4/28/2024
Ricky Thornton Jr
Ricky Thornton Jr. doubles up in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series eastern swing
Ricky Thornton Jr. was perfect on the weekend in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series competition with his SSI Motorsports / Coltman Farms / Hoker Trucking No. 20RT Dyno One Inc. / Excel Floor Covering / Sub-Surface of Indiana / Longhorn Chassis / Clements Racing Engine Super Late Model.
Thornton Jr. officially led all 89 laps of weekend competition and visited Victory Lane for the second-straight year at Georgetown Speedway’s Melvin L. Joseph Memorial on Friday night before besting the LOLMDS contingent at Port Royal Speedway on Sunday night.
“I love coming here. I wish we would run here more often honestly,” Thornton said in Victory Lane on Friday night. “I don’t know, something about this place just kinda fits me. I don’t know if we, for sure, had the best car or not, but I feel like those yellows kinda helped me. I feel like once I got to traffic I got slowed down quite a bit. Overall, the car was really good.”
On Sunday evening Thornton Jr. was triumphant once again, but credited a caution flag that reinstated his lead over Mike Marlar as a key factor in his night’s outcome.
“I felt like our stuff was really good there. I was trying to play it a little safe there in (turns) one and two and I think that let Mikey (Marlar) get that much closer to me,” Thornton said after registering the $10,000 win at Port Royal Speedway. “He drove by me and luckily the yellow came out, otherwise I think he probably would’ve won. I gotta thank whoever caused that yellow and put me back out front."
Traveling east to kick off a three-race swing with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS), Ricky Thornton Jr. invaded Georgetown (Del.) Speedway on Friday afternoon seeking a repeat victory in the Melvin L. Joseph Memorial.
With a 40-car field amassed, Thornton outran pole-starting Hudson O’Neal in his heat race to secure the eight-lap victory. Vaulting into the lead on the opening lap of the feature, Ricky led wire-to-wire in the 49-lap affair to claim his seventh win of the season and 32nd-career LOLMDS triumph. He pocketed the $19,049 top prize ahead of Devin Moran, Garrett Alberson, Jonathan Davenport, Ross Robinson.
After Saturday’s LOLMDS event at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway fell to wet weather, Ricky wrapped up his weekend on Sunday at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway for the track’s Battle in the Borough.
Putting on another impressive performance, Thornton backed up the fast time honors with a flag-to-flag victory in his heat race and the 40-lap feature. He fended off a mid-race challenge from Mike Marlar to secure his second win in as many nights and the $10,000 winner’s payday.
On the heels of his two-win weekend, which pushed his overall 2024-win tally to eight, RTJ now holds a 95-point advantage atop the latest LOLMDS point standings.
Full results from the events can be found at www.LucasDirt.com.
Ricky will look to keep his win streak going this weekend with the LOLMDS contingent, when he rolls into Ponderosa Speedway (Junction City, Ky.) on Friday and into Florence Speedway (Union, Ky.) on Saturday.
Article Credit: Heath Lawson image
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