Photo Credit - Ryan Roberts Photography
Ricky Thornton Jr. continues his hot streak on the Lucas Oil Series as he collected his third win a row and sixth of the 2024 season. Fast qualifier Jonathan Davenport took the runner up honors and Garrett Alberson rounded out the podium.
A loaded 55 car field signed into Farmer City Raceway for their chance at the $25,000 Lucas Oil Farmer City 74. Most of the drivers have been waiting for days to race as Mother Nature postponed the opening two night of Illinois Speedweek. The FloRacing Night In America races were rained out at Spoon River and Lincoln Speedway. With the amount of cars they had six heat races that were won by Davenport,Troutman,Marlar,Garrett Smith,Cody Overton,and Garrett Alberson. B Main winners were Frank Heckenast Jr. Carson Ferguson and Daulton Wilson.
At the drop of the green Davenport jumped out to the early race lead. Ricky Thornton Jr. steadily worked his way up from his eighth starting spot. Once he got around Garrett Smith he reeled in leader Davenport. Right when the leaders got to the rear of the field a yellow would come out for spin outs.
On the restarts Shannon Babb kept testing a higher line and would make Thornton work a little harder to maintain his runner up spot then would start reeling in the leader again before another yellow would wave.
On lap 54 Babb used a perfect restart to his advantage and took the lead as the home state crowd roared when the black and red 18 came around. RTJ never let Babb stretch out the lead and was following his tire tracks as they came into lapped traffic. Babb cleared a couple of drivers battling for position that gave him a bit of breathing room but Thornton cleared them quickly as well to pull back up on the homestate leader.
Thornton would pull alongside Babb a few times but Babb was able to keep the lead until lap 70 as he would gain control of the lead. Soon after Babb lost the lead he also lost power ending his run from ninth to first. Babb would later say he thinks he must have jarred something loose racing through the holes.
Thornton wasn't challenged on the restart and comfortably took the checkers by almost two seconds over Davenport for his first win at Farmer City. Alberson picked up his third podium finish in a row as he continues his hot streak on the tour looking for that first win with Lucas Oil.
The series will take the short drive to Fairbury for the $30,000 to win Spring Shootout and finale of the abbreviated Illinois Speedweek. Can anyone stop Ricky Thornton Jr. from winning his fourth in a row?
Farmer City 74 Results
RICKY THORNTON JR.
Pierce
Alberson
Erb Jr.
Owens
Simpson
O'Neal
Overton
Gustin
McCreadie
T. Erb
G. Smith
Wilson
Troutman
Robinson
Marlar
Heckenast Jr
B. Smith
Briggs
Blair
Ferguson
Babb
Moran
Bronson
Feger
Shirley
Hoffman
Sheppard
Spatola
Lawler
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