ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series announcer James Essex summed up the current situation on the national tour with a single comment late in Saturday’s Freedom 60 at Muskingum County Speedway.

“It’s Ricky Thornton Jr.’s world,” Essex said, “and we’re all just living in it.”

Indeed, Thornton, 32, of Chandler, Ariz., is on a spectacular roll, one he extended with yet another convincing victory at the Moran family’s 3/8-mile oval. He glided past race-long pacesetter Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., for the lead on lap 26 and wasn't seriously challenged the rest of way in pocketing $30,000.

It was the third consecutive weekend that Thornton captured a big-money Lucas Oil Series event in his SSI Motorsports Longhorn Chassis— following back-to-back $50,000 scores in the Mountain Moonshine Classic at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn., and the Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. — and gave him nine full-field victories on the circuit among his 17 overall Dirt Late Model checkered flags in 2023.

Thornton easily handled restarts on laps 42 and 46 to cross the finish line 2.508 seconds in front of Watertown, N.Y.’s Tim McCreadie, the reigning Lucas Oil Series champion who settled for the $15,000 runner-up check ins Paylor Motorsports Longhorn car after grabbing the position from Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., following the lap-46 caution period.

Max Blair of Centerville, Pa., finished third after making a stirring charge from the 22nd starting in his Briggs Transport Rocket mount. He reached third on lap 53 when he nipped O’Neal at the start-finish line and was less than 1 second behind McCreadie at the race’s conclusion.

O’Neal settled for a fourth-place finish in the Rocket Chassis house car after running second twice (laps 4-19 and 29-42). Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, completed the top five at his home track after surviving a last-corner scrape with Daulton Wilson of Fayetteville, N.C., that sent Wilson spinning into the turn-four wall just short of the finish line as Moran sped away.

The fourth-starting Thornton never ran a lap lower than third, but it took him roughly one-third of the distance to truly get rolling. He had to battle past O’Neal for second before sliding past Overton for the lead on the 26th circuit.

WATCH REPLAY

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Muskingum County Speedway Highlights

VIDEO: Watch highlights from Saturday's Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Freedom 60.

Winning Quote From Ricky Thornton, Jr. 

“I didn’t really feel good up top (early in the distance). Hudson and T-Mac were really good up there, and it was like they moved down for traffic and kind of slowed down and I just kind of moved out and got a lot better.”

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Results At Muskingum County Speedway

1. Ricky Thornton Jr.

2. Tim McCreadie

3. Max Blair

4. Hudson O'Neal

5. Devin Moran

6. Tyler Erb

7. Earl Pearson Jr.

8. Brandon Overton

9. Garrett Alberson

10. Jonathan Davenport

11. Tyler Bruening

12. Tyler Carpenter

13. Spencer Hughes

14. Cody Scott

15. Daulton Wilson

16. Matt Cosner

17. Ross Robinson

18. Rob Anderzack

19. Boom Briggs

20. Clint Keenan

21. Doug Drown

22. Garrett Smith

23. Todd Brennan

24. Jesse Wisecarver

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Point Standings

With his win on Saturday night, Ricky Thornton Jr. extended his championship lead to 245 points over Hudson O'Neal. Brandon Overton and Tim McCreadie continue to hold down the all-important third and fourth positions in the standings. 

Updated Point Standings

Last Race: June 25 - Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway

Next Race: July 6-8 - Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Gopher 50 at Deer Creek Speedway