Ricky Thornton Jr. cashed in on Hudson O’Neal’s late misfortune Sunday at West Virginia Motor Speedway, while Brandon Sheppard claimed the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship behind him.
Thornton regained the lead when the race-dominating O’Neal hit the outside fence on lap 76 and paced the remaining distance to capture the 100-lap ARP Dirt Track World Championship’s $100,000 prize. His fourth consecutive Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory was his second DTWC triumph, following his 2021 win at Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park.
Sheppard finished 0.650 seconds behind Thornton to secure his first Lucas Oil championship, outrunning nearest points challenger Devin Moran, who placed third. Sheppard stayed among the top five throughout and never allowed Moran enough separation to seriously threaten his title hopes.
Thornton led laps 33-34 and 76-100. O’Neal’s bid unraveled after striking a mud clod damaged his car’s nose and hampered his steering.
2026 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Track World Championship Results At WVMS
| Finish | Start | # | Driver | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 20RT | Ricky Thornton Jr. | — |
| 2 | 6 | 1 | Brandon Sheppard | +4 |
| 3 | 4 | 99 | Devin Moran | +1 |
| 4 | 14 | 17 | Zack Dohm | +10 |
| 5 | 3 | 49 | Jonathan Davenport | -2 |
| 6 | 7 | 60 | Dan Ebert | +1 |
| 7 | 11 | 111 | Max Blair | +4 |
| 8 | 2 | 71 | Hudson O'Neal | -6 |
| 9 | 8 | 28E | Dennis Erb Jr. | -1 |
| 10 | 9 | 11 | Josh Rice | -1 |
| 11 | 19 | 76 | Brandon Overton | +8 |
| 12 | 10 | 22F | Chris Ferguson | -2 |
| 13 | 17 | 40B | Kyle Bronson | +4 |
| 14 | 20 | 6 | Clay Harris | +6 |
| 15 | 26 | 22 | Daniel Hilsabeck | +11 |
| 16 | 12 | 58 | Garrett Alberson | -4 |
| 17 | 25 | 3S | Brian Shirley | +8 |
| 18 | 16 | 1T | Tyler Erb | -2 |
| 19 | 5 | 8 | Dillon McCowan | -14 |
| 20 | 13 | 75 | Eddie Carrier Jr. | -7 |
| 21 | 23 | 5T | Drake Troutman | +2 |
| 22 | 28 | 55 | Benji Hicks | +6 |
| 23 | 18 | 93F | Carson Ferguson | -5 |
| 24 | 24 | 44 | Dave Hess Jr. | — |
| 25 | 22 | 25Z | Mason Zeigler | -3 |
| 26 | 15 | 19R | Ryan Gustin | -11 |
| 27 | 27 | 17SS | Brenden Smith | — |
| 28 | 21 | 99H | Kyle Hardy | -7 |