Hudson O’Neal Wins Sunday’s Lucas Oil Race At Atomic Speedway

WAVERLY, OH (March 21, 2021) – Hudson O’Neal won the Buckeye Spring 50 on Sunday Night at Atomic Speedway for his second series win of 2021. For the first time in his career, the 20-year-old Indiana native is atop the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Point Standings.

O’Neal became the third and final leader of the race after he took the lead on lap nine from Devin Moran. He held off Tim McCreadie to win by .563 seconds. Moran came home in third followed by Jonathan Davenport and Kyle Bronson.

Kyle Strickler started on the pole and took the lead at the start of the race as drivers were running two and three-wide around the 3/8ths mile high-banked track. Strickler led until Moran took over the point on lap five. The top three of Moran, Strickler, and O’Neal, were putting on a spectacular race for the lead when Strickler suffered a right rear flat tire, forcing a caution flag with 19 laps complete. Strickler exited to the pits, which meant that no driver on the series tour this year has won from the pole starting spot.

A caution at the halfway mark set-up a long green-flag stretch of racing for 22 laps until a lap 48 caution set up a race to the finish. O’Neal was able to break away on the restart, and that was enough to send him to Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the ninth time in his career.

O’Neal has now joined Tyler Erb as the only 2-time winner so far in LOLMDS competition this season. He previously went to Lucas Oil Victory Lane at East Bay back in January. “I can’t thank these guys enough for their work on this race car. We had one of the University of Northwestern Ohio students on board with us this weekend. Thanks to my family and everybody involved with the race team. This car was awesome from the start. I know McCreadie was all over me a couple of times and all it was going to take was one mistake and he [McCreadie] would get by me.”

McCreadie stayed with O’Neal and was ready to pounce if O’Neal made a mistake, but settled for the second spot. “I didn’t need the yellow at the end. It looked like he [O’Neal] got lost on the track a little bit, which happens sometimes when you are leading. I moved around and found something that was really good. His guys told him that under the caution. We passed a lot of good cars. I wish I could have been a tick better, but it’s no shame finishing second to Hudson.”

Moran was in the hunt for his first series win of the season for most of the race and rounded out the podium in third. “That was a heck of a race. Congratulations to Huddy. He capitalized when I messed up and I feel like we gave that one away. Good job to those guys for winning and to Timmy for second. I feel like we need to keep our heads up and we can get a lot of wins this year.”

The winner’s Roger Sellers owned, Double Down Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Lazydays RV, O’Neal’s Salvage and Recycling, Lucas Oil Products, 210 Enterprises, and WR1 Sim Chassis.

Completing the top ten were Jimmy Owens, Tyler Erb, Josh Richards, Shane Clanton, and Mike Marlar.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Buckeye Spring 50
Sunday, March 21st, 2021
Atomic Speedway – Waverly, OH

Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport / 13.938 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Devin Moran / 14.226 seconds

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 8-Kyle Strickler[3]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 3. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[5]; 4. C9-Steve Casebolt[2]; 5. 19R-Ryan Gustin[4]; 6. 14G-Joe Godsey[6]; 7. 20-Jimmy Owens[8]; 8. 21K-Kirk Phillips[7]

Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 81E-Tanner English[5]; 3. 11R-Josh Rice[4]; 4. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[3]; 5. 4G-Kody Evans[6]; 6. 29-Clint Keenan[7]; 7. 28C-Tyler Carpenter[2]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 4. 14-Josh Richards[4]; 5. 25-Shane Clanton[7]; 6. 71R-Rod Conley[5]; 7. 16R-Rusty Griffaw[6]

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[4]; 3. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 5. 20B-Todd Brennan[7]; 6. 14R-Jeff Roth[6]; 7. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[5]

Lucas Oil Feature Finish (50 Laps):

