Sheppard Returns to Wieland Winter Nationals Victory Lane at Ocala
2026-02-27 22:33
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OCALA, FL (February 25, 2026) - It took Brandon Sheppard nine years to return to Victory Lane at Ocala Speedway, but on Wednesday night the New Berlin, Illinois driver captured the 30-lap Wieland Winter Nationals feature for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing.
Sheppard earned his third career victory at Ocala and his first since 2017, driving the Rocket 1 to a 0.583-second win over Hudson O'Neal. Devin Moran finished third, with Brandon Overton and Clay Harris rounding out the top five.
Kyle Bronson powered around the outside of the front row to grab the early lead, with Sheppard settling into second. Bronson, who was seeking his first Lucas Oil Series win since the 2021 Silver Dollar Nationals, maintained a steady two-car-length advantage through the opening laps. However, as he exited Turn 4 to complete Lap 6, Bronson suddenly slowed with apparent drivetrain issues. Sheppard, closing quickly on the bottom, made slight, unavoidable contact as Bronson decelerated. The caution flag waved as Bronson headed to the hot pit, ending his night.
Sheppard inherited the lead, with O'Neal and Overton in pursuit until a caution on Lap 18 reset the field. Two laps after the restart, Moran slipped past Overton for third.
The final 10 laps featured an intense three-car battle as Sheppard, O'Neal, and Moran navigated heavy lapped traffic. Both challengers closed in, but Sheppard cleared a slower car on the white-flag lap, giving him just enough breathing room to secure the win at the checkers.
The victory marked Sheppard's 37th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series triumph. He also broke a tie with Don O'Neal for fourth place on the all-time Georgia-Florida Speedweeks win list with his 25th victory.
"It felt good to see the checkered flag," Sheppard said. "We definitely had some stuff messed up on the front end from the contact with Kyle. I felt terrible about that. It looked like he missed it a little bit, and I was filling the gap on the bottom when we came together. I hate that for him, but we had a really fast car again tonight. It was just one of those deals where we got out front. My dad said last night I was messing around too much in lapped traffic, so this one's for him."
With the win, Sheppard became the winningest Rocket 1 driver during Georgia-Florida Speedweeks over the last 25 years, earning his 11th victory and breaking a tie with Josh Richards.
"I was running a different line in Turns 1 and 2 than I expected," Sheppard added. "I would enter on the bottom and slide across the middle. I kept waiting for it to change because I knew it might go away at some point. I felt good on both the bottom and the top and was just trying to maintain speed. With the front end being jacked up, it was wherever the car put me. Turns 3 and 4 were tougher because I needed to carve down the hill and come off lower and straighter, and I struggled with that late in the race."
O'Neal, who was seeking his second career win at Ocala, closed the gap in the final laps but settled for second.
"Sheppy had a good race car," O'Neal said. "I felt like we were pretty maneuverable and could really build momentum down the back straightaway. The longer the race went, the better I felt. I gained on him late, and lapped traffic definitely played a factor. I got caught behind Ross (Robinson), and I just wasn't able to capitalize with a lap or two to go."
Moran, who started eighth, advanced to third on Lap 20 and joined the late-race battle to round out the Big River Steel Podium.
"I felt like my car was really good again," Moran said. "I jumped the cushion in the heat race, got into the wall, and let Hud get by me, and that really dictated our night. You have to start up front here. I know they're working hard on the track night in and night out, and I'm sure they'll have it figured out by the end of the week."
The winner's Mark Richards Racing, Rocket Chassis is powered by a Durham Racing Engine and sponsored by Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, Performance Grading, Petroff Towing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Franklin Enterprises, Gunter's Honey, Stiles Marine and Maintenance, Collins Brothers Towing, and Fox Shocks.
