September 21, 2025 | By Bill Wright

Hudson O’Neal wins Late Model Knoxville Nationals

KNOXVILLE, Ia.—Hudson O’Neal made history in more than one way Saturday night by winning the finale of the 21st Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals. He won the richest paying race in Knoxville Late Model history, pocketing $75,000. He was the youngest winner of the race at age 25, and he and father Don (2011) become the first father/son duo to win the event. The win was all the sweeter, as Hudson destroyed his primary car on Thursday here, writing a true “wreckers to checkers story.” The event featured nine lead changes, but once O’Neal took control, his winning advantage at the checkers was 8.3 seconds. In the companion Malvern Bank Late Model Racing Series event, Chad Simpson took the $4,900 victory, his second in his career at Knoxville.

Jonathan Davenport led early in the 75-lap headliner, ahead of Friday winner Devin Moran, Thursday winner Garrett Alberson, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Tyler Erb. While Davenport led a middle to high groove, Moran took the low side and made his first pass for the lead on lap three, before Chase Junghans brought the first caution. Brandon Overton made heavy contact with the backstretch wall a lap later to bring another caution.

On the restart, Alberson and Erb shot by Davenport, but the veteran came back to claim third by a lap six caution for a slowing Jake Neal. Davenport returned to the second position on that restart, and on lap nine had his momentum back on the cushion, taking the lead again on lap nine. He was into lapped traffic by the sixteenth circuit.

On lap 21, Moran reeled the leader back in and took the point on the low side, but Davenport wasn’t going away either and shot back around for another lead on lap 24. When the fifth place car of Bobby Pierce brought a caution 28 laps in, Davenport led in front of Thornton, Moran, Brandon Sheppard and Alberson. Moran regained second on that restart, and slowly reeled in Davenport.

The leader was in lapped traffic on lap 39, and five laps later, Moran shot back under him before a caution flew for Carson Ferguson. By that time, O’Neal had entered the top five after starting in the 15th spot. On the restart, Thornton and O’Neal shot into second and third.

On lap 47, O’Neal cruised under Thornton for the second spot. Things bunched up again on lap 53, when Davenport slowed and retired from the event. Moran led O’Neal, Thornton, Sheppard and Daulton Wilson back to green. On lap 55, O’Neal had the bottom working and slipped by Moran to lead. Moran came back to lead lap 56, but it was short-lived.

O’Neal made his final pass on lap 57 and pulled away from there to win by an incredible 8.3 second margin. Thornton gained second with four to go, and Moran edged Sheppard to complete the podium. Wilson was fifth. Brian Shirley, Alberson, Dan Ebert (the last car on the lead lap), Erb and Donald McIntosh rounded out the top ten. O’Neal also earned a steering wheel from MPi for his Hard-charger honors. Neal and Chad Simpson were the B main winners.

“I’m tired,” said a jubilant O’Neal in Victory Lane. “Running around that berm was so demanding! It got so rough down there. I just kept telling myself, ‘Breathe, breathe, breathe.’ My hat’s off to my guys. Whenever you destroy a racecar like that, it hurts. You put a lot of effort into it. That was a morale killer, but the guys worked hard the next day to get this car ready. To be able to come from 15th tonight is so, so awesome! This is so special. These are the races you dream of having your name on. To be able to add this one is so cool. To be able to add my name below my Dad’s…no words can describe it.”

“I went a lot tighter than I did last night, and the track really never slowed down like it normally does here,” said Thornton. “Overall, we’re happy with second. Hud was a lot better than all of us. I think he started (15th) and drove by us and won by 8.5 seconds or whatever it was. Congrats to him. I feel like anytime it gets around the berm on the bottom, Hud wears us all out. After flipping night one, obviously, it didn’t scare him.”

“The bottom started chunking out a little bit, and my nose was too low,” said Moran of his run late in the race. “It kept on bouncing and bouncing. I just could not circle that bottom. I felt like we had a really good car most of that race. Me and JD had an awesome race going on. It was so fun going with him. Obviously, Hudson had the best car tonight there at the end. All in all, we’ll take it. My guys did a great job.”

Chad Simpson led early in the 22-lap Malvern Bank Late Model main event, ahead of Jason Hahne, Dylan Thornton, Tad Pospisil and Dallon Murty. Corey Zeitner got by Murty into the top five on lap two and then took fourth from Pospisil on lap four.

