| SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (July 6, 2023) – Devin Moran survived a wild 25-lap preliminary feature on Thursday night at Deer Creek Speedway to earn his second Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season. Moran took the lead on lap 12 when the first and second place running cars of Daulton Wilson and Bobby Pierce were forced pit side. Wilson suffered a flat tire while leading and Pierce after hard contact with the turn four wall. Jonathan Davenport would come home in second followed by Brandon Sheppard, Tim McCreadie, and Tyler Erb. Piece, who started from the pole led the opening lap until Wilson, who was seeking his first career win in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series picked up the lead on the second lap. Wilson and Pierce ran first and second until lap 11 when Wilson slowed with a right rear flat tire and Pierce developed issues after slamming into the turn four wall while racing the lead. Wilson would pit for a new tire, but Pierce kept going as he was the new leader of the race. On the restart to begin lap 12 Pierce slowed bottling up the field as he would exit the track with right rear axle issues on his car. Moran then picked up the lead of the race and pulled away from Davenport to take a 2.66 second advantage at the checkers. Moran, who started fifth picked up the eighth win of his Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series career. “The Double Down Motorsports Longhorn car was phenomenal tonight. This Deer Creek, it has owed me a win since about 2017. I about had one then. I hadn’t really been back except one time since and what a phenomenal racetrack, phenomenal facility and it’s going to be a lot of fun racing all weekend,” said the 28-year-old Dresden, Ohio resident in Lucas Oil Victory Lane. Moran explained his move to the front after Wilson and Pierce headed pitside clearing the way for Moran. “I had just got by Overton for fourth and the the caution came out. Then Daulton and Bobby and all that happened to them, and I got by JD. It’s a super bummer especially for Daulton he is still looking for his first Lucas Oil win and I thought he might have one tonight. They’re a great team. I don’t know what happened to Bobby whether it was an axle that broke or something when he smoked the wall and, on that restart, he just couldn’t go, just one wheel looked like it was driving.” Davenport who is seeking his first NAPA Gopher 50 win on Saturday night was one of the three different race leaders came home in second. “I guess I needed one more person to fall out of the race to be able to win tonight. Daulton had bad luck and the 32 went sliding when the caution came out, he hit the wall pretty hard he must have broken an axle or something. The previous restart Devin got by me. He was a little bit better than we were. He was a lot different on tires than we were. We were trying some different things for the big race on Saturday. Last year we were really good in the prelims and then we struggled in the big race. Everything we did last year just doesn’t seem to cut the mustard this year.” Sheppard driving the Kevin Rumley-owned entry rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you know I have got big shoes to fill in this thing, but the car was really good all night. Kevin and the guys gave me a great race car. I messed up a little bit there in the heat race, but we salvaged a really good run.” The winner’s Roger Sellers, Double Down Motorsports owned Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Lazydays RV, C&W Trucking, Bilstein Shocks, CarSourceAuto.com, Red Oak Pub, Lucas Oil Products, Smoky Mountain Speedway, Lincoln Smith Racing, Midwest Sheet Metal, and McHugh Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram. Completing the top ten were Chris Madden, Hudson O’Neal, Max Blair, Dustin Sorensen, and Spencer Hughes. Following the checkered flag, Ricky Thornton Jr. made contact with another car resulting in his disqualification. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 – Night 1Thursday, July 6, 2023Deer Creek Speedway – Spring Valley, MN Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Bobby Pierce / 14.587 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Daulton Wilson / 14.820 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[1]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[2]; 3. 25-Chad Simpson[4]; 4. 25C-Shane Clanton[3]; 5. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 6. 28S-Dustin Sorensen[9]; 7. 42-Terry Casey[8]; 8. 10P-Paul Parker[10]; 9. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[7]; 10. 7-Ross Robinson[6] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 11-Spencer Hughes[2]; 2. 5-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 4. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[3]; 5. 39-Tim McCreadie[5]; 6. 15-Nick Anvelink[6]; 7. 1ST-Johnny Scott[7]; 8. 99B-Boom Briggs[8]; 9. 11L-Lance Hofer[9] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 2. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 3. 44-Chris Madden[3]; 4. 49T-Jake Timm[5]; 5. 111B-Max Blair[4]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[6]; 7. 2S-Stormy Scott[10]; 8. 32C-Chris Simpson[7]; 9. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[9]; 10. