Ricky Thornton, Jr. will start the Silver Dollar Nationals from the pole
GREENWOOD, NE (July 24, 2020) – A pair of car number 20’s will make up the front row for the 10th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals on Saturday Night at I-80 Speedway as Ricky Thornton Jr. and Jimmy Owens will lead the field to green in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned $53,000 to win event.
Thornton Jr. and Owens earned top spots in passing points from Friday Night’s 10 heat races that were contested. Devin Moran and Brandon Sheppard will make-up row number two for the richest winner’s purse offered so far in 2020.
The first heat of round one saw Scott Bloomquist, the all-time winningest driver in series history, bolt to the lead at the start and lead the entire distance to take the win. Billy Moyer, Jr. finished a close second to Bloomquist with Jonathan Davenport and Jimmy Owens trailing.
The second heat featured a solid performance by Kansan Chase Junghans who earned the heat race victory. Jake Neal finished in second followed by Brandon Sheppard and Tad Pospisil.
The third heat race saw a terrific between Mason Zeigler and Shanon Buckingham. Zeigler caught and passed Buckingham on the final lap of the race to take the win. Buckingham finished in second followed by 17-year-old Colton Horner and Tim McCreadie.
Chad Simpson got by Justin Zeitner in the closing laps of heat number four to take the victory for the two-time Lucas Oil MLRA champion. Zeitner came across the line in second. Tyler Erb came from the tail to finish in third followed by Nick Deal.
The fifth and final heat of round one went to Ricky Thornton Jr. who charged from the fourth starting position to take the lead as he pulled away to take the checkers. Devin Moran ran second the entire distance with Stormy Scott and Kyle Bronson rounding out the top four.
The second round started off with Ricky Weiss taking the victory in heat number one. Shane Clanton gave Weiss a good run early on, but Weiss pulled away for the win. Clanton took second followed by Ricky Thornton Jr. and Bobby Pierce, the defending Silver Dollar Nationals winner.
The second heat of round two saw current LOLMDS point leader Jimmy Owens roar from the eighth starting spot to get the win. Earl Pearson, Jr. came from the fifth starting position to grab second with Tyler Erb placing third as Chris Ferguson rounded out the top four.
Josh Richards took command of the race lead from Cory Dumpert in heat three as he ran away for the win. Tanner English finished second to Richards with Kyle Strickler and Chad Simpson claiming third and fourth at the finish.
The fourth heat of round two went to Kyle Bronson, who came from the fourth starting spot for the win. Johnny Scott, driving his brothers second entry, came home in second with Devin Moran charging from the tail to pick up third place at the checkers. Jonathan Davenport was fourth.
In the fifth and final heat of round two Tim McCreadie, who started on the inside of row number two bolted to the lead around Chris Simpson to take a lead he never relinquished. Brandon Sheppard made a late-race charge from seventh to nab the second spot over Simpson and Ben Schaller.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
10th Annual Optima Batteries Silver Dollar Nationals – Presented by K&N Filters
Friday, July 24th, 2020
I-80 Speedway – Greenwood, NE
Penske Race Shocks Round 1 Heat Race #1 Finish: 1. 0-Scott Bloomquist[1]; 2. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[3]; 3. 49-Jonathan Davenport[5]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 5. 24X-Bill Leighton[4]; 6. 7W-Ricky Weiss[8]; 7. 40-Joel Callahan[6]; 8. 32S-Chris Simpson[9]; 9. 80-Allan Hopp[7]
FK Rod Ends Round 1 Heat Race #2 Finish: 1. 18J-Chase Junghans[2]; 2. 14J-Jake Neal[4]; 3. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 4. 04-Tad Pospisil[1]; 5. 18-Shannon Babb[8]; 6. 75-Terry Phillips[6]; 7. 8-Kyle Strickler[5]; 8. 25-Shane Clanton[7]; 9. 2J-Johnny Scott[9]
Simpson Race Products Round 1 Heat Race #3 Finish: 1. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[1]; 2. 50-Shanon Buckingham[2]; 3. 56C-Colton Horner[3]; 4. 39-Tim McCreadie[6]; 5. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[4]; 6. 32-Bobby Pierce[5]; 7. 6D-Cory Dumpert[8]; 8. 112-Tyler Smith[7]; 9. 85-Josh Leonard[9]
Ohlins Shocks Round 1 Heat Race #4 Finish: 1. 1C-Chad Simpson[2]; 2. 62-Justin Zeitner[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[8]; 4. 55D-Nick Deal[3]; 5. 14-Josh Richards[7]; 6. 98-Ben Schaller[5]; 7. 53-Andrew Kosiski[6]; 8. 32B-Cody Laney[4]; 9. 52-Brian Kosiski[9]
MyRacePass Round 1 Heat #5 Finish: 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 2. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 3. 2S-Stormy Scott[2]; 4. 40B-Kyle Bronson[6]; 5. 22F-Chris Ferguson[8]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 7. 49T-Jake Timm[5]; 8. 81E-Tanner English[7]; 9. F15-Jeremy Conaway[9]
