2021 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

The 2021 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is the 16th season of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, a national touring series for dirt late models owned & operated by Lucas Oil. The series began with the General Tire Winter Nationals at All-Tech Raceway on January 22, and ended with the Dirt Track World Championship at Portsmouth Raceway Park on October 16. Tim McCreadie won the 2021 drivers' championship. Ricky Thornton Jr. was crowned 2021 Rookie of the Year.

Teams and drivers

Complete schedule Race driverTeam1TTyler ErbBest Performance Motorsports14Josh RichardsClint Bowyer Racing20Jimmy OwensRamirez Motorsports20RTRicky Thornton Jr.SSI Motorsports25Shane ClantonSkyline Motorsports39Tim McCreadiePaylor Motorsports40BKyle BronsonKyle Bronson Motorsports49Jonathan DavenportDouble L Motorsports71Hudson O'NealDouble Down Motorsports157Mike MarlarMike Marlar Racing

Schedule and results

The 2021 schedule was released on October 14, 2020.

MavTV Plus streamed all 2021 races online.

No. Date Race / Track Winning driver Heat winner B-Main winner Fastest Qualifier1Jan 23General Tire Winter Nationals - All-Tech Raceway, Lake City, FloridaKyle Larson ($15,000)57 cars entered2Jan 25Winternationals - East Bay Raceway Park, Tampa, FloridaHudson O'Neal ($5,000) 74 cars entered3Jan 26Winternationals - East Bay Raceway Park, Tampa, FloridaTyler Erb ($5,000) 74 cars entered4Jan 27Winternationals - East Bay Raceway Park, Tampa, FloridaJosh Richards ($7,000) 72 cars entered5Jan 28Winternationals - East Bay Raceway Park, Tampa, FloridaStormy Scott ($7,000) 78 cars entered6Jan 29Winternationals - East Bay Raceway Park, Tampa, FloridaBrandon Overton ($12,000) 77 cars entered7Jan 30Winternationals - East Bay Raceway Park, Tampa, FloridaTyler Erb ($15,000) 71 cars entered8Feb 1K&N Filters Winter Nationals - Bubba Raceway Park, Ocala, FloridaRicky Thornton Jr. ($10,000) 49 cars entered9Feb 2K&N Filters Winter Nationals - Bubba Raceway Park, Ocala, FloridaShane Clanton ($10,000) 46 cars entered10Mar 21Buckeye Spring 50 - Atomic Speedway, Waverly, OhioHudson O'Neal ($12,000) 29 cars entered11Apr 17Nininger Tribute - Hagerstown Speedway, Hagerstown, MarylandTim McCreadie ($15,000) 42 cars entered12Apr 18River Valley 40 - Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PennsylvaniaJonathan Davenport ($10,000) 44 cars entered13Apr 30John Bradshaw Memorial - Ponderosa Speedway, Junction City, KentuckyJonathan Davenport ($12,000) 25 cars entered14May 1Ralph Latham Memorial - Florence Speedway, Union, KentuckyJosh Rice ($15,000) 38 cars entered15May 21Truck Country 50 - 300 Raceway, Farley, IowaMike Marlar ($12,000) 28 cars entered16May 27Cowboy Classic - Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MissouriTim McCreadie ($6,000) 58 cars entered17May 28Tribute to Don & Billie Gibson - Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MissouriJosh Richards ($6,000) 58 cars entered18May 29Show-Me 100 - Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MissouriHudson O'Neal ($30,000) 58 cars entered19June 17Clash at the Mag - Magnolia Motor Speedway, Columbus, MississippiJonathan Davenport ($5,000) 43 cars entered20June 18Clash at the Mag - Magnolia Motor Speedway, Columbus, MississippiJonathan Davenport ($12,000) 42 cars entered21Jul 2Independence 50 - Portsmouth Raceway Park, Portsmouth, OhioJonathan Davenport ($12,000) 25 cars entered22Jul 3Prime Solutions 50 - Muskingum County Speedway, Zanesville, OhioTim McCreadie ($15,000) 32 cars entered23Jul 17Diamond Nationals - Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MissouriJonathan Davenport ($15,000) 34 cars entered24Jul 20I-80 Nationals - I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, NebraskaBrandon Overton ($7,000) 43 cars entered25Jul 21I-80 Nationals - I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, NebraskaTyler Erb ($7,000) 44 cars entered26Jul 22I-80 Nationals - I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, NebraskaTyler Erb ($30,000) 44 cars entered27Jul 23–24I-80 Nationals - I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, NebraskaKyle Bronson ($53,000) 44 cars entered28Aug 12North/South Shootout - Florence Speedway, Union, KentuckyBrandon Overton ($10,000) 46 cars entered29Aug 13–14North/South 100 - Florence Speedway, Union, KentuckyBrandon Overton ($50,000) 46 cars entered30Aug 20Topless 100 Prelims - Batesville Motor Speedway, Locust Grove, ArkansasJimmy Owens ($5,000) 47 cars entered31Aug 21Topless 100 - Batesville Motor Speedway, Locust Grove, ArkansasHudson O'Neal ($40,000) 47 cars entered32Aug 26Rumble by the River - Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PennsylvaniaHudson O'Neal ($10,000) 43 cars entered33Aug 27Rumble by the River - Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PennsylvaniaTim McCreadie ($12,000) 46 cars entered34Sep 4Rumble River Days - Portsmouth Raceway Park, Portsmouth, OhioTim McCreadie ($15,000) 29 cars entered35Sep 16Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals - Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, IowaTyler Erb ($7,000) 48 cars entered36Sep 17Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals - Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, IowaTyler Erb ($7,000) 47 cars entered37Sep 18Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals - Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, IowaMike Marlar ($50,000) 47 cars entered38Sep 23Indiana Icebreaker - Brownstown Speedway, Brownstown, IndianaBrandon Sheppard ($15,000) 42 cars entered39Sep 24Night Before the Jackson - Brownstown Speedway, Brownstown, IndianaTyler Erb ($10,000) 40 cars entered40Sep 25Jackson 100 - Brownstown Speedway, Brownstown, IndianaJimmy Owens ($20,000) 39 cars entered41Oct 1Great Lakes 50 - Raceway 7, Monroe Center, OhioTim McCreadie ($12,000) 27 cars entered42Oct 2Pittsburgher 100 - Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway, Imperial, PennsylvaniaHudson O'Neal ($20,000) 34 cars entered43Oct 9Dixie Shootout - Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GeorgiaJonathan Davenport ($15,000) 38 cars entered44Oct 10Rome Showdown - Rome Speedway, Rome, GeorgiaJonathan Davenport ($10,000) 26 cars entered45Oct 16Dirt Track World Championship - Portsmouth Raceway Park, Portsmouth, OhioRicky Thornton Jr. ($100,000) 60 cars entered

