Dirt on Dirt - RaceWire

August 28

Port Royal Speedway,

Port Royal, PA

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (Rumble by the River prelim) - $10,000

Information provided by: Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated August 28, 11:30 pm)

Fence-riding Thornton owns Port Royal opener

Rumble by the River prelim

Ricky Thornton Jr.
Devin Moran
Jonathan Davenport
Chris Madden
Max Blair
Hudson O'Neal
Brandon Sheppard
Mason Zeigler
Michael Norris
Josh Rice
Dan Ebert
Brandon Overton
Brian Shirley
Rick Eckert
Drake Troutman
Dillon McCowan
Carson Ferguson
Clay Harris
Ross Robinson
Daniel Hilsabeck
Brenden Smith
Kyle Bronson
Chris Ferguson
Alex Ferree
Hayes Mattern
Colton Flinner

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Ricky Thornton Jr. celebrates his $10,000 victory at Port Royal Speedway.

What won the race: Continuing his stranglehold on victory lane in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series competition at Port Royal Speedway, Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., grabbed the lead on lap three and held firm control for the remainder of the distance to capture Friday night’s 40-lap Rumble by the River opener. The 35-year-old star beat Devin Moran by 1.392 seconds to pocket $10,000 for his fourth straight triumph over the past two years at the half-mile oval.

Quotable: “I could hear (Moran) every now and then, but, like, my car’s so wheeled up on the right-rear that it’s hard to really see if a guy gets under you,” Thornton said. “I felt like that last restart, I didn’t get that great of a start, and I’m like, I about gave this thing away last year with (Chris) Madden whenever he slid me, so I’m like, I’m just gonna keep protecting the slider on every restart, and if they get a good enough run to roll around me and drive by me on the back straightway, their car’s really good.”

Key notes: Rim-riding around the top for most of the race, Thornton wasn’t seriously challenged after overtaking Chris Madden for the lead on lap three. But Moran, who passed Madden for second on a lap-three restart, briefly drew within striking distance late in the race as Thornton dealt with lapped traffic. … Thornton has won five of the last seven Lucas Oil events at Port Royal since 2024, including a sweep of last year’s Rumble by the River. It was his fourth full-field Lucas Oil win this season and the 53rd of his career. … Jonathan Davenport reached third on lap 24 and finished there. … Madden settled for fourth after leading laps 1-2 while Max Blair slipped past Hudson O’Neal on lap 33 to place fifth. … The feature, which ended at 10:10 p.m., was slowed by three caution flags. … Colton Flinner paused the race on lap three due to a broken driveshaft. … Chris Ferguson spun in turn two on the 10th lap as he was bidding for sixth underneath Blair. … Alex Ferree slowed with a left-rear flat tire on lap 15. … Chris Ferguson and Gregg Satterlee made contact as they battled for third in the fifth heat, sending Satterlee hard into the turn-one wall and ending his night. ... Andrew Yoder made light contact with the turn-two wall on his second qualifying lap; later, he spun on the opening lap of the night's first heat. ... Trever Feathers was limited to one qualifying lap after losing a driveshaft in hot laps and missing his spot in the order. ... Spike Moore scratched after hot laps. … The Rumble by the River concludes with Saturday’s 50-lap, $50,000-to-win feature.

On the move: Josh Rice of Crittenden, Ky., started 23rd and finished 10th.

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.

Points chase: After Port Royal Friday: 1. Brandon Sheppard (6,135); 2. Hudson O'Neal (6,045); 3. Devin Moran (6,000); 4. Brandon Overton (5,635); 5. Ricky Thornton Jr. (5,560); 6. Max Blair (5,545); 7. Josh Rice (5,285); T8. Garrett Alberson (5,245); T8. Brian Shirley (5,245); 10. Kyle Bronson (4,930).

Current weather: Clear, 68°F

Car count: 54

Fast qualifier: Jonathan Davenport

Time: 18.793 seconds

Polesitter: Chris Madden

Heat race winners: Chris Madden, Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Mason Zeigler, Brandon Overton

Consolation race winners: Hayes Mattern, Clay Harris

Provisional starters: Josh Rice, Kyle Bronson, Daniel Hilsabeck, Rick Eckert

Next series race: August 29, Port Royal Speedway (Port Royal, PA) $50,000

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

From staff reports

PORT ROYAL, Pa. — Live updates from Friday’s seventh annual Rumble by the River preliminary night at Port Royal Speedway, highlighted by a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win feature for Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Continuing his stranglehold on victory lane in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series competition at Port Royal Speedway, Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., grabbed the lead on lap three and held firm control for the remainder of the distance to capture Friday night’s 40-lap Rumble by the River opener. The 35-year-old star beat Devin Moran by 1.392 seconds to pocket $10,000 for his fourth straight triumph over the past two years at the half-mile oval.

Feature lineup

(40 laps)

Row 1: Chris Madden, Devin Moran
Row 2: Ricky Thornton Jr., Mason Zeigler
Row 3: Brandon Sheppard, Brandon Overton
Row 4: Dan Ebert, Max Blair
Row 5: Alex Ferree, Chris Ferguson
Row 6: Drake Troutman, Michael Norris
Row 7: Jonathan Davenport, Ross Robinson
Row 8: Hudson O'Neal, Carson Ferguson
Row 9: Brian Shirley, Brenden Smith
Row 10: Hayes Mattern, Clay Harris
Row 11: Dillon McCowan, Colton Flinner
Row 12: Josh Rice, Kyle Bronson
Row 13: Daniel Hilsabeck, Rick Eckert

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top two transfer)

First consolation: Hayes Mattern, Dillon McCowan, Rick Eckert, Dillan Stake, Josh Rice, Lane Snook, Daniel Hilsabeck, Kyle Strickler, Dylan Yoder, Justin Weaver, Matt Cosner, Gary Stuhler, Brenden Queen, Andrew Yoder, Chad Julius, Jason Schmidt, Kenny Moreland. Scratched: Spike Moore.

