Ricky Thornton Jr. captures 2nd straight Firecracker 100 title at Lernerville Speedway

Utter domination led to Ricky Thornton Jr. making history at Lernerville Speedway.

Thornton won by over a dozen seconds to become the first driver to win back-to-back Firecracker 100’s and earned another $50,000 payday Saturday night in Buffalo Township.

He took the lead from Mike Marlar on lap 45 and set sail, lapping up to eighth place.

Thornton said the engine in his car was starting laying down late in the race, but it wasn’t an issue because of his huge lead.

“I didn’t know I had that big of a lead,” Thornton said. “But the car was really good. It seemed like as the track slowed down my car got faster.”

It was the 14th Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series win for Thornton, who is the current series points leader.

A hard-charging Devin Moran rallied from 16th to finish second. Marlar settled for third, Jonathan Davenport was fourth and 19-year-old Hyndman native Drake Troutman was fifth.

Thornton joined Tim McCreadie, Jimmy Mars and Brandon Overton as multi-time Firecracker 100 champions. Scott Bloomquist is the only driver to win the event three times.

“This track is so technical,” Thornton said. “When it’s fast, it’s really fast, but when it gets slick, I think it get’s slicker than East Bay (Raceway in Florida). It kind of reminds me of (East Bay) and we’re really good there too.”

Troutman and Thornton started on the front row. Thornton got the initial jump and led the first two laps, but Troutman got by him to take the lead.

Marlar got by both Thornton and Troutman to take the lead on lap five and led up to lap 45 before Thornton made his winning move in turn four to get by him.

There were three cautions in the first 11 laps, but the race went green after that for 89 consecutive laps.

Moran made his charge to second late. He got by Davenport for fourth on lap 89, Troutman for third five laps later and took second from Marlar with three laps remaining.

He was hoping for a late caution to get close to Thornton, but it never came.

“I just messed up in the heat race and had to start 16th and when Ricky is starting upfront is pretty much impossible to overcome,” Moran said. “To come up through the field that far from second is good though, so we’ll take it.”

Troutman, Thornton, Davenport, Marlar, Mason Zeigler and Alberson won heat races.

Saxonburg native and multi-time Lernerville champ Alex Ferree had a scary accident in heat three. His car barrel rolled off turn three before coming to a stop well over the banking. He was uninjured.

Tyler Wyant, a 19-year-old Oil City native, qualified for the Firecracker 100 in his first attempt. He made a last lap pass on Jamie Lathroum to finish third and secure the final transfer spot.

Wyant was the top local finisher in the main event, coming home 14th.

Other Lernerville regulars that made the 100 lap feature were Michael Norris, Colton Flinner, John Garvin, Logan Zarin, Tyler Dietz and Kenny Schaltenbrand.

Spencer Hughes and Ross Robinson won the B Mains.