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Ricky Thornton Jr. Conquers DTWC at West Virginia Motor Speedway
Scores Fourth Straight LOLMDS Win in Season Finale
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (Oct. 19, 2026) — Just over a week after sweeping the UNOH Clash on the Wabash at Eldora Speedway, Ricky Thornton Jr. returned to victory lane with his Koehler Motorsports team at West Virginia Motor Speedway, capturing the $100,000 top prize in the Dirt Track World Championship.
Thornton’s payday from Sunday’s finale totaled $220,000, combining the winner’s purse with a $100,000 award from the Big River Steel Bonus Program presented by ARP, $15,000 from the Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup, and an additional $5,000 from Summit Racing Equipment for being the highest-finishing eligible Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series driver.
“He [Hudson O’Neal] was definitely better tonight,” Thornton said of Hudson O’Neal’s early speed. “Really, early on, I was a little better than he was, and I could dictate his speed. The only way I could do that was to stay close enough and run the top whenever he went to the bottom, and the bottom whenever he went to the top. You can start getting them to run harder. He figured out the top, and I thought I wasn’t going to get a shot at him again. I just cooled myself back down during that caution. I showed my nose and kept running harder and harder. I don’t know if he just got tight or what. I saw him kind of turn backward at the wall, and I got by him. I was hoping to come out as the leader.”
Mother Nature forced adjustments to the schedule for the 46th annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship, shifting the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series’ two-day program to Saturday and Sunday after significant rainfall throughout the week.
Thornton qualified second-fastest in his group Saturday before winning his heat race and taking command on lap 10 of a 25-lap semifeature. The victory secured the pole position for Sunday’s 100-lap finale and extended his winning streak to three consecutive LOLMDS features.
Starting from the pole, Thornton battled Hudson O’Neal near the front before regaining the lead on lap 76 when O’Neal struck the outside wall. Thornton led the remaining distance to secure his second DTWC victory and 66th career series triumph.
Thornton finished fourth in the final Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 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.
Thornton will switch cars and divisions this weekend, returning to his home state of Arizona for the Western World Championships at Central Arizona Raceway. He’ll pilot the Petty Performance Racing No. 20RT in both the 410 and 360 USAC Sprint Car portions of the event after previously earning Rookie of the Year honors.
Additional event information can be found at www.USACRacing.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)
Scores Fourth Straight LOLMDS Win in Season Finale
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (Oct. 19, 2026) — Just over a week after sweeping the UNOH Clash on the Wabash at Eldora Speedway, Ricky Thornton Jr. returned to victory lane with his Koehler Motorsports team at West Virginia Motor Speedway, capturing the $100,000 top prize in the Dirt Track World Championship.
Thornton’s payday from Sunday’s finale totaled $220,000, combining the winner’s purse with a $100,000 award from the Big River Steel Bonus Program presented by ARP, $15,000 from the Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup, and an additional $5,000 from Summit Racing Equipment for being the highest-finishing eligible Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series driver.
“He [Hudson O’Neal] was definitely better tonight,” Thornton said of Hudson O’Neal’s early speed. “Really, early on, I was a little better than he was, and I could dictate his speed. The only way I could do that was to stay close enough and run the top whenever he went to the bottom, and the bottom whenever he went to the top. You can start getting them to run harder. He figured out the top, and I thought I wasn’t going to get a shot at him again. I just cooled myself back down during that caution. I showed my nose and kept running harder and harder. I don’t know if he just got tight or what. I saw him kind of turn backward at the wall, and I got by him. I was hoping to come out as the leader.”
Mother Nature forced adjustments to the schedule for the 46th annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship, shifting the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series’ two-day program to Saturday and Sunday after significant rainfall throughout the week.
Thornton qualified second-fastest in his group Saturday before winning his heat race and taking command on lap 10 of a 25-lap semifeature. The victory secured the pole position for Sunday’s 100-lap finale and extended his winning streak to three consecutive LOLMDS features.
Starting from the pole, Thornton battled Hudson O’Neal near the front before regaining the lead on lap 76 when O’Neal struck the outside wall. Thornton led the remaining distance to secure his second DTWC victory and 66th career series triumph.
Thornton finished fourth in the final Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 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.
Thornton will switch cars and divisions this weekend, returning to his home state of Arizona for the Western World Championships at Central Arizona Raceway. He’ll pilot the Petty Performance Racing No. 20RT in both the 410 and 360 USAC Sprint Car portions of the event after previously earning Rookie of the Year honors.
Additional event information can be found at www.USACRacing.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)