*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
Might this season being put together by Ricky Thornton Jr. be one of those we remember for years to come?
Richard: As dominant as Ricky Thornton Jr. has been so far in 2023, there are still a few holes to be filled before we can say that he is having a season comparable to that of Jonathan Davenport in 2015 and 2022 or Brandon Overton in 2021. Although he did cross the finish line first in the Show-me 100, a droop rule infraction handed that win to Devin Moran. Also, he did post a solid fourth-place finish in the Dirt Late Model Dream but drivers don’t go to Eldora Speedway with the intention of posting a solid finish. Instead, they go to Rossburg, Ohio to do what Jonathan Davenport did and that, of course, is to win.
All that said, though, Thornton’s efforts so far have been nothing short of remarkable. He and the SSI Motorsports team are obviously clicking on all cylinders right now and they are effectively taking advantage of that by winning features as they did twice this past weekend in the Mountain Moonshine Classic at Smoky Mountain Speedway.
And more, there is one element of a potentially great season that can’t be measured until the end of the year. Although Thornton has the lead in the current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series standings, the championship for that tour won’t be decided until the final race in the Dirt Track World Championship at Eldora. Whether he wins the title or not, however, some re-evaluation of what that means will have to occur because of the change in format being enacted this year.
All of that to say this – Thornton is having a great season but for it to be one of those truly memorable campaigns it will have to include more crown jewels and perhaps even a championship.
Ricky Thornton Jr. is having a great season
Michael: There’s no doubt that Thornton is on a roll right now. To win a Lucas Oil race by over 6 seconds is something not seen very often unless it’s on a big half-mile track. I don’t know if they have found something or Thornton has just finally settled in to being a Late Model driver, but something is clicking and this is the time to put himself in those conversations about a storybook season.
I think before people can put him in that conversation, he probably needs to win one of the Eldora races (World 100 or DTWC) and maybe another race where all of the best are in one place. When a driver can beat everybody on a weekend, that’s where those conversations get real.
Should something happen and Thornton not win the championship because of something odd happening in the finale at Eldora, I hope it doesn’t override the season he’s having to this point.
Evaluate the reconfiguration of Smoky Mountain Speedway after this weekend?
Richard: First let me say that I like the new look of the track after having been shortened from its previous 4/10 mile layout to the new 3/8 mile configuration. I also like how the banking has been made more equal on both ends of the speedway. I believe that the ultimate result of the new shape will be better racing as time goes on.
Second, though, there were some obvious glitches this weekend, particularly on Friday night. The track had to be reworked which took too much time. That said, I believe the biggest issue was the fact that there simply had not been enough racing at Smoky Mountain leading into such a big event.
The weather played a role in that with rain having knocked out two different attempts to get a World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Model Series show in earlier this year. While there had been races at the Maryville, Tennessee facility in 2023, the newly reconfigured layout just needed some laps on it from the Super Late Model division.
This was the first Super Late Model program of 2023 which helped to create some of the issues we saw on Friday, That said, the racing surface was much improved on Saturday night for the $50,000-to-win event. Cars were using multiple lanes and there was a good deal of passing behind Thornton’s dominant car.
A few more events on the new track and the growing pains should be worked out.
Saturday night saw multiple grooves being used at Smoky Mountain
Michael: I had a chance to talk to track owner Roger Sellers about that and he said the track just needs more laps on it. Derrick Blair and his crew worked hard all weekend. But even Blair said they need some more races to get settled in as to what the track needs. In addition to the reconfiguration, fresh clay was put down in the off-season. Fresh clay can be tricky to manage early on.
It seemed like a lot of the drivers, in all classes, like the new configuration. I haven’t had a chance to talk to actual fans to see what they think. A full house on Saturday should leave lots of opinions on the new layout.
Is the east Tennessee region shifting from a strong weekly area to a big events area?
Richard: I’m not quite sure that I am ready to say east Tennessee is shifting away from weekly racing. As a matter of fact, there are multiple tracks in the region still racing on a weekly basis with another about to rejoin the fray.
For years, this area has always been among the strongest in the country in terms of both car counts and level of competition in the weekly classes and I believe that can continue with a bit of redefining of what weekly racing is as far as the number of tracks operating on a regular basis goes.
At the same time, east Tennessee has had as many big shows as any area so far in 2023 with the Kyle Larson Late Model Challenge and the $100,000-to-win XR Super Series race at Volunteer Speedway and now the $50,000-to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series show at Smoky Mountain.
It certainly appears as if dirt racing fans in this area are getting the best of both worlds.
Michael: I think the area has already been that way for several years. Once 411 got away from weekly racing and Volunteer has seen too many promoters to offer any consistency, the weekly scene has been less emphasized.
I was talking to a well-known promoter over the weekend. He said the key to running a successful weekly program is to sprinkle in a few special events throughout the season. He said running a special event every two to three weeks just kills the weekly racing at that track. He cited the problems with Atomic Speedway in the early 2000’s as an example.
Many people are under the assumption when tracks begin to close that it helps the other tracks, meaning those drivers will go to other tracks still running. That isn’t always the case. Again using Atomic Speedway an example, when it closed, I only remember a handful of drivers that continued racing. Most quit immediately, some tried other tracks and quit soon afterwards.
When you look at tracks like Wartburg and Tazewell, they are committed to running a weekly program. They do well with those. Some of the others don’t seem as dedicated and it leaves drivers and fans not knowing what will be going on from one week to the next.
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Ricky Thornton Jr. sweeps up $50,000 in Lucas Oil weekend at SMS
