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Ricky Thornton Jr. Doubles Up in Eldora’s Clash on the Wabash
Sweeps Weekend for $65,000 Ahead of DTWC
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (Oct. 12, 2026) — Ricky Thornton Jr. couldn’t have asked for a better debut for his brand-new Koehler Motorsports No. 20RT Longhorn Chassis Late Model, sweeping the inaugural UNOH Clash on the Wabash at Eldora Speedway.
The 2024 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion collected $10,000 for Friday’s preliminary victory before adding Saturday’s $50,000 top prize. The weekend sweep also earned him a $5,000 bonus from Automotive Racing Products, bringing his total earnings to $65,000 in the series’ penultimate event of the season.
“It worked out, but it doesn’t always work out like that,” Thornton said. “After that, I felt really good until I got to lapped cars. Then every time I got behind a lapped car, I felt like it slowed me down like five seconds. I needed to do a little better when I got to lapped cars. I had a setup a little different than I normally run here. It worked for us, and of course we had a yellow with three laps to go. I’m like, man, Devin is running around the bottom. I knew he wasn’t going to the top fast because I was already out there. So I knew I had to get out there and get a good restart and get off of turn two really well. I ran the last three laps as hard as I could.”
Thornton and the Koehler Motorsports team opened the weekend Friday with a heat race win before outrunning series point leader Brandon Sheppard in the 40-lap preliminary feature. Thornton led the final four circuits to claim his ninth Late Model victory of the 2026 season.
Fresh off Friday’s preliminary win, Thornton returned Saturday and qualified second-fastest in his group before winning his heat race. Starting third in the 50-lap finale, the Chandler, Arizona, native took the lead on lap 26 and held on through a late restart to secure the $50,000 payday and his 64th career LOLMDS triumph.
Thornton remains fourth in the latest Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship standings.
For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, visit www.LucasDirt.com.
The series will conclude its season this weekend in West Virginia with the 46th Annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship presented by Summit Racing Equipment. Friday’s preliminary program will set the stage for Saturday’s $100,000-to-win season finale.
Additional event information can be found at www.WVMotorSpeedway.com.
Ricky Thornton Jr. and the Koehler Motorsports team would like to thank their sponsors, which include Knight's Companies, Hoker Trucking LLC, Longhorn Chassis, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Cornett Racing Engines, Coltman Farms Racing, Capital Waste LLC, Elite Ready Mix LLC, Jones Racing Products, SI Towing & Recovery, Certified Inspection Service Co., Inc., Henry's Headers & Exhaust Systems LLC, Varsitee Screenprinting, D and E Outside Services, Slicker Graphics, Sunoco Race Fuels, Dynamic Drivelines, Winning Edge Carburetors, Performance Bodies, Swift Springs, Buzze Performance, Keyser Manufacturing, Dirtcarlift, Behrent's Performance Warehouse, Ultra Shield Race Products, LLC, Sharp Advantage Safety Products, LLC, Team SRI Motorsports, MPI - Max Papis Innovations, Strange Oval, Tire Demon by Love-Tap Fabrication, FK Rod Ends, Midwest Sheet Metal Company, VMG, Shocker Hitch, Vortex Race Starters, AK Engineering, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
For the latest news on Ricky Thornton Jr., visit www.TwentyRT.com and follow Koehler Motorsports at www.KoehlerMotorsports.com. Fans can also stay connected by subscribing to Thornton's official mailing list at https://zc.vg/I7586.
PR Contact:
Jeremy Peters (jeremy.peters@myracepass.com)
Sweeps Weekend for $65,000 Ahead of DTWC
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (Oct. 12, 2026) — Ricky Thornton Jr. couldn’t have asked for a better debut for his brand-new Koehler Motorsports No. 20RT Longhorn Chassis Late Model, sweeping the inaugural UNOH Clash on the Wabash at Eldora Speedway.
The 2024 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion collected $10,000 for Friday’s preliminary victory before adding Saturday’s $50,000 top prize. The weekend sweep also earned him a $5,000 bonus from Automotive Racing Products, bringing his total earnings to $65,000 in the series’ penultimate event of the season.
“It worked out, but it doesn’t always work out like that,” Thornton said. “After that, I felt really good until I got to lapped cars. Then every time I got behind a lapped car, I felt like it slowed me down like five seconds. I needed to do a little better when I got to lapped cars. I had a setup a little different than I normally run here. It worked for us, and of course we had a yellow with three laps to go. I’m like, man, Devin is running around the bottom. I knew he wasn’t going to the top fast because I was already out there. So I knew I had to get out there and get a good restart and get off of turn two really well. I ran the last three laps as hard as I could.”
Thornton and the Koehler Motorsports team opened the weekend Friday with a heat race win before outrunning series point leader Brandon Sheppard in the 40-lap preliminary feature. Thornton led the final four circuits to claim his ninth Late Model victory of the 2026 season.
Fresh off Friday’s preliminary win, Thornton returned Saturday and qualified second-fastest in his group before winning his heat race. Starting third in the 50-lap finale, the Chandler, Arizona, native took the lead on lap 26 and held on through a late restart to secure the $50,000 payday and his 64th career LOLMDS triumph.
Thornton remains fourth in the latest Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship standings.
For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, visit www.LucasDirt.com.
The series will conclude its season this weekend in West Virginia with the 46th Annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship presented by Summit Racing Equipment. Friday’s preliminary program will set the stage for Saturday’s $100,000-to-win season finale.
Additional event information can be found at www.WVMotorSpeedway.com.
Ricky Thornton Jr. and the Koehler Motorsports team would like to thank their sponsors, which include Knight's Companies, Hoker Trucking LLC, Longhorn Chassis, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Cornett Racing Engines, Coltman Farms Racing, Capital Waste LLC, Elite Ready Mix LLC, Jones Racing Products, SI Towing & Recovery, Certified Inspection Service Co., Inc., Henry's Headers & Exhaust Systems LLC, Varsitee Screenprinting, D and E Outside Services, Slicker Graphics, Sunoco Race Fuels, Dynamic Drivelines, Winning Edge Carburetors, Performance Bodies, Swift Springs, Buzze Performance, Keyser Manufacturing, Dirtcarlift, Behrent's Performance Warehouse, Ultra Shield Race Products, LLC, Sharp Advantage Safety Products, LLC, Team SRI Motorsports, MPI - Max Papis Innovations, Strange Oval, Tire Demon by Love-Tap Fabrication, FK Rod Ends, Midwest Sheet Metal Company, VMG, Shocker Hitch, Vortex Race Starters, AK Engineering, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
For the latest news on Ricky Thornton Jr., visit www.TwentyRT.com and follow Koehler Motorsports at www.KoehlerMotorsports.com. Fans can also stay connected by subscribing to Thornton's official mailing list at https://zc.vg/I7586.
PR Contact:
Jeremy Peters (jeremy.peters@myracepass.com)