Josh Rice Takes Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Ralph Latham Memorial For Biggest Career Win

Story By: LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – UNION, KY – Josh Rice scored the biggest win of his racing career on Saturday Night at Florence Speedway. He won the 35th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial and earned $15,000 for the victory.

On lap 57, Rice took the lead from Hudson O’Neal and pulled away for a spectacular win in front of his home track crowd. Rice’s margin of victory was 1.212 seconds ahead of O’Neal at the finish line. The 22-year-old Kentucky racer scored his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win.

Jonathan Davenport led the first 18 laps before yielding the lead to O’Neal, ultimately finishing third. Tyler Erb charged from the 18th starting spot to finish fourth. Current series point leader Tim McCreadie finished fifth after starting 15th. O’Neal picked up the top spot-on lap 19 from Davenport, then Rice moved around the 3-time series champion on lap 28 for second.

A caution with 32 laps complete set-up a fantastic battle between O’Neal and Rice. Time-after-time Rice threw a slide job in turns one and two to briefly take the lead, but each time O’Neal crossed over to maintain the point.

Rice was overcome with emotion in Lucas Oil Victory Lane as he became the 11th different winner on the series tour in 2021. “I can’t believe it. I thought I was never going to get by him [O’Neal]. I didn’t know if I was clearing him or not. I wanted this one so bad. I have been asked what is my most wanted win and it is this race. Dave Latham and his family have been so good to me. You race fans are awesome. I almost lost my voice screaming in the car getting over here to victory lane.”

“I had to show the backstretch some love. I never get to celebrate with the backstretch crowd. He [O’Neal] got really tight going into the corners and I knew it was my shot to get past him for good. I was trying so hard to peddle if off of two and down the backstretch. I was so much better down in three and four than anybody else. I was so thankful when we cleared him. The first 20 or so laps I tried to take it easy.”

O’Neal, the 2018 event winner, came home second to remain in the runner-up spot in the points to McCreadie. “He [Rice] was like a fly, every time you swatted him away, he would come back. That was an awesome race. I wish it would have ended a little different, but congrats to Josh. I know it’s a huge home crowd win for him. I can relate when I won the Jackson a few years ago, I had that same feeling. We had a good race car all night long, we just came up one spot short.”

Davenport was seeking his third Latham Memorial win, but came home in third. “I couldn’t get those young guns to slow down enough to catch back up to them. Josh did a great job. He runs here a lot and he knows how to run this cushion. Our car was balanced. I thought the top was better in three and four and I never thought it would be there in one and two.”

The winner’s Rick Jones-owned Rocket Chassis is powered by a Jay Dickens Racing Engine and is sponsored by Sunesis Construction, Maxwell Trucking, Base Racing Fuels, Integra Shocks, Valvoline, and Slicker Graphics.

Completing the top ten were Ricky Thornton Jr., Chris Ferguson, Shane Clanton, Josh Richards, and Jason Jameson.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
35th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial
Saturday, May 1st, 2021
Florence Speedway – Union, KY

Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Stormy Scott / 15.504 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Devin Moran / 15.642 seconds

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 2. 2S-Stormy Scott[1]; 3. 22F-Chris Ferguson[4]; 4. 1G-Devin Gilpin[3]; 5. K3-Darrell Lanigan[5]; 6. 4G-Kody Evans[8]; 7. 97-Michael Chilton[6]; 8. 20-Jimmy Owens[10]; 9. 24-Jared Bailey[7]; 10. 9G-Larry Greer[9]

Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 14-Josh Richards[1]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[2]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 4. 39-Tim McCreadie[4]; 5. 17J-Greg Johnson[7]; 6. 13W-David Webb[8]; 7. 22L-Skyller Lewis[9]; 8. C9-Steve Casebolt[6]; 9. (DNS) 7R-Kent Robinson

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 3. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 4. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[7]; 6. 21H-Robby Hensley[4]; 7. 18L-Trevor Landrum[8]; 8. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[9]; 9. 8A-Curt Addison[10]; 10. (DNS) 33-Jesse Lay

