O'Neal Claims Second Freedom 60 in Three Years
2025-07-07 17:18
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ZANESVILLE, OH (July 5, 2025) - Hudson O'Neal started sixth. He passed race leader Jonathan Davenport on lap 44 to win the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, Freedom 60 on Saturday night at Muskingum County Speedway. O'Neal's third series victory of the season paid $25,000 from a total purse of over $82,000.
Davenport crossed the finish line in second, just 0.515 seconds behind O'Neal, but he failed post-race tech when his droop limiter chain was not tight, which moved him to 25th place in the finishing order.
Garrett Alberson, who finished third, moved up to second in the final rundown. Brandon Sheppard, the previous night's winner at Atomic and the leader for the first 8 laps of the 60-lap main event, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 32nd time in his career, the 2023 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion returned to victory at Muskingum County for the second time. He held off a slider by Davenport in the closing laps to secure the win after Davenport led from laps 9 through 43.
"That was the advantage of not being out in the lead like Jonathan was. I was able to kind of drive some lines there, and I found that bottom. At first, whenever I tried, it didn't quite have the speed to drive all the way to the lead, but as that top slowed down, I got a little better. This car was amazing. Hats off to Jason Durham and my crew; they gave me an outstanding race car, making all the right decisions on tires and everything else things," said the Martinsville, Indiana native.
"I was really good at getting into third place and being able to get out there and come back down the hill. It was awesome; everything played out right tonight. I was able to drive up through there in the heat race, and having a good starting spot in the feature was the main thing for us. I appreciate all of the fans who came out tonight, and the Moran Family and Muskingum for giving us a great race track to race on."
Alberson ran as high as second during the race after a side-by-side battle with Sheppard for several laps.
"I had a very small balance issue, but our car was really close, and I am so proud of these guys. We have been working our butts off trying to develop a longer run program. We are really close. I am sure the battles (with Sheppard and O'Neal) hurt us, but Hud was really good; he just kind of worked over that bottom on me and did his job. I am just really happy to be here. I hate it for JD; I don't know if it was a mechanical failure or what it was. That's a tough deal, but I guess it happens to all of us at some point."
Sheppard, who earned his first series win of the season 24 hours earlier at Atomic Speedway, stayed in the hunt for most of the race and finished third.
"I definitely felt like I was battling with someone for most of the race. I was pretty much the same all the way across the track. I was just a little bit snug. The track was super slick tonight, it was awesome, and I thought it put on a great show for all of these fans. This new car has been phenomenal since we unloaded it."
The winner's SSI Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Wheeler Metals, Merrill Bonding Company, Sub-Surface of Indiana, Professional Concrete, Cutting and Drilling, West Side Tractor Sales, Dyno One Inc., O'Neal's Salvage and Recycling, Indiana USSSA Fast Pitch Softball, Bob and Tammy Burton, Houchens Insurance Group, Bobcat of Batesville, and Sunoco Race Fuels.
Completing the top ten were Nathon Loney, Donald McIntosh, Brandon Overton, Logan Zarin and Carson Ferguson.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Freedom 60
Saturday, July 5, 2025
Muskingum County Speedway - Zanesville, OH
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Brandon Sheppard | 16.058 seconds
Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport | 16.001 seconds (Overall)
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[2]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 5. 6-Clay Harris[7]; 6. 10-Nathon Loney[5]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[6]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 79-Donald McIntosh[4]; 2. 20B-Todd Brennan[1]; 3. 4-Tripp Gerrald[2]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 5. C4-Freddie Carpenter[5]; 6. (DNS) K54-Kenneth Rucker; 7. (DNS) 0-Steve Prince
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O'Neal[4]; 3. 18D-Daulton Wilson[2]; 4. 19M-Spencer Hughes[5]; 5. 66C-Matt Cosner[3]; 6. 156-James Dennis[7]; 7. R54-Shane Greco[6]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 1Z-Logan Zarin[2]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[3]; 5. 57-Caiden Black[5]; 6. W1-Cory Workman[6]; 7. K11-George Klintworth[7]
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (9 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[1]; 2. 66C-Matt Cosner[2]; 3. 57-Caiden Black[4]; 4. 156-James Dennis[6]; 5. R54-Shane Greco[10]; 6. C4-Freddie Carpenter[3]; 7. W1-Cory Workman[8]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 9. K11-George Klintworth[12]; 10. (DNS) 10-Nathon Loney; 11. (DNS) K54-Kenneth Rucker; 12. (DNS) 0-Steve Prince
Freedom 60 Feature Finish (60 Laps):
Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Pay
1 - 6 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $25,800
2 - 4 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $10,700
3 - 1 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $6,700
