Hudson O’Neal Takes Cowboy Classic Thursday Night At Lucas Oil Speedway

Story By: LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – WHEATLAND, MO – Hudson O’Neal returned to Lucas Oil Speedway on Thursday night and came home with his third consecutive win at the “Diamond of Dirt Tracks,” clinching the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing “Cowboy Classic” to kick off the 33rd Annual Show-Me 100 weekend.

O’Neal, who collected $27,000 in winnings by sweeping the “Spring Shootout” in April, took the lead on lap 33 and went on to win his 30th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event by 1.335 seconds over Devin Moran, who started in 12th position. Garrett Alberson, who led the first 32 laps of the race, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Ricky Thornton Jr. finished fourth, while Jonathan Davenport placed fifth.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the first time this season, the 2021 Show-Me 100 Champion started in third place, fell back to sixth at one point, but recovered to secure his fourth win overall in 2025, taking the lead with 12 laps remaining in the 45-lap main event.

“I got to second there right before one of those restarts and the top was still pretty dominate and I was like man I need to get to the top down here in one and two and I’ll be danged if I didn’t drive off in there and run right over the banking and fell to fifth or sixth. I didn’t know if I was going to win it, but I was determined to run in the top three, and now I had to battle to get back there. The restarts just fell our way, we got some good breaks right through there and were able to show how good our race car was down there on the bottom. This place put on a heck of a show tonight. We raced all over it.”

Moran, who started on the outside of row number six, was in the thick of things near the end of the race and came home in second at the finish.

“It definitely wasn’t as easy as it might have looked, you know, I feel like we were horrible all night, just awful qualifying, and in the heat, everybody worked really hard, and we had a lot better car in the feature. I was trying to make that top in three and four work a little bit more, to get that little bit of a run that I could underneath of them, but it just didn’t work out. The car just kept getting better and better as the race went on.”

Alberson, once again, was denied his first series win of the season. He was untouchable in the early part of the race but ultimately fell to O’Neal on lap 33 and then to Moran on the final lap.

“I guess maybe I should have protected that bottom a little bit longer or something. It’s so hard to judge the pace of these things, it really is. I mean Hudson, Devin, Ricky, and Davenport, these guys are so good and playing off of your weaknesses and stuff like that. I just have to get better at it. The car is really great, and it’s a great place to start the weekend at.”

The winner’s SSI Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine Big River Steel, Wheeler Metals, Merrill Bonding Company, Sub-Surface of Indiana, Professional Concrete, Cutting, and Drilling, West Side Tractor Sales, Dyno One Inc., O’Neal’s Salvage and Recycling, Bob and Tammy Burton, Indiana USSSA Fast Pitch Softball, Houchens Insurance Group, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, and BobCat of Batesville.

Completing the top ten were Carson Ferguson, Bobby Pierce, Brandon Sheppard, Justin Wells, and Cade Dillard.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
12th Annual Cowboy Classic
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO

Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Garrett Alberson | 15.191 seconds (Overall)
Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport | 15.356 seconds

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 97-Cade Dillard[2]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[3]; 4. 15-Clay Stuckey[5]; 5. 60-Dan Ebert[4]; 6. 18D-Daulton Wilson[6]; 7. 93M-Mason Oberkramer[7]; 8. 3W-Brennon Willard[8]; 9. 1K-Richard Kimberling[9]

Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 4. 50-Kayden Clatt[6]; 5. 99H-Dylan Hoover[5]; 6. 7J-Ryan Johnson[4]; 7. 82-Jace Parmley[8]; 8. (DNS) 12-Scott Crigler

Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 1S-Jeremy Shaw[2]; 3. 2T-Tyler Stevens[3]; 4. 7-Cole Wells[6]; 5. 96-Dalton Imhoff[5]; 6. 19M-Spencer Hughes[4]; 7. 67-Jimmy Vanzandt[8]; 8. 26P-Glen Powell[7]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 3. 11-Gordy Gundaker[3]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 6. 31C-Cole Henson[6]; 7. S3-Joey Smith[7]; 8. 18P-Shannon Parker[8]

Lucas Oil Products Heat Race #5 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 3. 98-Justin Wells[3]; 4. 79-Donald McIntosh[5]; 5. 21-Chris Wilhite Jr[7]; 6. 1G-Bryan Glaze[6]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[4]; 8. USA1-Chris Hawkins[8]

