From Jeremy Shields | Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
THORNTON EARNS FIRST CAREER JACKSON 100 AT BROWNSTOWN
BROWNSTOWN, IN (September 23, 2023) – Ricky Thornton Jr. regained the lead from Hudson O’Neal with 18 laps remaining and pulled away to win the richest event in Brownstown Speedway history on Saturday night. Thornton’s victory in the 44th Annual Jackson 100 was worth $30,000.
It was Thornton’s first win in the annual event that has been held every year since its inception in 1980. O’Neal who led 28 laps during the mid-point of the race could not hold off Thornton who went on to win by 2.167 seconds.
Devin Moran rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third with defending Jackson 100 champion Tim McCreadie finishing fourth and Cory Hedgecock rounding out the top five.
Thornton jumped to lead at the start of the race with Mike Marlar and Devin Moran holding down the second and third positions. Marlar was running in the runnerup position and was still within striking distance of Thornton until a flat right rear tire with 54 laps scored ended his hopes of a Brownstown weekend.
On the restart, O’Neal exploded to the front on the top side and went to the lead on lap 58 by Thornton. O’Neal would lead until lap 82 when Thornton went back to the top spot. From then, Thornton cruised to his 21st Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season. The Jackson 100 victory was the second for his car owners Todd and Vickie Burns who went to Victory Lane in 2019 with O’Neal.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 26th time in his career Thornton said: “Once he [O’Neal] got by me I thought the race was over. I moved up to his lane and he just drove off. I just kept my cool. He made one little mistake over there off two and I think it broke his concentration a little bit and then he started searching around. It’s pretty awesome to win this race. I felt like I had a pretty good car early. I didn’t know what to do on the restart whether I needed to be high or low. He got by me, and I thought I just gave this one away. It’s pretty cool for Todd and Vickie to get their second Jackson win here.”
O’Neal, who remains second to Thornton in the Big River Steel Chase to the Championship - Presented by ARP nearly pulled off his second career Jackson 100 victory. “After the weekend we’ve had, we just haven’t been where we needed to be, and we just kept working and working and my guys really worked their tails off trying to get better. We had a great race car there, just unfortunately I just didn’t quite have as good a race car as Ricky did in lapped traffic. I felt pretty good whenever I was out by myself and able to roll that top. Whenever I got behind people, I just struggled a little bit. Man, we will take second after starting 10th we were able to pass a lot of good guys.”
Moran finished third for the second night in a row. “It’s good to race with the Lucas Oil guys you know that’s tough. Man, I just wanted to get up there a little better. Our guys worked really hard. We put our minds together, we couldn’t get it just right, but it was close. I just want to win this race so bad, it’s such a great atmosphere here at Brownstown cheering and stuff. It’s really fun to race here and they gave us a great racetrack to run on.”
The winner’s Todd and Vickie Burns-owned, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Hoker Trucking, Sub-Surface of Indiana, Dyno One Inc., West Side Tractor Sales Company, D&E Outside Services, Certified Inspection Services, Midwest Sheet Metal, Excel Floor Covering, Murty Farms, Sunoco Race Fuels, and Bilstein Shocks.
Completing the top ten were Michael Chilton, Daulton Wilson, Tanner English. Nick Hoffman, and Max Blair.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
44th Annual Jackson 100
Saturday, September 23, 2023
Brownstown Speedway | Brownstown, IN
44th Annual Jackson 100 Feature Finish (100 Laps):
The Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:
See the latest from the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series:
Photo's: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
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