Penske Race Shocks Round 2 Heat Race #1 Finish: 1. 7W-Ricky Weiss[2]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[3]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[6]; 4. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 5. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[7]; 6. 18J-Chase Junghans[8]; 7. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[9]; 8. 32B-Cody Laney[5]; 9. F15-Jeremy Conaway[1]
FK Rod Ends Round 2 Heat Race #2 Finish: 1. 20-Jimmy Owens[8]; 2. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[5]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[1]; 4. 22F-Chris Ferguson[2]; 5. 16-Tyler Bruening[7]; 6. 04-Tad Pospisil[9]; 7. 75-Terry Phillips[4]; 8. 80-Allan Hopp[3]; 9. 55D-Nick Deal[6]
Simpson Race Products Round 2 Heat Race #3 Finish: 1. 14-Josh Richards[2]; 2. 81E-Tanner English[3]; 3. 8-Kyle Strickler[5]; 4. 1C-Chad Simpson[7]; 5. 0-Scott Bloomquist[9]; 6. 6D-Cory Dumpert[1]; 7. 2S-Stormy Scott[8]; 8. 56C-Colton Horner[6]; 9. 40-Joel Callahan[4]
Ohlins Shocks Round 2 Heat Race #4 Finish: 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[4]; 2. 2J-Johnny Scott[1]; 3. 9-Devin Moran[9]; 4. 49-Jonathan Davenport[5]; 5. 50-Shanon Buckingham[7]; 6. 62-Justin Zeitner[8]; 7. 14J-Jake Neal[6]; 8. 53-Andrew Kosiski[3]; 9. 112-Tyler Smith[2]
MyRacePass Round 2 Heat #5 Finish: 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[3]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[7]; 3. 32S-Chris Simpson[1]; 4. 98-Ben Schaller[4]; 5. 24X-Bill Leighton[6]; 6. 49T-Jake Timm[5]; 7. 18-Shannon Babb[2]; 8. 85-Josh Leonard[8]; 9. 52-Brian Kosiski[9]
Tiger Rear Ends B-Main #1 Line Up (Top 4 Transfer):
| Row | Inside | Outside | ||
| 1 | 22F | Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly, NC | 04 | Tad Pospisil – Norfolk, NE |
| 2 | 24X | Bill Leighton – Lavista, NE | 2S | Stormy Scott – Las Cruces, NM |
| 3 | 32 | Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL | 16 | Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA |
| 4 | 18 | Shannon Babb – Moweaqua, IL | 2J | Johnny Scott – Las Cruces, NM |
| 5 | 55D | Nick Deal – Harlan, IA | 49T | Jake Timm – Winona, MN |
| 6 | 40 | Joel Callahan – Dubuque, IA | 80 | Allan Hopp – Harlan, IA |
| 7 | 85 | Josh Leonard – Gibbon, NE | 52 | Brian Kosiski – Papillion, NE |
FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Line Up (Top 4 Transfer):
| Row | Inside | Outside | ||
| 1 | 14J | Jake Neal – Omaha, NE | 8 | Kyle Strickler – Mooresville, NC |
| 2 | 25 | Shane Clanton – Zebulon, GA | 81E | Tanner English – Benton, KY |
| 3 | 98 | Ben Schaller – Omaha, NE | 32S | Chris Simpson – Oxford, IA |
| 4 | 56C | Colton Horner – Katy, TX | 6D | Cory Dumpert – York, NE |
| 5 | 75 | Terry Phillips – Springfield, MO | 53 | Andrew Kosiski – Lavista, NE |
| 6 | 32B | Cody Laney – Torrance, CA | 112 | Tyler Smith – Gibbon, NE |
| 7 | F15 | Jeremy Conaway – Springfield, IL | ||
Lucas Oil Feature Line Up (101 Laps):
| Row | Inside | Outside | ||
| 1 | 20RT | Ricky Thornton Jr – Adel, IA | 20 | Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN |
| 2 | 9 | Devin Moran – Dresden, OH | 1S | Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL |
| 3 | 40B | Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL | 1C | Chad Simpson – Mt. Vernon, IA |
| 4 | 39 | Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY | 1T | Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX |
| 5 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist – Mooresburg, TN | 14 | Josh Richards – Shinnston, WV |
| 6 | 21 | Billy Moyer Jr – Batesville, AR | 49 | Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA |
| 7 | 18J | Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS | 7W | Ricky Weiss – Headingley, MB |
| 8 | 1 | Earl Pearson Jr – Jacksonville, FL | 50 | Shanon Buckingham – Morristown, TN |
| 9 | 25Z | Mason Zeigler – Chalk Hill, PA | 62 | Justin Zeitner – Malvern, IA |
Silver Dollar Nationals Point Standings:
| Rank | First Name | Last Name | Car | Points | Tie Break | Round 1 | Round 2 |
| 1 | Ricky | Thornton | 20RT | 120.56 | 18.111 | 18.111 | 18.824 |
| 2 | Jimmy | Owens | 20 | 118.32 | 18.016 | 18.016 | 18.693 |
| 3 | Devin | Moran | 9 | 116.56 | 18.369 | 18.369 | 19.468 |
| 4 | Brandon | Sheppard | 1S | 114.8 | 18.258 | 18.258 | 19.296 |
| 5 | Kyle | Bronson | 40B | 114.8 | 18.381 | 18.381 | 19.112 |
| 6 | Chad | Simpson | 1C | 113.04 | 18.228 | 18.228 | 19.532 |
| 7 | Tim | McCreadie | 39 | 113.04 | 18.404 | 18.404 | 19.211 |
| 8 | Tyler | Erb | 1T | 110.8 | 18.461 | 18.461 | 19.242 |
| 9 | Scott | Bloomquist | 0 | 109.04 | 17.581 | 17.581 | 19.586 |
| 10 | Josh | Richards | 14 | 107.28 | 18.455 | 18.455 | 18.697 |
| 11 | Billy | Moyer | 21 | 103.28 | 17.713 | 17.713 | 18.885 |
| 12 | Jonathan | Davenport | 49 | 103.28 | 17.845 | 17.845 | 19.600 |
| 13 | Chase | Junghans | 18J | 103.28 | 17.941 | 17.941 | 18.824 |
