KNOXVILLE, IA (September 20, 2025) – Hudson O’Neal charged from his 15th starting position to win the 21st Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals presented by All Makes Collision Center on Saturday night at Knoxville Raceway. The Martinsville, Indiana driver earned an event record $75,000 for his 34th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win. In a race with nine lead changes among three drivers, O’Neal finally took the lead for good on lap 57 and then led the last 18 laps to win by 8.368 seconds over Ricky Thornton Jr., Devin Moran, Brandon Sheppard, and Daulton Wilson. Jonathan Davenport and Moran swapped the lead during the first 54 laps of the race, until O’Neal became the third different leader on lap 55. Moran led lap 56, and O’Neal took the lead for the second time on lap 57, then pulled away to dominate the rest of the race. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, O’Neal becomes the 16th different winner in 21 editions of the crown jewel event. O’Neal and his father Don are the first father-son duo to win the race, with Don having won it in 2011. “I’m tired, man. Riding around that berm was so demanding; it got really rough down there, and I kept telling myself to just breathe. Hats off to my guys—whenever you destroy a race car like that, it definitely hurts. I put a lot of effort into that car to make it to the World 100; it was the car we planned to finish our championship with. That was definitely a morale killer a little bit, but we were able to unload the car the next day, and the guys worked hard to get it ready. To come back and have good speed last night was great—we had a mechanical failure, and to come from 15th is just so awesome,” said the 2023 National Champion. “It’s been a tough month, but we’ve been making progress step by step. We’ve received a lot of help from many different people, including my family and everyone watching back home. These races are so special—these are the ones you dream of adding to your list. This one is so cool. I knew I was really good, and when I was racing with Devin, I didn’t feel like I was pushing my limits down there. They were having to run really hard on the track to keep up, and I figured they’d heat their tires and I could slip away from them,” said the winner, who became the youngest driver to win the event at age 25. Thornton was the only driver in the top three finishers who did not lead a lap and came in second after passing Moran in the final four laps. “I went much tighter than I did last night; the track never really slowed down like it usually does here. I don’t know if it was easier to run around the bottom berm; overall, I’m happy with second. Obviously, Hud was a lot better than all of us; he drove to the front and won by over 8 seconds or whatever it was. Congrats to him. I feel like any time it gets around a berm like that on the bottom, I remember, like at Pittsburgh a few years back, he wore us all out running below the berm. So again, congrats to him for tonight; after flipping on night one, it didn’t scare him at all.” Moran finished third on the Big River Steel Podium after leading 21 laps. “We just got that bottom to start chunking out a little, and when it did, my nose was just too low, and it kept bouncing and bouncing. I couldn’t circle that bottom. Overall, we’ll take it. I really felt like we had a really good car for a long part of that race. I could move all around, and JD was having an awesome race. It was so fun to race with him, but obviously Hudson was the best car tonight. At the end, he did a great job — my guys said he was a second faster per lap at the end of the race.” The winner’s SSI Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Wheeler Metals, Triple O, Merrill Bonding Company, Sub Surface of Indiana, Professional Concrete, Cutting and Drilling, West Side Tractor Sales, Dyno One Inc., O’Neal’s Salvage and Recycling, Indiana USSSA Fast Pitch Softball, Bob and Tammy Burton, Houchens Insurance Group, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, and Bob Cat of Batesville. Completing the top ten were Brian Shirley, Garrett Alberson, Dan Ebert, Tyler Erb, and Donald McIntosh. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 21st Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Presented by All Makes Collision Center | Night 3Saturday, September 20, 2025Knoxville Raceway | Knoxville, IA Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Chad Simpson | 17.1719 seconds
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 6J-Jake Neal[2]; 2. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[8]; 3. 99X-Dallon Murty[3]; 4. 51-Matt Furman[5]; 5. 51B-Brandon Carpenter[4]; 6. 21B-Rich Bell[7]; 7. 51C-Dean Carpenter[9]; 8. 17-Tim Simpson[6]; 9. (DNS) 16-Tyler Bruening
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (9 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 25-Chad Simpson[1]; 2. 75-Daniel Adam[4]; 3. 15-Clay Stuckey[3]; 4. 38T-Dylan Thornton[6]; 5. 04-Tad Pospisil[2]; 6. 10-Junior Coover[9]; 7. 45D-Dan Battaglia[7]; 8. 