In the wake of Tim McCreadie’s departure from Paylor Motorsports announced by the Donald and Gena Bradsher-owned team on Friday, multiple sources have confirmed to DirtonDirt.com and FloRacing that the Watertown, N.Y., veteran will take over the Rocket Chassis house car ride recently vacated by Hudson O’Neal, effective immediately.

Paylor Motorsports, which has fielded Longhorn Chassis for the two-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion since 2020 and regional standout Carson Ferguson of Lincolnton, N.C., since the start of ’22, revealed on Friday that the 23-year-old Ferguson is stepping up to take the reins of the team’s flagship operation.

The North Carolina team made their changes official via press release on Friday afternoon. Rocket1 co-owner Mark Richards did not immediately confirm McCreadie’s hiring as O’Neal’s replacement, but all reports indicate that the 49-year-old star ended his stint with Paylor Motorsports to accept an offer to drive for the Shinnston, W.Va.-based factory team.

“Tim McCreadie recently notified car owners Donald and Gena Bradsher of his intentions to pursue another driving opportunity and, effective yesterday, is no longer associated with Paylor Motorsports,” read the team’s release from Delph Communications.

Donald Bradsher said “there is no ill will at all towards Timmy for pursuing another opportunity” and added that McCreadie “is a stand-up guy, a tremendous driver, and we accomplished a lot together since we started back in 2020.”

McCreadie won back-to-back Lucas Oil Series titles in 2021-22 and 21 features on the tour during his four-plus seasons with Paylor Motorsports. He has one win this season on the circuit and sits ninth in the Lucas Oil Series standings, 215 points behind leader Ricky Thornton Jr. as the tour resumes March 22-23 at Ohio’s Atomic Speedway and Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway.

Ferguson’s initial plans this year were to follow the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series. It’s unclear whether Ferguson will still campaign on the second-year regional tour or if he’ll go in the direction of touring nationally, but he debuts as Paylor Motorsports’ premier driver Saturday with the HTF circuit at Alabama’s Talladega Short Track.

“With everything that has transpired in the last day or so, the opportunity to take over the Paylor Motorsports ride to attempt to follow in the footsteps of one of the sport’s greatest in Tim McCreadie is unimaginable,” Ferguson said in the press release. “I can’t thank Donald and Gena Bradsher, Wesley Page, my dad, all of my past and present sponsors, and every person I have driven for to this point enough for getting me to where I am today.

“We are unsure of what series (and) events we will be following this year, but the entire Paylor Motorsports team is ready to hit the ground running starting tomorrow night at Talladega.”