August 23, 2025 | By Lucas Oil Late Model Series PR

Thornton Wins at Port Royal, Returns to Lucas Oil Victory Lane on Friday Night

PORT ROYAL, Pa.—For the first time since July 11, defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion Ricky Thornton Jr. returned to victory lane, leading 39 of the 40 laps in Friday night's $10,000-to-win main event at Port Royal Speedway.

Thornton’s 11th win of 2025 came on night one of the Rumble by the River presented by UNOH. Jonathan Davenport challenged Thornton for most of the race, briefly taking the lead on lap 30 after Thornton had led the first 29 laps from his pole position. Davenport then got by him for the race lead, but on the next lap, Thornton regained the lead off turn four on lap 31.

Thornton pulled away from the current Midwest Sheet Metal points lead to win his 53rd Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race. Davenport finished second, with Brandon Sheppard completing the Big River Steel Podium in third. Devin Moran was fourth, and Mike Marlar rounded out the top five drivers in a race that was entirely caution-free.

“I didn’t quite know where I needed to be. I could run the bottom, then reach out through the middle, and then I started to feel like I was getting free, and I knew JD was coming. Then I heard him, and he got next to me and drove by, sliding into three. If I have a shot to win this, I’ll need to be able to pass him right back,” said the Chandler, Arizona native.

“I had a good run and was able to pass him. I don’t know how much he had to slow down for me getting into three there, and hopefully we didn’t make contact or anything like that. After that, I just moved to the top, started banging the boards, and hoped I could drive away so he couldn’t catch me. With four laps to go, I hit the wall right at the sign in turn two, and I thought, if I pop my right front here, it’s really going to be bad getting into three. But it all worked out for us. I love coming to this place; it’s so slick and technical.”

Davenport, who entered the night 55 points ahead of Thornton, lost 20 points as last week’s Topless 100 winner finished in second place.

“He (Thornton) just did a good job there. I kept inching up on him from the bottom. I tried the top a couple of times in one and two, but you really had to commit all the way up there, and I kept trying to go up there to gain a little momentum and pull off, but it just wasn’t as effective. I then started running the bottom and tried to slow down more and more, and it seemed to work for us. I ran him back down and got past him, which made him start searching too, and then he just committed to the top in one and two. Obviously, he got a run down the back straightaway and slid me into three. He just did a good job, plain and simple.”

Sheppard, who started next to Thornton on the front row, ran second for the first ten laps before yielding the spot to Davenport.

“We had a really solid night, for sure. We were just two spots short tonight, you know. It’s one of those deals where it was like stages, and we were really good, so we’re just going to jot it down in the old notebook and give it our best shot tomorrow night. I’ve got a good car and something to work with. When you’re running well and gaining some consistency, that’s what we want.”

The winner’s Koehler Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Hoker Trucking, Knight’s Companies, Coltman Farms Racing, Ultimate Towing and Recovery, Elite Ready Mix, Capital Waste, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bilstein Shocks, EMD Wraps, and Certified Inspection Services.

Completing the top ten were Hudson O’Neal, Garrett Alberson, Max Blair, Daulton Wilson, and Chris Madden.


Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Rumble by the River presented by UNOH | Night 1
Port Royal Speedway | Port Royal, PA

Friday, August 22, 2025

Allstar Performance Time Trials

Fast Time Group A: Brandon Overton | 18.414 seconds (Overall)
Fast Time Group B: Devin Moran | 18.887 seconds

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[4]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[3]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 6. 118*-Matt Cochran[8]; 7. 66C-Matt Cosner[5]; 8. 22G-Gregg Satterlee[11]; 9. 2J-Justin Weaver[10]; 10. 24Y-Dylan Yoder[7]; 11. 4S-Danny Snyder[9]

Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 3. N1-Michael Norris[4]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 5. 22F-Chris Ferguson[8]; 6. 66-Justin Kann[3]; 7. 4-Gary Stuhler[6]; 8. 1Z-Logan Zarin[7]; 9. 15F-Scott Flickinger[10]; 10. 80D-Greg Diehl[9]; 11. 27-Trever Feathers[11]

Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 3. 71-Hudson O'Neal[5]; 4. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[4]; 5. 09-Michael Leach[3]; 6. 9-Hayes Mattern[7]; 7. 48-Colton Flinner[6]; 8. 79-Donald McIntosh[9]; 9. D19-Dillan Stake[10]; 10. 21-Chad Myers[11]; 11. 93L-Cory Lawler[8]; 12. 000-Dale Murphy[12]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 157-Mike Marlar[1]; 2. 44-Chris Madden[2]; 3. 111-Max Blair[3]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 5. 15K-Wil Herrington[7]; 6. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 7. 24-Rick Eckert[8]; 8. 2-Dan Stone[6]; 9. 0Y-Andrew Yoder[11]; 10. 06-Mike Lupfer[9]; 11. 10S-Dave Stamm[10]

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 22F-Chris Ferguson[2]; 2. 7-Ross Robinson[1]; 3. 118*-Matt Cochran[3]; 4. 4-Gary Stuhler[6]; 5. 2J-Justin Weaver[9]; 6. 66C-Matt Cosner[5]; 7. 24Y-Dylan Yoder[11]; 8. 1Z-Logan Zarin[8]; 9. 15F-Scott Flickinger[10]; 10. 4S-Danny Snyder[13]; 11. 80D-Greg Diehl[12]; 12. 22G-Gregg Satterlee[7]; 13. 66-Justin Kann[4]; 14. (DNS) 27-Trever Feathers

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 15K-Wil Herrington[2]; 2. 09-Michael Leach[1]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 4. 9-Hayes Mattern[3]; 5. 24-Rick Eckert[6]; 6. 79-Donald McIntosh[7]; 7. 0Y-Andrew Yoder[10]; 8. 48-Colton Flinner[5]; 9. D19-Dillan Stake[9]; 10. 21-Chad Myers[11]; 11. 2-Dan Stone[8]; 12. 93L-Cory Lawler[13]; 13. 000-Dale Murphy[15]; 14. 06-Mike Lupfer[12]; 15. 10S-Dave Stamm[14]


Rumble by the River presented by UNOH | Night 1 Feature Finish (40 Laps):

Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Pay
1 - 1 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $10,100
2 - 3 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - $5,600
3 - 2 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $3,500
4 - 6 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $2,700
5 - 4 - 157 - Mike Marlar - Winfield, TN - $2,500
6 - 10 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $2,300
7 - 5 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $2,200
8 - 12 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA - $2,100
9 - 7 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - $2,050
10 - 8 - 44 - Chris Madden - Gray Court, SC - $2,000
11 - 9 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $1,600
12 - 11 - N1 - Michael Norris - Sarver, PA - $1,400
13 - 19 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - $1,200
14 - 14 - 25Z - Mason Zeigler - Chalk Hill, PA - $1,000
15 - 13 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $1,050
16 - 18 - 15K - Wil Herrington - Hawkinsville, GA - $925
17 - 16 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $900
18 - 20 - 9 - Michael Leach - Sun River, MT - $875
19 - 22 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $850
20 - 25 - 2J - Justin Weaver - Clearspring, MD - $825
21 - 23 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - $800
22 - 15 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $800
23 - 24 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - $800
24 - 17 - 22F - Chris Ferguson - Mt. Holly, NC - $800
25 - 21 - 118* - Matt Cochran - Williamsport, PA - $800


Race Statistics 

Entrants: 45

Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
MD3 Lap Leaders: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 1-29); Jonathan Davenport (Lap 30); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 31-40)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Wieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.

Margin of Victory:  1.648 seconds

Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: n/a
Series Provisionals: Donald McIntosh; Cory Lawler
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisional: n/a
Track Provisional: Justin Weaver
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Sheppard
Penske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Mike Marlar
PEM 4th Place Feature: Devin Moran
DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Mike Marlar
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Garrett Alberson
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Brandon Overton
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Ross Robinson
MD3 24th Place Feature: Chris Ferguson
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Ross Robinson (Advanced 6 positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (39 Laps)
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: Dan Ebert
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | Lap 2 | 20.694 seconds
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Fresh Roof Hard Luck Award: n/a
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Zack Frields
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Garrett Alberson | 17.434 seconds

Time of Race: 14 minutes 35 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 - 7055 - $371,400
2 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - 7020 - $363,250
3 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - 6635 - $263,275
4 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - 6610 - $249,249

5 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - 6380 - $216,700
6 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - 6315 - $153,350
7 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - 6075 - $133,700
8 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - 5585 - $110,725
9 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - 5280 - $90,125
10 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - 5215 - $78,450
11 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - 5060 - $73,050
12 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - 4800 - $70,275
13 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - 4660 - $65,800
14 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - 4335 - $59,700
15 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - 4085 - $43,200