Tim McCreadie won his second career Nutrien Ag Solutions Topless 100 Presented by Big River Steel on Saturday Night at Batesville Motor Speedway. McCreadie took the lead on lap 66 when race leader Ricky Thornton Jr. was forced to pit for a flat tire.
McCreadie then led the rest of the race holding off Jonathan Davenport to win the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned event for the first time since 2008. McCreadie earned $50,000 out of the $150,000 purse for his 38th career series victory. It was also McCreadie’s first win for Mark Richards Racing, Rocket1, the team he started racing for in March.
Davenport, who started 15th came through the field to finish second to McCreadie. Garrett Alberson rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Completing the top five were Ethan Dotson and Ricky Thornton Jr.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the second time this year McCreadie, the two-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion was exhausted after the 100-lap affair.
“I don’t know what to say. It was a grueling race, beating the cushion down for that many laps is way quicker than it’s been since probably the last time I won here. Hats off to this Rocket1 team, it’s been a grind. I will tell you these guys haven’t had one bad day, if they did, I would never know it. They do have their faith in me, and I have my faith in them. I told people it’s going to take a little longer when you’ve got two strong-willed guys like me and Mark. It’s been a work in progress; he set down and built this new XR1.2. It’s been bad fast since we’ve got it off the truck,” said the Watertown, New York driver.
Thornton led the first 41 laps until a caution slowed the action. On the restart Thornton and McCreadie exchanged slide jobs for the lead with McCreadie taking the point on lap 42.
“I just had to put some pressure on Ricky. I mean I don’t know if I was clear or not, but I’ve had plenty of them thrown at me in the last three years where none of them were clear, so I figured well it’s 50 grand on the line. He’s [Thornton] won a lot of big races this year and I’ve got none so maybe I will tame it down next time, but I had to get to the lead as quick as possible because when he gets out there and gets cruising he’s so polished and he’s not going to make a mistake. I knew if we pushed him a little and he had a failure it was to our advantage,” said McCreadie.
McCreadie held command of the race until traffic became an issue as Thornton caught McCreadie retaking the lead on lap 59. Thornton started to pull away extending his lead over McCreadie, but with 65 laps complete slowed down the backstretch with a flat right rear tire. Thornton would pit rejoining the field on the tail.
As McCreadie inherited the lead back on a lap 66 restart he would now have to contend with Davenport, who had moved into second after starting on the inside of row number eight. Davenport, the Topless 100 winner in 2022, would put pressure on McCreadie. However, McCreadie would pull away in the final ten circuits to win the race by 1.970 seconds.
“My guys gave me a really great car,” said Davenport. “They have been working hard and you know everybody out here works hard. Man, it was hot and it’s hard on us old guys. I will tell you that we just keep working at it. This was a brand-new car. I just wasn’t quite comfortable with it qualifying like I wanted it. In the heat race last night, I just chose the wrong lane on a restart so that put us in a B-main and we just had to claw our way back from there. We done some different stuff on tires just to make sure that we could go the entire distance tonight,” said Davenport, who along with McCreadie and Alberson never visited the hot pit to change tires during the race. “I wasn’t as good as Timmy though. I threw everything I had at him. The more I moved up on the racetrack the freer I would get.”
Alberson came from ninth to round out the Big River Steel Podium.
“I was a little nervous. I never felt that good early; I had to be way too conservative to take care of my tires. I was hoping this would play out. I knew the pace and the speed you could carry really wasn’t abrasive, but we were just keeping them so hot. I tried to pace myself and tried to let them other guys do their racing and man I am so proud of this Roberts Motorsports team. I love this track, it’s so tricky, so fast and so cool. Congrats to Timmy and Rocket1 they have been working hard for this.”
The winner’s Mark Richards Racing, Rocket Chassis is powered by a Durham Racing Engine and sponsored by Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Petroff Towing, Franklin Enterprises, Performance Grading, Ace Metal Works, Stiles Marine and Maintenance, Gunter’s Honey, Fox Shocks, and Sunoco Race Fuels.
