July 12, 2025 | By Lyndal Scranton

Thornton dominates opener at Lucas Oil Speedway's CMH Diamond Nationals

WHEATLAND, MO.—It was all Ricky Thornton Jr. on Friday night at Lucas Oil Speedway, as the 19th annual CMH Diamond Nationals Presented by Wieland kicked off.

Thornton, of Chandler, Ariz., led all 40 laps to earn his 10th Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series feature victory of the season for the $15,000 prize. Jonathan Davenport was second and Clay Harris came home in third as 36 cars checked into the pits for Night One.

The stakes will be even higher on Saturday night with $25,000 going to the Night 2 Diamond Nationals winner. A total of 36 Late Models checked into the pits for the opener and the series' top two drivers battled it out from the start of the night.

Scoring his first series win since May, Thornton was coming off a 20th-place finish in a feature he did not finish a night earlier at 34 Raceway in Iowa. Thornton said his 52nd career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory was a much-needed boost to his Koehler Motorsports team.

"They busted their butts. We drove here all night and got here at 4 this morning," Thornton said. "They slept a few hours, then back up at 8:30. They had the motor and a little bit of front suspension was about the only thing on it. Worked all day, just trying to give ourselves a chance.

"Yesterday the driver screwed up cost us a lot of parts. I just have to thank them for all their hard work."

Thornton set fast qualifying time with a lap of 15.012 seconds in Group A with Davenport, of Blairsville, Ga., posting fast time in Group B at 15.073. Those two won their heat races to earn front-row starting positions for the main event and they set a blazing pace at the start.

Thornton led Davenport raced mostly side by side through three laps with Thornton clinging to the lead. Caution waved on lap four for Kayden Clatt’s spin in turn two. Thornton continued to hug the bottom groove after the restart as Brandon Overton slid past Davenport for second, but Davenport was back in second two laps later.

That would be the race’s lone caution and that was good news for Thornton who covered the 40 laps in just 13 minutes, 51 seconds. Davenport, the series points leader over Thornton, was a hefty 3.2 seconds behind the winner at the checkers.

“I was on (softer) tires than he was," Thornton said of Davenport, "and I'm like man, he's so good here, did I really make a bad decision? Then we took off and he was a little better than I was. It kind of surprised me. I felt like I should have been better on the bottom and I think I almost over-driving the straightaways and wheel-spinning real bad.

"That yellow came out and kind of saved me. It let me calm back down and think of what I needed to do."

Looking ahead to Saturday, Thornton said "hopefully we can have a quiet day. No rain or anything like that hits us and we can be up here again."

Thornton stretched his margin to more than two seconds by lap 10 with Davenport a second and a half in front of third-running Overton. The extended green-flag run saw Thornton continue to pull away, his lead hitting 3.2 seconds by lap 17. That’s about the time Thornton caught lapped traffic and Davenport was able to cut the margin to 2.9 seconds at the halfway point on lap 20.

But it didn’t take long for Thornton to again push his lead to more than three seconds and he was never challenged from there. Davenport wound up having to fend off a hard-charging Harris, who came from 11th, to hold onto second.

Davenport, with eight Lucas Oil Speedway feature wins since the spring of 2023, said he was surprised that his choice of a harder compound tire did not pay off.

"You think you know a little bit about tires and something like tonight happens," Davenport said. "Clay done an awesome job coming from wherever he did on as soft as you could put on and Ricky done a good job, too, and he had on soft tires.

"I really thought we were in the catbird's seat. Me and the 1 car (Brandon Sheppard) were the only ones who had all hard tires on. Just a little bit different of a night. That's what we love about Lucas Oil Speedway. It's always something a little bit different."

Davenport still leads Thornton by 50 points in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship race.

Harris, of Jupiter, Fla., finished third just .037 seconds behind Davenport. Garrett Alberson, who started 10th, was fourth and Moran settled for fifth.

"It means a lot," Harris said of his season-best series finish. "Our guys have been working their (butts) off. We didn't think we were gonna finish racing the Lucas season because we broke a motor last night, but they stepped up and bought us a motor today and we run good, so I'm happy about it."

Fennewald wins in Hickamo Super Stocks: Johnny Fennewald zoomed from a sixth-starting position to grab the lead by lap five and ran away from there for the Hickamo Super Stocks victory in the CMH Diamond Nationals support division.

Fennewald, of Appleton City, earned $650 for the win as 31 Super Stocks were on hand. He grabbed the lead from early pacesetter Kyle Davis and set sail from there in a race slowed by only one caution. Fennewald won by a 4.6-second-margin, his second Super Stocks triumph of the season.

