Dirt on Dirt - RaceWire

September 11

Eldora Speedway,

Rossburg, OH

Sanction: DIRTcar Supers (World 100 Friday first semifeature) - $12,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac, Kyle McFadden and track reports (last updated September 11, 10:31 pm)

B-Shepp outduels RTJ to win first Eldora prelim

World 100 Friday first semifeature

Brandon Sheppard
Ricky Thornton Jr.
Nick Hoffman
Dale McDowell
Tim McCreadie
Jonathan Davenport
Carson Ferguson
Frank Heckenast Jr.
Ashton Winger
Ryan Gustin
Devin Moran
Drake Troutman
Jimmy Owens
Gregg Satterlee
Jake O'Neil
Dalton Cook
Luke Morey
Jerry Bowersock
Michael Leach
Garrett Smith
Todd Morrow
Logan Zarin
Mike Benedum
Sam Seawright
Seth Daniels
Steven Roberts

presented by

Live video Photo slideshow Heat highlights Related story Race history

Zach Yost

Brandon Sheppard celebrates victory in Friday's first World 100 prelim.

What won the race: Powering back by Ricky Thornton Jr. through lapped traffic on the 17th lap, fourth-starting Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., led the final nine laps to win Friday's first World 100 semifeature at Eldora Speedway. Sheppard led three times for 19 laps (2-10, 15, 17-25) and beat Thornton to the checkers by 1.304 seconds for the $12,000 payday, his 18th overall feature win of the season.

Quotable: "Any time you can get a win here, it’s just amazing, it feels really good. It’s been a long time since we’ve won a prelim night here, but I feel really good about that," Sheppard said. "Our car’s just been really balanced all weekend and it was at the Dream, also. The only difference is we’re qualifying better this weekend."

Key notes: Sheppard, who was the group's fast qualifier as the 50th car to hit the track, notched his first Eldora victory since topping 2023's Dirt Track World Championship in Lucas Oil Series action. ... It's his third career World 100 prelim victory since sweeping both in 2015 aboard his family-owned No. B5 entry. ... Sixth-starting Ricky Thornton Jr. first passed Sheppard on the 11th lap and paced the field until Sheppard repaid the favor with an inside move on lap 15. The frontrunners traded the lead on laps 16-17 before Sheppard took control for good and pulled away. ... Thornton, who led twice for five laps (11-14, 16), settled for second. ... Seventh-starting Nick Hoffman took third from Dale McDowell on lap 21. ... Tim McCreadie (lap 23) and Jonathan Davenport (lap 25) both overtook polesitter Carson Ferguson late. ... Ferguson led the opening lap but finished seventh. ... After hitting the wall in time trials, Davenport improving 10 positions in his shootout qualifying race and 10 more positions in the 25-lap prelim. ... Ryan Gustin climbed eight spots to finish 10th. ... The night's first semifeature was completed without incident and lasted eight minutes with 18 starters completing 25 laps and all 26 starters running at the finish. ... Sheppard was joined by Hudson O'Neal as a Friday semifeature winner; Brandon Overton and Ashton Winger won Thursday semis. ... Points accrued in prelims set Saturday's heat race lineups before Saturday's $100,000 World 100.

On the move: Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., started 16th and finished sixth.

Winner's sponsors: Sheppard's Rocket Chassis has a Durham Racing Engine and sponsorship from Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Collins Brothers Towing of St. Cloud, Five Star RaceCar Bodies, Rocket Chassis, Ace Metal Works, Gunter’s Honey, Hoosier Racing Tire, Fox Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, Petroff Towing, Performance Grading, Stiles Marine & Maintenance, Sunoco Race Fuels and Rocket Preowned Motors.

