(June 22, 2024) Sarver, PA – Ricky Thornton Jr. etched his name in the record books by becoming the first driver to win the Firecracker 100 Presented by Big River Steel in consecutive years. Thornton’s victory at Lernerville Speedway, part of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, earned him $50,000 and marked his 11th series win of the season.
Dominant Performance
Thornton, from Chandler, AZ, led the final 55 laps of the race, finishing over 12 seconds ahead of runner-up Devin Moran. The race saw six lead changes among three drivers, but Thornton took control in the second half, demonstrating his mastery of the 100-lap event.
Early Battle for the Lead
Starting second, Thornton initially led the first two laps before Drake Troutman, participating in his first Firecracker 100, took over the lead. Troutman’s time at the front was short-lived as Mike Marlar moved ahead on lap five. Marlar held off both Troutman and Thornton during two early cautions.
Taking Control
On the final restart, Thornton passed Troutman for second and set his sights on Marlar. After a brief exchange of the lead between Marlar and Thornton, Thornton took command on lap 45 and never looked back.
“There were times when I got stuck behind a lapped car and couldn’t push hard enough to pass, which slowed my pace,” Thornton said. “I got into a good rhythm and kept it up. This track is incredibly fast when it’s slick, and our setup really suited these conditions.”
Charging from the Back
Devin Moran, starting from 16th, made a remarkable charge through the field to finish second. Moran earned the Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race, passing Mike Marlar with three laps to go.
“I messed up in the heat race, which made it tough to start from 16th,” Moran said. “Ricky was unbeatable from the front row. But my team did a fantastic job, and we managed to make up a lot of ground.”
Marlar’s Struggle
Mike Marlar, who was aiming for his first Firecracker 100 victory, had to settle for third. “I just couldn’t get the car to turn the way I needed,” Marlar said. “Ricky and Devin had better setups. It was tough, but we did what we could.”
Top Finishers
Jonathan Davenport and Drake Troutman rounded out the top five. Tim McCreadie, Garrett Alberson, Mason Zeigler, Hudson O’Neal, and Gregg Satterlee completed the top ten.
Complete Feature Results (100 Laps):
- Ricky Thornton Jr (2)
- Devin Moran (16)
- Mike Marlar (4)
- Jonathan Davenport (3)
- Drake Troutman (1)
- Tim McCreadie (8)
- Garrett Alberson (6)
- Mason Zeigler (5)
- Hudson O’Neal (9)
- Gregg Satterlee (11)
- Daulton Wilson (10)
- Max Blair (14)
- Ross Robinson (20)
- Tyler Wyant (15)
- Clay Harris (13)
- Cory Lawler (26)
- Carson Ferguson (7)
- Tyler Dietz (27)
- Boom Briggs (18)
- Logan Zarin (22)
- Brenden Smith (25)
- Michael Norris (17)
- Colton Flinner (21)
- John Garvin Jr (23)
- Spencer Hughes (19)
- Jimmy Owens (12)
- Trevor Collins (24)
- Ken Schaltenbrand (28)
For more details on the event and upcoming races, visit the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series website. If you can’t make it to the track, catch all the action live on DIRTVision.