Second consolation: Clay Harris, Colton Flinner, Kyle Bronson, Trever Feathers, Brody Smith, Trevor Collins, Shaun Jones, Tristin Neiderer, Chad Myers, Austin Berry, Cory Lawler, Scott Flickinger, Greg Diehl, Danny Snyder, Gene Knaub. Scratched: Matt Martin, Jamie Lathroum, Gregg Satterlee.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top three transfer)

First heat: Chris Madden, Dan Ebert, Jonathan Davenport, Dillon McCowan, Lane Snook, Daniel Hilsabeck, Rick Eckert, Gary Stuhler, Andrew Yoder.

Second heat: Ricky Thornton Jr., Alex Ferree, Hudson O'Neal, Hayes Mattern, Josh Rice, Dylan Yoder, Justin Weaver, Chad Julius. Scratched: Jason Schmidt.

Third heat: Brandon Sheppard, Drake Troutman, Brian Shirley, Dillan Stake, Kyle Strickler, Matt Cosner, Kenny Moreland, Brenden Queen. Scratched: Spike Moore.

Fourth heat: Devin Moran, Max Blair, Ross Robinson, Gene Knaub, Colton Flinner, Shaun Jones, Scott Flickinger, Cory Lawler, Greg Diehl.

Fifth heat: Mason Zeigler, Chris Ferguson, Carson Ferguson, Brody Smith, Clay Harris, Trever Feathers, Trevor Collins, Matt Martin, Gregg Satterlee.

Sixth heat: Brandon Overton, Michael Norris, Brenden Smith, Kyle Bronson, Danny Snyder, Tristin Neiderer, Chad Myers, Jamie Lathroum, Austin Berry.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 18.792
2. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 18.870
3. Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 18.978
4. Chris Madden (44m), Gray Court, S.C., 19.116
5. Alex Ferree (1c), Saxonburg, Pa., 19.162
6. Drake Troutman (5T), Hyndman, Pa., 19.164
7. Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Mo., 19.191
8. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 19.233
9. Kyle Strickler (8k), Mooresville, N.C., 19.235
10. Dan Ebert (60), Lake Shore, Minn., 19.337
11. Dylan Yoder (27E), Middleburg, Pa., 19.373
12. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 19.433
13. Rick Eckert (24), York, Pa., 19.440
14. Hayes Mattern (9m), Beavertown, Pa., 19.554
15. Matt Cosner (66c), Ridgeley, W.Va., 19.569
16. Andrew Yoder (0), Middleburg, Pa., 19.615
17. Justin Weaver (2J), Clear Spring, Md., 19.625
18. Dillan Stake (D19), Mapleton Depot, Pa., 19.655
19. Lane Snook (15k), Port Royal, Pa., 19.658
20. Josh Rice (11), Crittenden, Ky., 19.711
21. Brenden Queen (03), Chesapeake, Va., 19.952
22. Daniel Hilsabeck (22), Earlham, Iowa, 19.962
23. Chad Julius (5J), Harrisburg, Pa., 20.089
24. Kenny Moreland (24m), Waldorf, Md., 20.089
25. Gary Stuhler (4), Greencastle, Pa., 20.143
26. Jason Schmidt (2), Lewistown, Pa., 20.613
27. Spike Moore (11m), Defiance, Pa., no time
Group B
1. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 19.229
2. Mason Zeigler (25z), Chalk Hill, Pa., 19.409
3. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 19.524
4. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 19.527
5. Carson Ferguson (93F), Lincolnton, N.C., 19.647
6. Michael Norris (72), Sarver, Pa., 19.668
7. Cory Lawler (93L), Hanover, Pa., 19.700
8. Gregg Satterlee (22G), Indiana, Pa., 19.711
9. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 19.718
10. Ross Robinson (7), Georgetown, Del., 19.776
11. Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., 19.862
12. Danny Snyder (4s), Green Lane, Pa., 19.900
13. Gene Knaub (1k), Dover, Pa., 19.914
14. Chris Ferguson (22F), Mount Holly, N.C., 20.003
15. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 20.022
16. Colton Flinner (48F), Allison Park, Pa., 20.099
17. Trever Feathers (27), Winchester, Va., 20.139
18. Austin Berry (86), Mifflin, Pa., 20.161
19. Scott Flickinger (15), Elliottsburg, Pa., 20.194
20. Trevor Collins (11ac), Seaford, Del., 20.224
21. Jamie Lathroum (55), Mechanicsville, Md., 20.398
22. Greg Diehl (80D), New Cumberland, Pa., 20.492
23. Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 20.557
24. Chad Myers (21), Hampstead, Md., 20.606
25. Shaun Jones (32J), Shermansdale, Pa., 20.676
26. Matt Martin (6m), Indiana, Pa., 20.780
27. Tristin Neiderer (121), Landisville, Pa., 20.881

Friday’s schedule

(All times local)
2:15 p.m. - Tech and registration open
3:30 p.m. - Pits closed and cleared
4 p.m. - Pits open
4:30 p.m. - Grandstands open
5:15 p.m. - Tech and registration close
5:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6 p.m. - On-track activity
- Super Late Model hot laps
- Limited Late Model group qualifying
- Super Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Super Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Limited Late Model heats (8 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Super Late Model consolations (10 laps)
- Limited Late Model consolations (10 laps)
Feature events
- Super Late Models (40 laps)
- Limited Late Models (20 laps)