Dirt on Dirt - RaceWire

August 14

Batesville Motor Speedway,

Locust Grove, AR

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (Topless 100 Friday second semifeature) - $5,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac, series and track reports (last updated August 15, 4:24 am)

RTJ nabs semifeature during Batesville prelims

Topless 100 Friday second semifeature

Ricky Thornton Jr.
Hudson O'Neal
Jonathan Davenport
Brandon Overton
Ethan Dotson
Clay Harris
Kyle Beard
Dan Ebert
Brody Smith
Cam Harris
Shane Stephens
Sam Seawright
Daniel Hilsabeck
Brian Shirley
Jon Kirby
Garrett Taylor
Cory Lawler
Dillon Knight
Bryan Glaze
Jimmy Owens

presented by

Live video Photo slideshow Feature highlights Video recap Related story Race history

Heath Lawson/heathlawsonphotos.com

Ricky Thornton Jr. heads for victory in the second semifeature.

What won the race: Inheriting the lead upon polesitter Dan Ebert's lap-nine flat tire, Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., captured Friday's second 25-lap semifeature for the Ace Doran Topless 100 at Batesville Motor Speedway on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Thornton collected $5,000 in taking the checkers 1.004 seconds ahead of 12th-starting Hudson O'Neal with 10th-starting Jonathan Davenport in third.

Quotable: "I feel like I've won a bunch of these prelims, but I've just never been able to win the Topless," Thornton said. "I really didn't know what I needed to do there. ... I just feel like every time I get here I just get too tight on entry and it kind of kills us, so we kind of stayed free there and I think I was OK, but it hurt me in other spots."

Key notes: Winner Ricky Thornton Jr., who notched his fourth Lucas Oil Series victory of the season, survived a late-race scare when the slower Bryan Glaze got too high in turn two in front of the leaders. ... Like the first semifeature, several drivers had flat right-rear tires. ... Six cautions slowed the race, the first on the first lap for a turn-four spin by Clay Harris. ... On the ninth lap, Dan Ebert slowed with a flat right-rear tire after leading eight circuits. ... Batesville rookie Sam Seawright had a flat tire on the 12th lap. ... Jimmy Owens lost power steering on the lap-12 restart, pulling his smoking car to the pits as the lone retiree. ... On the 13th lap, Daniel Hilsabeck slowed with a flat. ... Tail-starting Brian Shirley had a right-rear flat running seventh on the 16th lap. ... The 25-minute feature concluded at 11:16 p.m. ... In heat action, Davenport slowed while leading with a flat right-rear tire. ... Brian Shirley made wall contact a couple times in the fourth heat and slowed before requiring a push back to the pits. ... Performance from two evening semifeatures set the top 16 spots for Saturday’s $50,000-to-win Ace Doran Topless 100. ... Series regular Garrett Alberson didn't enter the event while recovering from serious injuries suffered when his helmet was struck by an object during Aug. 8's Sunoco North-South 100 at Florence Speedway in Union, Ky.

On the move: Hudson O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., started 12th and finished second.

Winner's sponsors: Thornton's Koehler Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and 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. Davenport’s Double L Motorsports Longhorn Chassis carries sponsorship from Ace Doran, Nutrien Ag Solutions, ASC Warranty, Mark Martin Automotive, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, Mount Airy Polaris, Bilstein Shocks, VP Racing Fuels, Dyer’s Top Rods, Go Lithium Batteries and Midwest Sheet Metal.

Points chase: Before Batesville: 1. Brandon Sheppard (5,735); 2. Hudson O’Neal (5,650); 3. Devin Moran (5,590); 4. Brandon Overton (5,285); 5. Max Blair (5,215); 6. Ricky Thornton Jr. (5,110); 7. Garrett Alberson (4,995); T8. Josh Rice (4,945); T8. Brian Shirley (4,945); 10. Kyle Bronson (4,665).

Current weather: Clear, 90°F

Car count: 40

Fast qualifier: Dan Ebert

Time: 13.290 seconds

Polesitter: Dan Ebert

Heat race winners: Dan Ebert, Brandon Overton

Next series race: August 15, Batesville Motor Speedway (Locust Grove, AR) $50,000

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

From staff reports

LOCUST GROVE, Ark. — Live updates from Friday’s 34th annual Topless 100 preliminary night at Batesville Motor Speedway, highlighted by twin 25-lap, $5,000-to-win split-field semifeatures for Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Semifeature

Inheriting the lead upon polesitter Dan Ebert's lap-nine flat tire, Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., captured Friday's second 25-lap semifeature for the Ace Doran Topless 100 at Batesville Motor Speedway on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Thornton collected $5,000 in taking the checkers 1.004 seconds ahead of 12th-starting Hudson O'Neal with 10th-starting Jonathan Davenport in third.

Semifeature lineup

(25 laps)

Row 1: Dan Ebert, Brandon Overton
Row 2: Ricky Thornton Jr., Jimmy Owens
Row 3: Sam Seawright, Kyle Beard
Row 4: Daniel Hilsabeck, Clay Harris
Row 5: Jon Kirby, Jonathan Davenport
Row 6: Ethan Dotson, Hudson O'Neal
Row 7: Cam Harris, Bryan Glaze
Row 8: Brody Smith, Dillon Knight
Row 9: Shane Stephens, Garrett Taylor
Row 10: Cory Lawler, Brian Shirley

Heat race results

(Eight laps; all transfer)

First heat: Dan Ebert, Ricky Thornton Jr., Sam Seawright, Daniel Hilsabeck, Jon Kirby, Ethan Dotson, Cam Harris, Brody Smith, Shane Stephens, Cory Lawler.

Second heat: Brandon Overton, Jimmy Owens, Kyle Beard, Clay Harris, Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O'Neal, Bryan Glaze, Dillon Knight, Garrett Taylor, Brian Shirley.

Time trials

Group B
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Dan Ebert (60), Lake Shore, Minn., 13.290
2. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 13.448
3. Sam Seawright (16s), Rainsville, Ala., 13.454
4. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 13.459
5. Jon Kirby (11k), Russellville, Ark., 13.539
6. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 13.570
7. Daniel Hilsabeck (22), Earlham, Iowa, 13.634
8. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 13.654
9. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 13.696
10. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 13.759
11. Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 13.768
12. Kyle Beard (86), Trumann, Ark., 13.803
13. Cam Harris (32c), Columbus, Miss., 13.818
14. Bryan Glaze (1G), Little Rock, Ark., 13.849
15. Shane Stephens (15ss), Arlington, Tenn., 13.899
16. Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., 13.913
17. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 13.942
18. Garrett Taylor (27), Jacksonville, Ark., 13.950
19. Cory Lawler (93L), Hanover, Pa., 14.329
20. Dillon Knight (6k), Burlison, Tenn., 15.116

Friday’s schedule

(All times local)
2:30 p.m. - Pits closed and cleared
3 p.m. - Pits open
3:45 p.m. - Tech and registration opens
4 p.m. - Grandstands open
6:45 p.m. - Tech and registration closes
7 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
7:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Modified hot laps
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Late Model consolations(10 laps)
- Modified consolations (12 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- First Late Model semifeature (25 laps)
- Second Late Model semifeature (25 laps)
- Modified feature (20 laps)