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Brandon Sheppard Soars to Preliminary Victory at Smoky Mountain Speedway
Rocket1 Racing Closes Gap in LOLMDS Chase Ahead of Firecracker 100
SHINNISTON, W.VA. (June 22, 2026) — Rocket1 Racing and driver Brandon Sheppard put together a productive doubleheader in the Volunteer State, highlighted by a preliminary victory on Friday and a third-place finish in Saturday's Mountain Moonshine Classic finale at Smoky Mountain Speedway.
The strong weekend allowed Sheppard to gain ground in the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP standings, trimming Hudson O'Neal's advantage to just 20 points.
“It’s hard to win here. It’s nothing like any place I grew up racing,” Sheppard said in victory lane. “I think we won a Southern All Stars race here a long time ago, but we haven’t been able to get it done since. Anytime you can run up front with Dale (McDowell) and those guys at a place like this, you know you’ve accomplished something.”
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) made its way to Tennessee's Smoky Mountain Speedway for a two-day slate. Sheppard was strong from the start on Friday, setting fast time in qualifying and winning his heat race. He then fended off constant pressure from Dale McDowell throughout the 40-lap preliminary feature to claim his eighth win of the season aboard the Rocket1 Racing entry, worth $10,000.
On Saturday, Sheppard topped the speed charts for the second straight night and followed it up with another heat race victory. With a $30,000 payday on the line in the 60-lap Mountain Moonshine Classic, he recorded a third-place finish as McDowell proved to be the class of the field in Saturday’s finale.
The weekend’s unique format also featured a Rocket1 Racing crew swap, with crew chief Danny White taking the wheel of the Rocket1 Crown Vic and finishing third on Friday night, while Sheppard placed fourth in Saturday’s exhibition finale.
For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, visit www.LucasDirt.com.
Sheppard and the Rocket1 Racing team return to action Thursday as Firecracker 100 weekend gets underway at Lernerville Speedway. Two nights of preliminary action will set the stage for Saturday's $50,000-to-win finale.
Additional event info is available at www.Lernerville.com.
Rocket1 Racing would like to thank all of their marketing partners, which include Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Collins Brothers Towing of St.Cloud, Rocket Chassis, Ace Metal Works, Durham Racing Engines, Five Star RaceCar Bodies, Gunter’s Honey, Performance Grading, Stiles Marine & Maintenance, Hoosier Racing Tire, Fox Racing Shox, Keyser Manufacturing, Petroff Towing, On Time Body & Graphic, Franklin Enterprises, Bubba Army, Sweet Manufacturing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Accu-Force Shock Service, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Rod Ends, Barnes Dry Sump Oil Systems, Bazell Race Fuels, Beyea Custom Headers, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Brinn Transmissions, Sharp Advantage Safety Products, CP Carrillo, Dohm Cycles, Fibreworks Composites, Hardrock Powder Coating, Howe Racing Enterprises, Jones Racing Products, Kenny’s Components, MSD, E3 Spark Plugs, Tel Tac, Performance Bodies, Peterson Fluid Systems, Powers Performance, Performance Rod & Custom, QuickCar Racing Products, MatMan Designs, Allgaier Performance Parts, Rocket Pre-Owned Motors, Show Trucks Unlimited, Simpson, Stealth Carburetors, Strange Oval, Suave Talk, Total Power Valvoline Pro-V Racing, Walker Performance Filtration, Wiles Driveshafts, Wilwood Brakes, Winters Performance Products, Wrisco Aluminum, Xceldyne Valvetrain, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
For the latest news and team updates, visit Rocket1 Racing’s official website at www.Rocket1Racing.com. Fans can also stay connected by subscribing to the official Rocket1 Racing mailing list at https://pages.insightly.services/Rocket1Racing.
PR Contact:
Jeremy Peters (jeremy.peters@myracepass.com)
Rocket1 Racing Closes Gap in LOLMDS Chase Ahead of Firecracker 100
SHINNISTON, W.VA. (June 22, 2026) — Rocket1 Racing and driver Brandon Sheppard put together a productive doubleheader in the Volunteer State, highlighted by a preliminary victory on Friday and a third-place finish in Saturday's Mountain Moonshine Classic finale at Smoky Mountain Speedway.
The strong weekend allowed Sheppard to gain ground in the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP standings, trimming Hudson O'Neal's advantage to just 20 points.
“It’s hard to win here. It’s nothing like any place I grew up racing,” Sheppard said in victory lane. “I think we won a Southern All Stars race here a long time ago, but we haven’t been able to get it done since. Anytime you can run up front with Dale (McDowell) and those guys at a place like this, you know you’ve accomplished something.”
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) made its way to Tennessee's Smoky Mountain Speedway for a two-day slate. Sheppard was strong from the start on Friday, setting fast time in qualifying and winning his heat race. He then fended off constant pressure from Dale McDowell throughout the 40-lap preliminary feature to claim his eighth win of the season aboard the Rocket1 Racing entry, worth $10,000.
On Saturday, Sheppard topped the speed charts for the second straight night and followed it up with another heat race victory. With a $30,000 payday on the line in the 60-lap Mountain Moonshine Classic, he recorded a third-place finish as McDowell proved to be the class of the field in Saturday’s finale.
The weekend’s unique format also featured a Rocket1 Racing crew swap, with crew chief Danny White taking the wheel of the Rocket1 Crown Vic and finishing third on Friday night, while Sheppard placed fourth in Saturday’s exhibition finale.
For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, visit www.LucasDirt.com.
Sheppard and the Rocket1 Racing team return to action Thursday as Firecracker 100 weekend gets underway at Lernerville Speedway. Two nights of preliminary action will set the stage for Saturday's $50,000-to-win finale.
Additional event info is available at www.Lernerville.com.
Rocket1 Racing would like to thank all of their marketing partners, which include Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Collins Brothers Towing of St.Cloud, Rocket Chassis, Ace Metal Works, Durham Racing Engines, Five Star RaceCar Bodies, Gunter’s Honey, Performance Grading, Stiles Marine & Maintenance, Hoosier Racing Tire, Fox Racing Shox, Keyser Manufacturing, Petroff Towing, On Time Body & Graphic, Franklin Enterprises, Bubba Army, Sweet Manufacturing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Accu-Force Shock Service, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Rod Ends, Barnes Dry Sump Oil Systems, Bazell Race Fuels, Beyea Custom Headers, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Brinn Transmissions, Sharp Advantage Safety Products, CP Carrillo, Dohm Cycles, Fibreworks Composites, Hardrock Powder Coating, Howe Racing Enterprises, Jones Racing Products, Kenny’s Components, MSD, E3 Spark Plugs, Tel Tac, Performance Bodies, Peterson Fluid Systems, Powers Performance, Performance Rod & Custom, QuickCar Racing Products, MatMan Designs, Allgaier Performance Parts, Rocket Pre-Owned Motors, Show Trucks Unlimited, Simpson, Stealth Carburetors, Strange Oval, Suave Talk, Total Power Valvoline Pro-V Racing, Walker Performance Filtration, Wiles Driveshafts, Wilwood Brakes, Winters Performance Products, Wrisco Aluminum, Xceldyne Valvetrain, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
For the latest news and team updates, visit Rocket1 Racing’s official website at www.Rocket1Racing.com. Fans can also stay connected by subscribing to the official Rocket1 Racing mailing list at https://pages.insightly.services/Rocket1Racing.
PR Contact:
Jeremy Peters (jeremy.peters@myracepass.com)