Thornton Jr. and Owens on the Front Row for Saturday Night’s Silver Dollar Nationals

admin | July 25, 2020

GREENWOOD, NE (July 24, 2020) – A pair of car number 20’s will make up the front row for the 10th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals on Saturday Night at I-80 Speedway as Ricky Thornton Jr. and Jimmy Owens will lead the field to green in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned $53,000 to win event.

Thornton Jr. and Owens earned top spots in passing points from Friday Night’s 10 heat races that were contested. Devin Moran and Brandon Sheppard will make-up row number two for the richest winner’s purse offered so far in 2020.

The first heat of round one saw Scott Bloomquist, the all-time winningest driver in series history, bolt to the lead at the start and lead the entire distance to take the win. Billy Moyer, Jr. finished a close second to Bloomquist with Jonathan Davenport and Jimmy Owens trailing.

The second heat featured a solid performance by Kansan Chase Junghans who earned the heat race victory. Jake Neal finished in second followed by Brandon Sheppard and Tad Pospisil.

The third heat race saw a terrific between Mason Zeigler and Shanon Buckingham. Zeigler caught and passed Buckingham on the final lap of the race to take the win. Buckingham finished in second followed by 17-year-old Colton Horner and Tim McCreadie.

Chad Simpson got by Justin Zeitner in the closing laps of heat number four to take the victory for the two-time Lucas Oil MLRA champion. Zeitner came across the line in second. Tyler Erb came from the tail to finish in third followed by Nick Deal.

The fifth and final heat of round one went to Ricky Thornton Jr. who charged from the fourth starting position to take the lead as he pulled away to take the checkers. Devin Moran ran second the entire distance with Stormy Scott and Kyle Bronson rounding out the top four.

The second round started off with Ricky Weiss taking the victory in heat number one. Shane Clanton gave Weiss a good run early on, but Weiss pulled away for the win. Clanton took second followed by Ricky Thornton Jr. and Bobby Pierce, the defending Silver Dollar Nationals winner.

The second heat of round two saw current LOLMDS point leader Jimmy Owens roar from the eighth starting spot to get the win. Earl Pearson, Jr. came from the fifth starting position to grab second with Tyler Erb placing third as Chris Ferguson rounded out the top four.

Josh Richards took command of the race lead from Cory Dumpert in heat three as he ran away for the win. Tanner English finished second to Richards with Kyle Strickler and Chad Simpson claiming third and fourth at the finish.

The fourth heat of round two went to Kyle Bronson, who came from the fourth starting spot for the win. Johnny Scott, driving his brothers second entry, came home in second with Devin Moran charging from the tail to pick up third place at the checkers. Jonathan Davenport was fourth.

In the fifth and final heat of round two Tim McCreadie, who started on the inside of row number two bolted to the lead around Chris Simpson to take a lead he never relinquished. Brandon Sheppard made a late-race charge from seventh to nab the second spot over Simpson and Ben Schaller.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
10thAnnual Optima Batteries Silver Dollar Nationals – Presented by K&N Filters
Friday, July 24th, 2020
I-80 Speedway – Greenwood, NE

Penske Race Shocks Round 1 Heat Race #1 Finish: 1. 0-Scott Bloomquist[1]; 2. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[3]; 3. 49-Jonathan Davenport[5]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 5. 24X-Bill Leighton[4]; 6. 7W-Ricky Weiss[8]; 7. 40-Joel Callahan[6]; 8. 32S-Chris Simpson[9]; 9. 80-Allan Hopp[7]

FK Rod Ends Round 1 Heat Race #2 Finish: 1. 18J-Chase Junghans[2]; 2. 14J-Jake Neal[4]; 3. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 4. 04-Tad Pospisil[1]; 5. 18-Shannon Babb[8]; 6. 75-Terry Phillips[6]; 7. 8-Kyle Strickler[5]; 8. 25-Shane Clanton[7]; 9. 2J-Johnny Scott[9]

Simpson Race Products Round 1 Heat Race #3 Finish: 1. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[1]; 2. 50-Shanon Buckingham[2]; 3. 56C-Colton Horner[3]; 4. 39-Tim McCreadie[6]; 5. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[4]; 6. 32-Bobby Pierce[5]; 7. 6D-Cory Dumpert[8]; 8. 112-Tyler Smith[7]; 9. 85-Josh Leonard[9]

