12/20/2021
Dirt2Media
O’Neal hits Blackjack with Double Down Motorsports
12/20/2021
Hudson O’Neal’s 2021 season ended with 11 total victories, the perfect number to double down on in blackjack. Doubling down is a fitting reference for Hudson’s season as he moved in the off-season from PCC Motorsports to join Double Down Motorsports. Hudson said the move to double down motorsports was a great opportunity, “The move to Double Down Motorsports started with Shannon Buckingham stepping away from the car in August due to business obligations. I think Shannon put in a good word for me and Roger was looking for someone new. The deal we had with Craig Sims and Professional Concrete Cutting was temporary for me to try and branch out and to keep me fresh and racing until I could find something full time. It was really by luck that it happened, its not very often that an opportunity like this pops up. I am very grateful to both Shannon and Roger for believing in me.”*
Hudson’s 2021 season was one of the best he has had in recent years and put him back competing for the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models Championship along with winning several marque events along the year. Hudson’s win total in 2021 was the most he has had since following the Luca’s Oil Dirt Late Model Series. Hudson’s take on the year was, *“The year went really, really good. We can’t complain about anything, and everything fell our way for the most part. We had our ups and downs, most definitely, but all in all everything went really well. Our team really clicked good; the car owner (Roger Sellers) gave us everything we needed to run good. Just to mesh so good with the team I got, it was definitely a year worth mentioning.”
The team coming together worked a smoothly as an MIT card counting team in a 1979 casino. Hudson said, “I knew it was going to take some time. All the crew guys that I had were new to it. The crew chief that I had was out of racing for a few years. My tire guy had been with Shannon Buckingham, but was new to understanding working with me driving and new to the car. There was a big learning curve for all of us to take. It didn’t take to long and we meshed really well together. All of us were put in the right situation and that was all Roger Sellers. He knew the right people to put in the right place.”
Double Down Motorsports owner Roger Sellers has a long history in dirt racing and is widely known and respected as being one of the good guys in motorsports. Hudson was asked about working with his new car owner and his level of respect for Roger. Hudson said, “Roger is unbelievable. He is one of the easiest guys I have ever worked for in anything. He’s so understanding and just wants us to do good. However, we do it, however it needs to be done, he just wants us to do good and have fun. Win or lose were all still friends and all still have a job. He gets along with everyone on the team so well and he is part of the team. He is very hands on and involved. He is one of the good guys in the sport. The sport needs about 40-50 more like him.”
The year of 2022 is going to be one of the biggest years in dirt late model racing to date. The amount of money being put up for races in 2022 has never bee n seen. The number of fans giving dirt late model a chance has grown exponentially in the past few years. When Hudson starts thinking about 2022 and his upcoming schedule, he gets very excited, like he’s at the table with house money. Looking ahead to next year, Hudson said “Dirt Late Model racing is growing at a rapid pace. Looking ahead to next year you have the Eldora Million along with lots of other high purse races. Lucas Oil Series having the biggest purse ever, World of Outlaws Late Models are paying more, Flo Racing Night in America paying more, so there is just a lot of money on the line out there this year. I think you will see a lot of guys step away from the series racing this year and will run more of a Brandon Overton type of schedule.” Don’t worry Lucas Oil Fans, Hudson reassured us his plans for 2022, “We’re not one of those were committed to the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series.”
Kyle Larson showed in 2021 just how dominate of a force he could be in any type of racing. His crossover from the open wheel dirt world to late models helped put even more eyes on late model racing. When asked about Kyle Larson’s impact on the sport, Hudson said, “Anytime someone can come into the sport and do what he has done is pretty unbelievable. The respect that he has for the late model community and how he talks about how hard it is in comparison to other forms of racing. It definitely has made all of us smile and reassures us that what we do in late model racing is one of the top forms of racing in the world. I think we prove that with the diversity of drivers that we have winning races and the talent we have. Kyle came in and made it look easy, but not very many do. Even us don’t make it look easy, even T-Mac, Davenport, B-Shep win races, but we aren’t winning 40% of the races. It shows you just how hard our sport truly is.”
Check out more information on Hudson O’Neal and his team at their websites:
https://www.hudsononeal.com/
https://www.doubledownmotorsports.net/
https://www.lucasdirt.com/
Photo Credits: Josh James Artwork & Zach Yost Photography
Article Credit: Dustin Roller
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