Hudson O’Neal won for his new team at East Bay(Photo: @HudsonONeal71)
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series kicked off the first of six nights of racing in the Wrisco Industries Winter Nationals on Monday evening at East Bay Raceway Park. When the dust had settled at “The Clay by the Bay”, it was 20-year-old Hudson O’Neal who scored the feature win. The Martinsville, IN driver earned $5,000 for his efforts.
Kyle Bronson was fastest in Group A qualifying by turning a lap in 14.479 seconds around the third-mile clay oval to beat out Brandon Sheppard, Spencer Hughes, Wil Herrington, and Mark Whitener.
Brandon Overton topped Group B time-trials and overall by touring the track in 14.373 seconds outperforming Brian Shirley, Tanner English, Tim McCreadie, and Hudson O’Neal.
Kyle Bronson earned the pole position for the main event by beating out Mike Marlar and Jeff Mathews while Brandon Sheppard took the second preliminary ahead of Mark Whitener and Mason Zeigler.
Tyler Erb captured the third heat by outrunning John Baker and Spencer Hughes after second-place finisher Devin Dixon was penalized for jumping a late-race restart.
Brandon Overton would start from the outside of the front row in the feature by winning the fourth heat over Tim McCreadie and Blair Nothdurft then Hudson O’Neal was victorious in the fifth heat ahead of Brian Shirley and Shane Clanton.
Tanner English took the sixth and final heat by beating out Chase Junghans and Zack Dohm.
Dennis Erb Jr. beat Jonathan Davenport in the first B-main just before Jimmy Owens topped Devin Moran in the second B-main.
Frank Heckenast Jr. earned his way into the main event by winning the Strawberry Dash preliminary.
At the start of the 30-lap feature it was Bronson who shot to the early lead with Overton, O’Neal, Sheppard and Tyler Erb trailing. A bobble on the second lap by O’Neal allowed Sheppard and Erb to move into third and fourth respectively.
Erb passed Sheppard for third then O’Neal recovered to take fourth on lap 4. Then a caution for Heckenast slowed the action.
On the restart O’Neal went to second then slipped by Bronson to briefly grab the lead just before Erb drove by. However, a caution on lap 7 for the slowing car of Junghans returned Bronson to the top spot.
Wild racing ensued following the restart with Erb going to the lead and O’Neal taking second. Bronson began to waver as Sheppard and Overton moved by just before the No. 40B slid into the outside wall to bring out a yellow flag on lap 11.
One lap later, Davenport and Wil Herrington crashed to bring out another caution. At that time, Erb led Sheppard, O’Neal, Moran, Overton, English, McCreadie and Moyer Jr.
When green flag action resumed, Erb, Moran and Sheppard fought three-wide for the race lead with Erb emerging with the top spot while 22nd starting Moran took the runner-up position just ahead of Sheppard, Overton and O’Neal.
The intense racing continued at the front of the field until a caution flag waved once again when the car of Owens slowed on lap 19.
On that restart, Erb, Moran and O’Neal went three-wide battling behind Sheppard. Contact sent Erb spinning to bring out another yellow flag on lap 20. Erb was forced to go to the pit area to change a flat tire. At that point, Moran was placed at the front with O’Neal and Sheppard behind as the scoring reverted to the previous lap.
O’Neal bolted to the race lead on the restart but another caution came out when Hughes spun.
After a lap 21 restart, O’Neal established himself as the leader and began to pull away with Sheppard, Moran and Overton battling behind him. But a lap 28 caution for the stalled car of Whitener would set up a final dash to the checkered flag.
O’Neal maintained the lead and sailed across the finish line to earn his first win for new Double Down Motorsports team.
Please consider also reading “The time has come for Ryan Blaney to win more often“
Feature Finish: 1. Hudson O’Neal, 2. Brandon Sheppard, 3. Brandon Overton, 4. Devin Moran, 5. Early Pearson Jr., 6. Tony Jackson Jr., 7. Tyler Erb, 8. Tanner English, 9. Mike Marlar, 10. Jeff Mathews, 11. Zack Dohm, 12. Frank Heckenast Jr., 13. Shane Clanton, 14. Wil Herrington, 15. Dennis Erb Jr., 16. John Baker, 17. Josh Richards, 18. Chase Junghans, 19. Gregg Satterlee, 20. Jonathan Davenport, 21. Blair Nothdurft, 22. Mark Whitener, 23. Jimmy Owens, 24. Spencer Hughes, 25. Tim McCreadie, 26. Billy Moyer Jr., 27. Kyle Bronson, 28. Mason Zeigler, 29. Brian Shirley, 30. Tyler Bruening
