McDowell
Scores Popular Victory at Smoky Mountain Speedway
(June
20, 2026) Dale McDowell led all 60 laps of the Mountain
Moonshine Classic on Saturday night at Smoky Mountain Speedway,
earning a popular hometown victory and collecting $30,000 for
his 11th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win. (Heath
Lawson Photo)
The victory was McDowell’s first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt
Series triumph triumph since winning the Topless 100 in 2023 and
his first Series victory at Smoky Mountain Speedway since 2016.
Devin Moran charged from seventh to finish second after passing
Friday night winner Brandon Sheppard on lap 45. Moran closed the
gap in the closing laps but crossed the finish line 1.113 seconds
behind McDowell. Sheppard rounded out the Big River Steel podium
in third after finishing second for the first 44 laps of the race.
Jake O’Neil recorded the best Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt
Series finish of his career with a fourth-place effort after running
inside the top five throughout the event. Chris Madden completed
the top five.
With his third-place finish, Sheppard trimmed Hudson O’Neal’s
championship lead to just 20 points heading into next weekend’s
event at Lernerville Speedway.
McDowell’s victory was his 13th overall win at Smoky Mountain
Speedway since 2008 and came in front of a home-state crowd.
“I anticipated that second start and wasn’t sure
where the grip was going to be,” McDowell said in Lucas
Oil Victory Lane. “Things just kind of fell our way. The
car was really good, and the guys have worked hard on it. I’ve
given them some feedback, and sometimes it’s probably wrong,
but they keep working at it.”
“It was an awesome night to win close to home. Like Kyle
Busch said, you never know when the last one is going to be, so
I’m sure glad to get one here. Shane made a few changes
from Friday night, and the car was balanced really well. I was
able to pick my way through traffic and guide it where I needed
to go.”
Moran made a late charge after overtaking Sheppard but couldn’t
quite reel in the veteran leader.
“Dale McDowell is Dale McDowell for a reason,” Moran
said. “I’m ready for him to retire. When he got to
traffic, I felt like I had a really good run. I was pushing hard
and probably overheated the right rear tire trying to get there.
Once I got to him and slid it, that pretty much hurt my chances.
Still, coming from seventh to finish second isn’t bad.”
Sheppard believed the race was decided in the opening laps.
“The initial start is what lost the race for us,”
Sheppard said. “I saw Dale rolling a little bit and was
waiting to go, but I got lifted from behind and couldn’t
launch like I needed to. Once he got out front, we were hoping
traffic or a restart would give us an opportunity. I had a good
restart and got by Madden, but on the next one I got too close
to Dale entering turn one, lost the air on the nose, and Devin
got by me.”
McDowell’s winning Shane McDowell Racing Team Zero Chassis
is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and backed by Reece Monument
Company, Remtek Enterprises, Otterly Baths, AAA General Contracting,
Ace Doran Hauling & Rigging, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, Mark
IV, M&S Motors, Jason Wright Excavating, Black Rock Enterprises,
BSI Well Service, Northeastern Fabrication, and Campbell Insulation.
Completing the top ten were Carson Ferguson, Max Blair, Kyle
Bronson, Sam Seawright, and Dillon McCowan.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Mountain Moonshine Classic | Night 2
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Smoky Mountain Speedway | Maryville, TN
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Brandon Sheppard | 14.284 seconds (Overall)
Fast Time Group B: Dale McDowell | 14.420 seconds
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1.
1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 44M-Chris Madden[2]; 3. 22F-Chris Ferguson[6];
4. 7M-Donald McIntosh[3]; 5. T1-Todd Morrow[4]; 6. 16W-Ben Watkins[7];
7. 91-Heath Hindman[8]; 8. 7S-Justin Smith[5]; 9. 1X-JT Seawright[9]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer):
1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[2];
4. 16S-Sam Seawright[4]; 5. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 6. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[7];
7. 111-Max Blair[8]; 8. 93J-Donovan Jackson[6]; 9. 58-Garrett
Alberson[10]; 10. 12-Jack Franklin[9]
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer):
1. 17M-Dale McDowell[1]; 2. 0-Jake O'Neil[2]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[3];
4. 17SS-Brenden Smith[5]; 5. 157-Mike Marlar[4]; 6. 15-Noah Phillips[6];
7. 11-Josh Rice[9]; 8. 3S-Brian Shirley[8]; 9. (DNS) 20-Jimmy
Owens
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer):
1. 71-Hudson O'Neal[1]; 2. 18X-Michael Page[4]; 3. 20RT-Ricky
Thornton Jr[3]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[2]; 5. 76-Brandon Overton[5];
6. 101-Casey Roberts[7]; 7. 17AU-Dylan Barrow[6]; 8. 18P-Gray
Parton[8]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer):
1. 6-Clay Harris[2]; 2. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 3. 111-Max Blair[6];
4. T1-Todd Morrow[1]; 5. 16W-Ben Watkins[3]; 6. 58-Garrett Alberson[10];
7. 7S-Justin Smith[7]; 8. 91-Heath Hindman[5]; 9. 93J-Donovan
Jackson[8]; 10. 1X-JT Seawright[9]; 11. 12-Jack Franklin[11]
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 157-Mike
Marlar[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 3. 15-Noah Phillips[3]; 4.