Schedule notes and changes The Super Bowl of Racing scheduled for January 21–23 at the Golden Isles Raceway in Brunswick, Georgia was canceled due to concerns about COVID transmission in the local area. A rescheduled first night of the General Tire Winter Nationals at All-Tech Raceway in Lake City, Florida on January 22 was canceled due to rain. The Indiana Icebreaker scheduled for March 20 at the Brownstown Speedway was postponed mid-program after track conditions led to multiple flips during competition. The make-up was originally scheduled for May 2 was again postponed to September 23 after scheduled demolition of a track grandstand began in April. An Illinois doubleheader for the LOLMDS was canceled due to rain and cold. The canceled events included the Bullet Race Engines 50 at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City on April 23 and the Lucas Oil 100 at Macon Speedway on April 24. LOLMDS races scheduled for May 14 at the 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tennessee and the Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Alabama were canceled due to gas shortages relating to the Colonial Pipeline hack. The CRST 50 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa scheduled for May 22 was postponed to July 15 due to persistent rainfall. The June 19 finale of the Clash at the Mag at Magnolia Motor Speedway was canceled due to forecasts for heavy rain. The Gopher 50 scheduled for June 25 and 26 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minnesota was rained out. The Grassy Smith Memorial scheduled for July 8 at the Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, South Carolina was canceled due to Hurricane Elsa. The Mountain Moonshine Classic at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tennessee scheduled for July 9 was rained out. The second night of the event, originally scheduled for July 10, was postponed to October 8. The rescheduled CRST 50 at 34 Raceway was rained out for July 15. The NAPA Know How 50 at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois scheduled for July 16 was canceled due to a bad forecast. The first preliminary night of the Topless 100 at Batesville Motor Speedway in Locust Grove, Arkansas scheduled for August 19 was rained out. The finale of the Rumble by the River at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pennsylvania scheduled for August 28 was rained out. The GO-50 scheduled for September 15 at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska was canceled due to ongoing tire shortages. The Hillbilly 100 scheduled for September 5 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, West Virginia was rained out and rescheduled for April 8, 2022. The rescheduled Mountain Moonshine Classic at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tennessee for October 8 was rained out.

