Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideDirtRacing.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the dirt racing topics of the day from east Tennessee and beyond.
The latest edition of the Turn 2 Blog is presented by the American All-Star Pro Late Models Presented by PPM Racing Products
Can anyone step up to challenge Bobby Pierce and Ricky Thornton Jr. as the top Dirt Late Model drivers right now?
Richard: It certainly does appear as though Bobby Pierce and Ricky Thornton Jr. are at the tops of their games right now as they have won the last two big races(Prairie Dirt Classic & USA Nationals) as well as several others to have been contested in July. But as we have seen in the past, this sport is one in which fortunes can turn at a moment’s notice for the good and the bad. And with the schedule being in the midst of a series of huge races, one win by another driver can turn a season around over the course of a weekend.
One driver who seems to be on the rise right now is Brandon Sheppard with his Sheppard Riggs Racing team. Not only did he win the Silver Dollar Nationals at Huset’s Speedway but he has been in the hunt more often than he was earlier in the season.
Another racer who seems to be on a great roll right now is Mike Marlar. You and I saw him make an unbelievable charge through the field in a World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Model Series race at Ponderosa Speedway a few weeks ago and he just earned $20,000 in a Hunt the Front event at Duck River Raceway Park.
And as I will address in our other questions, Hudson O’Neal has been right there competing with the top-2 for several weeks.
Michael: I think the one driver that could do that now is Hudson O’Neal. He’s been in contention for a lot of the wins Pierce and Thornton have but was not the first driver to cross the finish line. I think his team is also set up to bring one of the better cars week in and week out.
I think Brandon Sheppard has the potential to put himself in that category. But he needs to start getting some wins to be in that conversation. He’s not winning at the clip he normally does even though he’s with a new team.
With the season now reaching its stretch drive, what four drivers will be racing for the Lucas Oil championship in October?
Richard: Unless some unforeseen disaster occurs, Ricky Thornton Jr. is a virtual lock to be among the four drivers who will race for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship in October in the Dirt Track World Championship at Eldora Speedway. And almost as secure as Thornton is Hudson O’Neal, who currently sits second in the standings,
Where the drama will be is among those fighting for the other two positions.
Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton and Tim McCreadie are engaged in a tight fight for those two positions. And the important thing to remember, since one race will decide the championship, is that all three of those drivers have experienced past success at Eldora so just getting themselves into the mix gives each of them a shot at the lucrative title.
None of the three drivers in question have shown the ability during 2023 to piece together a string of solid finishes in a row. Whichever two of these three can show the greatest consistency will likely be among the final four. And keep in mind that the Lucas Oil Chase system is not like NASCAR in that winning a race does not guarantee movement to the next round. One race can’t rescue a driver and team from other bad results.
To answer the question, though, I will say that the four drivers going for the championship in the finale will be Thornton, O’Neal, Davenport and Overton.
Brandon Overton is among those battling for a Lucas Oil championship
Michael: If anyone hopes to win the Lucas Oil championship, they better hope Jonathan Davenport isn’t one of the final 4 heading to Eldora given his dominance at that track. Even though his season has been up and down, he’s still the man to beat at Eldora.
Aside from the obvious choice of O’Neal, I keep waiting on Overton to get back to some type of winning form. I wonder where his confidence level is right now. His team took off the last two weeks and he took a week off himself. We’ll see if that gives them a reset to make a late season charge.
Will this be the year when Josh Rice finally wins the North-South 100?
Richard: I said in the first question in this forum that I would circle back to Hudson O’Neal. Although local hero Josh Rice winning is something that many who will be sitting in the grandstands at Florence Speedway would love to see, I think this is going to be the year when O’Neal finally gets the win in the North-South 100.
The Martinsville, Indiana native seems to always be in contention in the closing laps at the Florence crown jewel but he has never quite been able to pull into victory lane. O’Neal has been right on the heels of Pierce and Thornton for much of the season so the added motivation of being a race he has long wanted to win could be the factor that puts him over the top.
Bringing this back to the question, Rice will be in the mix and whoever wins this race will have to contend with the No. 11 at some point during the 100-lap feature. But as I said, I believe this will be O’Neal’s time.
Mike Marlar(157) and Hudson O’Neal are likely to be in contention at Florence
Michael: Rice has the potential to win that race. He’s always in the mix at Florence. But he needs to limit the times he’s into the wall. He got into the wall too many times just in his heat race and knocked himself out any chance to win last year. He has to keep it out of the wall to win.
If I’m looking for another driver get his first North-South 100 win it’s Mike Marlar. He’s been having good success on slick tracks lately and Florence really slicks off during the second half of the race. The Bluehorn is looking better as each week goes by.
Please consider also reading:
Bobby Pierce just edges Hudson O’Neal for USA Nationals triumph
Respond to this post on Twitter by following @RichardAllenIDR and @MichaelRMoats or by liking the InsideDirtRacing.com Facebook page.
Also, NASCAR and pavement racing fans can check out InsideCircleTrack.com
