1/19/2023
Top-10 finish in 2023 opener at Volusia Speedway Park
Rocket1 Racing and Hudson O’Neal opened their 2023 season over the weekend at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park with their Rocket1 Racing / Valvoline / Seubert Calf Ranches No. 1 Ace Metal Works / XR1 Rocket Chassis / Durham Racing Engine Super Late Model during the annual Sunshine Nationals.
With 47 World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series competitors on the grounds for Thursday’s opener, O’Neal laid down the fifth-fastest time in his qualifying group before placing second in his heat race. Chasing an $8,000 payday in the feature, Hudson ultimately recorded a ninth-place finish in the 25-lap opener.
On Friday evening the team found themselves behind the eight ball early in the evening after qualifying 19th-fastest in their group. Hudson picked up a single position in his heat race to finish sixth, which relegated him to a Last Chance Showdown. The Indiana racer surged from the sixth-starting spot to a third-place finish in the consolation event, but with only the Top-2 finishers moving onto the main event, his night came to an early end.
Saturday’s $20,000-to-win finale fell victim to rain and will not be rescheduled.
Full results from the weekend are available at www.WorldofOutlaws.com.
Rocket1 Racing and Hudson O’Neal now turn their attention to the opening weekend of the 2023 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) campaign. The Super Bowl of Racing tripleheader at Golden Isles Speedway (Brunswick, Ga.) spans this Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 26-28 and includes a $10,000-top prize on Thursday, a $12,000 winner’s check on Friday, and the richest event in the history of the Georgia facility on Saturday with a $25,000 payday on the line.
For more information on the weekend please visit www.GISdirt.com and www.LucasDirt.com.
Article Credit: Jacy Norgaard image