17-year-old driver Hudson O’Neal picked up the win at Magnolia Motor Speedway following the thrilling 100-lapper
The ‘New Deal’ comments after taking his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory!
Scraping the backstretch wall along the way, Hudson O’Neal picked up the win last night at Magnolia Motor Speedway. The 2018 Clash at the Mag sent him home with a $20,000 check.
The 17-year-old put on a late race charge to the front. He worked by Josh Richards and held off Bobby Pierce to take his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win.
Just hours before fathers day, Don O’Neal hugged his son in victory lane as they celebrated the trip to victory lane.
Tell me about your race.
“It was pretty cool,” Hudson O’Neal told RacingNews.co after his win. “There early in the race I was just trying to save my stuff and not burn it up too much.”
“I knew if I saved enough, I’d be pretty good there.”
“About 50-60 laps in there I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know if I have anything for these guys.’ I found a little bit on that bottom.”
“I just didn’t give up on that bottom all night. I stayed there and stayed there. I knew I was decent around there and that’s where I was the best at. So, I just stayed freight trainin’ around there.”
“Luckily, that middle gave out and the bottom came in.”
It was a very exciting race. Over the course of 100 laps, the race saw five different leaders with 8 official lead changes at the line.
With 6 laps to go, Hudson O’Neal drove under Josh Richards in turn 1. They ran side by side as Bobby Pierce closed and attempted to make it 3 wide for the win.
Why do you think there was so many comers and goers in that race? Because it wasn’t just you that was in an accordion back and forth to the front.
“People’s race car’s are good at different times. You had Josh and 4-5 others that kinda mixed it up there, the whole race. You could always see them on the board, they’d show a nose. Then, you had a little bit of a comer and goer like Zeigler.”
“That just shows you how much these race tracks change, throughout the race. Some cars get really good, then they fade really bad. Some cars are really bad then they get really good.”
“You never really know what you’re going to get. I knew from the beginning that I had a decent race car. A top-5 race car, maybe ever a top-3. But, I didn’t know I was in a winning race car.”
Hudson O’Neal was crowned the 2017 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series rookie of the year. However, until last night he hadn’t been to victory lane.
Previously, Hudson O’Neal had a best finish of 2nd, twice. His first runner-up came at Muskingum County Speedway last July. The other 2nd place running came during the 2018 Speedweeks at Golden Isles Speedway. AT GIS, he drove from 15th to 2nd.
On the next leg of the tour, the LOLMDS returns to Muskingum County Speedway.
More
Related: Clash at the Mag – Results
Related: Hudson O’Neal drove from 15th to 2nd at Golden Isles Speedway
Related: Muskingum County Speedway Results – July 3, 2017
Related: Hudson O’Neal, an interview with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series rookie (2017)
Links
Hudson O’Neal | Magnolia Motor Speedway | LOLMDS | Shane Walters