Completing the top ten were Hudson O’Neal, Carson Ferguson, Boom Briggs, Dale McDowell, and Devin Moran.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
32nd Annual Nutrien Ag Solutions Topless 100 Presented by Big River Steel
Saturday, August 17, 2024
Batesville Motor Speedway – Locust Grove, AR
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (15 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 54-David Breazeale[2]; 2. 99B-Boom Briggs[4]; 3. 7T-Drake Troutman[3]; 4. 12E-Jamie Elam[7]; 5. 18-Matt Cooper[6]; 6. 86-Kyle Beard[15]; 7. 66-Eli Ross[9]; 8. 41-Bryce Clark[5]; 9. 24-Jake Elam[10]; 10. 17SS-Brenden Smith[8]; 11. USA1-Devon Andrews[13]; 12. 7S-Jeff Sloan[18]; 13. 3N-Nathan Brown[16]; 14. 997-Travis Ashley[19]; 15. 7J-Ryan Johnson[14]; 16. 111-Max Blair[1]; 17. F15-Peyton Foster[17]; 18. 88-Chance Mann[12]; 19. (DNS) 91-Chris Jones
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (15 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 21-Billy Moyer Sr[1]; 2. C8-Timothy Culp[3]; 3. 18D-Daulton Wilson[2]; 4. 17-Jarret Stuckey[6]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 6. 6-Clay Harris[14]; 7. 11-Jon Kirby[5]; 8. 47-Chandler Petty[10]; 9. 93-Cory Lawler[12]; 10. 1AU-Joe Chalmers[7]; 11. 1S-Brandon Smith[11]; 12. 5V-Austin Vincent[9]; 13. 90-Josh Farris[16]; 14. 27-Lynn Irwin[17]; 15. 2C-Charlie Cole[8]; 16. 78-Henry Gustavus[15]; 17. 15-Nathan Stewart[13]; 18. (DNS) 1G-Bryan Glaze; 19. (DNS) 33-Steven Crocker
32nd Annual Nutrien Ag Solutions Topless 100 Presented by Big River Steel Feature Finish (100 Laps):
Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Pay
1 – 3 – 1 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – $50,800
2 – 15 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $20,900
3 – 9 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $10,700
4 – 8 – 74 – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – $8,000
5 – 1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Martinsville, IN – $7,800
6 – 5 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $7,000
7 – 11 – 93F – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $5,000
8 – 19 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – $4,600
9 – 2 – 17M – Dale McDowell – Chickamauga, GA – $3,800
10 – 7 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $4,300
11 – 23 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $4,100
12 – 16 – 1B – BJ Robinson – Bossier City, LA – $3,200
13 – 14 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – $3,800
14 – 20 – C8 – Timothy Culp – Prattsville, AR – $2,500
15 – 12 – 777 – Jared Landers – Benton, AR – $2,400
16 – 17 – 54 – David Breazeale – Four Corners, MS – $2,300
17 – 4 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – $2,900
18 – 26 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $700
19 – 22 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $2,700
20 – 13 – 2S – Stormy Scott – Las Cruces, NM – $2,000
21 – 21 – 7T – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $2,700
22 – 10 – 2 – Tyler Stevens – Paragould, AR – $2,000
23 – 18 – 21 – Billy Moyer Sr – Batesville, AR – $2,000
24 – 6 – 12 – Scott Crigler – Alton, MO – $2,000
25 – 24 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $2,700
26 – 25 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $600
27 – 27 – 93 – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $600
Race Statistics
Entrants: 54
Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Lap Leaders: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 1-41); Tim McCreadie (Laps 42-58); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 59-65); Tim McCreadie (Laps 66-100)
Wieland Feature Winner: Tim McCreadie
Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: Tim McCreadie
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/a
Margin of Victory: n/a
Dave Warren Powersports Cautions: Daulton Wilson (Lap 9); Clay Harris (Lap 12); Ross Robinson (Lap 27); Stormy Scott, Drake Troutman (Lap 35); Mike Marlar (Lap 43); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 65); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 65 Restart); Dale McDowell (Lap 72); Max Blair (Lap 75); Devin Moran (Lap 86)
LOLMDS Series Provisionals: Max Blair; Ross Robinson
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
LOLMDS Emergency Provisionals: Clay Harris; Brenden Smith; Cory Lawler
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Tim McCreadie, Jonathan Davenport, Garrett Alberson
Penske Shocks Top 5: Tim McCreadie, Jonathan Davenport, Garrett Alberson, Ethan Dotson, Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Advanced 13 Positions)
PEM 4th Place Feature: Ethan Dotson
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Carson Ferguson
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Jimmy Owens
MD3 Most Laps Led: Tim McCreadie (52 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Tim McCreadie
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Carson Ferguson
Coltman Farms Fastest Lap of the Race: n/a
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Tim McCreadie
Miller Welders Hard Luck Award: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Danny White (Tim McCreadie)
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Dale McDowell (13.534 seconds)
Time of Race: 1 hour, 24 minutes 27 seconds
Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:
Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Pay
1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Martinsville, IN – 5190 – $337,749
2 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 4945 – $290,805
3 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 4940 – $244,150
4 – 1 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 4550 – $188,325
5 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 4490 – $155,203
6 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 4340 – $119,225
7 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 4260 – $125,475
8 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 4230 – $142,625
9 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 4035 – $86,875
10 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 3885 – $88,400
11 – 7T – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 3535 – $74,325
12 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 3450 – $70,450
13 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 3440 – $48,675
14 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – 3090 – $42,725
15 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 2990 – $30,075
16 – B5 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 2950 – $93,225
17 – 93 – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 2815 – $17,925
18 – 93F – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 2705 – $45,075