Ohlins Shocks Round 1 Heat Race #4 Finish: 1. 1C-Chad Simpson[2]; 2. 62-Justin Zeitner[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[8]; 4. 55D-Nick Deal[3]; 5. 14-Josh Richards[7]; 6. 98-Ben Schaller[5]; 7. 53-Andrew Kosiski[6]; 8. 32B-Cody Laney[4]; 9. 52-Brian Kosiski[9]

MyRacePass Round 1 Heat #5 Finish: 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 2. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 3. 2S-Stormy Scott[2]; 4. 40B-Kyle Bronson[6]; 5. 22F-Chris Ferguson[8]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 7. 49T-Jake Timm[5]; 8. 81E-Tanner English[7]; 9. F15-Jeremy Conaway[9]

Penske Race Shocks Round 2 Heat Race #1 Finish: 1. 7W-Ricky Weiss[2]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[3]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[6]; 4. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 5. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[7]; 6. 18J-Chase Junghans[8]; 7. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[9]; 8. 32B-Cody Laney[5]; 9. F15-Jeremy Conaway[1]

FK Rod Ends Round 2 Heat Race #2 Finish: 1. 20-Jimmy Owens[8]; 2. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[5]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[1]; 4. 22F-Chris Ferguson[2]; 5. 16-Tyler Bruening[7]; 6. 04-Tad Pospisil[9]; 7. 75-Terry Phillips[4]; 8. 80-Allan Hopp[3]; 9. 55D-Nick Deal[6]

Simpson Race Products Round 2 Heat Race #3 Finish: 1. 14-Josh Richards[2]; 2. 81E-Tanner English[3]; 3. 8-Kyle Strickler[5]; 4. 1C-Chad Simpson[7]; 5. 0-Scott Bloomquist[9]; 6. 6D-Cory Dumpert[1]; 7. 2S-Stormy Scott[8]; 8. 56C-Colton Horner[6]; 9. 40-Joel Callahan[4]

Ohlins Shocks Round 2 Heat Race #4 Finish: 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[4]; 2. 2J-Johnny Scott[1]; 3. 9-Devin Moran[9]; 4. 49-Jonathan Davenport[5]; 5. 50-Shanon Buckingham[7]; 6. 62-Justin Zeitner[8]; 7. 14J-Jake Neal[6]; 8. 53-Andrew Kosiski[3]; 9. 112-Tyler Smith[2]

MyRacePass Round 2 Heat #5 Finish: 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[3]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[7]; 3. 32S-Chris Simpson[1]; 4. 98-Ben Schaller[4]; 5. 24X-Bill Leighton[6]; 6. 49T-Jake Timm[5]; 7. 18-Shannon Babb[2]; 8. 85-Josh Leonard[8]; 9. 52-Brian Kosiski[9]

Tiger Rear Ends B-Main #1 Line Up (Top 4 Transfer):

Row	Inside		Outside
1	22F	Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly, NC	04	Tad Pospisil – Norfolk, NE
2	24X	Bill Leighton – Lavista, NE	2S	Stormy Scott – Las Cruces, NM
3	32	Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL	16	Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA
4	18	Shannon Babb – Moweaqua, IL	2J	Johnny Scott – Las Cruces, NM
5	55D	Nick Deal – Harlan, IA	49T	Jake Timm – Winona, MN
6	40	Joel Callahan – Dubuque, IA	80	Allan Hopp – Harlan, IA
7	85	Josh Leonard – Gibbon, NE	52	Brian Kosiski – Papillion, NE

FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Line Up (Top 4 Transfer):

Row	Inside		Outside
1	14J	Jake Neal – Omaha, NE	8	Kyle Strickler – Mooresville, NC
2	25	Shane Clanton – Zebulon, GA	81E	Tanner English – Benton, KY
3	98	Ben Schaller – Omaha, NE	32S	Chris Simpson – Oxford, IA
4	56C	Colton Horner – Katy, TX	6D	Cory Dumpert – York, NE
5	75	Terry Phillips – Springfield, MO	53	Andrew Kosiski – Lavista, NE
6	32B	Cody Laney – Torrance, CA	112	Tyler Smith – Gibbon, NE
7	F15	Jeremy Conaway – Springfield, IL