Completing the top 10 were Drake Troutman, Brian Shirley, Garrett Alberson, Carson Ferguson, and Ricky Thornton Jr.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Wieland Winter Nationals
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Ocala Speedway | Ocala, FL
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Brandon Overton | 14.288 seconds
Fast Time Group B: Garrett Alberson | 14.141 seconds (Overall)
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 3. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[3]; 4. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 5. 09-Michael Leach[4]; 6. 11-Josh Rice[7]; 7. 32J-Justin Weaver[6]; 8. 18-Chase Junghans[8]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 10. 12L-Dave Loudin[10]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[2]; 2. 13-Dallon Murty[1]; 3. 19M-Brenden Smith[3]; 4. 15K-Cody Overton[4]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[7]; 6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 7. 17SR-Brody Smith[8]; 8. 6B-Adam Boyd[10]; 9. (DNS) 22-Daniel Hilsabeck; 10. (DNS) 111-Max Blair
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 4. 22*-Drake Troutman[3]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 6. 10-Garrett Smith[5]; 7. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[8]; 8. 77-Preston Luckman[7]; 9. 15-Clay Stuckey[10]; 10. 79-Cory Hedgecock[9]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O'Neal[1]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[2]; 3. 58V-Daulton Wilson[3]; 4. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 5. 8-Dillon McCowan[6]; 6. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 7. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[8]; 8. 81F-Jadon Frame[7]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 10. 55-Eli Johnson[10]
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 2. 7-Ross Robinson[2]; 3. 11-Josh Rice[3]; 4. 09-Michael Leach[1]; 5. 32J-Justin Weaver[5]; 6. 17SR-Brody Smith[6]; 7. 12L-Dave Loudin[11]; 8. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 9. 18-Chase Junghans[7]; 10. 6B-Adam Boyd[8]; 11. (DNS) 22-Daniel Hilsabeck; 12. (DNS) 111-Max Blair
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 8-Dillon McCowan[2]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 3. 10-Garrett Smith[3]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[4]; 5. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[6]; 6. 81F-Jadon Frame[8]; 7. 15-Clay Stuckey[9]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 9. 55-Eli Johnson[12]; 10. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[5]; 11. 77-Preston Luckman[7]; 12. (DNS) 79-Cory Hedgecock
Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (30 Laps):
Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Earnings
1 - 1 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $7,000
2 - 4 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $3,500
3 - 8 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $2,000
4 - 5 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $1,500
5 - 3 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $1,400
6 - 14 - 22* - Drake Troutman - Hyndman, PA - $1,300
7 - 20 - 3S - Brian Shirley - Chatham, IL - $1,200
8 - 6 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $1,100
9 - 10 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $1,000
10 - 17 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $950
11 - 7 - 13 - Dallon Murty - Chelsea, IA - $900
12 - 13 - 28 - Dennis Erb Jr - Carpentersville, IL - $850
13 - 11 - 19M - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL - $800
14 - 9 - 76N - Blair Nothdurft - Renner, SD - $750
15 - 24 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $725
16 - 18 - 8 - Dillon McCowan - Urbana, MO - $700
17 - 19 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - $700
18 - 12 - 58V - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - $700
19 - 22 - 10 - Garrett Smith - Madison, GA - $650
20 - 15 - 15K - Cody Overton - Thomson, GA - $625
21 - 2 - 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL - $725
22 - 23 - 9 - Michael Leach - Sun River, MT - $600
23 - 21 - 11 - Josh Rice - Crittenden, KY - $600
24 - 16 - 1T - Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX - $600
Race Statistics
Entrants: 40
Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Brandon Sheppard
MD3 Lap Leaders: Kyle Bronson (Laps 1-6); Brandon Sheppard (Laps 7-30)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Brandon Sheppard
Wieland Feature Winner: Brandon Sheppard
Margin of Victory: 0.583 seconds
Hellraizer Jacks Cautions: Tyler Erb (Lap 3); Josh Rice (Lap 5); Kyle Bronson (Lap 6); Ross Robinson (Lap 18)
MyRacePass Series Provisionals: n/a
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O'Neal, Devin Moran
Penske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O'Neal, Devin Moran, Brandon Overton, Clay Harris
Behrent's One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O'Neal, Devin Moran
PEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon Overton
Diversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Clay Harris
Wilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Brian Shirley
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Dallon Murty
Velocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Brenden Smith
XS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Dan Ebert
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Brian Shirley (Advanced 13 positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (24 Laps)
Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon Sheppard
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon Overton
O'Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/a
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Kyle Bronson | Lap 3 | 14.468 seconds
FK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Kyle Bronson
Victory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Brandon Sheppard
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Danny White
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Race Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Drake Troutman | 14.5629 seconds
Time of Race: 17 minutes 09 seconds
Official Marketing Partners
Associate Marketing Partners
Advanced Powder Coating, All Makes Collision Center, Behrent's Performance Warehouse, Black Diamond Chassis, Bilstein Shocks, Boyd Bilt Fabrication, Brodix, Capital Race Cars, Clements Racing Engines, Dave Warren Powersports, Denago Powersports, Diversified Machine Inc, Fast Shafts, Fire Suppression Engineering, FOX Shocks, Heartbeat Hot Sauce, Heath Lawson Photography, Hellraizer Jacks, Hoker Trucking, Jackson County Tourism, Keyser Manufacturing, Longacre Scales, Longhorn Chassis, The Massengill Company, MD3, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, Midwest Sheet Metal, MSD, Ohlins Shocks, Outerwears, PEM - Performance Engineering Mfg, Penske Racing Shocks, ProFabrication Headers, Pro Power Racing Engines, Rocket Chassis, Schoenfeld Headers, Shocker Hitch, Simpson Race Products, Slicker Graphics, Strange Oval, Swift Springs, Thermo-Tec Automotive Products, Velocity Manufacturing, Victory Fuel, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood, Xceldyne, XS Power Batteries, and 5150 Race Trailers.