Anthony Burroughs has signed on with Koehler Motorsports to serve as Ricky Thornton Jr.’s crew chief, rekindling a driver-mechanic pairing that enjoyed vast success during a previous stint of nearly three years.

Ricky Thornton Jr. was quite busy at The Dirt Track at Charlotte’s World Finals balancing driving duties with his regular Koehler Motorsports No. 20rt team and Bernie Stuebgen’s No. 71 Indy Race Parts sprint car.

There was a big event in Ricky Thornton Jr.’s home state of Arizona and his schedule was clear. It goes without saying that he’d want to run it — even though it wasn’t for Dirt Late Models.

Is everything aligning for Devin Moran to capture his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship?

Ricky Thornton Jr. didn’t waste any time in Friday’s Pittsburgher 100 preliminary feature at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Six circuits into the 30-lapper, he was already in the lead with his eyes squarely set on padding his advantage in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series’s Big River Steel Chase for the Championship. | RaceWire

BROWNSTOWN, Ind. — Since the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series instituted the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship in 2023, the national tour has made tweaks to the playoff-style format.

As 35-year-old Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., rolled into the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series postrace technical inspection area following his Jackson 100 victory at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway on Saturday, one well-known crew member repeated the same mantra over and over.

Ricky Thornton Jr.’s Koehler Motorsports team was in need of another crew member for the stretch run of his Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title defense. The person who came on board to fill the role couldn’t have more impeccable credentials.

Following Jackson 100 weekend at Brownstown Speedway, two races are complete in the five-race Big River Steel Chase for the Championship on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series as the tour heads to Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway next Friday and Saturday.

The Big River Steel Chase for the Championship began with the so-called Big Four on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series taking a few lumps.

A statistical breakdown of the four eligible drivers in the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series heading into the five-race playoffs. The champion receives $250,000 with $200,000, $150,000 and $125,000 for the rest of the top four. (Drivers listed alphabetically with 2025 statistics and best career series performances at playoff tracks):

Reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Champion and recent World 100 winner Ricky Thornton Jr. will make his USAC National Sprint Car debut this October. The Arizona native known best as "RTJ" will compete as a rookie in the 58th Annual Western World Championships at Casa Grande’s Central Arizona Raceway on October 24-25, 2025.

ROSSBURG, Ohio (Sept. 6) — Key takeaways and commentary at Eldora Speedway from Ricky Thornton Jr.’s first World 100 victory (which shouldn’t come as a surprise), Jonathan Davenport’s shortcomings, another near-miss for Dale McDowell, Nick Hoffman’s bright future and more:

ROSSBURG, Ohio — Ricky Thornton Jr. an … underdog? Could one of Dirt Late Model racing’s biggest stars really not be among the favorites to win a crown jewel event?

Through preliminary action at this week’s 55th World 100 at Eldora Speedway, three drivers have seemingly separated themselves from the rest entering Saturday’s finale: Jonathan Davenport, Dale McDowell and Nick Hoffman. | Complete World 100 coverage