7/13/2025
Ricky Thornton Jr
Ricky Thornton Jr. Doubles Up with Street Stock and Late Model Wins
Ricky Thornton Jr. showcased his versatility over the busy weekend, adding a Street Stock victory in Sunday’s Tanner Pelster Memorial at Boone County Raceway to cap a successful four-race stretch.
The weekend was already highlighted by a $15,000 victory in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) CMH Diamond Nationals opener on Friday night at Lucas Oil Speedway behind the wheel of his Koehler Motorsports No. 20RT Late Model.
“Man, I felt like I was on different tires than he (Davenport) was,” Thornton said. “I was thinking, man, he’s so good here. Did I really make a bad decision to be on different tires? We took off, and he was a little better than I was at times, which kind of surprised me. I felt like I should be a little better on the bottom."
Thornton’s weekend began Thursday at 34 Raceway (Iowa), where contact with the backstretch wall on lap 16 during the LOLMDS feature forced him to retire early. He was credited with a 20th-place finish.
On Friday, Thornton rebounded in dominant fashion for the opening night of the 19th annual CMH Diamond Nationals at Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, Mo.). He earned Allstar Performance Fast Time honors, won his heat race, and led all 40 laps in the feature to notch his 52nd career LOLMDS victory and a $15,000 payday.
Thornton followed that up with a third-place finish in Saturday’s $25,000-to-win Diamond Nationals finale, then shifted gears on Sunday for the Street Stock event at Boone County Raceway. In a thrilling late-race duel, he edged out Cameron Wilkinson to claim the Tanner Pelster Memorial win.
Complete results and event details are available at www.LucasDirt.com and www.BooneCountyRaceway.com.
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