O’Neal Wins At Marshalltown After Battling Pierce, Overton

Hudson O'Neal celebrates in FloRacing Night in America victory lane on Tuesday night. (Photo Courtesy of Marshalltown Speedway)

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa – Hudson O’Neal outdueled Bobby Pierce and Brandon Overton to win the fourth round of FloRacing Night in America Tuesday night at Marshalltown Speedway, picking up $20,000.

O’Neal and Pierce swapped the lead in just 11 laps during the middle part of the race. With 18 to go, Pierce got by O’Neal and started to run away. However, a caution came out with nine laps remaining, and on the ensuing restart, Overton took the lead and made one lap before another caution came out.

The next restart saw Pierce throw a massive slide job and almost send himself and Overton off-track in turn two, allowing O'Neal to skate by on the inside to take the lead and the win.

“Marshalltown Speedway, what a racetrack,” O’Neal said in victory lane. “We race all over this thing every time we come here. My heart was pumping. Whenever we had [nine] to go on that restart, I chose the bottom, and I was lost. Bobby was driving away from me in the bottom, and I could barely make that top work. I just figured that the safe bet was the bottom, and then I get driven by on the top, and I was like, ‘Gosh dang it, I just lost this race.’

“The caution came back out, and Bobby threw a Hail Mary down there and got them all stacked up and let me sneak in there and steal one from them,” he added. “[I’m] thankful for the restart; it let me get back in the game on that one. I look[ed] forward to this. This is one of my favorite places in the country, if not my favorite place in the country, and every time I get to come here is special and awesome.”

Overton started the race from pole, but O’Neal was able to get by him early on. With 29 laps to go, Pierce had caught O’Neal for the lead, and their battle ensued for the next 11 laps as they swapped the lead three times.

Pierce had a comfortable gap before the caution with nine to go for a flat right-rear tire on Carson Ferguson’s car. The restart saw Overton run the high side in turns one and two and throw a slider on Pierce in turns three and four to take the lead.

Once most of the field crossed the start/finish line, a caution came out for Chris Simpson spinning.

As the field took the green with eight laps left, Pierce threw the slide job in turn one. As Pierce ducked his right side wheels off the back in turn two, Overton had to check-up to not crash, letting O’Neal sneak by on the inside and take a lead he wouldn’t relinquish all the way the checkered flag.

Behind O’Neal, Overton, and Pierce, Justin Duty and Jonathan Davenport filled out the top five. Sixth through 10th were Tyler Bruening, Ryan Gustin, Devin Moran, Brian Shirley, and Brandon Sheppard.

Pierce still leads the points standings, 33 points ahead of Brian Shirley. Jonathan Davenport is in third, 36 points from the lead, with Ricky Thorton Jr. 57 points back in fourth, and Devin Moran in fifth, 72

The next FloRacing Night in America race is Wednesday night, June 4 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. FloRacing will stream all the action, with hot laps starting at 6 p.m. ET and racing following at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The finish:

A Feature (50 Laps): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal [5]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton [1]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce [6]; 4. 15D-Justin Duty [14]; 5. 49-Jonathan Davenport [3]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening [8]; 7. 19R-Ryan Gustin [12]; 8. 99-Devin Moran [4]; 9. 3S-Brian Shirley [11]; 10. 1-Brandon Sheppard [9]; 11. 58-Garrett Alberson [7]; 12. 28-Dennis Erb Jr. [15]; 13. 32S-Chris Simpson [16]; 14. 93-Carson Ferguson [17]; 15. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr. [18]; 16. 25-Jason Feger [2]; 17. 2-Cody Overton [13]; 18. 1T-Tyler Erb [20]; 19. 18D-Daulton Wilson [23]; 20. 74X-Ethan Dotson [19]; 21. 15-Clay Stuckey [25]; 22. 60-Dan Ebert [26]; 23. 14S-Collen Winebarger [22]; 24. 40B-Kyle Bronson [10]; 25. 38T-Dylan Thornton [21]; 26. 22*-Drake Troutman [24].