7/29/2023
O'Neal scores fifth-place finish in Prairie Dirt Classic at FALS
Hudson O’Neal will take the Rocket1 Racing / Valvoline / Seubert Calf Ranches No. 1 Ace Metal Works / XR1 Rocket Chassis / Durham Racing Engine Super Late Model into battle this weekend in the 36th annual USA Nationals at Wisconsin’s Cedar Lake Speedway.
The team heads into the crown jewel event on the heels of a fifth-place finish in last weekend’s ISRA Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway.
“All the rain from the week left Fairbury tricky both nights. We started sixth in Saturday’s finale, and I battled the cushion early and fell back a few spots. We were running third late, but I got crossed up on the final lap and ended up fifth. We are now looking ahead to Cedar Lake (Speedway) this week,” O’Neal noted. “That place and that race have a lot of history. This team has won that race before, and I’m focused on winning my first one.”
Headed south after a weekend in South Dakota, Rocket1 Racing and Hudson O’Neal traveled to Off Road Speedway (Norfolk, Neb.) on Monday for the two-day event with the XR Super Series.
Lined up on the fifth row for his preliminary feature via a fifth-place finish in his heat, Hudson charged forward five spots in the 25-lapper to register a fourth-place finish.
With Monday’s fourth-place finish locking him on the fourth row for Tuesday’s $100,000-to-win Elkhorn 100 finale, O’Neal had worked his way up to third but was on the receiving end of bad luck that resulted in an early exit on lap 80.
Back in action on Friday, O’Neal and the Rocket1 Racing team were one of 63 World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series competitors on hand at Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway for the 33rd running of the Prairie Dirt Classic weekend. With time trials setting the grid for four prelims, Hudson followed up the fourth-fastest qualifying lap in his group with a runner-up finish in his 25-lap prelim. He slipped to a second-place finish on the final lap after leading the race’s opening 24 circuits.
Rolling off sixth for Saturday night’s $50,000-to-win Prairie Dirt Classic via Friday’s result, O’Neal ran as high as second before a slip-up on the final lap dropped him to fifth in the finishing order. He trailed Ricky Thornton Jr., Bobby Pierce, Ryan Gustin, and Brandon Sheppard to the checkers.
Full results from the events are available at www.RaceXR.com and www.WorldofOutlaws.com.
Next on tap for Rocket1 Racing is a visit this week to Cedar Lake Speedway (New Richmond, Wisc.) for the 36th annual USA Nationals. The World of Outlaws (WoO) Late Model Series weekend is highlighted by a $6,000-to-win program on Thursday followed by prelims for the mega finale on Friday and the $50,000-to-win feature on Saturday.
Rocket1 Racing topped the crown jewel in 2011 and 2016 with Josh Richards while Brandon Sheppard took the team’s No. 1 to Victory Lane in 2018.
Full details on the weekend can be found at www.CedarLakeSpeedway.com.
Article Credit: Tim Hunt photo