Points chase: World 100 before Friday: 1. Brandon Sheppard (494); 2. Nick Hoffman (491); 3. Chris Ferguson (488); 4. Bobby Pierce (473); 5. Tyler Erb (470).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 75°F

Car count: 103

Fast qualifier: Brandon Sheppard

Time: 15.477 seconds

Polesitter: Carson Ferguson

Heat race winners: Carson Ferguson, Frank Heckenast Jr., Ashton Winger

Provisional starters: Mike Benedum, Logan Zarin

Next series race: September 12, Eldora Speedway (Rossburg, OH) $100,000

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

From staff reports

ROSSBURG, Ohio — Updates and results from Friday’s 56th annual World 100 second preliminary night at Eldora Speedway, highlighted by twin 25-lap, $12,000-to-win main event for DIRTcar Super Late Models at (results unofficial):

Semifeature

Powering back by Ricky Thornton Jr. as they raced through lapped traffic on the 17th lap, fourth-starting Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., led the final nine laps to win Friday's first World 100 semifeature at Eldora Speedway. Sheppard led three times for 19 laps (2-10, 15, 17-25) and beat Thornton to the checkers by 1.304 seconds for the $12,000 split-field payday, his 18th overall feature win of the season.

Semifeature lineup

(25 laps)

Row 1: Carson Ferguson, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Row 2: Ashton Winger, Brandon Sheppard
Row 3: Dale McDowell, Ricky Thornton Jr.
Row 4: Nick Hoffman, Tim McCreadie
Row 5: Dalton Cook, Devin Moran
Row 6: Drake Troutman, Jimmy Owens
Row 7: Steven Roberts, Gregg Satterlee
Row 8: Jake O'Neil, Jonathan Davenport
Row 9: Luke Morey, Ryan Gustin
Row 10: Michael Leach, Todd Morrow
Row 11: Sam Seawright, Seth Daniels
Row 12: Jerry Bowersock, Garrett Smith
Row 13: Mike Benedum, Logan Zarin

Shootout recap

Fourth-starting Carson Ferguson shot to the lead on the opening lap and never looked back, pacing all 15 laps and taking the checkers 1.146 seconds ahead of sixth-starting and fast qualifier Brandon Sheppard. Sheppard slipped by fifth-starting Nick Hoffman for second as they raced towards the white flag, dropping Hoffman to third. Polesitter Steven Roberts faded to finish fifth. Jonathan Davenport climbed 10 spots to place sixth. … Polesitter Frank Heckenast Jr. capitalized on a lap-eight restart and led the final eight laps of Friday’s second 15-lap shootout, crossing the line 0.991 of a second ahead of sixth-starting Dale McDowell, who took second from Luke Morey on the ninth lap. The second-starting Morey led the opening seven laps before fading to finish sixth. The night’s first caution flew on the eighth lap when 11th-running Justin Haley slowed with heavy right-side contact after apparent wall contact in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Longhorn entry. Another yellow came on the ensuing restart when Kale Green spun after contact with Kirk Phillips and ended up stopped in the turn-one cushion; neither driver could continue and they rounded out the 17-car field. … Ashton Winger led all 15 laps from the pole largely unchallenged, winning the third shootout by 1.234 seconds over third-starting Ricky Thornton Jr., who trailed him the entire way. Second-starting Dalton Cook settled for third while seventh-starting Jimmy Owens finished fourth. Ryan Gustin made a late surge and climbed five spots to place sixth.

Shootout results

(15 laps; top eight transfer)

First shootout: Carson Ferguson, Brandon Sheppard, Nick Hoffman, Devin Moran, Steven Roberts, Jonathan Davenport, Michael Leach, Seth Daniels, Logan Zarin, Rod Conley, Brody Smith, Justin Cooper, Rusty Ballenger, Mario Gresham, Rob Sanders, Mathew Porter, Mike Bargo. Scratched: Shannon Babb.

Second shootout: Frank Heckenast Jr., Dale McDowell, Tim McCreadie, Drake Troutman, Gregg Satterlee, Luke Morey, Todd Morrow, Jerry Bowersock, Dillon McCowan, Mike Spatola, Kody Evans, Dustin Nobbe, Cody Bauer, Kirk Phillips, Andy Clark, Justin Haley, Kale Green.

