Ricky Thornton Jr.’s made it official. The reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion is back on the FloRacing-streamed tour to defend his crown this season with his No. 20rt Koehler Motorsports team, the Chandler, Ariz., superstar announced on social media ahead of Friday‘s stop at Atomic Speedway near Chillicothe, Ohio.

The 34-year-old pledging his commitment to the Lucas Oil tour Thursday evening removes the speculation he could instead follow the World of Outlaws Late Model Dirt Series for the first time in his ever-growing career. Thornton, who’s third in the Lucas Oil standings 15 points behind leader Jonathan Davenport, contemplated switching up his plans this year from the outset of Georgia-Florida Speedweeks in January.

His equally strong start, along with signing WoO’s platinum agreement to potentially follow the Steve Francis-led tour, on the WoO series (third in the standings, 26 points behind leader Bobby Pierce), had people wondering if the Lucas Oil tour would have a new champion this year.

In only four seasons on the Lucas Oil tour Thornton‘s 38 victories ranks fifth all-time on the Rick Schwallie-led series. Thornton captured the Lucas Oil title last year in his revamped playoff format, putting forth a stellar five-race performance with finishes of third and sixth at Pittsburgh‘s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, first and second at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway, and third at the title-clinching Dirt Track World Championship at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.

Three wins (two at Florida’s All-Tech Speedway and another at Ocala (Fla.) Speedway) is the highlight of Thornton‘s Lucas Oil’s season thus far through seven races.