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Ricky Thornton Jr. Wraps Up Speedweeks with Podium at Volusia

Ricky Thornton Jr. put a wrap on his 2021 Florida Speedweeks this week at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.

The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series took center stage at the 50th Annual DIRTcar Nationals on Wednesday night. Ricky backed up the third fastest lap in his qualifying group with a convincing heat race win, sending him to the redraw for the $10,000-to-win feature where he would receive the third position on the grid.

Bobby Pierce led the first 11 laps of the 40-lapper before Thornton took over and held the top spot until lap 34. Surviving multiple late-race cautions, Ricky held on for a third-place finish behind Kyle Stickler and Hudson O’Neal. Jimmy Owens and Brian Shirley rounded out the Top-5.

“I kind of wish those yellows didn’t come out,” said Thornton, who visited Volusia for the first time for this year’s DIRTcar Nationals. “I don’t really have that much experience here to know what I need to do on a restart. I let Bobby get by me (on the lap-33 restart) and I was kind of screwed after that and couldn’t really run the line I wanted to.”

The following night, Ricky posted a runner-up finish behind Tyler Bruening in his heat race, earning him the tenth-starting position for the $10,000-to-win feature. After getting caught in a melee, Ricky was an early retiree from the 40-lapper.

Following Thursday night’s event, the team made the decision to end their 2021 Florida Speedweeks early.

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