Lucas Oil Products Heat Race #6 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 16-Tyler Bruening[1]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[2]; 3. 1XM-Aaron Marrant[3]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[4]; 5. 1/4J-Jaxon Ertel[6]; 6. 8K-Tyler Kuykendall[8]; 7. 91-Chris Jones[7]; 8. 4X-Dalon Helm[5]

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 15-Clay Stuckey[1]; 2. 19M-Spencer Hughes[9]; 3. 7-Cole Wells[3]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[4]; 5. 50-Kayden Clatt[2]; 6. 18D-Daulton Wilson[7]; 7. 7J-Ryan Johnson[8]; 8. 93M-Mason Oberkramer[10]; 9. 99H-Dylan Hoover[5]; 10. 3W-Brennon Willard[13]; 11. 67-Jimmy Vanzandt[12]; 12. 82-Jace Parmley[11]; 13. 26P-Glen Powell[15]; 14. (DNS) 96-Dalton Imhoff; 15. (DNS) 12-Scott Crigler; 16. (DNS) 1K-Richard Kimberling

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[1]; 2. 79-Donald McIntosh[2]; 3. 6-Clay Harris[3]; 4. 40B-Kyle Bronson[4]; 5. 1/4J-Jaxon Ertel[6]; 6. 31C-Cole Henson[7]; 7. 91-Chris Jones[12]; 8. 8K-Tyler Kuykendall[9]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[11]; 10. 21-Chris Wilhite Jr[5]; 11. 1G-Bryan Glaze[8]; 12. S3-Joey Smith[10]; 13. 18P-Shannon Parker[13]; 14. (DNS) USA1-Chris Hawkins; 15. (DNS) 4X-Dalon Helm

12th Annual Cowboy Classic Feature Finish (45 Laps):

Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Pay

• 1 – 3 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $10,000
• 2 – 12 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $5,500
• 3 – 1 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $3,600
• 4 – 5 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $2,800
• 5 – 2 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $2,500
• 6 – 9 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,300
• 7 – 15 – 32 – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – $2,200
• 8 – 10 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,100
• 9 – 16 – 98 – Justin Wells – Aurora, MO – $2,050
• 10 – 7 – 97 – Cade Dillard – Robeline, LA – $2,000
• 11 – 22 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $1,700
• 12 – 14 – 11 – Gordy Gundaker – St. Charles, MO – $1,400
• 13 – 23 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $1,200
• 14 – 20 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,000
• 15 – 8 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – $950
• 16 – 24 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $925
• 17 – 21 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – $900
• 18 – 11 – 1S – Jeremy Shaw – Millport, AL – $875
• 19 – 13 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $850
• 20 – 19 – 15 – Clay Stuckey – Shreveport, LA – $825
• 21 – 18 – 1XM – Aaron Marrant – Richmond, MO – $800
• 22 – 17 – 2T – Tyler Stevens – Paragould, AR – $800
• 23 – 6 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $800
• 24 – 4 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $800

Race Statistics

• Entrants: 49
• Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Garrett Alberson
• MD3 Lap Leaders: Garrett Alberson (Laps 1-32); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 33-45)
• Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Garrett Alberson
• Wieland Feature Winner: Hudson O’Neal
• Margin of Victory: 1.334 seconds
• Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: Brandon Overton (Lap 3); Mike Marlar, Cade Dillard (Lap 7); Tyler Bruening (Lap 19); Tyler Stevens (Lap 24)
• Series Provisional: Daulton Wilson; Dan Ebert
• Fast Time Provisional: n/a
• Emergency Provisional: n/a
• Track Provisional: n/a
• Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Garrett Alberson
• Penske Shocks Top 5: Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Garrett Alberson, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jonathn Davenport
• PEM 4th Place Feature: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
• DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Jonathan Davenport
• Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Bobby Pierce
• Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Donald McIntosh
• Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Daulton Wilson
• MD3 24th Place Feature: Brandon Overton
• Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Donald McIntosh (Advanced 11 Positions)
• MD3 Most Laps Led: Garrett Alberson (32 Laps)
• Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O’Neal
• Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
• O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Donald McIntosh
• Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Garrett Alberson (Lap 4 | 15.514 seconds)
• Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Hudson O’Neal
• Fresh Roof Hard Luck Award: Brandon Overton
• Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Jason Durham
• ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engines
• Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
• Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Jonathan Davenport (15.1830 seconds)
• Time of Race: 23 minutes 46 seconds