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 11R-Josh Rice[1]; 2. 5N-Dustin Nobbe[2]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 4. 12J-Jason Jameson[4]; 5. 83-Scott James[3]; 6. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[5]; 7. 1AM-Austyn Mills[8]; 8. 17T-Tim Vance[9]; 9. 17D-Zack Dohm[7]

LINE-X B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. K3-Darrell Lanigan[1]; 2. 97-Michael Chilton[5]; 3. 17J-Greg Johnson[2]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens[7]; 5. 7R-Kent Robinson[11]; 6. 13W-David Webb[4]; 7. 24-Jared Bailey[9]; 8. 22L-Skyller Lewis[6]; 9. 9G-Larry Greer[10]; 10. 4G-Kody Evans[3]; 11. (DNS) C9-Steve Casebolt

UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[1]; 2. 83-Scott James[2]; 3. 21H-Robby Hensley[3]; 4. 1AM-Austyn Mills[6]; 5. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[4]; 6. 33-Jesse Lay[11]; 7. 17T-Tim Vance[8]; 8. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[7]; 9. 18L-Trevor Landrum[5]; 10. 8A-Curt Addison[9]; 11. (DNS) 17D-Zack Dohm

Lucas Oil Feature Finish (60 Laps):

Pos	Start	Car #	Competitor	Hometown	Pay
1	4	11R	Josh Rice	Verona, KY	$15,000
2	6	71	Hudson O’Neal	Martinsville, IN	$7,200
3	1	49	Jonathan Davenport	Blairsville, GA	$4,300
4	18	1T	Tyler Erb	New Waverly, TX	$3,700
5	15	39	Tim McCreadie	Watertown, NY	$3,300
6	11	20RT	Ricky Thornton Jr.	Adel, IA	$3,200
7	9	22F	Chris Ferguson	Mt. Holly, NC	$2,300
8	7	25	Shane Clanton	Zebulon, GA	$2,900
9	3	14	Josh Richards	Shinnston, WV	$2,900
10	16	12J	Jason Jameson	Lawrenceburg, IN	$2,000
11	5	2S	Stormy Scott	Las Cruces, NM	$1,600
12	23	20	Jimmy Owens	Newport, TN	$2,400
13	24	1	Earl Pearson Jr	Jacksonville, FL	$2,100
14	14	40B	Kyle Bronson	Brandon, FL	$1,900
15	8	5N	Dustin Nobbe	Batesville, IN	$1,050
16	2	9	Devin Moran	Dresden, OH	$1,700
17	13	1G	Devin Gilpin	Columbus, IN	$1,000
18	19	97	Michael Chilton	Salvisa, KY	$1,000
19	10	157	Mike Marlar	Winfield, TN	$1,700
20	12	76	Brandon Overton	Evans, GA	$1,000
21	20	83	Scott James	Lawrenceburg, IN	$1,000
22	21	17J	Greg Johnson	Bedford, IN	$1,000
23	22	21H	Robby Hensley	Walton, KY	$1,000
24	17	K3	Darrell Lanigan	Union, KY	$1,000

Race Statistics
Entrants: 38
Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-18); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 19-32 and 34-56); Josh Rice (33 and 57-60)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Josh Rice
Arizona Sport Shirts CJC – Presented by DirtOnDirt Feature Winner: n/a
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/a
Margin of Victory: 01.212 seconds
Stop Tech Brakes Cautions: Darrell Lanigan (Lap 6); Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jimmy Owens, Mike Marlar, Scott James (Lap 11), Debris (Lap 32)
Series Provisionals: Jimmy Owens, Earl Pearson, Jr.
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisionals: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Josh Rice, Hudson O’Neal, Jonathan Davenport
Penske Shocks Top 5: Josh Rice, Hudson O’Neal, Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Erb, Tim McCreadie
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Tyler Erb (Advanced 14 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tim McCreadie
Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Hudson O’Neal – 37 Laps
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Tyler Erb
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Josh Rice (Lap 30 – 17.413 seconds)
Fast Shafts Tough Break of the Race: Stormy Scott
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: James Rice
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Jay Dickens Race Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Josh Richards (15.757 seconds)
Time of Race: 35 minutes 19 seconds