August 24, 2025 | By Lucas Oil Late Model Series PR

Thornton Secures Victory in Wild Rumble by the River at Port Royal

PORT ROYAL, Pa.—Ricky Thornton Jr. took the lead from Chris Madden on lap 46 and then pulled away in the final laps to win the Rumble by the River presented by UNOH on Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway.

Thornton not only won $50,000 but also received a $7,500 bonus from UNOH for leading the championship points at the end of the night, now holding a 10-point lead over Jonathan Davenport, who finished fifth in the 50-lap race.

Madden, who led the most laps during the race, finished in second, while Devin Moran rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Brandon Sheppard took the fourth spot ahead of Davenport.

Madden maintained a strong lead for the first 23 laps until Thornton, who started sixth, charged into the top spot on lap 24. Thornton then led until lap 37, when Madden executed a slider on turn two to reclaim the lead as Moran moved up to second place. Madden then led Moran and Thornton until a caution with 41 laps completed bunches the field for a single-file restart with nine laps to go.

Thornton, who restarted in third, got by Moran on lap 45 and Madden on lap 46 to retake the lead for good, which he held to the finish line, winning by 1.7 seconds to complete a sweep of the weekend at Port Royal. Thornton won all three Lucas Oil races at Port Royal in 2025, as he also went to victory lane back in April at “The Speed Palace.”

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 12th time this year and for the 54th time in his career, Thornton had to earn his fourth career win at Port Royal.

“I just hoped I got back to him (Madden). It almost sounded like he was firing a little bit before I was (on the restarts), so he would get a little bit of a run down the hill. The first time, he didn’t slide me, and you, I thought maybe he’s not going to slide me, so on the next restart, he slid me. It was either wreck or get wrecked there. I started driving pretty hard against the wall to get sideways and try to get by Devin, and at that point, it was really the right move. I knew Devin was going to run the wall for a couple of laps, but he wouldn’t really commit up there. He would get his right rear close to the fence, but you almost had to get the right front in the fence and just hold it on the floor and pray it doesn’t turn bad turns,” said the Chandler, Arizona native.

“I got by Devin and slid past him there in three. He tried, I think, to drive it harder into the corner, and I believe that backfired on him instead of just slowing down to cross me like he did the time before. I reached second, and after that, I didn’t hit the throttle again until I got to turn one. I just wanted to make sure I caught up to Madden, and once I did, I aimed to position myself so he couldn’t cross me or beat me into one and slide me again. This time, he didn’t slide me, so I was ready for it—I entered in a way to ensure I could turn. He didn’t slide all the way across, so I stayed on the throttle around the wall. Once I was in front, I knew I had to drive as hard as I could and pray another yellow flag wouldn’t come out. Luckily, it worked out for us.”

Madden, who finished second a week ago in the Topless 100, collected another $20,000 check for car owner Kale Green with his second-place run Saturday night at Port Royal.

“We were racing for 50 grand and had a good restart. We drove into one there, and I had him cleared in the middle of the corner. He could have turned left or hit the brakes or whatever, but he slid into me in three and four, and I had to hit the brake. It is what it is. We had a great race at the end. Thornton got the job done, and we had a great race car tonight. Thanks to all the fans for coming out.”

Moran, who moved into third place in the championship points ahead of Hudson O’Neal, completed the Big River Steel Podium in third.

“Man, I’ve got a good car, so for some reason I can’t get that top run. I’ve tried and tried, but I just can’t make the speed up there like Ricky. However, I am starting to figure this place out a little more. I was good the first couple of times I came here, then I really struggled for probably two or three years. Now I feel like I’m in the top five, top three, top two. We just haven’t got that win, but we’ve got a good package, and I’m starting to get the hang of this place.”

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, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, EMD Wraps, and Certified Inspection Services.

Completing the top ten were Mike Marlar, Max Blair, Gregg Satterlee, Brandon Overton, and Hudson O’Neal.


Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Rumble by the River presented by UNOH | Night 2
Port Royal Speedway | Port Royal, PA

Saturday, August 23, 2025

Allstar Performance Time Trials

Fast Time Group A: Carson Ferguson | 17.822 seconds (Overall)
Fast Time Group B: Chris Madden | 17.934 seconds

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 93-Carson Ferguson[1]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[4]; 4. N1-Michael Norris[7]; 5. 22G-Gregg Satterlee[6]; 6. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[2]; 7. 66-Justin Kann[10]; 8. 1Z-Logan Zarin[8]; 9. 000-Dale Murphy[9]; 10. 06-Mike Lupfer[11]; 11. 9-Hayes Mattern[5]

Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O'Neal[1]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 3. 157-Mike Marlar[3]; 4. 111-Max Blair[4]; 5. 09-Michael Leach[5]; 6. 6-Clay Harris[6]; 7. 2J-Justin Weaver[10]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 9. 24Y-Dylan Yoder[9]; 10. 24-Rick Eckert[7]

Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 44-Chris Madden[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 4. 79-Donald McIntosh[5]; 5. 15K-Wil Herrington[4]; 6. 60-Dan Ebert[11]; 7. 48-Colton Flinner[7]; 8. 2-Dan Stone[8]; 9. 0Y-Andrew Yoder[9]; 10. 21-Chad Myers[10]; 11. 4-Gary Stuhler[6]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 66C-Matt Cosner[3]; 3. 22F-Chris Ferguson[4]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[8]; 5. 27-Trever Feathers[6]; 6. D19-Dillan Stake[7]; 7. 4S-Danny Snyder[9]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[5]; 9. 80D-Greg Diehl[10]; 10. 18D-Daulton Wilson[2]

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 22G-Gregg Satterlee[1]; 2. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[3]; 3. 6-Clay Harris[4]; 4. 09-Michael Leach[2]; 5. 1Z-Logan Zarin[7]; 6. 2J-Justin Weaver[6]; 7. 66-Justin Kann[5]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 9. 24Y-Dylan Yoder[10]; 10. 000-Dale Murphy[9]; 11. 24-Rick Eckert[12]; 12. 9-Hayes Mattern[13]; 13. (DNS) 06-Mike Lupfer

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 15K-Wil Herrington[1]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[3]; 3. 48-Colton Flinner[5]; 4. 27-Trever Feathers[2]; 5. 4-Gary Stuhler[13]; 6. 2-Dan Stone[7]; 7. 4S-Danny Snyder[6]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[8]; 9. 21-Chad Myers[11]; 10. 80D-Greg Diehl[10]; 11. 0Y-Andrew Yoder[9]; 12. 18D-Daulton Wilson[12]; 13. D19-Dillan Stake[4]


Rumble by the River | Night 1 Feature Finish (50 Laps):

Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Pay
1 - 6 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $58,700
2 - 2 - 44 - Chris Madden - Gray Court, SC - $20,000
3 - 4 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $12,500
4 - 7 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $10,200
5 - 5 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - $9,700
6 - 11 - 157 - Mike Marlar - Winfield, TN - $6,000
7 - 15 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA - $4,500
8 - 17 - 22G - Gregg Satterlee - Indiana, PA - $4,000
9 - 9 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $6,000
10 - 3 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $5,900
11 - 14 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - $4,200
12 - 1 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $3,900
13 - 10 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $5,200
14 - 8 - 66C - Matt Cosner - Ridgeley, WV - $2,500
15 - 25 - 24 - Rick Eckert - York, PA - $2,400
16 - 20 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $3,000
17 - 23 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - $4,400
18 - 21 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $2,800
19 - 16 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - $2,000
20 - 13 - N1 - Michael Norris - Sarver, PA - $2,000
21 - 12 - 22F - Chris Ferguson - Mt. Holly, NC - $2,000
22 - 24 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $2,700
23 - 19 - 25Z - Mason Zeigler - Chalk Hill, PA - $2,000
24 - 18 - 15K - Wil Herrington - Hawkinsville, GA - $2,000
25 - 22 - 48 - Colton Flinner - Allison Park, PA - $2,000


Race Statistics 

Entrants: 42

Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Carson Ferguson

MD3 Lap Leaders: Chris Madden (Laps 1-23); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 24-37); Chris Madden (38-45); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 46-50)

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

Margin of Victory: 1.754 seconds

Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: Wil Herrington (Lap 9); Daulton Wilson (Lap 19); Wil Herrington (Lap 33); Daniel Hilsabeck (Lap 37); Chris Ferguson (Lap 41)
Series Provisionals: Daulton Wilson; Daniel Hilsabeck
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisional: n/a
Track Provisional: Rick Eckert
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Chris Madden, Devin Moran
Penske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Chris Madden, Devin Moran, Brandon Sheppard, Jonathan Davenport
PEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon Sheppard
DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Jonathan Davenport
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Max Blair
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Donald McIntosh
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Garrett Alberson
MD3 24th Place Feature: Wil Herrington
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Rick Eckert (Advanced 10 positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Chris Madden (31 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: Donald McIntosh
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Chris Madden | Lap 2| 20.200 seconds
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Fresh Roof Hard Luck Award: Daulton Wilson
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Zach 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: Mike Marlar | 17.913 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 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - 7270 - $421,950
2 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - 7260 - $381,100
3 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - 6830 - $261,749
4 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - 6815 - $269,175
5 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - 6590 - $226,900
6 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - 6480 - $158,550
7 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - 6260 - $139,700
8 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - 5730 - $115,125
9 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - 5460 - $94,025
10 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - 5390 - $82,650
11 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - 5185 - $75,750
12 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - 4950 - $73,275
13 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - 4800 - $68,600
14 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - 4335 - $59,700
15 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - 4185 - $44,100