Hahne worked the low side of the track, and shot by Simpson to lead lap five. Meanwhile, Andrew Kosiski and Pospisil exchanged fifth three times over as many laps.

Simpson was regaining his momentum on the cushion and shot back by Hahne to lead lap nine. Pospisil and Kosiski worked by Zeitner into fourth and fifth. Simpson entered lapped traffic on lap 11, while Murty worked back into the top five.

In heavy lapped traffic, Thornton shot by Hahne for second on lap 13, and three laps later, Zeithner slowed to bring the only caution of the event. Simpson led Thornton, Hahne, Pospisil and Murty back to green. Murty hit the high side to jump up to third on the restart, with Hahne and Jacob Hobscheidt completing the top five.

Simpson maintained his lead for his second career win here. His last came in a Late Model Knoxville Nationals prelim in 2015. Thornton crossed second, ahead of Murty, the hard-charger Hobscheidt and Hahne. Andrew Kosiski, Brian Kosiski, Jesse Sobbing, Pospisil and Andy Eckrich rounded out the top ten. Thornton, Andy Eckrich and Hahne were the heat winners.

“I knew when (Hahne) passed me I kept missing the top the way I needed to,” said Simpson in Victory Lane. “I kept hitting the slick spots and sliding across the middle. I just had to get up in that moisture and keep the right front pinned. That way I could drive right around there. I knew I wouldn’t be as good on the bottom. I just kept charging there up top. We escaped through (lapped traffic) and pulled her off. In my opinion, for a late model driver, this is the biggest stage in Iowa. To race and win here in front of all our Iowa fans…it’s pretty bad-ass!”

Thank you all for a great 2025 season! For more information on the Knoxville Raceway, visit us online at www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com!


21st Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Championship Results

B main one (started), 8 Laps, 2:25.9: 1. 6J-Jake Neal, Omaha, NE,  (2); 2. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr., Franfort, IL,  (8); 3. 99X-Dallon Murty, Chelsea, IA,  (3) / 4. 51-Matt Furman, Iowa City, IA,  (5); 5. 51B-Brandon Carpenter, Coldwater, MS,  (4); 6. 21B-Rich Bell, Sheffield, IL,  (7); 7. 51C-Dean Carpenter, Coldwater, MS,  (9); 8. 17-Tim Simpson, Iowa, City, IA  (6); 9. (DNS) 16-Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA

B main two (started), 9 Laps, 2:42.0 (NTR): 1. 25-Chad Simpson, Mt. Vernon, IA  (1); 2. 75-Daniel Adam, Peru, IL,  (4); 3. 15-Clay Stuckey, Shreveport, LA,  (3) / 4. 38T-Dylan Thornton, Orcutt, CA,  (6); 5. 04-Tad Pospisil, Norfolk, NE,  (2); 6. 10-Junior Coover, Norfolk, NE,  (9); 7. 45D-Dan Battaglia, Gretna, NE,  (7); 8. 53-Andrew Kosiski La Vista, NE,  (5); 9. 6H-Al Humphrey, Giltner, NE (6)

A-Main (started), 75 Laps, NT: 1. 71-Hudson O'Neal (15); 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr (4); 3. 99-Devin Moran (1); 4. 1-Brandon Sheppard (9); 5. 18D-Daulton Wilson (7); 6. 3S-Brian Shirley (10); 7. 58-Garrett Alberson (3); 8. 60-Dan Ebert (21); 9. 01-Tyler Erb (5); 10. 79-Donald McIntosh (14); 11. 25-Chad Simpson (26); 12. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr (27); 13. 19M-Joseph Joiner (13); 14. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck (17); 15. 15-Clay Stuckey (30); 16. 76N-Blair Nothdurft (20); 17. 99S-Jesse Sobbing (23); 18. 49-Jonathan Davenport (2); 19. 93L-Cory Lawler (22); 20. 93-Carson Ferguson (12); 21. 1XM-Aaron Marrant (11); 22. 75-Daniel Adam (28); 23. 6-Clay Harris (24); 24. 19R-Ryan Gustin (19); 25. 32-Bobby Pierce (8); 26. 51B-Brandon Carpenter (32); 27. 99X-Dallon Murty (29); 28. 32S-Chris Simpson (16); 29. 04-Tad Pospisil (31); 30. 6J-Jake Neal (25); 31. 76-Brandon Overton (6); 32. 18C-Chase Junghans (18). Lap Leaders: Davenport 1-2, Moran 3-8, Davenport 9-20, Moran 21-23, Davenport 24-43, Moran 44-54, O’Neal 55, Moran 56, O’Neal 57-75. MPi Hard-charger: O’Neal


