MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (10/21/24) – Ricky Thornton Jr. added a historic achievement to his rapidly growing résumé on Saturday night as the Koehler Motorsports pilot clinched his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) championship with a third-place finish in Saturday’s Dirt Track World Championship at Eldora Speedway aboard his Ultimate Towing & Recovery / Capital Waste / Coltman Farms Racing / Hoker Trucking No. 20RT Longhorn Chassis Late Model.
After falling short in the LOLMDS title hunt in 2023, Thornton stamped his name in the record books with a 60-point margin of victory in the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship over Devin Moran.
Thornton, who overcame late-race contact with the backstretch wall on lap 71 to secure the massive $200,000 payday, credited the Koehler Motorsports team for Saturday’s performance that capped off an unforgettable LOLMDS season.
“It took a lot of hard work and determination,” Thornton said. “My job is pretty easy getting to wheel this thing. Overall, I get all the glory, and they do all the hard work. So, this is definitely a big team effort by everyone at Koehler Motorsports. It’s pretty awesome.”
Koehler Motorsports and Ricky Thornton Jr. invaded Eldora Speedway (Rossburg, OH) on Friday afternoon with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title on the line in the 44th annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship presented by ARP.
With prelims slated for Friday, Thornton followed up the second-fastest qualifying lap in his 31-car group with a heat race win.
Lined up third for Saturday night’s $100,000-to-win Dirt Track World Championship, Ricky rolled to a consistent third-place finish in the 100-lap affair. He rallied after contact with the backstretch wall on lap 71 to secure a podium spot, joining race-winner Bobby Pierce and Tim McCreadie on the stage.
Thornton finished 60 markers ahead of Devin Moran to capture his first career LOLMDS championship.
An elated Thornton made sure to give thanks to his crew chief Chris Madden for his hard work in their pursuit of the title.
“This car ran flawlessly during this playoff deal,” Thornton added. “Chris Madden, I don’t think we could have won this without him. He has been a great leader for our team and helped us stay as a whole team. I had input this weekend, but I told him this is your racetrack and like we are better off letting him make the decisions.”
Full results from the entire weekend as well as the final LOLMDS standings are available at www.LucasDirt.com.Thornton will take a few weeks off to enjoy the historic season with family before returning to action with the 18th annual World of Outlaws World Finals at the Dirt Track at Charlotte. A pair of $15,000-to-win prelims on Thursday and Friday are followed by Saturday’s finale, which pays $25,000 to the victor.
For full event details, visit www.WoOLMS.com.
Ricky Thornton Jr. and the Koehler Motorsports team would like to thank their sponsors, which include: Longhorn Chassis, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Cornett Racing Engines, Clements Racing Engines, Coltman Farms Racing, Hoker Trucking LLC, Capital Waste, Ultimate Towing & Recovery, Jones Racing Products, Certified Inspection Service Co., Inc., Varsitee Screenprinting, D and E Outside Services, Shocker Hitch, EMD Wraps, GoSunoco, Dynamic Drivelines, Excel Floor Coverings, Performance Bodies, Swift Springs, Buzze Performance, Dirtcarlift, Impact Racing, Behrent's Performance Warehouse, Ultra Shield Race Products, LLC, Sharp Advantage Safety Products, LLC, Team SRI Motorsports, MPI - Max Papis Innovations, Strange Oval, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
Visit Ricky Thornton Jr.’s website at www.TwentyRT.com often for the details on his latest racing endeavors as well as www.KoehlerMotorsports.com for the latest team updates.
PR Contact: Jeremy Peters (jeremy.peters@myracepass.com)
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