53-Andrew Kosiski[5]; 9. (DNS) 6H-Al Humphrey 21st Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Presented by All Makes Collision Center | Night 3 Feature Finish (75 Laps): Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Pay1 – 15 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $77,8002 – 4 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $36,2003 – 1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $13,0004 – 9 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $9,7005 – 7 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $8,7006 – 10 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $7,0007 – 3 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $6,7008 – 21 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $5,8009 – 5 – 1 – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $4,50010 – 14 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $4,70011 – 26 – 25 – Chad Simpson – Mt. Vernon, IA – $4,00012 – 27 – 99JR – Frank Heckenast Jr – Frankfort, IL – $3,90013 – 13 – 19M – Joseph Joiner – Milton, FL – $4,30014 – 17 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $4,20015 – 30 – 15 – Clay Stuckey – Shreveport, LA – $3,60016 – 20 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $3,30017 – 23 – 99S – Jesse Sobbing – Malvern, IA – $3,20018 – 2 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $6,30019 – 22 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $3,70020 – 12 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $3,60021 – 11 – 1XM – Aaron Marrant – Richmond, MO – $2,80022 – 28 – 75 – Daniel Adam – Peru, IL – $2,90023 – 24 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $3,30024 – 19 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – $2,50025 – 8 – 32 – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – $2,50026 – 32 – 51B – Brandon Carpenter – Coldwater, MS – $2,70027 – 29 – 99X – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $2,70028 – 16 – 32S – Chris Simpson – Oxford, IA – $2,50029 – 31 – 4 – Tad Pospisil – Norfolk, NE – $2,70030 – 25 – 6J – Jake Neal – Omaha, NE – $2,70031 – 6 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $3,20032 – 18 – 18C – Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS – $2,500 Race Statistics Entrants: 42Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Devin MoranMD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-2); Devin Moran (Laps 3-8); Jonathan Davenport (Laps 9-20); Devin Moran (Laps 21-23); Jonathan Davenport (Laps 24-43); Devin Moran (Laps 44-54); Hudson O’Neal (Lap 55); Devin Moran (Lap 56); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 57-75)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan DavenportWieland Feature Winner: Hudson O’NealMargin of Victory: 8.368 secondsColtman Farms Racing Cautions: Chase Junghans (Lap 3); Brandon Overton (Lap 4); Jake Neal (Lap 6); Tyler Erb (Lap 6 restart); Bobby Pierce (Lap 28); Clay Harris (Lap 30); Carson Ferguson (Lap 44); Jonathan Davenport (Lap 53)Series Provisionals: Tad Pospisil; Brandon CarpenterFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisional: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Hudson O’Neal, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Devin MoranPenske Shocks Top 5: Hudson O’Neal, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Devin Moran, Brandon Sheppard, Daulton WilsonPEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon SheppardDMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Daulton WilsonWilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Chad SimpsonDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Joseph JoinerMD3 24th Place Feature: Ryan GustinHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Hudson O’Neal (Advanced 14 positions) MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (34 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O’NealMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr. O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Dan EbertPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Devin Moran | Lap 3 | 17.615 secondsSlicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Brandon SheppardFresh Roof Hard Luck Award: Jonathan DavenportOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Jason Durham ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisTime of Race: 49 minutes 27 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Pay1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 8095 – $497,0502 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 8025 – $411,7003 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 8015 – $298,8494 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 8015 – $354,8005 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 7175 – $244,8256 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 7105 – $190,6507 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 6770 – $157,2008 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 6185 – $128,1259 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 5955 – $105,75010 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – 5885 – $94,10011 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 5645 – $85,05012 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 5430 – $86,37513 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 5210 – $76,90014 93L Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 4595 – $51,925 Big River Steel Big Four Eligible Feature Wins:10 Bonus Points Awarded for Each Win in a Championship Points-Earning Event Ricky Thornton Jr. (13)1/30 – All-Tech Raceway1/31 – All-Tech Raceway2/7 – Ocala Speedway3/21 – Atomic Speedway4/26 – Hagerstown Speedway4/27 – Port Royal Speedway5/9 – Farmer City Raceway5/15 – Eagle Raceway5/17 – Eagle Raceway7/11 – Lucas Oil Speedway8/22 – Port Royal Speedway8/23 – Port Royal Speedway8/30 – Lernerville Speedway Jonathan Davenport (6)2/6 – Ocala Speedway5/10 – Fairbury Speedway5/16 – Eagle Raceway6/21 – Lernerville Speedway7/18 – Huset’s Speedway8/16 – Batesville Motor Speedway Devin Moran (5)2/1 – All-Tech Raceway2/8 – Ocala Speedway3/22 – Brownstown Speedway4/25 – Georgetown Speedway7/17 – Huset’s Speedway Hudson O’Neal (5)5/22 – Lucas Oil Speedway5/23 – Lucas Oil Speedway7/5 – Muskingum County Speedway7/19 – Huset’s Speedway9/20 – Knoxville Raceway |
