Brandon Sheppard celebrates in victory lane after winning Sunday night’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race at Muskingum County Speedway. Photo: LOLMDS Media
Brandon Sheppard took the lead after two laps and never trailed from there as the current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader went on to win the Freedom 60 on Sunday night at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio.
The race was the biggest in the track’s history, paying $30,000 to win.
Hudson O’Neal tried valiantly after the final caution of the race as he ran the extreme topside of the track but could not muster enough momentum to track down Sheppard. Sheppard flashed across the line 2.064 seconds ahead of O’Neal. Tyler Erb finished in third followed by Tim McCreadie in fourth, and Daulton Wilson in fifth.
Ricky Thornton, Jr. led the first lap from the pole starting position. Sheppard, who started alongside Thornton on the front row lead on the third scored lap. Thornton then ran in the second spot until lap 29 when he slowed with a flat right front tire bringing out a caution flag.
On the restart Erb inherited the second spot from Thornton as he now had to contend with O’Neal who was up to third. Erb and O’Neal had a hard-fought battle for second behind Sheppard as O’Neal moved into the runner-up slot with 10 laps to go.
“We had a really maneuverable race car I felt like,” Sheppard said. “The first few laps with Ricky (Thornton) I didn’t know where I needed to be all the way tucked on the bottom or if I needed to sweep out a little bit. So, I was kind of feeling it out. I knew from the last few races that getting the lead early was going to be key. We wanted to be in the lead the first few laps and let it play out there.”
Winston, Georgia’s Brandon Overton, Earl Pearson, Jr., Spencer Hughes, Ricky Thornton Jr., and Gregg Satterlee rounded out the top 10.
For more information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit LucasDirt.com.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Muskingum County Speedway – Zanesville, OH
Freedom 60 – July 3, 2022
1. 1-Brandon Sheppard
2. 71-Hudson O’Neal
3. 1T-Tyler Erb
4. 39-Tim McCreadie
5. 18D-Daulton Wilson
6. 76-Brandon Overton
7. 46-Earl Pearson, Jr.
8. 11-Spencer Hughes
9. 20RT-Ricky Thornton, Jr.
10. 22-Gregg Satterlee
11. 58-Garrett Alberson
12. 7-Ross Robinson
13. 9Z-Mason Zeigler
14. 12D-Doug Drown
15. 20B-Todd Brennan
16. 89-Ashton Winger
17. 29-Clint Keenan
18. 17T-Tim Vance
19. 0K-Freddie Carpenter
20. 144-Anthony Kinkade
21. 88-Dustin Smith
22. 28-Tyler Carpenter
23. 10-Nathon Loney
24. 9-Devin Moran
25. 17D-Zack Dohm
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