Alberson Wins Late Model Knoxville Nationals Opener
2025-09-20 14:03
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KNOXVILLE, IA (September 18, 2025) - Garrett Alberson led all 19 laps of the rain-shortened Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing event on Thursday night at Knoxville Raceway. It was the opening night of a three-race weekend for the 21st Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Presented by All Makes Collision Center.
Tyler Erb finished in second, followed by Daulton Wilson, Ricky Thornton Jr., and Jonathan Davenport.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the fourth time in 2025 and for the first time ever at Knoxville, the Las Cruces, New Mexico native earned $10,000 for the win.
"This is huge, especially for Ken and Beth. They have been coming here for so long, and this is an Iowa deal. It means a lot to get this red car into victory lane here in Knoxville. First off, I hope everybody involved in those wrecks is okay. It was a weird race; the restarts were really hard to judge. I didn't feel like I could accelerate very well - my gearing felt a little bit off. It's so tough to judge if you're doing the right thing with your speed because you could be in the correct lane, but if you don't do it just right, you lose so much speed. I was just trying to keep my speed up and hit the lanes."
Erb, who swept two preliminaries in 2021 at Knoxville, came from the 10th starting spot to finish second to Alberson.
"By making a lot of laps here, you're not going to pass them on the outside when the cushion is that low. I had a couple of restarts that worked out once I finally got past Joiner, and then I was kind of biding my time, not trying to hurt myself there, just had two or three restarts. The one I got by Perm and Sheppy was pretty good; we made 19 of 25, and Garrett did a good job. Everything played out well."
Wilson, in his first Lucas Oil race since Port Royal in August, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third.
"Running third feels good. We definitely need to work on our race cars a bit, but with the setup we have for tonight's race, we'll take it. The biggest thing is trying to stay out of air on those restarts; my car wouldn't take off on those starts at all, so I know I was holding up the whole field. Like I said, we made the most of it, and luckily, we ended up here."
The winner's Roberts Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Low Voltage Solutions, Inc., Mesilla Valley Transportation, Sunoco Race Fuels, Titan Racing Products, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Bill's Sport Shop, Done Right TV, Dickie's Doghouse, Cheap Cars, Fertilizer Equipment Specialists, Roemer Machine, Degano Powersports, Bilstein Shocks, and Mitchell Ranch.
Completing the top ten drivers were Aaron Marrant, Joseph Joiner, Devin Moran, Donald McIntosh, and Dan Ebert.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
21st Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Presented by All Makes Collision Center | Night 1
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Knoxville Raceway | Knoxville, IA
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Brian Shirley | 16.689 seconds
Fast Time Group B: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 16.566 seconds (Overall - New Track Record)
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[1]; 2. 19M-Joseph Joiner[3]; 3. 32S-Chris Simpson[2]; 4. 19R-Ryan Gustin[5]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 6. 25-Chad Simpson[7]; 7. 99X-Dallon Murty[4]; 8. 38T-Dylan Thornton[9]; 9. 6H-Al Humphrey[10]; 10. (DNS) 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 79-Donald McIntosh[1]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[4]; 4. 71-Hudson O'Neal[2]; 5. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 6. 15-Clay Stuckey[9]; 7. 93-Carson Ferguson[6]; 8. 51B-Brandon Carpenter[8]; 9. 10-Junior Coover[10]; 10. 99S-Jesse Sobbing[7]
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (12 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 3. 01-Tyler Erb[4]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[6]; 5. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 6. 60-Dan Ebert[8]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[2]; 8. 45D-Dan Battaglia[10]; 9. 18C-Chase Junghans[7]; 10. (DNS) 51C-Dean Carpenter
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (12 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 6J-Jake Neal[1]; 2. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[2]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[5]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[4]; 5. 1XM-Aaron Marrant[6]; 6. 6-Clay Harris[7]; 7. 51-Matt Furman[8]; 8. 21B-Rich Bell[9]; 9. 75-Daniel Adam[3]
