News Director 
Story By: JEREMY PETERS / RICKY THORNTON RACING – MOUNT AIRY, NC – Ricky Thornton Jr. continued his recent success at The Dirt Track at Charlotte this past weekend with a $12,000 preliminary victory in the 18th annual World of Outlaws World Finals aboard his Ultimate Towing & Recovery / Capital Waste / Coltman Farms Racing / Hoker Trucking No. 20RT Longhorn Chassis Late Model.
The 2023 WoO World Finals champ capped off the successful weekend with a runner-up finish in Saturday’s finale after adding his 27th win of the 2024 season in Thursday’s opener.
“This track kind of suits me, you can run hard around the bottom or roll through the middle or really get after it around the top,” Thornton said. “Last year, I felt really good, and this year is a different team, but it’s the same car, shocks, motor program. Hopefully, we can qualify in a good spot for the Heat, then get a good draw. Everyone was about as equal as you’re gonna get, so we’ll wait and see what happens.”
Thornton invaded The Dirt Track at Charlotte (Concord, N.C.) on Wednesday night to pull double duty in the Super Late Model and 410 Sprint Car ranks for the 18th annual World of Outlaws World Finals.
With time trials slated for Wednesday evening, Thornton went third-fastest in his group aboard the Koehler Motorsports No. 20RT Late Model while enjoying a strong first session in the Indy Race Parts No. 20RT Sprinter. In only his third start in a Sprint Car, Ricky backed up the fifth-fastest lap in his first round of qualifying with the 15th-quickest lap.
Back at the 4/10-mile oval on Thursday afternoon, Ricky advanced into the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series-sanctioned A-Main with a commanding heat race win. Starting on the pole, Thornton continued his recent success at the North Carolina oval as he drove to his 27th win of the 2024 season in the 25-lap opener.
The $15,000 victory marked his third straight at the facility after topping the final two nights of the 2023 World Finals.
Still adjusting to the speed in the Sprint Car, Thornton’s night was over on Thursday after crossing the line in seventh in his consolation race.
In another strong showing in Friday’s Late Model preliminary, Ricky rolled to a fourth-place finish in the 35-lap feature.
A fifth-place finish in his C-Main on Friday wrapped up prelims for Thornton’s in the Sprint Car ranks.
Thornton closed out the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series World Finals on Saturday with a runner-up finish in the 50-lap finale. He joined race-winner Chris Madden and Mike Marlar on the podium.
Despite a fifth-place outing in Saturday’s Sprint Car C-Main that ended his weekend, Ricky gained valuable seat time aboard the Bernie Stuebgen-owned No. 20RT Sprinter.
Thornton and the Koehler Motorsports team now shift their focus to the Castrol FloRacing Night in America series finale this weekend at Senoia Raceway. Thornton enters the two-day Peach State Classic in second in the latest standings, 27 markers behind Bobby Pierce.
Friday’s opener, which pays $20,000 to the winner, is followed by the $30,000-to-win finale on Saturday night.
