11/4/2023
O'Neal fourth in World Finals prelim at The Dirt Track at Charlotte
Hudson O’Neal and Rocket1 Racing are busily preparing to pursuing their second touring title of the 2023 season this weekend at Georgia’s Senoia Raceway.
After securing the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title a few weeks ago, the pilot of the team’s Valvoline / Seubert Calf Ranches No. 1 Ace Metal Works / XR1 Rocket Chassis / Durham Racing Engine Super Late Model is now focused on his bid for the Castrol FloRacing Night in America title.
Hudson currently sits nine markers out of the miniseries point lead. The upcoming weekend – Nov. 10-11 – finds the team entering the final two point events during the third annual Peach State Classic at Senoia (Ga.) Raceway. Friday’s event posts a complete $20,000-to-win program, while a $54,054 winner’s check is on the line on Saturday.
Last weekend found the team in action with the 17th running of the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte (Concord, N.C.). Action opened on Wednesday with a pair of qualifying rounds to kick off the four-day event.
With the 74 entrants divided into two groups, O’Neal was able to qualify fourth-fastest in the first round of time trials but a mid-pack effort in his second session pinned him on the third row of Friday’s heat race.
Rolling off on the front row of his heat race on Thursday, Hudson followed up a runner-up showing with a seventh-to-fourth run in the 35-lap feature. He chased Mike Marlar, Chris Madden, and Brandon Overton across the line with Dale McDowell coming in fifth.
On Friday, O’Neal edged into the $15,000-to-win A-Main with a second-place finish in his consolation race after failing to qualifying out of his heat race. Starting 24th, Hudson passed 12 cars in the 35-lap feature to register a 12th-place finish.
The weekend drew to an early close for the Rocket1 Racing team on Saturday after missing a transfer spot by two cars in both his heat race and B-Main.
Full results from the events are available at www.WoOLMS.com.
Article Credit: Josh James image