Lucas Oil Feature Line Up (101 Laps):

Row	Inside		Outside
1	20RT	Ricky Thornton Jr – Adel, IA	20	Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN
2	9	Devin Moran – Dresden, OH	1S	Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL
3	40B	Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL	1C	Chad Simpson – Mt. Vernon, IA
4	39	Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY	1T	Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX
5	0	Scott Bloomquist – Mooresburg, TN	14	Josh Richards – Shinnston, WV
6	21	Billy Moyer Jr – Batesville, AR	49	Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA
7	18J	Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS	7W	Ricky Weiss – Headingley, MB
8	1	Earl Pearson Jr – Jacksonville, FL	50	Shanon Buckingham – Morristown, TN
9	25Z	Mason Zeigler – Chalk Hill, PA	62	Justin Zeitner – Malvern, IA

Silver Dollar Nationals Point Standings:

Rank	First Name	Last Name	Car	Points	Tie Break	Round 1	Round 2
1	Ricky	Thornton	20RT	120.56	18.111	18.111	18.824
2	Jimmy	Owens	20	118.32	18.016	18.016	18.693
3	Devin	Moran	9	116.56	18.369	18.369	19.468
4	Brandon	Sheppard	1S	114.8	18.258	18.258	19.296
5	Kyle	Bronson	40B	114.8	18.381	18.381	19.112
6	Chad	Simpson	1C	113.04	18.228	18.228	19.532
7	Tim	McCreadie	39	113.04	18.404	18.404	19.211
8	Tyler	Erb	1T	110.8	18.461	18.461	19.242
9	Scott	Bloomquist	0	109.04	17.581	17.581	19.586
10	Josh	Richards	14	107.28	18.455	18.455	18.697
11	Billy	Moyer	21	103.28	17.713	17.713	18.885
12	Jonathan	Davenport	49	103.28	17.845	17.845	19.600
13	Chase	Junghans	18J	103.28	17.941	17.941	18.824
14	Ricky	Weiss	7W	103.28	18.269	18.269	18.647
15	Earl	Pearson	1	103.28	18.473	18.473	18.905
16	Shanon	Buckingham	50	101.52	17.917	17.917	19.630
17	Mason	Zeigler	25Z	97.52	17.827	17.827	19.168
18	Justin	Zeitner	62	97.52	17.971	17.971	20.049
19	Chris	Ferguson	22F	95.28	18.735	18.735	19.138
20	Jake	Neal	14J	93.52	18.094	18.094	19.925
21	Tad	Pospisil	4	91.28	18.161	18.161	19.464
22	Kyle	Strickler	8	89.52	18.516	18.516	19.499
23	Bill	Leighton	24X	87.76	18.218	18.218	19.977
24	Shane	Clanton	25	87.76	18.344	18.344	18.793
25	Stormy	Scott	2S	87.76	18.384	18.384	19.529
26	Tanner	English	81E	87.76	18.989	18.989	19.045
27	Bobby	Pierce	32	86	18.584	18.584	18.781
28	Ben	Schaller	98	86	18.791	18.791	19.692
29	Tyler	Bruening	16	85.52	18.665	18.665	19.246
30	Chris	Simpson	32S	83.76	18.416	18.416	19.668
31	Shannon	Babb	18	83.28	18.518	18.518	20.332
32	Colton	Horner	56C	82	18.250	18.250	19.797
33	Johnny	Scott	2J	82	18.422	18.422	19.261
34	Cory	Dumpert	6D	75.76	18.727	18.727	19.215
35	Nick	Deal	55D	74	18.407	18.407	20.117
36	Terry	Phillips	75	74	18.418	18.418	19.522
37	Jake	Timm	49T	74	18.852	18.852	19.933
38	Andrew	Kosiski	53	66	18.795	18.795	20.144
39	Joel	Callahan	40	62	18.424	18.424	19.985
40	Cody	Laney	32B	62	19.131	19.776	19.131
41	Allan	Hopp	80	58	18.461	18.461	19.749
42	Tyler	Smith	112	58	19.410	19.410	20.431
43	Josh	Leonard	85	58	99.000	99.000	99.901
44	Jeremy	Conaway	F15	54	19.253	19.253	20.207
45	Brian	Kosiski	52	54	99.000	99.000	99.902