"It's a really growing class," Fennewald said of the Super Stocks. "I didn't know how it would be, from a Stock Car to this. It's a learning curve for sure. It's a whole lot different deal, but we're starting to figure it out."

Tim Brown finished third with Terry Schultz fourth and Tony Anglin fifth.

The Hickamo Super Stocks will compete for $1,000 to win on Saturday as grandstands open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 followed by Late Model time trials.



Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
19th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals presented by Wieland | Night 1
Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO

Friday, July 11, 2025


Allstar Performance Time Trials

Fast Time Group A: Ricky Thornton Jr. | 15.012 seconds (Overall)
Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport | 15.073 seconds

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[6]; 3. 1XM-Aaron Marrant[2]; 4. 93L-Cory Lawler[5]; 5. 50-Kayden Clatt[3]; 6. 4W-Tyler Wolff[9]; 7. 15-Clay Stuckey[7]; 8. 65-Jon Binning[8]; 9. 96-Dalton Imhoff[4]

Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 3. 6-Clay Harris[3]; 4. 79-Donald McIntosh[4]; 5. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 6. 11-Gordy Gundaker[6]; 7. 98-Justin Wells[9]; 8. 31C-Cole Henson[7]; 9. 1/4J-Jaxon Ertel[8]

Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[3]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[4]; 4. 97-Cade Dillard[2]; 5. 11T-Trevor Gundaker[6]; 6. 56-Tony Jackson Jr[5]; 7. 15L-Payton Looney[8]; 8. 0-Jake O'Neil[7]; 9. 28-Jim Greenway[9]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 8K-Tyler Kuykendall[2]; 2. 19M-Spencer Hughes[1]; 3. 71-Hudson O'Neal[3]; 4. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 5. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 6. 87-Darron Fuqua[7]; 7. 7J-Ryan Johnson[6]; 8. 3W-Brennon Willard[8]; 9. (DNS) 805-Rob Hough

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 11-Gordy Gundaker[4]; 2. 50-Kayden Clatt[1]; 3. 98-Justin Wells[6]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 5. 4W-Tyler Wolff[3]; 6. 1/4J-Jaxon Ertel[10]; 7. 15-Clay Stuckey[5]; 8. 65-Jon Binning[7]; 9. 96-Dalton Imhoff[9]; 10. 31C-Cole Henson[8]

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 11T-Trevor Gundaker[1]; 2. 56-Tony Jackson Jr[3]; 3. 15L-Payton Looney[5]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[2]; 5. 0-Jake O'Neil[7]; 6. 3W-Brennon Willard[8]; 7. 7J-Ryan Johnson[6]; 8. 87-Darron Fuqua[4]; 9. (DNS) 28-Jim Greenway; 10. (DNS) 805-Rob Hough


19th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals presented by Wieland | Night 1 Feature Finish (40 Laps):

Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Pay
1 - 1 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $15,000
2 - 2 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - $7,100
3 - 11 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $5,000
4 - 10 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $4,000
5 - 7 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $3,000
6 - 3 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $2,500
7 - 6 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - $2,400
8 - 12 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $2,300
9 - 14 - 97 - Cade Dillard - Robeline, LA - $2,200
10 - 5 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $2,100
11 - 15 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - $2,000
12 - 16 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $1,800
13 - 19 - 50 - Kayden Clatt - Edina, MO - $1,600
14 - 17 - 11 - Gordy Gundaker - St. Charles, MO - $1,500
15 - 24 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $1,400
16 - 23 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $1,300
17 - 9 - 1XM - Aaron Marrant - Richmond, MO - $1,200
18 - 8 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - $1,100
19 - 4 - 8K - Tyler Kuykendall - Warsaw, MO - $1,000
20 - 13 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - $1,000
21 - 21 - 98 - Justin Wells - Aurora, MO - $1,000
22 - 20 - 56 - Tony Jackson Jr - Lebanon, MO - $1,000
23 - 18 - 11T - Trevor Gundaker - St. Charles, MO - $1,000
24 - 22 - 15L - Payton Looney - Republic, MO - $1,000


Race Statistics 

Entrants: 36

Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Ricky Thornton Jr.

MD3 Lap Leaders: Ricky Thornton Jr. (Laps 1 - 40)

Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Ricky Thornton Jr.
Wieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton Jr.