4 - 5 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $5,100
5 - 10 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - $4,200
6 - 25 - 10 - Nathon Loney - Danville, OH - $2,700
7 - 3 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - $3,300
8 - 15 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $3,000
9 - 8 - 1Z - Logan Zarin - Hookstown, PA - $2,200
10 - 12 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $2,800
11 - 18 - 66C - Matt Cosner - Ridgeley, WV - $2,000
12 - 16 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $2,600
13 - 14 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - $2,500
14 - 11 - 4 - Tripp Gerrald - Versailles, KY - $1,700
15 - 20 - 156 - James Dennis - Lower Salem, OH - $1,600
16 - 9 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $2,500
17 - 13 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $2,200
18 - 23 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - $2,200
19 - 19 - 57 - Caiden Black - New Concord, OH - $1,500
20 - 7 - 20B - Todd Brennan - Zanesville, OH - $1,500
21 - 22 - C4 - Freddie Carpenter - Parkersburg, WV - $1,500
22 - 24 - W1 - Cory Workman - Gratiot, OH - $1,500
23 - 17 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $2,200
24 - 21 - R54 - Shane Greco - Midway, WV - $1,500
25 - 2 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - $2,800
Race Statistics
Entrants: 28
Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Brandon Sheppard
MD3 Lap Leaders: Brandon Sheppard (Laps 1-8); Jonathan Davenport (Laps 9-43); Hudson O'Neal (Laps 44-60)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan Davenport
Wieland Feature Winner: Hudson O'Neal
Margin of Victory: 1.663 seconds
Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: Daniel Hilsabeck (Lap 11); Freddie Carpenter (Lap 14); Todd Brennan (Lap 17); Freddie Carpenter, Cody Workman (Lap 17 restart); Caiden Black (Lap 30); Carson Ferguson (Lap 52)
Series Provisionals: Cory Lawler
Fast Time Provisional: Cory Workman
Emergency Provisional: n/a
Track Provisional: Nathon Loney
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Hudson O'Neal, Garrett Alberson, Brandon Sheppard
Penske Shocks Top 5: Hudson O'Neal, Garrett Alberson, Brandon Sheppard, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Daulton Wilson
PEM 4th Place Feature: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Daulton Wilson
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Donald McIntosh
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Matt Cosner
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Spencer Hughes
MD3 24th Place Feature: Shane Greco
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Nathon Loney (Advanced 18 Positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (35 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O'Neal
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jonathan Davenport
O'Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Donald McIntosh
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport | Lap 19 | 16.877 seconds
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Hudson O'Neal
Fresh Roof Hard Luck Award: Devin Moran
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Jason Durham
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Race Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Cory Lawler | 15.952 seconds
Time of Race: 32 minutes 42 seconds
Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:
Pos - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Points - Pay
1 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - 4845 - $264,250
2 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - 4825 - $246,200
3 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - 4585 - $184,349
4 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - 4525 - $136,375
5 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - 4310 - $94,550
6 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - 4280 - $117,500
7 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - 4145 - $90,500
8 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - 3935 - $75,225
9 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - 3740 - $62,425
10 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - 3625 - $49,700
11 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - 3510 - $45,225
12 - 19M - Spencer Hughes - Meridian, MS - 3275 - $44,625
13 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - 3245 - $37,600
14 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - 3050 - $36,750
15 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - 2840 - $27,925
About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing
Founded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing showcases the talents of the top dirt late model drivers from across the country. In 2025, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction 58 events across 16 states, including some of the biggest marquee events in the industry, providing dirt slinging, sideways, door-to-door racing action lap after lap.
The series receives national exposure through a television package streamed live via FloRacing, with select broadcasts on RACER Network.
The in your face excitement of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing is second to none in motorsports. For more information, including the latest news, tour schedule, driver information, and more, visit the official website at: www.LucasDirt.com.
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