Hudson O’Neal victorious on Thursday night at Ocala
Photo by Mike Ruefer
OCALA, Fla.—Hudson O’Neal passed race-long leader Kyle Bronson on lap 14 and never looked back, capturing Thursday night’s Wieland Winter Nationals feature for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing at Ocala Speedway.
O’Neal, who started ninth, earned $10,000 for his second career victory at Ocala. Devin Moran finished second, followed by Bronson, Ricky Thornton Jr., and Tim McCreadie.
Despite a late-race caution with three laps remaining, O’Neal maintained control and crossed the finish line 0.924 seconds ahead of Moran.
The win marked O’Neal’s 36th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory and his sixth overall triumph of the season - a total that leads the nation. With the win, he also takes over the series points lead heading into Friday night’s $12,000-to-win main event.
“It got latched up pretty early, and I was a little nervous,” said the Martinsville, Indiana native. “I was trying to use the right front and not the right rear, keeping the right rear underneath me. I wanted to make sure I didn’t have a flat, especially as hard as I was going to have to run after that last caution to get away from them. It’s pretty awesome to get one here in the middle of the week. Hopefully, this is what’s to come for the rest of the week.
“It’s been a really good year so far, and I am very blessed in that aspect of life.”
Moran, the defending series champion, came home second after starting seventh.
“I was just holding on. I didn’t have much tire left,” Moran said. “Like I said last night, it doesn’t matter what the track conditions are here at Ocala — I love coming here. In three nights, I’ve got three podiums. We just need to work on our early program again. We were good early in the week, but we kind of made the wrong calls the last night or two. We’ll get back to our notebook and figure out what we can do the rest of the week.”
Bronson, who led the opening 13 laps, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium despite battling handling issues.
“It’s definitely good to run well. We had a really good race car, but the bumper got knocked off on the left front when I hit the wall on the first lap,” Bronson said. “I think me and JD got tight there — maybe he clipped the right rear quarter panel. I’ll have to watch the video. Hopefully he’s okay. I want to thank my guys for not giving up on me. It’s been a tough road here.”
The winning Todd and Vickie Burns, SSI Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Wheeler Metals, Merrill Bonding Company, Professional Concrete Cutting and Drilling, O’Neal’s Salvage and Recycling, Lineal Contracting, Seven Spurs Ranch, Beeman Lumber, Lucas Oil Products, Indiana USSSA Fast Pitch Softball, Sunoco Race Fuels, and Penske Racing Shocks.
Completing the top ten were Brandon Overton, Carson Ferguson, Boom Briggs, Drake Troutman, and Dennis Erb Jr.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Wieland Winter Nationals
Ocala Speedway | Ocala, FL
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Dallon Murty | 14.232 seconds (Overall)
Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport | 14.449 seconds
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 2. 13-Dallon Murty[1]; 3. 71-Hudson O'Neal[4]; 4. 09-Michael Leach[3]; 5. 79-Cory Hedgecock[6]; 6. 93-Carson Ferguson[7]; 7. 18-Chase Junghans[5]; 8. 9-Tim McCreadie[8]; 9. 8-Dillon McCowan[10]; 10. 81F-Jadon Frame[9]; 11. 93L-Cory Lawler[11]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs[6]; 5. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 6. 77-Preston Luckman[8]; 7. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[7]; 8. 32J-Justin Weaver[10]; 9. 17SR-Brody Smith[9]; 10. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 58V-Daulton Wilson[2]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 4. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 5. 19M-Brenden Smith[4]; 6. 111-Max Blair[7]; 7. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[6]; 8. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 9. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[9]; 10. 15K-Cody Overton[10]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 3. 22*-Drake Troutman[3]; 4. 11-Josh Rice[5]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 6. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 8. 15-Clay Stuckey[9]; 9. 55-Eli Johnson[10]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[7]
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 93-Carson Ferguson[3]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[2]; 3. 9-Tim McCreadie[7]; 4. 79-Cory Hedgecock[1]; 5. 18-Chase Junghans[5]; 6. 77-Preston Luckman[4]; 7. 8-Dillon McCowan[9]; 8. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[6]; 9. 81F-Jadon Frame[11]; 10. 93L-Cory Lawler[13]; 11. 32J-Justin Weaver[8]; 12. 17SR-Brody Smith[10]; 13. (DNS) 16-Tyler Bruening
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 19M-Brenden Smith[1]; 2. 111-Max Blair[3]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 4. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[5]; 5. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 6. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 7. 15-Clay Stuckey[8]; 8. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[9]; 9. 55-Eli Johnson[10]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[12]; 11. 6-Clay Harris[7]; 12. 15K-Cody Overton[11]
Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (40 Laps):
Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Earnings
1 - 9 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $10,000
2 - 7 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $5,500
3 - 1 - 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL - $3,500
4 - 10 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $2,700
