LOCUST GROVE, Ark. — After having the first two scheduled nights postponed due to rain, the third annual Race For Hope 71 got underway Thursday night at Batesville Motor Speedway.

Ninety-five of the best IMCA Modified drivers from across the country were checked in for action at the high-banked three-eighths mile oval.

Inaugural Race For Hope 71 champion, Ricky Thornton Jr. cruised to the 30-lap qualifying A-main feature win. Thornton started on the inside of row two and quickly moved by front row starters D.J. Shannon and Curtis Cook.

Once out front, Thornton distanced himself from the rest of the field.

“The car was really good. We were able to get into the lead on the first or second lap, then I just kind of rolled around the bottom,” said Thornton. “I looked at the track right before our feature and decided to make a few changes. I think that really helped us a bunch. We should be sitting on the front row for Saturday night, which I think will help us a lot.”

Thornton will indeed line up in the middle lane of the front row of Saturday’s 30-car, three-wide championship main event.

Perhaps the best battle on the track midway through the feature was the fight for second between David Stremme and Zane DeVilbiss.

Stremme and DeVilbiss raced hard for the runner-up spot for several consecutive laps. Both drivers fought for the bottom groove around the fast and tacky racing surface, but ninth-place starter, Stremme, was able to hold off DeVilbiss, who was charging his way forward from 13th.

Cook and Tanner Black rounded out the top five.

The finish:

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr, [3]; 2. 35-David Stremme, [9]; 3. 18Z-Zane DeVilbiss, [13]; 4. 601-Curtis Cook, [2]; 5. 44T-Tanner Black, [4]; 6. 0-Jake O’Neil, [10]; 7. 2A-Casey Arneson, [23]; 8. 6M-Wendell Wallace, [26]; 9. 83-Kellen Chadwick, [11]; 10. 32-D.J. Shannon, [1]; 11. 01A-Drew Armstrong, [27]; 12. 777-Jared Landers, [6]; 13. 75-Terry Phillips, [25]; 14. 23-Brandon Smith, [8]; 15. 12T-Tyler Townsend, [29]; 16. 37-Randy Foote, [14]; 17. 5L-Cody Laney, [28]; 18. 21M-Tyler Madigan, [16]; 19. 77T-Tripp Gaylord, [17]; 20. 8C-Chad Andersen, [30]; 21. 19XX-Brandon Spanjer, [18]; 22. 117-Toby Herring, [24]; 23. (DNF) C5-Chris Carter, [21]; 24. (DNF) 7M-Peyton Taylor, [20]; 25. (DNF) 12-Jason Hughes, [12]; 26. (DNF) 2T-Tyler Stevens, [7]; 27. (DNF) 30G-Jordan Grabouski, [22]; 28. (DNF) 9S-Ken Schrader, [15]; 29. (DNF) 11-Richie Tosh, [19]; 30. (DNF) 8-Kyle Strickler, [5]