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O'Neal Claims HTF's South Georgia Showdown at Needmore

NORMAN PARK, Ga. (Jan. 28) — Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, IN drove the Keven Rumley Longhorn to victory in the Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series 40-lap Main Event Tuesday night at Needmore Speedway.

While O’Neal led all 40 laps around the 3/8-mile D-shaped clay oval after starting second in his first ride in the #6 car, there were wholesale position changes behind the second-generation driver.

Ethan Dotson of Bakersfield, CA started 14 th and charged from seventh to second in the last ten laps of the race to earn the MD3 Hard Charger of the Race Award. Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL took the third spot, and Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL was fourth. Drake Troutman of Hyndman, PA rounded out the top five.

Sixth through tenth respectively went to Joseph Joiner of Milton, FL, Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, IA, Cody Overton of Thomson, GA, Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, IL, and Carson Brown of New London, NC.

In preliminary action, Whitener was the My Race Pass Fast Qualifier with a lap around Needmore Speedway in 14.205 seconds, and he also won the Quicksilver Engines First eight-lap Heat Race. The Earnhardt Technologies Group Second eight-lap Heat Race was won by Gustin, and O’Neal won the MD3 Third eight-lap Heat Race.

The MD3 Third Heat Race saw a scary moment when race leader Brian Shirley of Chatham, IL blew an engine that caused an oil fire that totally engulfed his race car, which caused the engine to keep running, feeding oil into the blaze. Series and track personnel fought the fire, keeping it away from the driver so
Shirley could climb out of the race car uninjured.

The Needmore Speedway race was a non-points race for the Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series which will begin its 2025 points season at its next event at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater, TN. The race will be 50 laps in length and pay $20,000 to the winner. For more information about the Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series, visit their web site at htfseries.com.

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