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| Homegrown Hero: McCowan Earns First Career Lucas Oil Victory at Lucas Oil Speedway |
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| WHEATLAND, Mo. (July 10, 2026) – Dillon McCowan scored the biggest victory of his racing career in front of his hometown crowd Friday night at Lucas Oil Speedway, capturing the inaugural Salute to Forrest Lucas and earning his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory. The two-time Lucas Oil Speedway Modified track champion, who grew up racing at the Wheatland facility, became the 95th different winner in series history. McCowan collected the $15,000 winner’s purse along with an additional $1,000 bonus from Steering Buddy. McCowan took the lead on lap 29 from fellow O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year contender Josh Rice and pulled away over the closing laps to win by 2.104 seconds. Rice finished second, while Jonathan Davenport completed the Big River Steel Podium in third. Chase Junghans finished fourth, followed by Hudson O’Neal in fifth. O’Neal’s fifth-place finish, combined with Brandon Sheppard’s 16th-place result after entering the night as the series points leader, leaves the two drivers tied atop the championship standings heading into Saturday night’s CMH Diamond Nationals finale. McCowan, a native of Urbana, Missouri, became the race’s third different leader before celebrating an emotional victory lane interview in front of a cheering hometown crowd. “I have tried my whole life to do this right here. It’s the only thing I ever wanted in my life, to win a Lucas Oil feature over here. I used to sit right up there in those stands and watch every feature every Saturday night. I honestly can’t put it into words. This is unreal,” said the 22-year-old, who lives approximately 20 minutes from Lucas Oil Speedway. “I joked with my dad that we just may retire if we ever win one of these things over here. I can’t explain it. Nobody knows the hours we spend in the shop or what we have overcome to get here. I can’t thank everybody enough. My mom and dad have sacrificed so much for us to be out here on the road, and for my dad to be with me. This is a dream come true.” McCowan admitted the closing laps were anything but comfortable. “I could tell my right rear was getting hot. I started to feel a heck of a vibration. I took the lead, and when I saw there were five laps to go, I said, ‘The heck with it, we’ll burn it down.’ This place has been my rock. We’ve been coming over here every Saturday night since I was 15 years old trying to win these feature races. It’s such a blessing to race at such a beautiful facility and for everything the Lucas family has done for this place and for motorsports in general.” Rice, who won the Cowboy Classic at Lucas Oil Speedway in May, led a race-high 23 laps after taking the lead from Davenport on lap five. Contact with the wall in turns three and four ultimately cost him the lead. “I remember my first Lucas Oil win at Florence, so it was pretty cool to see him (McCowan) win that. I slid up there and thought I barely hit the fence, but I guess my spoiler caught the catch fence just right. I knew he was right there. I wish we could have raced it out because he did a heck of a job. He stayed right there the whole time and pressured me just enough that I got into the fence. That’s just part of it, I guess. It’s cool for us to run second, but obviously you want to win.” Davenport, who led the opening five laps, challenged Rice for second during the closing stages but settled for third. “No doubt these young guys are tough to run with. Congratulations to McCowan. That’s awesome. Getting your first win here when you’re from this area makes it even more special. I guess I just wasn’t driving hard enough. We all had the same tire, and I felt like my car was pretty decent. I ran the top one lap before that caution came out, and it was a little slimy up there. I stayed on the bottom too long. I just didn’t move to the top quickly enough, and after that I was just trying to keep pace with them.” The winning Longhorn Chassis, owned by Charles McCowan, is powered by a Scott Bailey Racing Engine and sponsored by Midwest Sheet Metal, BLC Transportation, Sonic America’s Drive-In, Empire Energy, Pomeroy Services, and Mel Hambleton Ford. Completing the top 10 were Garrett Alberson, Brandon Overton, Brian Shirley, Tyler Bruening, and Daniel Hillsabeck. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Salute to ForrestFriday, July 10, 2026Lucas Oil Speedway | Wheatland, MO Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport | 14.922 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Josh Rice | 15.090 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 5. 58-Garrett Alberson[8]; 6. 99-Devin Moran[6]; 7. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[3]; 8. 3J-Jake Nightingale[7]; 9. 7J-Ryan Johnson[9]; 10. 8K-Tyler Kuykendall[10]; 11. 15L-Payton Looney[11] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 8-Dillon McCowan[1]; 2. 18J-Chase Junghans[2]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 4. 21-Billy Moyer Sr[3]; 5. 93O-Mason Oberkramer[10]; 6. 17SR-Brody Smith[4]; 7. 3W-Brennon Willard[7]; 8. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 9. 17A-Austin Howes[9]; 10. 13-Dallon Murty[6] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 11-Josh Rice[1]; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 4. 111-Max Blair[4]; 5. 60-Dan Ebert[6]; 6. 4W-Tyler Wolff[5]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 8. 24C-Brandon Conkwright[11]; 9. 50-Kayden Clatt[7]; 10. 7D-Dusty Leonard[8]; 11. (DNS) 44-Cole Wells Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 4. 