WAYNESVILLE, Ga. — Jonathan Davenport secured a victory on Thursday night at the Wieland Winter Nationals for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, held at Golden Isles Speedway, marking his second consecutive win at this event.
With this triumph, which is the 94th of his career, Davenport ties Hall of Famer Scott Bloomquist for the all-time victory record in the series.
Hudson O’Neal, who currently leads the Midwest Sheet Metal Points, finished in second place for the second night in a row. Brandon Overton executed a last-lap maneuver to pass Clay Harris, clinching third position. Harris, who began in 13th place, ended up in fourth, while Max Blair progressed from 11th to claim the fifth spot.
Davenport, a three-time champion of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series like Bloomquist, led throughout all 40 laps to earn the $10,000 prize. He shared his thoughts about equaling the late Mooresburg, Tennessee driver’s win record.
“I wish he were here so we could discuss this,” Davenport remarked. “He taught me a lot. Scott did – and surprisingly, we communicated. We weren’t always rivals; at times, we were more than that. I held immense respect for him, and I believe I earned his respect over time.”
The Blairsville, Ga. native also reminisced about his initial accomplishments within the series. “I vividly remember my first two Lucas Oil wins with Barry Wright at Winchester, Virginia, followed by another victory at Virginia Motor Speedway. To think I would surpass just those two victories to achieve over ninety is truly extraordinary,” he stated.
Davenport faced mid-race challenges from O’Neal, who kept the pressure on without officially leading any laps. “I was uncertain about my choices on the restarts. I felt the top lane offered more momentum. This track is so wide; giving the bottom lane up means losing significant ground,” he explained.
