you know what I mean? I don't expect anything less," Overton said. "Mikey, it was a fun race and like, man, they drive so hard. So yeah, we'll take them any way we can get them."

Key notes: Brandon Overton notched his first Lucas Oil victory since May 2, 2025, at Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis, Ind. ... He scored his first victory of any kind since April 15 at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. ... Ricky Thornton Jr. briefly (and unofficially) led with a lap-16 slide job and appeared to be on the verge of overtaking Overton, but he ended up slipped back to seventh. ... Fourth-running Chris Ferguson retired after 16 laps. ... The race was marred by Michael Leach's barrel-rolling wreck on the second lap in turn two; he was reported as uninjured. ... Besides the second-lap red flag for Leach, three cautions slowed the race, the first on the fourth lap for Donald McIntosh's turn-four spin. ... Jake O'Neil shredded a right-rear tire on the 17th lap. ... On the 24th lap, sixth-running Drake Troutman blew a right-rear tire. ... The 24-minute feature concluded at 10 p.m. ... Tyler Erb's Best Performance Motorsports team won Friday's Hellraizer Jacks pit crew challenge along with the best appearing pit crew award, worth $13,000. ... Thursday and Friday's double-semifeature results set up Saturday's heat race lineups preceding the $75,000-to-win finale. ... National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductions (an invitation-only event) are scheduled for Saturday along with the new $5,000-to-win Ron and Madeleine Jerger Dash presented by Cincinnati Investment Advisors.

On the move: Dillon McCowan of Urbana, Mo., started 18th and finished eighth.

Winner's sponsors: Overton’s Riggs Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is sponsored by Budweiser, Dude Wipes, Heartbeat Hot Sauce, Garnto Southern, Riggs Fiber, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Big Dog Stump & Tree Service, RW Powell Construction, ERG Roofing, Harco Construction, Supply Chain Management, Muscle Factory, VG Performance, Bilstein Shocks, VP Racing Fuels, Boswell Oil and Nightowl Design.

Points chase: Before Florence: 1. Brandon Sheppard (5,610); 2. Hudson O’Neal (5,475); 3. Devin Moran (5,380); 4. Brandon Overton (5,080); 5. Max Blair (5,055); 6. Ricky Thornton Jr. (4,975); 7. Garrett Alberson (4,840); 8. Brian Shirley (4,760); 9. Josh Rice (4,695); 10. Kyle Bronson (4,485).

Current weather: Scattered Clouds, 75°F

Car count: 56

Fast qualifier: Michael Leach

Time: 15.984 seconds

Polesitter: Brandon Overton

Heat race winners: Brandon Overton, Mike Marlar, Chris Ferguson

Consolation race winners: Jake O'Neil

Next series race: August 8, Florence Speedway (Union, KY) $75,000

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

From staff reports

UNION, Ky. — Live updates from Friday’s 44th annual Sunoco North-South 100 second preliminary night at Florence Speedway, highlighted by twin 25-lap, $6,000-to-win split-field semifeatures for Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Regaining the lead from Mike Marlar on the last lap, polesitter Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., ended a 15-month Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series drought with a Sunoco North-South semifeature victory as Florence Speedway. Marlar dove past Overton on the 24th lap, but Overton went back ahead in turn two on the final lap to take the checkers 0.190 of a second ahead of Marlar, a semifeature winner the previous night.

Feature lineup

(25 laps)

Row 1: Brandon Overton, Mike Marlar
Row 2: Chris Ferguson, Jimmy Owens
Row 3: Carson Ferguson, Adam Stricker
Row 4: Ricky Thornton Jr., Drake Troutman
Row 5: Brenden Smith, Michael Leach
Row 6: Hudson O'Neal, Kyle Bronson
Row 7: Donald McIntosh, Ryan Montgomery
Row 8: Dustin Nobbe, Jonathan Davenport
Row 9: Brian Shirley, Dillon McCowan
Row 10: Jake O'Neil, Trevor Landrum
Row 11: Shannon Babb, Billy Green
Row 12: Derek Groomer, Devin Gilpin

B-main results

(10 laps; top six transfer)

Results: Jake O'Neil, Trevor Landrum, Shannon Babb, Billy Green, Derek Groomer, Devin Gilpin, Kirk Phillips, Brandon Hardgrove, Josh Dietz, Quade Schoonover.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top six transfer)

First heat: Brandon Overton, Jimmy Owens, Ricky Thornton Jr., Michael Leach, Donald McIntosh, Jonathan Davenport, Trevor Landrum, Josh Dietz, Kirk Phillips, Brandon Hardgrove.

Second heat: Mike Marlar, Carson Ferguson, Drake Troutman, Hudson O'Neal, Ryan Montgomery, Brian Shirley, Jake O'Neil, Shannon Babb, Derek Groomer.

Third heat: Chris Ferguson, Adam Stricker, Brenden Smith, Kyle Bronson, Dustin Nobbe, Dillon McCowan, Billy Green, Quade Schoonover, Devin Gilpin.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Michael Leach (09), Sun River, Mont., 15.984
2. Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 16.019
3. Chris Ferguson (22F), Mount Holly, N.C., 16.041
4. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 16.070
5. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 16.207
6. Adam Stricker (c7), Batavia, Ohio, 16.220
7. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 16.228
8. Drake Troutman (5), Hyndman, Pa., 16.286
9. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 16.321
10. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 16.367
11. Carson Ferguson (93F), Lincolnton, N.C., 16.410
12. Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Mo., 16.417
13. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 16.419
14. Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 16.424
15. Dustin Nobbe (5n), Batesville, Ind., 16.426
16. Donald McIntosh (79), Dawsonville, Ga., 16.465
17. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 16.471
18. Devin Gilpin (93), Columbus, Ind., 16.513
19. Trevor Landrum (18L), Florence, Ky., 16.520
20. Ryan Montgomery (12m), Fairmont, W.Va., 16.522
21. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 16.545
22. Josh Dietz (9), Hebron, Ky., 16.553
23. Derek Groomer (D48), Bloomington, Ind., 16.856
24. Billy Green (49G), Walton, Ky., 16.903
25. Kirk Phillips (21), Ashland, Ky., 16.967
26. Jake O’Neil (0), Tucson, Ariz., 16.979
27. Quade Schoonover (18s), Peebles, Ohio, 17.166
28. Brandon Hardgrove (H22), Burnside, Ky., 17.191

Friday’s schedule

(All times local)
2 p.m. - Hall of Fame building opens
2:30 p.m. - Pits closed and cleared
3 p.m. - Pits open
3:15 p.m. - Tech and registration opens
3:30 p.m. - Pit crew challenge
5:30 p.m. - Grandstands closed and cleared
6 p.m. - Grandstands open
6:15 p.m. - Tech and registration closes
6:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
7 p.m. - On-track activity (Hall of Fame building closes)
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- First Late Model semifeature (25 laps)
- Second Late Model semifeature (25 laps)