McCowan Completes Weekend Sweep at Lucas Oil Speedway
COLUMN BY: LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES / WHEATLAND, MO – Just one night after earning his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series feature victory, Dillon McCowan of Urbana, Missouri, made his home track proud once again by capturing the 20th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway.
McCowan, who became the 95th different winner in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series history with his Salute to Forrest Lucas victory on Friday night, led the final 16 laps Saturday to earn a career-best $25,000 payday. The victory came at a track located just 20 minutes from his race shop and only 24 hours after collecting $16,000 in his breakthrough series win.
Garrett Alberson finished second, while Brandon Overton rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Brandon Sheppard crossed the line fourth, followed by Josh Rice in fifth.
Overton grabbed the lead at the start of the 50-lap feature with a pack of challengers close behind. McCowan, who started fifth, advanced to second by Lap 6 with Jonathan Davenport right on his bumper. Davenport used the high side to take the lead on Lap 19, but Overton reclaimed the top spot one lap later while navigating heavy traffic.
Davenport slipped back to third but was again challenging for the lead when he made contact with the Turn 4 wall on Lap 31, bringing out the caution and ending his night.
McCowan regained second on Lap 22 and remained there until he cleared Overton for the lead on Lap 35. A caution for debris with five laps remaining tightened the field one final time, but McCowan held off the challengers to earn his second career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory in as many nights.
The two-time Lucas Oil Speedway Modified track champion climbed from his car in Victory Lane to another thunderous ovation from his hometown crowd.
“Oh my God, I love this place. I don’t even know what to say. I had thought my whole life about what I would say last night, but I didn’t have time to prepare a speech for tonight. I just wanted to make the show tonight and run in the top 10, and that would have been a good way to cap off the weekend after last night. I guess it wasn’t a fluke. Brandon (Overton) drove an awesome race. He just got tight in Turns 1 and 2 one time, and JD and I had a heck of a race, too. Everybody raced real hard,” said the 22-year-old racer.
“I kept wanting to go to the top. It’s probably a good thing those cautions came out because they kind of kept me tamed down a little bit. When JD gets out in the lead here, you think you just gave it away. I just tried to stay calm and run my race. Like I said last night, I would have been happy to run third. Heck, that would have been a win for me. I could have never dreamed we’d be standing here in front of all these fans again. This is the most amazing weekend of my life.”
Alberson got one final opportunity when the caution flew with five laps remaining. He mounted a valiant charge but crossed the finish line 1.730 seconds behind McCowan after trailing him over the final 12 laps.
“There was a split second where I realized I’d have hated to steal this from this kid, but he was just that good. I had a harder right-rear tire, and there were times when I thought it hurt me, but then we’d make a little run. I had really good entry speed. I just lacked a little balance through the center of the corner to roll it like he (McCowan) could. He did a really good job. He drove the heck out of that thing.”
Overton completed the Big River Steel Podium in third after leading a race-high 33 laps.
“I just needed to be able to run the bottom a little better. As long as the speed was up, I could keep circling and run the bottom. As soon as it got slick getting into both ends, I had to park it and steer it. I want to win worse than anybody, but you can’t be upset when Dillon McCowan wins. To see the excitement on his dad’s face and how pumped up they are—I’ve been there and lived that same dream, so I can relate to that.”
The winning Charles McCowan-owned Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Scott Bailey Racing Engine and sponsored by Midwest Sheet Metal, BLC Transportation, McCowan Farms, Sonic America’s Drive-In, Empire Energy, Bilstein Shocks, Pomeroy Services, and Mel Hambleton Ford.
Rounding out the top 10 were Clay Harris, Chase Junghans, Kyle Bronson, Hudson O’Neal, and Ricky Thornton Jr.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
20th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals
Saturday, July 11, 2026
Lucas Oil Speedway | Wheatland, MO
20th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals | Feature Finish (50 Laps):
Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings
1 – 5 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $25,900
2 – 4 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $10,800
3 – 1 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $6,800
4 – 2 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $4,900
5 – 7 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $4,300
6 – 21 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $3,500
7 – 12 – 18J – Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS – $2,500
8 – 17 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $3,100
9 – 9 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,500
10 – 23 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $3,300
11 – 10 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $2,800
12 – 16 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $3,100
13 – 18 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $2,600
14 – 6 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,500
15 – 24 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $2,400
16 – 14 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,300
17 – 11 – 15L – Payton Looney – Republic, MO – $1,500
18 – 3 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $1,500
19 – 19 – 17A – Austin Howes – Lewistown, MO – $1,500
20 – 13 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $1,500
21 – 15 – 15 – Clay Stuckey – Shreveport, LA – $1,500
22 – 8 – 21 – Billy Moyer Sr – Batesville, AR – $1,500
23 – 20 – 93O – Mason Oberkramer – Broseley, MO – $1,500
24 – 22 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $1,500