Pos Start Car # Competitor Hometown Pay
1 3 71 Hudson O’Neal Martinsville, IN $13,050
2 8 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY $7,050
3 2 9 Devin Moran Dresden, OH $4,550
4 5 49 Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA $2,800
5 6 40B Kyle Bronson Brandon, FL $3,550
6 25 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN $3,800
7 10 1T Tyler Erb New Waverly, TX $3,250
8 14 14 Josh Richards Shinnston, WV $3,300
9 18 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA $3,100
10 12 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN $3,050
11 7 81E Tanner English Benton, KY $1,600
12 9 1S Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL $2,450
13 16 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr Adel, IA $2,250
14 13 C9 Steve Casebolt Richmond, IN $1,100
15 4 1 Earl Pearson Jr Jacksonville, FL $1,850
16 22 71R Rod Conley Wheelersburg, OH $1,000
17 24 14R Jeff Roth Bentonville, AR $1,000
18 29 21K Kirk Phillips Ashland, KY $1,000
19 26 16R Rusty Griffaw Festus, MO $1,000
20 21 14G Joe Godsey Edinburgh, IN $1,000
21 20 20B Todd Brennan Zanesville, OH $1,000
22 17 19R Ryan Gustin Marshalltown, IA $1,000
23 27 28C Tyler Carpenter Parkersburg, WV $1,000
24 23 29 Clint Keenan Pataskala, OH $1,000
25 1 8 Kyle Strickler Mooresville, NC $1,000
26 19 4G Kody Evans Camden, OH $1,000
27 28 20TC Tristan Chamberlain Richmond, IN $1,000
28 15 21 Billy Moyer Jr Batesville, AR $1,000
29 11 11R Josh Rice Verona, KY $1,000

Race Statistics
Entrants: 29
Lap Leaders: Kyle Strickler (Laps 1 – 3); Devin Moran (Laps 4 – 8); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 9 – 50)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Hudson O’Neal
Arizona Sport Shirts CJC – Presented by DirtOnDirt Feature Winner: n/a
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/a
Margin of Victory: 0.563 seconds
Cautions: Josh Rice (Lap 8); Kyle Strickler (Lap 19); Clint Keenan (Lap 25); Ricky Thornton Jr. (Lap 47); Joe Godsey (Lap 48)
Series Provisionals: n/a
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisionals: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Hudson O’Neal, Tim McCreadie, Devin Moran
Penske Shocks Top 5: Hudson O’Neal, Tim McCreadie, Devin Moran, Jonathan Davenport, Kyle Bronson
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Jimmy Owens (Advanced 19 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: none
Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Hudson O’Neal (42 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Jimmy Owens
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: n/a
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Tim McCreadie (Lap #5 – 15.158 seconds)
Fast Shafts Tough Break of the Race: Ricky Thornton Jr.
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Trevor Crittenden (Hudson O’Neal)
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Tim McCreadie
Time of Race: 33 minutes 44 seconds

Lucas Oil Point Standings:

Pos Car # Competitor Hometown Points Pay
1 71 Hudson O’Neal Martinsville, IN 1390 $30,225
2 9 Devin Moran Dresden, OH 1345 $25,525
3 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY 1330 $24,725
4 40B Kyle Bronson Brandon, FL 1270 $18,600
5 1s Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL 1265 $17,500
6 14 Josh Richards Shinnston, WV 1230 $21,275
7 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN 1230 $17,550
8 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr Adel, IA 1220 $18,550
9 1T Tyler Erb New Waverly, TX 1200 $32,300
10 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA 1195 $22,400
11 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN 1170 $17,675
12 76 Brandon Overton Evans, GA 1155 $28,700
13 49 Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA 1150 $19,200
14 1 Earl Pearson Jr Jacksonville, FL 1070 $11,125
15 3s Brian Shirley Chatham, IL 1035 $9,725
16 81E Tanner English Benton, KY 995 $14,100
17 21 Billy Moyer Jr Batesville, AR 985 $9,325
18 99JR Frank Heckenast Jr Frankfort, IL 925 $6,550
19 56JR Tony Jackson Jr Lebanon, MO 875 $4,675
20 16 Tyler Bruening Decorah, IA 865 $9,825
21 28e Dennis Erb Jr Carpentersville, IL 840 $5,275
22 8 Kyle Strickler Mooresville, NC 805 $4,425
23 2s Stormy Scott Las Cruces, NM 790 $8,725
24 385 Mark Whitener Middleburg, FL 790 $6,425
25 0E Rick Eckert York, PA 790 $5,875
26 14b John Baker Norman Park, GA 705 $2,950
27 14G Joe Godsey Edinburgh, IN 670 $1,900
28 20b Todd Brennan Zanesville, OH 660 $1,900
29 14R Jeff Roth Bentonville, AR 655 $1,800

Results are unofficial until Close of Business on the Tuesday following Race Day

For the latest breaking news concerning the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, including the latest series standings, 2021 tour schedule, driver information, and more visit the official website at: www.lucasdirt.com.

About The Author