A statistical breakdown of the Big River Steel Big Four drivers eligible for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship at Carl Short’s 43rd annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship presented by ARP on Oct. 20-21 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. The best-finishing driver among the four wins the record $200,000 series title. 

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Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.

Age: 33

Series starts: 51

Series victories: 23 (four semifeatures)

Average finish: 5.37

Top-five finishes: 41

Top-10 finishes: 41

Series earnings: $579,954

Series points: 8,325

Richest 2023 victories: $50,000 Mountain Moonshine Classic at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn.; $50,000 Firecracker at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa.; $100,000 XR Super Series at Off Road Speedway in Norfolk, Neb.; $50,000 Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway; $50,000 Knoxville Lucas Oil Nationals at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway.

Super Late Model series titles: None

Eldora major race starts: 11 

Best Eldora major race finish: 4th (2023 Dirt Late Model Dream)

Why he’ll win the title: Deserving champion’s stretch of seven victories in nine September starts leads to special October, validating the tour’s bold move of a chase-style system.

Why he won’t win the title: Eldora-dominant Davenport stands in his way.

Kevin Kovac’s prediction: Putting a cherry on top of his spectacular season, Thornton makes yet another hard-driving, late-race rally that carries him past all three of his championship rivals — as well as two others — to grab the lead late in the 100-lap distance to realize a $300,000 windfall with his second DTWC victory and first Lucas Oil Series title.

VIDEO: Chasing A Championship - Ricky Thornton Jr.'s Path To The Big Four

Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.

Age: 23

Series starts: 52

Series victories: Six (four semifeatures)

Average finish: 6.40

Top-five finishes: 31

Top-10 finishes: 43

Series earnings: $325,480

Series points: 7,795

Richest 2023 victories: $100,000 XR Super Series at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway; $50,000 Rumble by the River at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway; $56,000 World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Super Late Model series titles: None

Eldora major race starts: 10 

Best Eldora major race finish: 1st (2023 World 100)

Why he’ll win the title: The Rocket Chassis house car team repeats its gratifying World 100 victory from just six weeks earlier.

Why he won’t win the title: The Rocket Chassis house car team took decades before Dream and World 100 victories at Eldora … the clock starts on the DTWC.

Kevin Kovac’s prediction: O’Neal doesn’t duplicate his World 100 magic, but he climbs into the top five halfway through the 100-lapper to keep his championship hopes alive as the race winds down. He can’t stop Thornton’s charge, however, and ends up settling for a third-place finish in the Big Four battle for a $125,000 points-fund check.

VIDEO: Chasing A Championship - Hudson O'Neal's Path To The Big Four

Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.

Age: 39

Series starts: 51

Series victories: Seven (one semifeature)

Average finish: 7.10

Top-five finishes: 29

Top-10 finishes: 40

Series earnings: $259,765

Series points: 7,445

Richest 2023 victories: $129,000 Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio; $30,000 Hillbilly 100 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va.

Super Late Model series titles: Lucas Oil (2015, 2018 and 2019); Castrol (2021); XR (2022); Southern Nationals (2010 and 2013)

Eldora major race starts: 27 

Best Eldora major race finish: 1st (Five World 100s, two Dirt Late Model Dreams, one Eldora Million, one International Classic)

Why he’ll win the title: Odds-on favorite’s Eldora pedigree towers over contenders.

Why he won’t win the title: Inconsistent season hits another downturn at just the wrong time.

Kevin Kovac’s prediction: Thrilled that he doesn’t have to deal with the typical Eldora inversions, Davenport wins Friday’s first heat to earn the pole position for the feature, making everyone think he’s going to cruise to another crown jewel at the Big E and grab his fourth Lucas Oil title in the process. But he finds himself swapping the lead with Chris Madden and Brandon Overton during the race’s first half, then can’t stop Thornton from overtaking him, though he still grabs the $150,000 check for finishing second in the championship battle.

VIDEO: Chasing A Championship -  Jonathan Davenport's Path To The Big Four

Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio

Age: 29

Series starts: 52

Series victories: Two (one semifeature)

Average finish: 7.17

Top-five finishes: 22

Top-10 finishes: 44

Series earnings: $239,440

Series points: 7,325

Richest 2023 victory: $50,000 Show-Me 100 at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo.

Super Late Model series titles: None

Eldora major race starts: 18

Best Eldora major race finish: 3rd (2022 Eldora Million)

Why he’ll win the title: Strongest stretch of the season (five podium in last six series starts) returns Moran name to Eldora’s stage.

Why he won’t win the title: Lucky to be among Big Four, he’s an also-ran to trio whose 36 combined series victories dwarf his mere two.

Kevin Kovac’s prediction: Moran shows flashes of snapping the Moran family’s winless streak at the half-mile since his father Donnie’s 2001 Eldora Million victory, but after running as high as fourth he slips out of the top five in the late stages of the 100-lapper and ends up fourth among the Big Four for a still-substantial $100,000 points-fund payoff.

VIDEO: Chasing A Championship - Devin Moran's Path To The Big Four