3/29/2026
Ricky Thornton Jr
Ricky Thornton Jr. Repeats in Buckeye Spring 50 at Atomic Speedway
Claims $15,000 for First LOLMDS Victory of 2026
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (March 29, 2026) – Ricky Thornton Jr. returned to victory lane at Atomic Speedway on Sunday night, capturing the Buckeye Spring 50 for the second consecutive year.
Thornton overtook race-long leader Brandon Sheppard on lap 46 and drove away to secure his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory of the 2026 season and the 57th of his career.
“I felt like Tyler (Erb) was really good early, and then I was racing Brandon (Overton), and I’m not sure what happened to him,” Thornton said. “He got back around me off turn two and then slowed down - didn’t look like anything broke. On the restart, I debated whether to go top or bottom. I felt like the top would be better, but if the bottom got a run, they’d slide you. So I chose the top and drove as hard as I could into turn one to make sure Overton couldn’t slide me.”
Thornton’s weather-altered weekend began Saturday at Brownstown Speedway, where he raced into the $20,000-to-win Indiana Icebreaker with a heat race victory. He slipped one position in the 50-lap feature to finish second.
He rebounded Sunday at Ohio’s Atomic Speedway, making the decisive pass on Sheppard with four laps remaining to secure the $15,000 payday.
Complete results from the doubleheader weekend are available at www.LucasDirt.com.
Thornton is slated to return to action this weekend at Maquoketa Speedway for the Nippy 50, a MARS Late Model Championship Series doubleheader featuring a preliminary program on Friday and a $15,000-to-win finale on Saturday.
Full event details from the doubleheader can be found at www.MARSRacingSeries.com.
Ricky Thornton Jr. and the Koehler Motorsports team would like to thank their sponsors, including Knight's Companies, Hoker Trucking LLC, Longhorn Chassis, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Clement’s Racing Engines, Cornett Racing Engines, Coltman Farms Racing, Capital Waste LLC, Elite Ready Mix LLC, Jones Racing Products, SI Towing & Recovery, Certified Inspection Service Co., Inc., Varsitee Screenprinting, D and E Outside Services, Slicker Graphics, GoSunoco, Dynamic Drivelines, Excel Floor Coverings, Performance Bodies, Swift Springs, Buzze Performance, Keyser Manufacturing, Dirtcarlift, Behrent's Performance Warehouse, Ultra Shield Race Products, LLC, Sharp Advantage Safety Products, LLC, Team SRI Motorsports, MPI, Max Papis Innovations, Strange Oval, TireDemon, FK Rod Ends, Midwest Sheetmetal, VMG, Shocker Hitch, Vortex Race Starters, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
For the latest news on Ricky Thornton Jr., visit his official website at www.TwentyRT.com and follow updates at www.KoehlerMotorsports.com. Fans can also stay connected by subscribing to his official mailing list at https://pages/RickyThorntonJrRacing.
Article Credit: Photo by Heath Lawson
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