RPW Exclusive: New Developments And Some Speculation As Dirt Late Model World Tries To Pick Up The Pieces
Column By: ROBERT SYMONDS / RPW – MARTINSVILLE, IN – Shortly after announcing the earth shattering news yesterday, the top Dirt Late Model driver in the nation, Ricky Thornton Jr, was left to find a new ride just 24 hours before his next scheduled event and a few days before his next Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event. So what’s next for RTJ?
Tonight is the FloRacing Night In America Series at the Lincoln Speedway where Thornton sits on top of the point standings. In all Late Model events competed so far in 2024, RTJ has 51 starts and has only finished outside the top 10 five times and he is looking to be on pace with that again today provided he has a decent car to pilot. Luckily, Sheppard Racing stepped up to the plate and offered Ricky Thornton Jr to drive the 5S tonight.
Posted to the Ricky Thornton Jr Racing Facebook page this afternoon was the photo of the 5S and the written statement:
Tonight we are racing Stevie Sheppard’s 5S car at for the Castrol FloRacing Night in America event at Lincoln Speedway. Ricky is at the Sheppard Racing compound now getting his Ultra Shield Race Products, LLC Sharp Advantage Safety Products, LLC seat bolted in. The Sheppard family offered up this ride within minutes of calling to tell them what was going on simply as friends. Their generosity and willingness to get this car ready in less than 24 hours will never be forgotten. They are incredible people and I hope some day we can repay the favor. Hope for some good runs for Ricky & Brandon both tonight!
Props to the Sheppard Racing team for stepping up to help out the top driver in the nation. Remember folks, this decision by Todd Burns and SSI Motorsports put RTJ in an extremely tough situation as it is mid season and just hours before the next race. RTJ had been with SSI Motorsports since 2018 but now is looking for a permanent ride for the rest of the season and possibly into 2025 however we are still left wondering where that will come from so it might be a wait and see what happens.
What about SSI Motorsports? As indicated in the press release, they already have a new driver which will possibly lead them in the direction that they would like to go. You might be asking yourself, who then? Though it may not have been officially announced yet, and we may not know until cars hit the speedway this evening at Lincoln, it’s most likely going to be the 2023 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion Hudson O’Neal. The New Deal has raced for SSI Motorsports in the past and remained good friends with Todd Burns along with crew chief Anthony Burroughs since O’Neal left in October 2019. This past weekend at Muskingum County, O’Neal parked right beside the SSI Motorsports and Burns became a helping hand to O’Neal when O’Neal started his own team. Though once again, we won’t officially know for a couple more hours at least and is completely speculation as I am typing this. For the exact reasons why, we may never know.
However if O’Neal is now piloting the SSI Motorsports ride, this is quite an aftershock to O’Neal departing the Rocket Motorsports House Car just a couple months ago and is still leaving the Dirt Late Model world reeling to pick up the pieces. Regardless, this is probably the most turbulent season we have ever seen in the Dirt Late Model world. I’d personally like to say good luck to all of the drivers and hoping RTJ can pick up a permanent ride soon though its extremely tough to do so mid-season; even for the top Dirt Late Model driver in the Nation.
