Sheppard Sweeps Opening Night of Mountain Moonshine Classic at Smoky Mountain
2026-06-21 18:13
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MARYVILLE, TN (June 19, 2026) - Brandon Sheppard completed a clean sweep Friday night at Smoky Mountain Speedway, leading all 40 laps of the opening night of the Mountain Moonshine Classic to earn his fourth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory of the season.
The New Berlin, Illinois driver earned $10,000 for the victory after setting overall fast time, winning his heat race, and capping off a perfect evening in Wieland Victory Lane. The win marked the 40th Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series triumph of Sheppard's career.
Sheppard crossed the finish line 1.342 seconds ahead of Dale McDowell, who finished second. Garrett Alberson rounded out the Big River Steel podium in third. Chris Madden and Sam Seawright completed the top five.
With championship points leader Hudson O'Neal finishing eighth, Sheppard trimmed his deficit from 150 points to 80 heading into Saturday night's $30,000-to-win Mountain Moonshine Classic finale.
"It's hard to win here. It's nothing like any place I grew up racing," Sheppard said in Lucas Oil Victory Lane. "I think we won a Southern All Stars race here a long time ago, but we haven't been able to get it done since. Anytime you can run up front with Dale (McDowell) and those guys at a place like this, you know you've accomplished something."
"This is our Eldora car, and I knew it was really good. I was happy with it from hot laps on. The guys did a phenomenal job getting it back together, and it was definitely a fast piece."
Sheppard admitted navigating lapped traffic was one of the biggest challenges of the race.
"Honestly, while I was leading, I was already thinking about what I was going to do when I got to traffic," he said. "I know better than to try passing those guys on the outside here, but they were racing three-wide in front of me. When Dale showed me a nose, I knew I had to figure out a way to get back by him and get to the bottom. I just bided my time and made it work."
McDowell challenged Sheppard on multiple occasions but was never able to complete a pass for the lead.
"I think I had a chance, but I hit the wall once and damaged a spoiler support, and that hurt us," McDowell said. "I was trying to widen my entry and thought I had an opening going into turn one. It was a good night for us. Once the race stayed green, I thought lapped traffic might give us an opportunity, but Brandon had really good speed in clean air. We'll work on it and see what we can do tomorrow night."
Alberson continued his strong season with a third-place finish and an important gain in the championship standings.
"I needed the start to go a little better," Alberson said. "If I could have gotten to Sheppard's door at the start-finish line, maybe it would have been a different race. He did exactly what he was supposed to do. We just need a little bit more. This car is really close, and honestly, this feels like a win for us. This place has been tricky for us in the past, so it's a big confidence boost."
Sheppard's winning Mark Richards Racing Rocket Chassis is powered by a Durham Racing Engine and backed by Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, Performance Grading, Petroff Towing, Franklin Enterprises, Sunoco Race Fuels, Gunter's Honey, Stiles Marine and Maintenance, and Collins Brothers Towing.
Completing the top ten were Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton Jr., Hudson O'Neal, Chris Ferguson, and Josh Rice.
The evening concluded with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series crew chiefs taking center stage in a Crown Vic Challenge. Jason Durham, crew chief for Hudson O'Neal, claimed the victory in the 15-lap event. Danny White, crew chief for Brandon Sheppard, finished second, while Anthony Burroughs, crew chief for Ricky Thornton Jr., rounded out the podium in third.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Mountain Moonshine Classic | Night 1
Friday, June 19, 2026
Smoky Mountain Speedway | Maryville, TN
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Brandon Sheppard | 16.019 seconds (Overall)
Fast Time Group B:Garrett Alberson | 16.036 seconds
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 16S-Sam Seawright[2]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[3]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[5]; 5. 22F-Chris Ferguson[8]; 6. 111-Max Blair[4]; 7. 15-Noah Phillips[7]; 8. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 9. 18P-Gray Parton[9]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 17M-Dale McDowell[1]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 3. 0-Jake O'Neil[2]; 4. T1-Todd Morrow[5]; 5. 157-Mike Marlar[4]; 6. 17SS-Brenden Smith[8]; 7. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 8. 16W-Ben Watkins[7]; 9. 8-Dillon McCowan[9]
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 3. 71-Hudson O'Neal[4]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[3]; 5. 17AU-Dylan Barrols[6]; 6. 91-Heath Hindman[5]; 7. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 8. 11B-Stacy Boles[7]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 10. (DNS) 48-Hunter Kohn
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 44M-Chris Madden[2]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 3. 11-Josh Rice[3]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 5. 7M-Donald McIntosh[4]; 6. 93J-Donovan Jackson[6]; 7. 101-Casey Roberts[8]; 8. 79-Joshua Sneed[9]; 9. (DNS) 7S-Justin Smith
