Ricky Thornton Jr. can view Sunday as either the most difficult day of his fast-rising career or a day that reminds him just how valued he is across dirt-track racing.

Under absolutely no circumstance did the reigning DirtonDirt.com Driver of the Year envision a day he’d be essentially fired from the ultrasuccessful SSI Motorsports team where he racked up 50 victories since the start of last year’s breakout 34-victory, $1 million campaign.

But the Chandler, Ariz., superstar who’s won more than 400 dirt-track features never quite considered he could attract approximately 50 driving opportunities, from weekend rides to longer term deals, in a 48-hour span as a free agent. That’s how many interested car owners reached out to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader from Sunday evening until Wednesday’s announcement he’s joining forces with Mount Airy, N.C.-based Koehler Motorsports. Of those 50 or so driving offers, 10 to 12 were car owners that Thornton foresaw as full-time offers.

“It’s kind of opened my eyes a little bit to see how people have reached out,” the 33-year-old Thornton said. “Really, the guys at Bilstein Shocks, the guys at Longhorn Chassis, they’ve been very, very in tune with the Koehler team and get our stuff as good as we can, as close as we can, to how our (SSI) team was. Obviously, I think it’ll take time to figure out the car for how I want it. But I think we’re putting our best foot forward to have the best car we can have right out of the box.”

What ultimately sold on the Bobby and Jessica Koehler-owned race team is the family dynamic. For Thornton and his wife Shae, that’s the most valuable part of any deal they could strike, especially with their two sons, 5-year-old Asher and 4-year-old Blayne, and 1-year-old daughter Hadley.

“They’re big about their family being involved in racing or families going on vacations,” Thornton said. “It’s nice to know there won’t be as much pressure to go out and win every race. They understand the sport. If you want to take the weekend off to go on vacation, he’s fine with it.”

Other benefits that Thornton wasn’t particularly looking for but receives anyway with the Koehlers is now being teammates with four-time Lucas Oil champion Jimmy Owens, who’s “always been (his) hero growing up,” plus the opportunity to perhaps race the family’s modified and micro-sprints on occasion.

“For me, it’s kind of cool that he does have other stuff,” Thornton said.

If there’s anything initially that Thornton wants people to understand, it’s his deal doesn’t impact Owens. He’s assuming Jordan Koehler’s No. 114 operation for the time being — his race cars, transporter, crew chief Kenny Payton and everything else in between — until the team gets their hands on a new fleet of Longhorn Chassis specifically for Thornton.

Not taking anything, nor even borrowing resources, from Owens was another essential part of the deal behind Thornton’s decision.

"It’s pretty cool to be able to interact with (Jimmy) and know that his team isn’t going anywhere,” Thornton said. “That was my main thing once we started here. I didn’t want Jimmy’s program to change if they were going to bring me over.”

Thornton understandably wouldn’t reveal other interested car owners that offered him rides either short-term or longer term — “I don’t want to say just for respect of race teams,” he said — but he’s honored that had many intriguing proposals to consider.

“There were a lot of people wanting to make sure we were still able to race and stay on the Lucas tour,” Thornton said. “A lot of them said, ‘We can get you through next weekend and we can kind of go from there and figure it out.’ That’s where I feel like the support I’ve gotten off this has been really, really awesome. I’m super thankful. It makes me feel a little bit better.”

Thornton had understandably felt down on himself in the hours after his release from SSI Motorsports. For one, he “never had any indication” that his job was in jeopardy, so the aftermath was “more of a blindside than anything.”

Being severed from his “three best friends” — crew chief Anthony Burroughs, Justin Tharp, and D.J. Williams — saddens him as well, particularly because of “the family aspect” that’d been created among the team.

“I loved my guys. I love Burroughs. I love Tharp. I love D.J. The family aspect of it sucks for sure,” Thornton said. “They’re my three best friends. Obviously I’ve talked with them since. Knowing when I show up to the racetrack that they’re not working for me or with me, it’s going to suck. But it’s a business. I understand it. I will for sure keep that relationship with them no matter what.”

And relationships are the driving force taking Thornton on into the next chapter of his career that surely has more checkered flags in sight.

“I feel like I’ve tried to build relationships with a lot of people,” Thornton said. “People that I’ve never really raced with were reaching out saying, ‘Hey, we have a car. We have a couple motors. We can go do this.’ That part’s been awesome.”

“A lot of them were people understanding the situation. And I would say it definitely helps — not that we’re guaranteed anything pointswise — but we’re in a good position still. If we struggle for a little bit, I feel like we can still be confident enough to where we’re not going to finish 15th in points.

“I feel like, no matter what, we’re still going to finish out the season. My best option was to get together with Bobby Koehler. I think in the long run, it’s really going to pay off.”

There are still, of course, logistics for Thornton to sort out as he begins his new deal Thursday at 34 Raceway West Burlington, Iowa, on the Lucas Oil tour. He’ll be on the road through July 20’s Silver Dollar Nationals at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., and, after that, he’ll be spending significant time at the Koehlers’ race shop in North Carolina.

Thornton doesn’t have plans to relocate to the Carolinas from his Martinsville, Ind., home, right yet especially with Asher planning to start kindergarten the first week of August. Relocating, however, is something he and his family will look into down the road. The biggest thing is he’s stable both occupationally and financially, which after Sunday’s life-altering events opening Thornton’s eyes to how much support he truly has.

“You never want to be in a situation where you don’t have money coming in essentially,” Thornton said. “We’re very fortunate our apparel side has been very good. The support from the fans the last four or five years has been really good. It’s really kept us afloat so we can save up a little bit of money. Not only that … it’s just I’ve had so many people reach out saying, ‘If you can’t find something, let us know. If you need to pay bills, we can give you extra money.’

“That side I feel taken care of. Say if we did race or didn’t perform well, there’s enough people out there making sure us as a family is in good shape. I feel like that part is pretty special, that anyone would care about us that much. That, no matter what, our family is going to be OK.”