5 - 21 - 9 - Tim McCreadie - Watertown, NY - $2,500
6 - 4 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $2,400
7 - 17 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $2,200
8 - 15 - 99B - Boom Briggs - Bear Lake, PA - $2,100
9 - 12 - 22* - Drake Troutman - Hyndman, PA - $2,050
10 - 14 - 28 - Dennis Erb Jr - Carpentersville, IL - $2,000
11 - 22 - 1T - Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX - $1,600
12 - 13 - 9 - Michael Leach - Sun River, MT - $1,400
13 - 24 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $1,200
14 - 19 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $1,000
15 - 20 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA - $950
16 - 16 - 11 - Josh Rice - Crittenden, KY - $925
17 - 3 - 3S - Brian Shirley - Chatham, IL - $900
18 - 8 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $875
19 - 23 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $850
20 - 26 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - $125
21 - 18 - 19M - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL - $800
22 - 28 - 79 - Cory Hedgecock - Loudon, TN - $100
23 - 25 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - $100
24 - 27 - C4 - Freddie Carpenter - Parkersburg, WV - $100
25 - 6 - 58V - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - $800
26 - 5 - 13 - Dallon Murty - Chelsea, IA - $800
27 - 11 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $800
28 - 2 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - $900
Race Statistics
Entrants: 41
Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Kyle Bronson
MD3 Lap Leaders: Kyle Bronson (Laps 1-13); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 14-40)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Hudson O’Neal
Wieland Feature Winner: Hudson O’Neal
Margin of Victory: 0.924 seconds
Hellraizer Jacks Cautions: Kyle Bronson, Jonathan Davenport (Initial Start); Dallon Murty, Garrett Alberson (Lap 1); Brandon Sheppard (Lap 4); Freddie Carpenter (Lap 5); Brenden Smith (Lap 37)
MyRacePass Series Provisionals: Daniel Hilsabeck, Clay Harris
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisionals: Cory Lawler, Ross Robinson, Freddie Carpenter, Cory Hedgecock
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Kyle Bronson
Penske Shocks Top 5: Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Kyle Bronson, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Tim McCreadie
Behrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Kyle Bronson
PEM 4th Place Feature: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Diversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Tim McCreadie
Wilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Carson Ferguson
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Tyler Erb
Velocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Clay Harris
XS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Max Blair
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Tim McCreadie (Advanced 16 positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Hudson O’Neal (27 Laps)
Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O’Neal
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon Overton
O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/a
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Hudson O’Neal | Lap 39 | 15.384 seconds
FK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Jonathan Davenport
Victory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Hudson O’Neal
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Jason Durham
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Race Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Brenden Smith | 14.3025 seconds
Time of Race: 32 minutes 01 seconds
Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:
Pos - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Points - Earnings
1 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - 935 - $37,000
2 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - 905 - $35,700
3 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - 890 - $19,300
4 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - 790 - $27,275
5 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - 770 - $10,700
6 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - 740 - $17,200
7 - 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL - 730 - $9,200
8 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - 705 - $9,050
9 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - 705 - $8,925
10 - 11 - Josh Rice - Crittenden, KY - 700 - $8,125
11 - 3s - Brian Shirley - Chatham, IL - 680 - $8,500
12 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA - 675 - $7,100
13 - 79 - Cory Hedgecock - Loudon, TN - 670 - $6,600
14 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - 660 - $9,800
15 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - 550 - $4,450
16 - 13 - Dallon Murty - Chelsea, IA - 525 - $4,450
17 - 9 - Michael Leach - Sun River, MT - 525 - $3,400
18 - 19M - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL - 520 - $4,575
19 - 5 - Mark Whitener - Middleburg, FL - 515 - $5,400
20 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - 515 - $3,825
21 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - 500 - $3,700
22 - 77 - Preston Luckman - Coos Bay, OR - 490 - $2,925
23 - 8 - Dillon McCowan - Urbana, MO - 485 - $2,175
24 - 76N - Blair Nothdurft - Renner, SD - 485 - $2,750
25 - 81F - Jadon Frame - Winchester, TN - 455 - $2,000
26 - 32J - Justin Weaver - Clearspring, MD - 445 - $1,300
27 - 15 - Clay Stuckey - Shreveport, LA - 445 - $600
28 - 99JR - Frank Heckenast Jr - Frankfort, IL - 425 - $2,800
29 - C4 - Freddie Carpenter - Parkersburg, WV - 420 - $600
30 - 44 - Chris Madden - Gray Court, SC - 405 - $3,200
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