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 22F-Chris Ferguson[1]; 2. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 3. 111-Max Blair[3]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 5. 17SS-Brenden Smith[4]; 6. 15-Noah Phillips[5]; 7. 20-Jimmy Owens[7]; 8. 16W-Ben Watkins[8]; 9. 8-Dillon McCowan[10]; 10. 18P-Gray Parton[9]
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 91-Heath Hindman[3]; 2. 93J-Donovan Jackson[4]; 3. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 4. 17AU-Dylan Barrols[1]; 5. 101-Casey Roberts[6]; 6. 11B-Stacy Boles[7]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 8. 7S-Justin Smith[10]; 9. 79-Joshua Sneed[8]; 10. (DNS) 7M-Donald McIntosh; 11. (DNS) 48-Hunter Kohn
Mountain Moonshine Classic | Night 1 | Feature Finish (40 Laps):
Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Earnings
1 - 1 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $10,000
2 - 3 - 17M - Dale McDowell - Chickamauga, GA - $5,500
3 - 2 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $3,500
4 - 4 - 44M - Chris Madden - Gray Court, SC - $2,700
5 - 5 - 16S - Sam Seawright - Fort Payne, AL - $2,500
6 - 8 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $2,300
7 - 6 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $2,200
8 - 10 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $2,200
9 - 17 - 22F - Chris Ferguson - Mt. Holly, NC - $2,050
10 - 12 - 11 - Josh Rice - Crittenden, KY - $2,100
11 - 7 - 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL - $1,600
12 - 14 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $1,400
13 - 16 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $1,200
14 - 9 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $1,000
15 - 13 - 3S - Brian Shirley - Chatham, IL - $950
16 - 21 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA - $925
17 - 11 - 0 - Jake O'Neil - Tucson, AZ - $900
18 - 19 - 157 - Mike Marlar - Winfield, TN - $875
19 - 15 - T1 - Todd Morrow - Penton, AL - $850
20 - 23 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $825
21 - 24 - 8 - Dillon McCowan - Urbana, MO - $800
22 - 22 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $800
23 - 20 - 93J - Donovan Jackson - Hope Mills, NC - $800
24 - 25 - 17SS - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL - $100
25 - 18 - 91 - Heath Hindman - Signal Mountain, TN - $800
Race Statistics
Entrants: 37
Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Brandon Sheppard
MD3 Lap Leaders: Brandon Sheppard (Laps 1-40)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Brandon Sheppard
Wieland Feature Winner: Brandon Sheppard
Margin of Victory: 1.342 seconds
Hellraizer Jacks Cautions: n/a
MyRacePass Series Provisional: Brandon Overton; Dillon McCowan
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisionals: Brenden Smith
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Dale McDowell, Garrett Alberson
Penske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Sheppard, Dale McDowell, Garrett Alberson, Chris Madden, Sam Seawright
Behrent's One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Dale McDowell, Garrett Alberson
PEM 4th Place Feature: Chris Madden
Diversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Sam Seawright
Wilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Kyle Bronson
Velocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Clay Harris
XS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Brian Shirley
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Chris Ferguson (Advanced 9 positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (40 Laps)
Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon Sheppard
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Hudson O'Neal
O'Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Josh Rice
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Sheppard | Lap 1 | 15.669 seconds
FK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Dillon McCowan
Victory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Devin Moran
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: Dale McDowell | 16.1408 seconds
Time of Race: 11 minutes 08 seconds
Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:
Pos - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Points - Earnings
1 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - 3750 - $166,900
2 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - 3670 - $150,900
3 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - 3510 - $167,024
4 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - 3395 - $77,000
5 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - 3365 - $103,275
6 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA - 3290 - $68,975
7 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - 3200 - $67,675
8 - 3s - Brian Shirley - Chatham, IL - 3115 - $55,600
9 - 11 - Josh Rice - Crittenden, KY - 3090 - $58,875
10 - 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL - 3015 - $47,575
11 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - 2955 - $59,850
12 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - 2890 - $46,400
13 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - 2805 - $44,500
14 - 8 - Dillon McCowan - Urbana, MO - 2615 - $33,200
15 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - 2495 - $32,075
16 - 17SS - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL - 2370 - $27,625
17 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - 2215 - $18,825
Official Marketing Partners
Associate Marketing Partners
Advanced Powder Coating, All Makes Collision Center, Arizona Sport Shirts, Behrent's Performance Warehouse, Black Diamond Chassis, Bilstein Shocks, Boyd Bilt Fabrication, Brodix, Capital Race Cars, Clements Racing Engines, Cornett 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, Steering Buddy, 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.