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[8] AP1 Insurance Heat Race #4 (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 4. 10-Garrett Smith[7]; 5. 8-Dillon McCowan[8]; 6. 77-Jordan Yaggy[5]; 7. 55C-Chad Mahder[6]; 8. 15J-Justin Duty[4]; 9. 90-Lance Matthees[9] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[2]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 3. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[9]; 4. 28S-Dustin Sorensen[3]; 5. 15-Nick Anvelink[4]; 6. 1ST-Johnny Scott[6]; 7. 99B-Boom Briggs[8]; 8. 11L-Lance Hofer[10]; 9. 10P-Paul Parker[7]; 10. (DNS) 42-Terry Casey; 11. (DNS) 7-Ross Robinson UNOH B-Main Race #2 (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 111B-Max Blair[1]; 2. 32C-Chris Simpson[7]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[2]; 4. 2S-Stormy Scott[5]; 5. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 6. 77-Jordan Yaggy[4]; 7. 15J-Justin Duty[8]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[9]; 9. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[11]; 10. 55C-Chad Mahder[6]; 11. (DNS) 90-Lance Matthees NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 Night 1 Feature Finish (25 Laps): |
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| Race Statistics Entrants: 38Terminal Maintenance & Construction Pole Sitter: Bobby Pierce Lap Leaders: Bobby Pierce (Lap 1); Daulton Wilson (Laps 2-11); Devin Moran (Laps 12-25)Wieland Feature Winner: Devin MoranArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/aMargin of Victory: 2.663 secondsGorsuch Performance Solutions Cautions: Shane Clanton (Lap 8); Chad Simpson (Lap 11); Bobby Pierce (Lap 11 Restart)Fast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Devin Moran, Jonathan Davenport, Brandon SheppardPenske Shocks Top 5: Devin Moran, Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Sheppard, Tim McCreadie, Tyler ErbTodd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Hudson O’Neal (Advanced 14 Positions)Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Hudson O’NealDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Chris SimpsonEarnhardt Technologies Most Laps Led: Devin Moran (14 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Max BlairEtchberger Trucking Fastest Lap of the Race: Bobby Pierce (Lap 6 – 15.353 seconds)MD3 Tough Break of the Race: Daulton WilsonOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Chuck Kimble (Devin Moran)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Chad Simpson (14.460 seconds)Time of Race: 17 minutes 49 seconds |

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team are setting up for a superspeedway-style race this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The venerable intermediate-length track races like Daytona and Talladega since a 2021 reconfiguration that raised the banking in the turns and narrowed the straightaways.
His first-career victory at his home track, Elliott also added his name to the record books as only the second Georgia-born driver to win in NASCAR’s premier series at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The only other driver in series’ history to accomplish that feat was Elliott’s father, Bill Elliott. In addition, the Elliott family also became the third father-son duo to win at the 1.54-mile oval – joining the company of Ned and Dale Jarrett and Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Winston, Georgia, native Hill has also been a familiar face in victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway – heading into the weekend looking to make it three-in-a-row at his home track. Following suit to fellow Team Chevy driver Elliott – Hill collected his first career win at the Georgia venue in July 2022, going on to defend his win in the series’ most recent appearance at the track in March 2023. 


“Last year was the first time that I won there, but I’ve been trying really hard. And if you want to win there you have to try really hard because it’s one of those tracks where at home I tell how bizarre it is, how fast you go there, how much risk you take, how blind the corners are and at the same time very fast. Also, the traffic is not easy at all. Plus, you need a very fast car. If you don’t have a fast car on the backstraight, you can have a fast car in the corners but you’re not going to win the race. The whole package needs to fit.”
No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.RRenger van der Zande: “If you don’t have a fast car on the backstraight, you can have a fast car in the corners but you’re not going to win the race. The whole package needs to fit. It’s actually one of those tracks where it’s more interesting from an engineering perspective than you think when you look at it. When you look at the track layout, it’s all about the high speed, but it’s also about top speed at that track.”
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.RAlexander Sims: “I’m really looking forward to Mosport. I did two GTLM races there, winning in 2017, and absolutely loved it. I’m really looking forward to the high-speed nature, particularly Turns 1 and 2 with the elevation and that fast corner. It has similar track tendencies to Watkins Glen, so I’m hopeful of a strong weekend.”
