It’s Overton Over O’Neal In I-80 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Opener Tuesday Night
Story By: LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – GREENWOOD, NE – Brandon Overton found himself in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory lane at I-80 Speedway for the Al Belt Custom Homes I-80 Nationals.
During the 30 lap A-Main event, Overton had his hands full with several other drivers along his way to the checkers.
Overton pulled away from Hudson O’Neal after a restart with five laps to go for his second series win of the year and his first ever at the Nebraska speedplant. Overton led on two different occasions during the race as O’Neal briefly led laps 15-18 until Overton forged back ahead for the final time on the 19th circuit. O’Neal finished in second followed closely by Ricky Thornton Jr., Kyle Bronson, and Frank Heckenast Jr.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the ninth time in his career, the 30-year-old Georgia native continued his two-month winning streak. “The first restart out there he (O’Neal) was ready. He snuck around me there on the outside and I just stayed calm. Our car is good, it’s really balanced. It isn’t all the way right yet, but we just have to keep working on it. All-in-all, to come out here and set fast time and win the race it’s pretty cool. This is such a cool place with a great payout. I am glad to be here to support the Kosiski’s and Lucas Oil.”
O’Neal, the 2021 Show-Me 100 winner challenged Overton for several laps before coming home in second. “I don’t think I would have outrun him [Overton], but maybe I would have competed a little better than I did. I rolled that top really good on that restart. I mean, I was just running as hard as I could. I wasn’t going to sustain up there for very long until he was going to drive right back around me because I was going to get my tires really hot. It’s pretty amazing the way he’s running. I am not disappointed at all to finish second to him.”
Eibach Springs Rookie-of-the-Year candidate, Thornton Jr. came home in third. “This track kind of fits the way I drive. I am super-aggressive, but then you have to back up your exit. The track was really good tonight, hopefully it’s a really good week.”
Overton’s Wells Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Allstar Concrete, Crossfit Overton, Garnto Southern, Big Dog Stump and Tree, R.W. Powell Construction, Clean Way Clearing and Grading, ATC Site Construction, Dirt Mafia, Hurst Construction, and EZ-GO.
Completing the top ten were Shane Clanton, Tim McCreadie, Chase Junghans, Ricky Weiss, and Jonathan Davenport.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Al Belt Custom Homes I-80 Nationals
Tuesday, July 20th, 2021
I-80 Speedway – Greenwood, NE
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Spencer Hughes / 16.669 seconds
Fast Time Group B: Brandon Overton / 16.644 seconds (overall)
Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 4. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 5. 20-Jimmy Owens[3]; 6. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[9]; 7. 49T-Jake Timm[7]; 8. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[10]; 9. 7D-Dusty Leonard[8]; 10. 11H-Spencer Hughes[6]; 11. 45-Dan Battaglia[11]
Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps): 1. 04-Tad Pospisil[1]; 2. 14-Josh Richards[2]; 3. 18J-Chase Junghans[3]; 4. 7W-Ricky Weiss[4]; 5. 39-Tim McCreadie[5]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[6]; 7. 98-Ben Schaller[8]; 8. 26JR-Corey Zeitner[9]; 9. 99B-Boom Briggs[10]; 10. 7R-Ross Robinson[7]; 11. (DNS) 214-Jake Neal
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps): 1. 25-Shane Clanton[2]; 2. 66C-Matt Cosner[1]; 3. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[4]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 5. 157-Mike Marlar[5]; 6. 32S-Chris Simpson[8]; 7. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 8. 3C-Mike Collins[9]; 9. 10C-Junior Coover[10]; 10. 53-Andrew Kosiski[7]
Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps): 1. 24-Bill Leighton[1]; 2. 1C-Chad Simpson[3]; 3. 2S-Stormy Scott[4]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 5. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[6]; 6. 0-Scott Bloomquist[2]; 7. 22M-Charlie McKenna[7]; 8. 52-Brian Kosiski[8]; 9. 6H-Al Humphrey[9]; 10. 22F-Chris Ferguson[11]; 11. 80-Allan Hopp[10]
LINE-X B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 3. 32S-Chris Simpson[4]; 4. 49T-Jake Timm[5]; 5. 66C-Matt Cosner[1]; 6. 98-Ben Schaller[6]; 7. 3C-Mike Collins[7]; 8. 10C-Junior Coover[11]; 9. 6H-Al Humphrey[10]; 10. (DNF) 7D-Dusty Leonard[8]; 11. (DNS) 53-Andrew Kosiski; 12. (DNS) 80-Allan Hopp; 13. (DNS) 214-Jake Neal
UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 11H-Spencer Hughes[2]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 3. 0-Scott Bloomquist[3]; 4. 22F-Chris Ferguson[11]; 5. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[4]; 6. 26JR-Corey Zeitner[7]; 7. 22M-Charlie McKenna[5]; 8. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[9]; 9. 52-Brian Kosiski[6]; 10. 99B-Boom Briggs[10]; 11. 7R-Ross Robinson[8]; 12. 45-Dan Battaglia[12]
Tuesday’s Al Belt Custom Homes I-80 Nationals Feature Finish (30 Laps):
| Pos | Start | Car # | Competitor | Hometown | Pay |
| 1 | 1 | 76 | Brandon Overton | Evans, GA | $7,000 |
| 2 | 2 | 71 | Hudson O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | $4,000 |
| 3 | 3 | 20RT | Ricky Thornton Jr. | Adel, IA | $3,000 |
| 4 | 11 | 40B | Kyle Bronson | Brandon, FL | $2,000 |
| 5 | 5 | 99JR | Frank Heckenast Jr | Frankfort, IL | $1,500 |
| 6 | 9 | 25 | Shane Clanton | Zebulon, GA | $1,000 |
| 7 | 12 | 39 | Tim McCreadie | Watertown, NY | $900 |
| 8 | 15 | 18J | Chase Junghans | Manhattan, KS | $800 |
| 9 | 14 | 7W | Ricky Weiss | Headingley, MB | $700 |
| 10 | 10 | 49 | Jonathan Davenport | Blairsville, GA | $600 |
| 11 | 13 | 157 | Mike Marlar | Winfield, TN | $580 |
| 12 | 7 | 2S | Stormy Scott | Las Cruces, NM | $560 |
| 13 | 19 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN | $540 |
| 14 | 21 | 1T | Tyler Erb | New Waverly, TX | $520 |
| 15 | 23 | 32S | Chris Simpson | Oxford, IA | $500 |
| 16 | 6 | 3S | Brian Shirley | Chatham, IL | $490 |
| 17 | 20 | 11H | Spencer Hughes | Meridian, MS | $480 |
| 18 | 16 | 14 | Josh Richards | Shinnston, WV | $470 |
| 19 | 24 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist | Mooresburg, TN | $460 |
| 20 | 4 | 16 | Tyler Bruening | Decorah, IA | $450 |
| 21 | 18 | 24 | Bill Leighton | Lavista, NE | $440 |
| 22 | 22 | 1S | Brandon Sheppard | New Berlin, IL | $430 |
| 23 | 8 | 1C | Chad Simpson | Mt. Vernon, IA | $410 |
| 24 | 17 | 4 | Tad Pospisil | Norfolk, NE | $400 |
Race Statistics
Entrants: 43
Lap Leaders: Brandon Overton (Laps 1 – 14); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 15 – 18); Brandon Overton (Laps 19-30)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Brandon Overton
Arizona Sport Shirts CJC – Presented by DirtOnDirt Feature Winner: n/a
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Brandon Overton
Margin of Victory: 3.118 seconds
Stop Tech Brakes Cautions: Tyler Bruening (Lap 14); Brandon Sheppard (Lap 25)
Series Provisionals: n/a
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisionals: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Overton, Hudson O’Neal, Ricky Thornton Jr.
Penske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Overton, Hudson O’Neal, Ricky Thornton Jr., Kyle Bronson, Frank Heckenast Jr
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Chris Simpson (Advanced 8 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tim McCreadie
Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Brandon Overton (26 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon Overton
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Hudson O’Neal (Lap 15 – 17.877 seconds)
Fast Shafts Tough Break of the Race: Tyler Bruening
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Kent Fegter (Brandon Overton)
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engine
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Brandon Overton (16.790 seconds)
Time of Race: 14 minutes 35 seconds