15-Clay Stuckey[6]; 5. 17SS-Brenden Smith[8]; 6. 1X-Aaron Marrant[5]; 7. 98-Justin Wells[4]; 8. 96X-Dalton Imhoff[9]; 9. 25B-Chevy Boyer[11]; 10. 53-Andrew Kosiski[7]; 11. 0X-Jason Sivils[10] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 93O-Mason Oberkramer[2]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 4. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[5]; 5. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 6. 17SR-Brody Smith[4]; 7. 3W-Brennon Willard[6]; 8. 15L-Payton Looney[13]; 9. 8K-Tyler Kuykendall[11]; 10. 7J-Ryan Johnson[9]; 11. 17A-Austin Howes[10]; 12. 3J-Jake Nightingale[7]; 13. (DNS) 13-Dallon Murty UNOH B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 2. 17SS-Brenden Smith[2]; 3. 4W-Tyler Wolff[3]; 4. 1X-Aaron Marrant[4]; 5. 24C-Brandon Conkwright[7]; 6. 93L-Cory Lawler[5]; 7. 98-Justin Wells[6]; 8. 53-Andrew Kosiski[12]; 9. 96X-Dalton Imhoff[8]; 10. 0X-Jason Sivils[14]; 11. (DNS) 50-Kayden Clatt; 12. (DNS) 25B-Chevy Boyer; 13. (DNS) 7D-Dusty Leonard; 14. (DNS) 44-Cole Wells Salute to Forrest | Feature Finish (40 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 3 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $16,1002 – 2 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $7,0003 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $5,0004 – 7 – 18J – Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS – $4,0005 – 11 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,0006 – 17 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $2,5007 – 10 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $2,4008 – 4 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $2,3009 – 6 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $2,20010 – 5 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $2,10011 – 8 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,00012 – 14 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,80013 – 23 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $1,60014 – 9 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $1,50015 – 21 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $1,40016 – 12 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $1,40017 – 13 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $1,20018 – 19 – 93O – Mason Oberkramer – Broseley, MO – $1,10019 – 15 – 21 – Billy Moyer Sr – Batesville, AR – $1,00020 – 18 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $1,00021 – 16 – 15 – Clay Stuckey – Shreveport, LA – $1,00022 – 22 – 4W – Tyler Wolff – Fayetteville, AR – $1,00023 – 24 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $1,00024 – 20 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $1,000 Race Statistics Entrants: 43Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Jonathan DavenportMD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-5); Josh Rice (Laps 6-28); Dillon McCowan (Laps 29-40)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Josh RiceWieland Feature Winner: Dillon McCowanMargin of Victory: 2.104 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Brandon Sheppard (Lap 2)MyRacePass Series Provisional: Clay Harris; Cory LawlerFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Dillon McCowan, Josh Rice, Jonathan DavenportPenske Shocks Top 5: Dillon McCowan, Josh Rice, Jonathan Davenport, Chase Junghans, Hudson O’NealBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Dillon McCowan, Josh Rice, Jonathan DavenportPEM 4th Place Feature: Chase JunghansDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Hudson O’NealWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Carson FergusonVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Clay HarrisXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Devin MoranHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Garrett Alberson (Advanced 11 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Josh Rice (23 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Josh RiceMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon SheppardO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Dillon McCowanPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Josh Rice | Lap 3 | 15.712 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Brandon SheppardVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Josh RiceOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Riley DuncanARP Engine Builder of the Race: Scott Bailey Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Dan Ebert | 15.0907 secondsTime of Race: 13 minutes 24 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 4735 – $205,5002 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 4735 – $196,7503 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 4605 – $258,9244 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 4370 – $102,1005 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 4315 – $114,4756 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 4200 – $125,2257 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 4070 – $84,6258 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 3995 – $81,9759 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 3980 – $71,75010 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 3845 – $62,57511 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 3810 – $64,50012 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 3805 – $75,55013 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 3600 – $61,25014 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 3530 – $62,40015 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 3255 – $45,17516 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 3035 – $35,92517 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 2855 – $25,175 |