ROSSBURG, Ohio — Over the previous half-decade, Ricky Thornton Jr. has gone from a promising younger star from the IMCA ranks to probably the most dominant drivers on the highest ranges of grime late mannequin racing.
The Chandler, Ariz., native has been accumulating trophies from the game’s greatest occasions at an unbelievable tempo, however there was nonetheless one evident gap on his résumé – a crown-jewel victory at Eldora Speedway. That was till Saturday evening.
After wrestling the lead away from the king of Eldora over the previous decade in Jonathan Davenport, Thornton commanded the ultimate 59 laps of the World 100 on the best way to the largest win of his profession.
“Bobby [Koehler, team owner] instructed me a pair months in the past there was one race he wished to win, and it was this one,” Thornton mentioned. “Model new automotive, model new motor, every thing on it was new. Type of put all our eggs in a single basket simply to attempt to get higher right here. Usually I don’t do an excellent job right here, and I’m simply glad we are able to get him one.”
Thornton broke out his contemporary Longhorn Chassis on Sunday evening on the Baltes Traditional and cruised to a dominant victory, placing the late mannequin world on discover heading into World 100 week. “RTJ” wasn’t at his finest in preliminary motion with finishes of eighth and eleventh on Thursday and Friday, respectively, however a fifth-to-first drive in his warmth on Saturday was sufficient to place him on the pole of the largest race of the yr.
That didn’t imply issues would come simple within the Characteristic, as the driving force alongside Thornton coming to the inexperienced flag was none apart from Davenport.
On the opening lap, Thornton noticed the identical sight many earlier than him have seen at Eldora – the No. 49 pulling away into the lead.
Thornton struggled to maintain tempo with the chief by means of the primary portion of the race, as a substitute dropping to fourth by Lap 8 as Chris Madden and Brandon Overton received by. However a pair of yellows round Lap 40 put Thornton proper again within the combine, and he took benefit by getting again to the runner-up spot when the race went again inexperienced.
That put him proper on Davenport’s bumper for the following restart two laps later, which noticed Thornton ship it to the underside of Flip 3, clear Davenport exiting the nook and slide into the lead.
“I don’t know if it was dedication or what, I received a extremely good restart, I stayed subsequent to JD and I knew he was going to maneuver up,” Thornton mentioned. “I’m like, ‘alright, if I can simply dictate the place he’s going to go on this restart.’ We’re all watching that board going into Flip 1, attempting to see how a lot of a niche you have got or don’t have. I used to be in a position to get by him, and I used to be working scared most likely the following 15 laps.”
The ”working scared” technique paid off, as his hole to Davenport grew to as giant as two seconds by means of the center levels of the Characteristic. That margin was erased when Tim McCreadie slowed with a flat tire with 12 laps to go, establishing a dash to the end with the game’s most prized trophy on the road. Thornton as soon as once more powered away to the lead, however the motion was shortly paused once more for hassle on Madden’s automotive.
What ought to have been a battle of the titans between Thornton and Davenport by no means got here to fruition, nevertheless, as Davenport got here down pit highway underneath the yellow with a flat tire of his personal. That handed second to Dale McDowell, who made a exceptional cost by means of the sphere from nineteenth on the grid.
He didn’t have sufficient to make yet another cross although, as Thornton went uncontested the remainder of the best way and took the checkers to assert the $72,000 prime prize.
“We get that final restart and it’s Dale up subsequent to me,” Thornton mentioned. “I’m like, ‘man, I gave my Warmth Race away a pair nights in the past to Dale, hopefully I can get a superb restart and get out entrance.’ He received underneath me off of two, and I’m like, ‘man, if he will get in that traction down there, he’s going to drive proper by me down the again straightaway.’ However I received a extremely good begin.”
Whereas McDowell got here up one spot in need of his second globe, his report of first, first and second over the weekend proved that the 59-year-old nonetheless has sufficient left within the tank to battle it out in opposition to the perfect on the “Huge E.”
“I imply, I’m dejected a bit bit, I’m bridesmaid,” McDowell mentioned. “However you possibly can’t be dejected with this crowd and the perfect racers on the planet right here. I’m proud to be part of it, two firsts and a second over the weekend. Man, I need to get one earlier than I stop.”
Nick Hoffman introduced the No. 9 dwelling third after preventing it out within the prime 5 all through the race, solidifying himself as the one driver to complete on the rostrum in each the Dust Late Mannequin Dream and the World 100 in 2025.
“It’s fairly loopy to form of really feel down on myself a bit bit working third within the World,” Hoffman mentioned. “It’s fairly wild, but it surely’s simply the requirements I maintain myself to. I felt tremendous assured coming into as we speak and it simply didn’t pan out for me.”
Tyler Erb and Ryan Gustin rounded out the highest 5, with Gustin establishing a brand new profession finest within the occasion.
The end:
Characteristic (100 Laps): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 17M-Dale McDowell[19]; 3. 9-Nick Hoffman[6]; 4. 1T-Tyler Erb[16]; 5. 19R-Ryan Gustin[12]; 6. 1-Brandon Sheppard[8]; 7. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 8. 22-Chris Ferguson[26]; 9. 32-Bobby Pierce[27]; 10. 96-Tanner English[15]; 11. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[9]; 12. 23V-Cory Hedgecock[20]; 13. 44-Chris Madden[3]; 14. 99-Devin Moran[11]; 15. 93-Carson Ferguson[5]; 16. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 17. 25F-Jason Feger[17]; 18. 22X-Drake Troutman[13]; 19. 9M-Tim McCreadie[21]; 20. 74X-Ethan Dotson[14]; 21. 8-Kyle Strickler[22]; 22. 20-Jimmy Owens[18]; 23. 76-Brandon Overton[7]; 24. 10-Garrett Smith[10]; 25. 71-Hudson O’Neal[25]; 26. 58-Garrett Alberson[28]; 27. 111-Max Blair[23]; 28. 11R-Josh Rice[24]