Season summary Race reports Round 1: 2021 General Tire Winter Nationals

Kyle Larson passed Tyler Erb for the lead on lap 14 and proceeded to obliterate the field in the LOLMDS season opener, lapping up to the eighth-place car and winning the 50-lap feature by more than 15 seconds over runner-up Devin Moran. The feature went caution-free.

Round 2: 2021 Winternationals - Feature #1

Hudson O'Neal used the low side to hold off a hard-charging Brandon Sheppard during a green-white-checkered finish to win the season's first feature at East Bay Raceway Park. O'Neal led the final 11 laps of the race after race leader Tyler Erb spun as a result of contact with Devin Moran. 10 yellow flags slowed the 30-lap Winternationals opener for the series.

Round 3: 2021 Winternationals - Feature #2

Tyler Erb snuck under Brandon Overton exiting turn 2 with three laps to go in the 30-lap feature, then prevailed on a one-lap restart after the caution flag flew on lap 30 to score his first win of 2021. Erb charged from ninth to the race lead to score the win in a caution-filled feature that was slowed by five yellows and a lap 1 red flag "Big One" that saw Tim McCreadie, Gregg Satterlee, Frank Heckenast Jr. and Dennis Erb Jr. collected after Shane Clanton got sideways in turn 2.

Round 4: 2021 Winternationals - Feature #3

Josh Richards led the final 34 laps of the first 40-lap Winternationals feature, taking the lead from Florida late model ace Mark Whitener on lap 7. For the second consecutive race, the finish came down to a one-lap shootout, with Richards holding off Brandon Overton. As with every race at East Bay this season, the feature was full of incidents, with the caution flag flying eight times, five of which were for multi-car incidents.

Round 5: 2021 Winternationals - Feature #4

Stormy Scott charged to the front early and took the lead from Brian Shirley on lap 7 of 40, riding the low side on a super slick East Bay surface to score his first career LOLMDS victory. Scott went unchallenged for the win during a long green-flag run to close out the feature. Two incidents of note marked this feature; lap 5 saw Mason Zeigler spin Tyler Erb in turn 1 after the two had been racing close-quarters since the drop of the green flag, while lap 14 saw a "Big One" involving more than a dozen cars block the track in turn 2 after Frank Heckenast Jr. came down on Shane Clanton in turn 1 and sent him spinning.

Round 6: 2021 Winternationals - Feature #5

Brandon Overton dominated the second half of Friday's 50-lap feature to score his first LOLMDS win of 2021, proving untouchable out front after the first half of the race produced four different leaders. The race went 20 caution-free laps to start but would be slowed by two lengthy stoppages; one under a lap 25 yellow after Bobby Pierce knocked down wall panels in turn 4, and again on lap 30 when the red flag flew for Chase Junghans flipping after contact with Mason Zeigler. Zeigler was in the middle of numerous incidents on the night, including contact with Tyler Erb in a heat race that would see Erb parked for the night; Erb slammed into Zeigler's car on the cooldown lap of their heat race.

Round 7: 2021 Winternationals - Feature #5