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 25-Chad Simpson[1]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 3. 15-Clay Stuckey[2]; 4. 99S-Jesse Sobbing[9]; 5. 51B-Brandon Carpenter[6]; 6. 38T-Dylan Thornton[5]; 7. 10-Junior Coover[8]; 8. 6H-Al Humphrey[7]; 9. (DNS) 99X-Dallon Murty; 10. (DNS) 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (6 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 2. 6-Clay Harris[2]; 3. 51-Matt Furman[4]; 4. 21B-Rich Bell[6]; 5. 93L-Cory Lawler[3]; 6. 45D-Dan Battaglia[5]; 7. (DNS) 18C-Chase Junghans; 8. (DNS) 75-Daniel Adam; 9. (DNS) 51C-Dean Carpenter
21st Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Presented by All Makes Collision Center | Night 1 Feature Finish (19 Laps):
Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Pay
1 - 2 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $10,000
2 - 10 - 1 - Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX - $5,500
3 - 4 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - $3,500
4 - 8 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $2,700
5 - 18 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - $2,500
6 - 6 - 1XM - Aaron Marrant - Richmond, MO - $2,300
7 - 9 - 19M - Joseph Joiner - Milton, FL - $2,200
8 - 11 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $2,100
9 - 19 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - $2,050
10 - 22 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $2,100
11 - 12 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $1,600
12 - 13 - 32S - Chris Simpson - Oxford, IA - $1,400
13 - 14 - 32 - Bobby Pierce - Oakwood, IL - $1,200
14 - 17 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $1,000
15 - 16 - 76N - Blair Nothdurft - Renner, SD - $950
16 - 1 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $925
17 - 24 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $1,000
18 - 23 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $975
19 - 5 - 19R - Ryan Gustin - Marshalltown, IA - $850
20 - 15 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $825
21 - 21 - 25 - Chad Simpson - Mt. Vernon, IA - $900
22 - 3 - 16 - Tyler Bruening - Decorah, IA - $800
23 - 7 - 3S - Brian Shirley - Chatham, IL - $800
24 - 20 - 6J - Jake Neal - Omaha, NE - $800
Race Statistics
Entrants: 39
Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Brandon Sheppard
MD3 Lap Leaders: Garrett Alberson (Laps 1-19)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Garrett Alberson
Wieland Feature Winner: Garrett Alberson
Margin of Victory: 0.956 seconds
Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: Brian Shirley (Lap 8); Tyler Bruening (Lap 13); Chad Simpson (Lap 15); Hudson O'Neal (Lap 15 restart); Brandon Sheppard (Lap 16); Ryan Gustin (Lap 19); Carson Ferguson (Lap 19 restart)
Series Provisionals: n/a
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisional: n/a
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Garrett Alberson, Tyler Erb, Daulton Wilson
Penske Shocks Top 5: Garrett Alberson, Tyler Erb, Daulton Wilson, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jonathan Davenport
PEM 4th Place Feature: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Jonathan Davenport
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Joseph Joiner
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Brandon Overton
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Bobby Pierce
MD3 24th Place Feature: Jake Neal
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Advanced 13 positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Garrett Alberson (19 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Garrett Alberson
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
O'Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/a
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Garrett Alberson | Lap 1 | 16.809 seconds
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Tyler Erb
Fresh Roof Hard Luck Award: Hudson O'Neal
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Zach Huston
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 16.7375 seconds
Time of Race: 48 minutes 54 seconds
21st Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Presented by All Makes Collision Center Point Standings | After Night 1:
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.
Official Marketing Partners
Associate Marketing Partners
Advanced Powder Coating, All Makes Collision Center, Behrent's Performance Warehouse, Black Diamond Chassis, Boyd Bilt Fabrication, Brodix, Capital Race Cars, Clements Racing Engines, Coltman Farms Racing, Dave Warren Powersports, Deatherage Opticians, DMI Rearends, Fast Shafts, Fire Suppression Engineering, FOX Shocks, Fresh Roof Shingle Rejuvenation, Heartbeat Hot Sauce, Heath Lawson Photography, Hellraizer Jacks, Hoker Trucking, Keyser Manufacturing, Longhorn Chassis, MD3, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, Midwest Sheet Metal, MSD, Outerwears, PEM - Performance Engineering Mfg, Penske Racing Shocks, ProFabrication Headers, Pro Power Racing Engines, Rocket Chassis, Schoenfeld Headers, Simpson Race Products, Slicker Graphics, Strange Oval, Swift Springs, Thermo-Tec Automotive Products, Vic Hill Race Engines, Victory Fuel, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood, Xceldyne, and 5150 Race Trailers