Margin of Victory: 3.26 seconds

Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: Kayden Clatt (Lap 3)

Series Provisionals: Daniel Hilsabeck, Dan Ebert
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisional: n/a
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton Jr., Jonathan Devenport, Clay Harris
Penske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Clay Harris, Garrett Alberson, Devin Moran
PEM 4th Place Feature: Garrett Alberson
DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Devin Moran
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Daulton Wilson
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Donald McIntosh
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Kayden Clatt
MD3 24th Place Feature: Payton Looney
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Dan Ebert (Advanced 9 Positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Ricky Thornton Jr.
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton Jr.
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jonathan Davenport
O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Donald McIntosh
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport | Lap 2 | 16.444 seconds
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Clay Harris
Fresh Roof Hard Luck Award: n/a
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Zach Frields
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Trevor Gundaker | 15.848 seconds

Time of Race: 13 minutes 51 seconds


Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:

Pos - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Points - Pay
1 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - 5285 - $258,400
2 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - 5235 - $281,450
3 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - 4980 - $190,449
4 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - 4945 - $146,475
5 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - 4770 - $114,350
6 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - 4645 - $122,500
7 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - 4565 - $98,700
8 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - 4305 - $80,325
9 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - 4115 - $67,925
10 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - 3960 - $53,900
11 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - 3855 - $49,725
12 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - 3560 - $47,625
13 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - 3525 - $40,700
14 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - 3395 - $43,450
15 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - 3110 - $30,725



Hickamo Super Stocks

A Feature - 1. 21-Johnny Fennewald[6]; 2. 10K-Kyle Davis[1]; 3. 111-Tim Brown[3]; 4. B4-Terry Schultz[10]; 5. G1-Tony Anglin[4]; 6. KEG1-Jeremy Russell[14]; 7. 4G-Gary Clark[2]; 8. 94-Kenny Carroll[9]; 9. 26M-Donnie Miller[22]; 10. 94C-JT Carroll[19]; 11. 164-Michael Muskrat[5]; 12. 25-Aaron Murry[12]; 13. 35-Johnny Coats[18]; 14. 3P-Aaron Poe[16]; 15. 73-Francisco Escamilla[11]; 16. 64-Luke Leatherman[15]; 17. 23N-Jase Nelson[8]; 18. 20-Robbie Jones[23]; 19. 18-Jon Hays[7]; 20. X15-Bobby Ruff II[21]; 21. 08-Scott Pullen[13]; 22. (DNF) 8N-Colby North[24]; 23. (DNF) 04-Blaine Ewing[17]; 24. (DNS) 53-Danny O'Neal

B Feature - 1. 04-Blaine Ewing[2]; 2. 35-Johnny Coats[3]; 3. 94C-JT Carroll[14]; 4. 53-Danny O'Neal[5]; 5. X15-Bobby Ruff II[1]; 6. 26M-Donnie Miller[6]; 7. 20-Robbie Jones[9]; 8. 8N-Colby North[11]; 9. 27B-Jerett Evans[4]; 10. 06-Morgan Campbell[7]; 11. 28-Chris Kircher[8]; 12. (DNF) 77-Jeff Douty[13]; 13. (DNF) 69T-Tony Bowman[12]; 14. (DNF) 26-Wyatt Woods[10]; 15. (DNS) 27D-Derek Henson

Heat 1 - 1. 4G-Gary Clark[3]; 2. 18-Jon Hays[1]; 3. 25-Aaron Murry[2]; 4. 64-Luke Leatherman[4]; 5. X15-Bobby Ruff II[7]; 6. 53-Danny O'Neal[8]; 7. 26-Wyatt Woods[6]; 8. (DNS) 27D-Derek Henson

Heat 2 - 1. G1-Tony Anglin[1]; 2. 94-Kenny Carroll[2]; 3. 21-Johnny Fennewald[7]; 4. 3P-Aaron Poe[4]; 5. 04-Blaine Ewing[6]; 6. 06-Morgan Campbell[3]; 7. 20-Robbie Jones[8]; 8. (DNF) 77-Jeff Douty[5]

Heat 3 - 1. 111-Tim Brown[3]; 2. 23N-Jase Nelson[1]; 3. 08-Scott Pullen[2]; 4. 73-Francisco Escamilla[8]; 5. 27B-Jerett Evans[5]; 6. 26M-Donnie Miller[7]; 7. (DNF) 69T-Tony Bowman[4]; 8. (DNF) 94C-JT Carroll[6]

Heat 4 - 1. 10K-Kyle Davis[6]; 2. 164-Michael Muskrat[4]; 3. B4-Terry Schultz[5]; 4. KEG1-Jeremy Russell[2]; 5. 35-Johnny Coats[1]; 6. 28-Chris Kircher[3]; 7. 8N-Colby North[7]

Grandstands open at 4 p.m. Saturday with hot laps at 6:30 and racing to follow for both the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and Hickamo Super Stocks.


Saturday admission:

Adults (13 and up) - $30
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $27
Youth (ages 6-12) - $10
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass - $70
Pit Pass - $45

For information on admission or camping for any Lucas Oil Speedway event in 2025, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-6119 or (417) 295-6043 or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.