Malvern Bank Late Model Series Results

Qualifying Group 1 (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 99X-Dallon Murty, Chelsea, IA, 00:17.979 (7); 2. 04-Tad Pospisil, Norfolk, NE, 00:18.043 (1); 3. 24-Bill Leighton, La Vista, NE, 00:18.120 (6); 4. 38T-Dylan Thornton, Orcutt, CA, 00:18.135 (8); 5. 4-JC Wyman, Griswold, IA, 00:18.364 (3); 6. 42-Fred Remley, Anamosa, IA, 00:18.533 (5); 7. 01-Jacob Hobscheidt, Plattsmouth, NE, 00:18.583 (2); 8. 99D-Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown, IA, 00:19.614 (4)

Qualifying Group 2 (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 52-Brian Kosiski, Papillion, NE, 00:18.223 (3); 2. 25-Chad Simpson, Mt, Vernon, IA, 00:18.225 (1); 3. 14-Kyle Berck, Marquette, NE, 00:18.366 (2); 4. 15C-Curt Schroeder, Newton, IA, 00:18.426 (8); 5. 58-Dave Eckrich, Oxford, IA, 00:18.570 (6); 6. 56-Andy Eckrich, Oxford, IA, 00:18.807 (5); 7. 01X-CJ Horn, Cedar Rapids, IA, 00:18.951 (4); 8. 22-Charlie McKenna, Ames, IA, 00:20.873 (7)

Qualifying Group 3 (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 26JR-Corey Zeitner, Omaha, NE, 00:18.127 (3); 2. 99-Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, IA, 00:18.257 (6); 3. 53-Andrew Kosiski, La Vista, NE, 00:18.397 (1); 4. 76H-Jason Hahne, Webster City, IA, 00:18.532 (5); 5. 10T-Jeff Tharp, Sherill, IA, 00:18.556 (7); 6. 33-Nick Marolf, Moscow, IA, 00:18.667 (2); DNS - 35D-Dylan Sillman, Alvo, NE

Heat one (started), 8 Laps, 2:29.2: 1. 38T-Dylan Thornton (3); 2. 04-Tad Pospisil (5); 3. 4-JC Wyman (2); 4. 99X-Dallon Murty (6); 5. 42-Fred Remley (1); 6. 01-Jacob Hobscheidt (7); 7. 99D-Darrel DeFrance (8); 8. 24-Bill Leighton (4)

Heat two (started), 8 Laps, 2:34.0: 1. 56-Andy Eckrich (1); 2. 58-Dave Eckrich (2); 3. 25-Chad Simpson (5); 4. 15C-Curt Schroeder (3); 5. 14-Kyle Berck (4); 6. 52-Brian Kosiski (6); 7. 01X-CJ Horn (7); 8. 22-Charlie McKenna (8)

Heat three (started), 8 Laps, 2:31.5: 1. 76H-Jason Hahne (3); 2. 10T-Jeff Tharp (2); 3. 53-Andrew Kosiski (4); 4. 26JR-Corey Zeitner (6); 5. 99-Jesse Sobbing (5); 6. 33-Nick Marolf (1); DNS - 35D-Dylan Sillman

A main (started), 22 Laps, NT: 1. 25-Chad Simpson (2); 2. 38T-Dylan Thornton (3); 3. 99X-Dallon Murty (6); 4. 01-Jacob Hobscheidt (16); 5. 76H-Jason Hahne (1); 6. 53-Andrew Kosiski (7); 7. 52-Brian Kosiski (8); 8. 99-Jesse Sobbing (9); 9. 04-Tad Pospisil (4); 10. 56-Andy Eckrich (12); 11. 14-Kyle Berck (14); 12. 24-Bill Leighton (17); 13. 4-JC Wyman (13); 14. 42-Fred Remley (18); 15. 26JR-Corey Zeitner (5); 16. 15C-Curt Schroeder (15); 17. 01X-CJ Horn (21); 18. 58-Dave Eckrich (11); 19. 33-Nick Marolf (19); 20. 10T-Jeff Tharp (10); 21. 22-Charlie McKenna (22); 22. 99D-Darrel DeFrance (20); DNS - 35D-Dylan Sillman. Lap Leaders: Simpson 1-4, Hahne 5-8, Simpson 9-22. Hard-charger: Hobscheidt.