OCALA, FL (February 25, 2026) – It took Brandon Sheppard nine years to return to Victory Lane at Ocala Speedway, but on Wednesday night the New Berlin, Illinois driver captured the 30-lap Wieland Winter Nationals feature for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing. Sheppard earned his third career victory at Ocala and his first since 2017, driving the Rocket 1 to a 0.583-second win over Hudson O’Neal. Devin Moran finished third, with Brandon Overton and Clay Harris rounding out the top five. Kyle Bronson powered around the outside of the front row to grab the early lead, with Sheppard settling into second. Bronson, who was seeking his first Lucas Oil Series win since the 2021 Silver Dollar Nationals, maintained a steady two-car-length advantage through the opening laps. However, as he exited Turn 4 to complete Lap 6, Bronson suddenly slowed with apparent drivetrain issues. Sheppard, closing quickly on the bottom, made slight, unavoidable contact as Bronson decelerated. The caution flag waved as Bronson headed to the hot pit, ending his night. Sheppard inherited the lead, with O’Neal and Overton in pursuit until a caution on Lap 18 reset the field. Two laps after the restart, Moran slipped past Overton for third. The final 10 laps featured an intense three-car battle as Sheppard, O’Neal, and Moran navigated heavy lapped traffic. Both challengers closed in, but Sheppard cleared a slower car on the white-flag lap, giving him just enough breathing room to secure the win at the checkers. The victory marked Sheppard’s 37th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series triumph. He also broke a tie with Don O’Neal for fourth place on the all-time Georgia-Florida Speedweeks win list with his 25th victory.“It felt good to see the checkered flag,” Sheppard said. “We definitely had some stuff messed up on the front end from the contact with Kyle. I felt terrible about that. It looked like he missed it a little bit, and I was filling the gap on the bottom when we came together. I hate that for him, but we had a really fast car again tonight. It was just one of those deals where we got out front. My dad said last night I was messing around too much in lapped traffic, so this one’s for him.” With the win, Sheppard became the winningest Rocket 1 driver during Georgia-Florida Speedweeks over the last 25 years, earning his 11th victory and breaking a tie with Josh Richards. “I was running a different line in Turns 1 and 2 than I expected,” Sheppard added. “I would enter on the bottom and slide across the middle. I kept waiting for it to change because I knew it might go away at some point. I felt good on both the bottom and the top and was just trying to maintain speed. With the front end being jacked up, it was wherever the car put me. Turns 3 and 4 were tougher because I needed to carve down the hill and come off lower and straighter, and I struggled with that late in the race.”O’Neal, who was seeking his second career win at Ocala, closed the gap in the final laps but settled for second. “Sheppy had a good race car,” O’Neal said. “I felt like we were pretty maneuverable and could really build momentum down the back straightaway. The longer the race went, the better I felt. I gained on him late, and lapped traffic definitely played a factor. I got caught behind Ross (Robinson), and I just wasn’t able to capitalize with a lap or two to go.” Moran, who started eighth, advanced to third on Lap 20 and joined the late-race battle to round out the Big River Steel Podium. “I felt like my car was really good again,” Moran said. “I jumped the cushion in the heat race, got into the wall, and let Hud get by me, and that really dictated our night. You have to start up front here. I know they’re working hard on the track night in and night out, and I’m sure they’ll have it figured out by the end of the week.” The winner’s Mark Richards Racing, Rocket Chassis is powered by a Durham Racing Engine and sponsored by Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, Performance Grading, Petroff Towing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Franklin Enterprises, Gunter’s Honey, Stiles Marine and Maintenance, Collins Brothers Towing, and Fox Shocks. Completing the top 10 were Drake Troutman, Brian Shirley, Garrett Alberson, Carson Ferguson, and Ricky Thornton Jr. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsWednesday, February 25, 2026Ocala Speedway | Ocala, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Brandon Overton | 14.288 secondsFast Time Group B: Garrett Alberson | 14.141 seconds (Overall) Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 3. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[3]; 4. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 5. 09-Michael Leach[4]; 6. 11-Josh Rice[7]; 7. 32J-Justin Weaver[6]; 8. 18-Chase Junghans[8]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 10. 12L-Dave Loudin[10] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[2]; 2. 13-Dallon Murty[1]; 3. 19M-Brenden Smith[3]; 4. 15K-Cody Overton[4]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[7]; 6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 7. 17SR-Brody Smith[8]; 8. 6B-Adam Boyd[10]; 9. (DNS) 22-Daniel Hilsabeck; 10. (DNS) 111-Max Blair
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 4. 22*-Drake Troutman[3]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 6. 10-Garrett Smith[5]; 7. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[8]; 8. 77-Preston Luckman[7]; 9. 15-Clay Stuckey[10]; 10. 79-Cory Hedgecock[9]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[2]; 3. 58V-Daulton Wilson[3]; 4. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 5. 8-Dillon McCowan[6]; 6. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 7. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[8]; 8. 81F-Jadon Frame[7]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 10. 55-Eli Johnson[10] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 2. 7-Ross Robinson[2]; 3. 11-Josh Rice[3]; 4. 09-Michael Leach[1]; 5. 32J-Justin Weaver[5]; 6. 17SR-Brody Smith[6]; 7. 12L-Dave Loudin[11]; 8. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 9. 18-Chase Junghans[7]; 10. 6B-Adam Boyd[8]; 11. (DNS) 22-Daniel Hilsabeck; 12. (DNS) 111-Max Blair
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 8-Dillon McCowan[2]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 3. 10-Garrett Smith[3]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[4]; 5. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[6]; 6. 81F-Jadon Frame[8]; 7. 15-Clay Stuckey[9]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 9. 55-Eli Johnson[12]; 10. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[5]; 11. 77-Preston Luckman[7]; 12. (DNS) 79-Cory Hedgecock Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (30 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 1 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $7,0002 – 4 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,5003 – 8 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,0004 – 5 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $1,5005 – 3 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $1,4006 – 14 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $1,3007 – 20 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,2008 – 6 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,1009 – 10 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $1,00010 – 17 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $95011 – 7 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $90012 – 13 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $85013 – 11 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $80014 – 9 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $75015 – 24 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $72516 – 18 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $70017 – 19 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $70018 – 12 – 58V – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $70019 – 22 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $65020 – 15 – 15K – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – $62521 – 2 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $72522 – 23 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – $60023 – 21 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $60024 – 16 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $600 Race Statistics Entrants: 40Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Brandon SheppardMD3 Lap Leaders: Kyle Bronson (Laps 1-6); Brandon Sheppard (Laps 7-30)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Brandon SheppardWieland Feature Winner: Brandon SheppardMargin of Victory: 0.583 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Tyler Erb (Lap 3); Josh Rice (Lap 5); Kyle Bronson (Lap 6); Ross Robinson (Lap 18)MyRacePass Series Provisionals: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Devin MoranPenske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Brandon Overton, Clay HarrisBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Devin MoranPEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Clay HarrisWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Brian ShirleyWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Dallon MurtyVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Brenden SmithXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Dan EbertHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Brian Shirley (Advanced 13 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (24 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon OvertonO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Kyle Bronson | Lap 3 | 14.468 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Kyle BronsonVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Brandon SheppardOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Danny WhiteARP Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Drake Troutman | 14.5629 secondsTime of Race: 17 minutes 09 seconds |