Third shootout: Ashton Winger, Ricky Thornton Jr., Dalton Cook, Jimmy Owens, Jake O'Neil, Ryan Gustin, Sam Seawright, Garrett Smith, Mike Benedum, Chad Finley, Austin Smith, Wayne Chinn, Trevor Collins, Justin Smith, Luke Anstett, Zach Hawk. Scratched: Brandon Overton.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 15.477
2. Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 15.523
3. Sam Seawright (16), Rainsville, Ala., 15.525
4. Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 15.591
5. Tim McCreadie (9m), Watertown, N.Y., 15.599
6. Mike Benedum (25B), Salem, W.Va., 15.602
7. Carson Ferguson (93), Lincolnton, N.C., 15.640
8. Todd Morrow (T1), Penton, Ala., 15.704
9. Jake O’Neil (0), Tucson, Ariz., 15.729
10. Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 15.758
11. Drake Troutman (5), Hyndman, Pa., 15.774
12. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 15.787
13. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 15.805
14. Luke Morey (49m), Zeeland, Mich., 15.821
15. Dalton Cook (44D), Smiths Station, Ala., 15.830
16. Steven Roberts (111R), Sylvester, Ga., 15.850
17. Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 15.855
18. Ashton Winger (12), Hampton, Ga., 15.875
19. Seth Daniels (s21), Jackson, Ohio, 15.879
20. Jerry Bowersock (95J), Wapakoneta, Ohio, 15.896
21. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 15.911
22. Rusty Ballenger (1G), Seymour, Tenn., 15.917
23. Dustin Nobbe (5n), Batesville, Ind., 15.944
24. Chad Finley (42F), St. Johns, Mich., 15.969
25. Rod Conley (71R), Wheelersburg, Ohio, 15.981
26. Kody Evans (4G), Camden, Ohio, 16.009
27. Garrett Smith (10s), Madison, Ga., 16.015
28. Michael Leach (09), Sun River, Mont., 16.016
29. Justin Haley (77), Winamac, Ind., 16.057
30. Austin Smith (11), Cedartown, Ga., 16.069
31. Justin Cooper (00), Wheelersburg, Ohio, 16.075
32. Gregg Satterlee (22), Indiana, Pa., 16.093
33. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 16.138
34. Brody Smith (17sr), Dade City, Fla., 16.146
35. Dillon McCowan (8m), Urbana, Mo., 16.209
36. Zach Hawk (54), Rockford, Ohio, 16.233
37. Rob Sanders (10n), Bakersfield, Calif., 16.268
38. Mike Spatola (66), Manhattan, Ill., 16.282
39. Justin Smith (7s), Barbourville, Ky., 16.291
40. Mario Gresham (21G), Rome, Ga., 16.303
41. Kirk Phillips (21), Ashland, Ky., 16.321
42. Wayne Chinn (1c), Tipp City, Ohio, 16.334
43. Mathew Porter (19p), Austinville, Va., 16.339
44. Andy Clark (17), Mackinaw, Ill., 16.430
45. Trevor Collins (11ac), Seaford, Del., 16.541
46. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 16.592
47. Kale Green (4), Pelion, S.C., 16.597
48. Luke Anstett (64), Greenville, Mich., 16.628
49. Mike Bargo (316), Corbin, Ky., 16.859
50. Cody Bauer (19x), Farwell, Mich., 17.074
51. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., no time
52. Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., no time

Friday’s schedule

(All times local)
11 a.m. - Ticket office opens (ticket and pit pass sales)
Noon - Pits open
1 p.m. - Grandstands closed and cleared
2 p.m. - All gates, suites and concessions open
2 p.m. - Ballroom opens, buffet begins
2 p.m. - Turn one camping load in
4 p.m. - Larry Moore Memorial (fan zone)
5 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6 p.m. - Hot laps
7:30 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
8 p.m. - Ballroom closes
Competition
- Late Model time trials
- Late Model shootout races (12 laps)
- Late Model first feature (25 laps)
- Late Model second feature (25 laps)
 Fool House concert (fan zone)