101-Casey Roberts[4]; 5. 11-Josh Rice[5]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[7];
7. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 8. 18P-Gray Parton[8]; 9. 17AU-Dylan Barrow[6];
10. (DNS) 20-Jimmy Owens
(MRM Racing Photo)
Mountain Moonshine Classic | Night 2 | Feature Finish (60 Laps):
Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Earnings
1 - 2 - 17M - Dale McDowell - Chickamauga, GA - $30,000
2 - 7 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $16,300
3 - 1 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $7,900
4 - 6 - 0 - Jake O'Neil - Tucson, AZ - $5,500
5 - 5 - 44M - Chris Madden - Gray Court, SC - $4,500
6 - 10 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $4,400
7 - 21 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA - $3,900
8 - 3 - 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL - $3,400
9 - 15 - 16S - Sam Seawright - Fort Payne, AL - $2,400
10 - 11 - 8 - Dillon McCowan - Urbana, MO - $3,300
11 - 17 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $3,100
12 - 4 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $3,600
13 - 14 - 17SS - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL - $2,000
14 - 20 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $2,800
15 - 19 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $2,700
16 - 16 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $2,650
17 - 24 - 3S - Brian Shirley - Chatham, IL - $2,600
18 - 26 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - $250
19 - 25 - 11 - Josh Rice - Crittenden, KY - $1,100
20 - 12 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $2,850
21 - 22 - 15 - Noah Phillips - Sevierville, TN - $1,550
22 - 13 - 7M - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - $1,500
23 - 9 - 22F - Chris Ferguson - Mt. Holly, NC - $1,500
24 - 23 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $2,400
25 - 8 - 18X - Michael Page - Douglasville, GA - $1,500
26 - 18 - 157 - Mike Marlar - Winfield, TN - $1,500
Jed Emert won the sportsman late model feature for his third
consecutive win at Smoky Mountain. Emert took the lead from Ross
White and never looked back. White had a brief challenge from
Zack Shannon for second. White fought off the challenge to finish
second. Shannon finished third.
Robbie Comer held off Greg Huskey for the street stock win.
Comer and Chris Kelly battled for the lead until a spin sent him
to the rear. Huskey and Bobbie Petty battled for third. Once Huskey
secured second, he tracked down Comer. A caution with two laps
to go set up the showdown between Comer and Huskey. The leaders
battled side-by-side on the last lap. Comer edged Huskey at the
line to win.
Brandon Overton win the Crown Vic Drivers Challenge. Overton
passed Ricky Thornton Jr. with a few laps to go for the lead and
win.
(MRM Racing Photo)
Sportsman Late Models:
1. 40H-Jed Emert[1]; 2. 0-Ross White[2]; 3. Z1-Zach Shannon[4];
4. 118-Jared Delk[7]; 5. 59-Shaun Sise[5]; 6. 50-Adam Mitchell[9];
7. 36-Tanner Haines[11]; 8. 43-Hayden Estep[13]; 9. 99-Robert
Buchanan[12]; 10. 2P-Terry Poore[8]; 11. 28H-Jesse Helton[6];
12. 98-Hunter Johnson[14]; 13. C4-Cameron Hawkins[3]; 14. 31P-Pierce
McCarter[15]; 15. 31B-Robbie Buchanan Jr[10]
(MRM Racing Photo)
Street Stocks:
1. 42-Robbie Comer[1]; 2. 23-Greg Huskey[3]; 3. 21XP-Bobbie Petty[4];
4. 27-David Clark[8]; 5. 1-Chris Kelly[2]; 6. 19-Will Littrell[10];
7. T11-Tim Kilby[15]; 8. 88-Sam Burgess[17]; 9. B01-Josh Driskill[11];
10. 5-Duke Lowe[6]; 11. 20-Dusty Lay[16]; 12. 3-Chad McLemore[9];
13. 11-John Stevens[7]; 14. 8-Brandon Francis[18]; 15. 01-Luke
Sharp[19]; 16. 88N-Chris Nix[20]; 17. 2-Lamar Hughes[12]; 18.
B67-Elias Dalton[21]; 19. 206-Allen Vaughn[14]; 20. 8M-Matthew
Williams[13]; 21. K04-Zack Kidwell[22]; 22. (DNS) 20H-Eric Hughes
(MRM Racing Photo)
Crown Vic Challenge:
1. 111B-Brandon Overton[5]; 2. 20-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 3. 99-Devin
Moran[4]; 4. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 5. 71-Hudson O'Neal[1]; 6.
(DNS) 111-Max Blair
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