After the Checkers

Breakdown, analysis of semifeatures at DTWC

October 17, 2026, 11:06 pm

By Kyle McFadden

DirtonDirt staff reporter

Ricky Thornton Jr. in Saturday's semifeature. (heathlawsonphotos.com)

MINERAL WELLS, W.Va. (Oct. 17) — Takeaways and analysis from Saturday’s 46th annual Dirt Track World Championship preliminary night, a pair of split-field 25-lap, $5,000-to-win semifeatures won by Ricky Thornton Jr. (RaceWire) and Hudson O'Neal (RaceWire):

VIBE CHECK: Everyone seemed eager to see how the DTWC would fit at WVMS. So far, I’d say it passes the vibe check. Promoter Cody Watson told me the roughly 700 campsites around the property are sold out, and the track expects between 8,000 and 10,000 people this weekend. Anyone familiar with WVMS might wonder how its compact grounds and uneven terrain could accommodate those numbers. But while the property bustled Saturday, getting around was more manageable than I expected. Having no support class certainly helped. There was a noticeable energy throughout the grounds — excitement about the DTWC returning to West Virginia for the first time since 2010. The pits swarmed with fans from early afternoon, thanks in part to general admission tickets also granting pit access. The newly paved midway and vendor row behind the massive backstretch grandstands make for an ideal stroll for fans looking to spend money on merch without zigzagging around the property to find their favorite vendors. There are plenty of concession options along the backstretch, too. Then there’s the hillside seating, which might offer the best seat in dirt racing. It’s a view to behold and the perfect place for someone looking to settle in and get cozy rather than navigate the backstretch bustle. As for parking, I had concerns coming into the weekend but found a spot without issue. There’s no quick way in or out of the facility, but that part of the experience proved more manageable than I anticipated, too. Yes, it was cold — 41 degrees as I write this — and pushing the weekend back a day wasn’t ideal. But let’s call Night 1 of the DTWC on the WVMS short track a success.

MORE PROPS: This deserves its own tidbit: During intermissions, a cleaning crew made its way through the backstretch grandstands with bags, collecting trash. In the grandstands. Coming to the fans. That’s something I’d never seen at a dirt track. Kevin Kovac told me Volusia Speedway Park has had a cleaning crew during the DIRTcar Nationals the last few years, but it’s a rare sight — and one that shouldn’t go unnoticed. Then there are the concession prices. Eldora Speedway’s have long been lauded as perhaps the most fan-friendly in dirt racing — and I’d say WVMS belongs in that conversation now. Cheeseburgers ($5), hot dogs ($3), fries ($3) and bottled water ($2) match Eldora’s prices, while chicken tenders ($5 versus $6) and cheese sticks ($4 versus $6) are cheaper. Nice work, WVMS.

A FAVORITE?: All right, onto the racing. Did a favorite for Sunday night emerge Saturday? If I had to pick one, it might be Ricky Thornton Jr. He looks stout right now and brims with confidence, and you can see it in his driving. The third-mile WVMS bullring demands that drivers get up on the wheel and hustle their cars. Yet Thornton looked so smooth and composed that he hardly seemed to be hustling at all, making all the right moves to win Group A’s semi from fourth. Hudson O’Neal knifing through traffic and snookering early leader Jonathan Davenport around the top in the Group B semi was convincing as well. I feel like Devin Moran will be better than he showed Saturday (third in Group A). I think he has more in him. More on that below.

TITLE FIGHT: Only the 100-lapper remains to settle Brandon Sheppard vs. Devin Moran for the Lucas Oil title. Sheppard’s 45-point cushion remains a considerable advantage, especially now that he’ll start sixth in the DTWC finale, directly behind Moran in fourth. Based on what I saw Saturday, Moran had the third-best car behind Thornton and O’Neal. If Moran finishes third Sunday, Sheppard would have to finish 11th or worse for Moran to claim the title — with 11th sending it to a tiebreaker in Moran’s favor. If Moran wins, Sheppard must finish fourth or better to clinch. If Moran finishes second, Sheppard needs eighth or better. I think it’ll be close. As he has all year, Sheppard will be strong himself. He slipped past Josh Rice for third with four laps remaining Saturday after running fourth through the opening 21 circuits. It’s that kind of steadiness that’s made him so hard to unseat this season. But Moran is up for the challenge and has a legitimate shot to win. Let’s hope no fluky wrecks or incidents intervene Sunday. May the best driver win.

ROUGH NIGHTS: Relative to expectations, 2022 DTWC champ Garrett Smith might have endured the roughest night of anyone. His trouble began on lap 13 when he screeched to a halt to avoid the spinning Benji Hicks. Officials deemed Smith part of the caution for stopping on the track and sent him to the tail. He got swept up in a wreck shortly afterward and retired on lap 20. Drake Troutman’s slide from third to 10th, Brandon Overton’s 13th-place finish and Bobby Pierce’s fade from 11th to 16th made for forgettable results for those three, too. Tyler Carpenter, meanwhile, led the opening nine laps but left with a wrecked race car and a 24th-place DNF.

STAT OF THE NIGHT: The DTWC’s 68-driver field is its largest since 2022, when Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park drew the same number of entries. The event last topped 70 cars in 2017, also at Portsmouth (72 cars that year). Eldora drew 62, 61 and 59 cars hosting the DTWC from 2023-25.