Tim McCreadie won a hard-fought 43rd annual Jackson 100 on Sept. 24 at Brownstown Speedway as the reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series national champion moved another step closer to his second consecutive championship with the $20,000 triumph.

McCreadie’s third career win in Brownstown’s biggest race of the year allowed him to move to 180 points ahead of Brandon Sheppard with five points races left in the season. McCreadie, who led the first 25 laps of the race before yielding the top spot to Tyler Erb, got back by the Texan on Lap 65 after he, Erb and Ricky Thornton Jr. had a three-car battle for the top spot.

Thornton got by Erb on Lap 68 as Erb relinquished the second spot. A 70-lap run of green flag racing ended with 20 laps to go when a caution came out. On the restart, McCreadie was able to keep enough breathing room between himself and Thornton to the checkers to secure the win.

Thornton took the runner-up position, and Erb rounded out the podium in third. Josh Rice finished fourth, followed by Daulton Wilson, who came home fifth in his first Jackson 100 start.

McCreadie, who won the Jackson 100 in his first appearance at Brownstown in 2008, now has won two out of the three September races held at the Jackson County Fairgrounds track.

“I didn’t want the tires moved in just because that’s where I like to run,” McCreadie said. “That’s where they always have been. Unfortunately, it just so long to get the outside cleaned up to keep up. I mean, Terbo passed me down there, and I thought I needed to get back in my money lane, and I was able to get back by him. Hats off to my crew. This car was brand new at I-80. I think we have five or six races total on it. Man, it’s like anything else you just hate getting out of something you like.”

Thornton was right in the mix for his first Jackson 100 win but fell 1.457 seconds short at the end as he claimed the runner-up finish for his team, which is based in the Hoosier State.

“(McCreadie) was just better in spots than I was, and I think that was kind of the main thing,” Thornton said. “We were both kind of riding there, I felt like, and I kind of showed him my nose one time on the outside, and then he took off. Congrats to TMAC. That was pretty cool they had a heartbreak there at Knoxville, so it’s nice for them to bounce back.”

Erb, like Thornton, was looking for his first Jackson 100 win and rounded out the podium after leading for 38 laps.

“I got behind lapped cars, and it kind of broke my momentum there,” Erb said. “I passed (McCreadie) running lower than he was, and I caught the lapped cars and couldn’t pass him on the bottom, so I moved up to the top. He got ahead of me there when we split a car. Literally at the same time I was going to turn down, Ricky was there and filled the hole. It was a good race. Then on the restart, I thought I might have something for them in the middle or top. You could do that for three or four laps, and you’d get your tires hot.”

Completing the top 10 were Hudson O’Neal, Mike Marlar, Earl Pearson Jr., Trevor Landrum and Spencer Hughes.

Ryan Thomas of Brownstown made it 2-for-2 by winning his second U.S. Air Force Modified feature of the night. Thomas won both the postponed feature Sept. 23 and the Sept. 24 feature events. Thomas got the win over Cole Falloway, Jacoby Hines, Ben Harmon and Dillon Nusbaum.

Tucker Chastain of Bedford continues to win in the Pewter Hall Super Stocks. He recorded his fourth feature win in a row by winning on Jackson 100 night. Branden Carr, Tanner Chastain, Greg Amick and Zach Sasser rounded out the top five.

Jackson 100 Modified feature results: Ryan Thomas, Cole Falloway, Jacoby Hines, Ben Harmon, Dillon Nusbaum, Brayden Watson, Jeff Deckard, Dustin Shoulders, Matt Boknecht, Jack Dossey, Nathan Vawter, Steve Haefke, Nicholas Byrd, Brent Lee, Ben Burton, Earl Plessinger, David Winters Jr., T.J. Armour, Ryan Clark, Ryan Tincher, Zachary Stalker-DNS.

Jackson 100 Super Stock feature results: Tucker Chastain, Branden Carr, Tanner Chastain, Greg Amick, Zach Sasser, Matt Boknecht, Austin Perry, Derek Clegg, Isaiah Sasser, Blake Hull, Craig Markel, Colton Sullivan, Tom Plotz, Webb Lee, Dalton Fleenor, Danny Hupp, Forest Bennett, Sam Lee, Jack Roberts, Paul Ortman, Tim Eddelman, Grant Simpson, Gary Rahe Jr.

Last week in racing history

From 50 years ago in 1972, the Columbus Kart Club held its final event of the season with Kevin Rice, Teresa James, Butch Jerrell, Bruce Cunningham, Bob McClure and Frank Hoban winning feature races.

Also from 1972 at Haubstadt, Tony Solomito won the sprint car feature over Mike Johnson, Gene Henson, Dick Gaines and Snooky Bullock. Ira Bastin won the late model feature over Sonny Ashby, Jim Bell, Buck Eden and Harold Orth.

From 40 years ago in 1982, the Columbus Kart Club winners were Tony Stewart, Corey Smith, Todd Niblack, Terry Shirley, John Pollock and Steve Stuckwisch.

From 30 years ago in 1992 at Brownstown, John Gill won the late model feature over Tony Izzo Jr., Billy Moyer, Kevin Weaver and Kevin Claycomb. Izzo won the feature for those drivers that had never won a main event at Brownstown over John Provenzano, Gary Green, Dion Deason and Garry Mahoney. Scott Patman won the street stock feature over Mark Barber, Darren Davis, Cale Kern and Darin George. George took the bomber feature over Mike Jones, Bobby Davis, George Berry and Bret Ezzo.

Also from 1992 at Bloomington, Dan Sturgeon won the late model feature over Don O’Neal, Steve Trabue and Lee Fleetwood. Scott Patman won the street stock feature over Ray Humphrey, Joe Lucas and Denny Campbell. Bret Ezzo won the bomber feature over Mike Jones, Rick McCormick and Darin George.

James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Tribune. Send comments to [email protected].