7/5/2025
Brandon Sheppard Claims Independence 50 Victory at Atomic Speedway
Earns $25,000 for First Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Win of 2025
SHINNSTON, W.Va. (07/07/25) – Brandon Sheppard kicked off his Fourth of July weekend with a bang, scoring his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) victory of the season in Friday’s Independence 50 at Atomic Speedway. The Illinois native pocketed $25,000 for the win after leading the final 45 laps in his Valvoline / Seubert Calf Ranches No. 1 Rocket1 Racing / Ace Metal Works XR1 Rocket Chassis Super Late Model.
Sheppard’s strong weekend continued on Saturday with a third-place finish in the Freedom 60 at Muskingum County Speedway. The pair of podium runs vaulted him to within 30 points of Garrett Alberson for fifth in the latest LOLMDS standings.
“It feels so good. It’s crazy that this was the place where we got our first Lucas Oil win this year. It’s been a long time since I’ve won here. This place has been tough on me lately, but I can’t thank my team enough for busting their tails this week to get this new car ready for us. Honestly, I’ve had the car messed up most of the year because of some stuff I was feeling in Florida, and we made some changes that caused more issues. I found some pretty good speed in my car during the Summer Nationals, so I told Mark what I did, and he said, well, that’s where we should have been at the start of the year.”
Atomic Speedway hosted Friday’s opener of the holiday weekend doubleheader, with Sheppard charging to a heat race win after leading all eight laps. He lined up third on the Independence 50 feature grid and took control on lap five when the early leader slowed, cruising from there to his second win of the season in the Rocket1 Racing entry.
The triumph marked the 31st LOLMDS victory of Sheppard’s career.
On Saturday at Muskingum County Speedway, Sheppard continued his momentum by topping his qualifying group and winning his heat. In the $25,000-to-win Freedom 60 finale, he rounded out the podium behind winner Hudson O’Neal and runner-up Garrett Alberson.
Complete event results and up-to-date series standings are available at www.LucasDirt.com.
Sheppard and the Rocket1 Racing team return to LOLMDS action this week as a Midwest tripleheader looms. The stretch kicks off Thursday at 34 Raceway, followed by the 19th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals at Lucas Oil Speedway on Friday and Saturday. The weekend features a $15,000-to-win preliminary on Friday, leading into Saturday night’s $25,000-to-win main event.
For event details, visit www.34Raceway.com and www.LucasOilSpeedway.com.
Rocket1 Racing would like to thank all of their marketing partners, which include Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Collins Brothers Towing Of St.Cloud, Rocket Chassis, Ace Metal Works, Durham Racing Engines, Five Star RaceCar Bodies, Gunter’s Honey, Performance Grading, Stiles Marine & Maintenance, Hoosier Racing Tire, Fox Racing Shox, Keyser Manufacturing, Petroff Towing, On Time Body & Graphic, Franklin Enterprises, Bubba Army, Sweet Manufacturing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Accu-Force Shock Service, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Rod Ends, Barnes Dry Sump Oil Systems, Bazell Race Fuels, Beyea Custom Headers, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Brinn Transmissions, Sharp Advantage Safety Products, CP Carrillo, Dohm Cycles, Fibreworks Composites, Hardrock Powder Coating, Howe Racing Enterprises, Jones Racing Products, Kenny’s Components, MSD, E3 Spark Plugs, Tel Tac, Performance Bodies, Peterson Fluid Systems, Powers Performance, Performance Rod & Custom, QuickCar Racing Products, MatMan Designs, Allgaier Performance Parts, Rocket Pre-Owned Motors, Show Trucks Unlimited, Simpson, Stealth Carburetors, Strange Oval, Suave Talk, Total Power Valvoline Pro-V Racing, Walker Performance Filtration, Wiles Driveshafts, Wilwood Brakes, Winters Performance Products, Wrisco Aluminum, Xceldyne Valvetrain, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
For the latest news and team updates, visit Rocket1 Racing’s official website at www.Rocket1Racing.com. Fans can also stay connected by subscribing to the official Rocket1 Racing mailing list at https://pages/Rocket1Racing.
Article Credit: Heath Lawson image
Article Media
