BROWNSTOWN, Ind.— While the teams of Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Jonathan Davenport are seemingly firing on all cylinders entering the spring season, Hudson O’Neal is trying to take some consolation Saturday at Brownstown Speedway that he’s not far behind.

When Jason Durham stepped down as Jonathan Davenport’s crew chief at the end of the 2022 season to spend more time with family, his departure from the Double L Motorsports team felt like an unofficial retirement from the week-to-week national touring grind.

Two-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Crew Chief of the Year Jason Durham has been tapped to lead the SSI Motorsports crew on the series for Hudson O'Neal, the Martinsville, Ind., driver announced today.

Now that Georgia-Florida Speedweeks have come and gone, I've decided to evaluate 15 top Dirt Late Model drivers — specifically the top six in points on last year’s national tours and three wild cards picks — from the popular wintertime series.

If there’s a driver on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series happy to put 2024 in the rear-view mirror, it’s Hudson O’Neal.

ROSSBURG, Ohio — No driver carries more confidence into Saturday’s 54th annual World 100 at Eldora Speedway than Jonathan Davenport, whose quest for a record-tying sixth globe trophy can't go unacknowledged by his closest competitors, including last year's winner Hudson O’Neal.

Hudson O’Neal was running second. The driver he replaced last month as driver for SSI Motorsports, Ricky Thornton Jr., was third and itching to move up.

Through three races with his new-look SSI Motorsports team, this much is clear: Hudson O’Neal has virtually picked up where Ricky Thornton Jr. left off, powering to Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victories Monday and Tuesday at Eagle (Neb.) Raceway and Shelby County Speedway.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series gave Shelby County Speedway is first-ever national touring Dirt Late Model event on Monday with the 53-lap, $10,053-to-win Kosiski Family 53.

Hudson O’Neal and Ricky Thornton Jr. have been the talk of dirt-track racing of late, so it’s only fitting they hogged the limelight once again in their one-two finish Monday at Eagle Raceway on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

Anthony Burroughs needed to get some things off his chest upon arriving back to the SSI Motorsports transporter Monday evening at Eagle Raceway following Hudson O’Neal’s first victory since reuniting with the team last week.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series made its first-ever appearance at Nebraska's Eagle Raceway on Monday with a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win event.

Hudson O’Neal and Ricky Thornton Jr. didn’t put their new rides in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory lane Thursday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, but consider their respective evenings a success.

Hudson O'Neal has won races this year for two of Dirt Late Model racing's most accomplished car owners, Mark Richards and Kevin Rumley.

Todd Burns isn’t a Dirt Late Model car owner seeking the spotlight. He’s content to stay in the background and watch his SSI Motorsports team race and, of course, win, something his operation has done on a historic level over the past year-and-a-half with Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., behind the wheel.