Dispatching polesitter Brandon Sheppard on the opening lap and navigating two rounds of lapped traffic without incident, Dale McDowell returned to Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory lane at Smoky Mountain Speedway for the first time since 2016 on Saturday in Maryville, Tenn. The 60-year-old from Chickamauga, Ga., led all 60 laps and took the checkers 1.113 seconds ahead of Devin Moran for the $30,000 payday.
The victory marked McDowell’s first Lucas Oil triumph since his stirring 2023 Topless 100 victory at Batesville Motor Speedway in Locust Grove, Ark., that Aug. 19. It’s also McDowell’s 13th special-event triumph at Smoky Mountain going back to May 2008, combining for more than $122,000 over that span.
2026 Lucas Oil Saturday Results At Smoky Mountain Speedway
Finish | Start | # | Driver |
1 | 2 | 17M | Dale McDowell |
2 | 7 | 99 | Devin Moran |
3 | 1 | 1 | Brandon Sheppard |
4 | 6 | 0 | Jake O'Neil |
5 | 5 | 44M | Chris Madden |
6 | 10 | 93 | Carson Ferguson |
7 | 21 | 111 | Max Blair |
8 | 3 | 40B | Kyle Bronson |
9 | 15 | 16S | Sam Seawright |
10 | 11 | 8 | Dillon McCowan |
11 | 17 | 6 | Clay Harris |
12 | 4 | 71 | Hudson O'Neal |
13 | 14 | 17SS | Brenden Smith |
14 | 20 | 76 | Brandon Overton |
15 | 19 | 22 | Daniel Hilsabeck |
16 | 16 | 60 | Dan Ebert |
17 | 24 | 3S | Brian Shirley |
18 | 26 | 93L | Cory Lawler |
19 | 25 | 11 | Josh Rice |
20 | 12 | 20RT | Ricky Thornton Jr |
21 | 22 | 15 | Noah Phillips |
22 | 13 | 7M | Donald McIntosh |
23 | 9 | 22F | Chris Ferguson |
24 | 23 | 58 | Garrett Alberson |
25 | 8 | 18X | Michael Page |
26 | 18 | 157 | Mike Marlar |