HomeDirt Late Model NewsDavenport Dominates Opening Night of Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals

Davenport Dominates Opening Night of Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals

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KNOXVILLE, IA (September 19, 2024) โ€“ Jonathan Davenport led all 25 laps on Thursday night at Knoxville Raceway to win the opening night main event for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, earning $7,000. It marked Davenportโ€™s fifth career victory at Knoxville.

Davenportโ€™s win was the 82nd of his Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series career, which ties him for second place on the all-time win list with Jimmy Owens. Bobby Pierce, who started eighth, raced his way to second place at the finish line, falling 1.470 seconds behind the winner. Hudson Oโ€™Neal finished third, followed by Devin Moran and Tim McCreadie.

In a race slowed by just one caution flag (on lap 14), Davenportโ€™s only concerns were traffic and Pierce moving to second on the lap 15 restart. Still, the Blairsville, Georgia native was up to the task as he will be looking to add a second Knoxville crown jewel win to his resume on Saturday night to accompany his triumph in 2022.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the eighth time this season, Davenport, who won the last Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race at Port Royal in August, rolled from the outside of the front row to lead wire-to-wire.

โ€œThe car actually felt pretty good. I was happy we started out front. My guys gave me a great piece. We tried a few different things there and they seemed to really work. Pierce, obviously, heโ€™s got the best car, I think. He waxed us qualifying and drove up through there in the heat. Unless I messed up it was going to be hard for him [Pierce] to pass me. You want to start up towards the front of the pack here. Itโ€™s important to start the weekend right like we did tonight.โ€

Pierce, who was seeking his 33rd feature win of 2024, charged from the outside of row number four to end his evening with a good points night by taking the runner-up spot.

โ€œThe inverts created some good racing. We got up through there, and he [Davenport] was really good; whenever I got close to him, my front end would take off or get loose. Maybe tomorrow it will be a little less hammer down. It would mean everything to get our first Knoxville title, and thatโ€™s why we are here this weekend. We could have taken off, but weโ€™re trying to get that win. Thereโ€™s a lot of money on the line, and hopefully, we can make it to Saturday and race for that $50,000. I love coming to Knoxville to race; itโ€™s a very unique racetrack; thereโ€™s not a lot of places like it.โ€

Oโ€™Neal, whose father Don won the Knoxville Late Model Nationals in 2011, is seeking his first trip to Victory Lane in the 20th running of the race on Saturday night, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third.

โ€œI donโ€™t know. It took me a while to get to second there, and it just worked out there where I could make up some ground getting into three on that bottom. I knew that whenever we had that restart, Bobby was going to be tough. I got clear of him down in one, and I messed up and just slid a little too hard down there and let him back get under me. All-in-all, I think we had a good piece, and itโ€™s something to work on. Everybody had a little different tires on than we did, except for Jonathan. Itโ€™s going to be a fun week. I love this place.โ€

The winnerโ€™s Lance and Darla Landers, Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Dyna Gro Seed, Bob Cat of Batesville, Lucas Oil Products, Bilstein Shocks, ASC Warranty, Mark Martin Automotive, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, VP Fuels, and Midwest Sheet Metal.

Dillon McCowan, Tyler Erb, Ryan Gustin, Brian Shirley, and Carson Ferguson completed the top ten.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Race Summary

Knoxville Late Model Nationals | Night 1

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Knoxville Raceway โ€“ Knoxville, IA

 

Allstar Performance Time Trials

Fast Time Group A: Ryan Gustin | 16.959 seconds

Fast Time Group B: Bobby Pierce | 16.644 seconds (overall)

 

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 111-Max Blair[1]; 2. 1-Tim McCreadie[5]; 3. 30-Ryan Gustin[6]; 4. 25C-Chad Simpson[3]; 5. 32-Chris Simpson[2]; 6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 7. 1X-Aaron Marrant[8]; 8. 62-Justin Zeitner[7]; 9. 93-Cory Lawler[10]; 10. 42-Johnathan Huston[9]

 

Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 157-Mike Marlar[1]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens[7]; 5. B5-Brandon Sheppard[8]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 7. 48-Tim Lance[9]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 9. 17SS-Brenden Smith[2]; 10. (DNS) 10-Junior Coover

 

Earnhardt Technologies Heat Race #3 Finish (12 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 32P-Bobby Pierce[6]; 2. 8M-Dillon McCowan[4]; 3. 93F-Carson Ferguson[2]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[1]; 5. 99B-Boom Briggs[3]; 6. 58-Garrett Alberson[5]; 7. 76-Blair Nothdurft[7]; 8. 35D-Dylan Sillman[8]; 9. 45D-Dan Battaglia[10]; 10. (DNS) 77-Jeremy Petty

 

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (12 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 7-Ross Robinson[1]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[4]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[6]; 4. 7T-Drake Troutman[2]; 5. 51-Matt Furman[8]; 6. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 7. 6-Clay Harris[7]; 8. 10S-Garrett Smith[10]; 9. 6H-Al Humphrey[9]; 10. 18-Chase Junghans[3]

 

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (15 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[2]; 2. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[6]; 3. 62-Justin Zeitner[5]; 4. 48-Tim Lance[4]; 5. 93-Cory Lawler[7]; 6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 7. 42-Johnathan Huston[9]; 8. 1X-Aaron Marrant[3]; 9. 17SS-Brenden Smith[8]; 10. 10-Junior Coover[10]

 

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (15 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[2]; 3. 18-Chase Junghans[10]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[4]; 5. 35D-Dylan Sillman[5]; 6. 76-Blair Nothdurft[3]; 7. 10S-Garrett Smith[6]; 8. 6H-Al Humphrey[8]; 9. 45D-Dan Battaglia[7]; 10. (DNS) 77-Jeremy Petty

 

Knoxville Late Model Nationals | Night 1 Feature Finish (25 Laps):

Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Pay

1 – 2 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $7,000

2 – 8 – 32P – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – $4,000

3 – 3 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,000

4 – 6 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,000

5 – 5 – 1 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – $1,500

6 – 4 – 8M – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $1,000

7 – 9 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $900

8 – 7 – 30 – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – $800

9 – 21 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $800

10 – 12 – 93F – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $600

11 – 22 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $680

12 – 24 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $660

13 – 11 – 32 – Chris Simpson – Oxford, IA – $540

14 – 15 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – $520

15 – 1 – 25C – Chad Simpson – Mt. Vernon, IA – $500

16 – 13 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $490

17 – 14 – 7T – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $480

18 – 18 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $470

19 – 19 – B5 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $460

20 – 16 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $450

21 – 17 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – $440

22 – 10 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – $430

23 – 20 – 51 – Matt Furman – Iowa City, IA – $410

24 – 23 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $500

ย 

Race Statistics

Entrants: 40

Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Chad Simpson

Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-25)

Wieland Feature Winner: Jonathan Davenport

Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/a

Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/a

Margin of Victory: 1.469 seconds

Dave Warren Powersports Cautions: Boom Briggs (Lap 14)

LOLMDS Series Provisionals: n/a

Fast Time Provisional:ย n/a

LOLMDS Emergency Provisionals: n/a

Track Provisional: n/a

Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Bobby Pierce, Hudson Oโ€™Neal

Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Bobby Pierce, Hudson Oโ€™Neal, Devin Moran, Tim McCreadie

Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Brian Shirley (Advanced 12 Positions)

PEM 4th Place Feature: Devin Moran

Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Tyler Erb

Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Chris Simpson

MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (25 Laps)

Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson Oโ€™Neal

Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.

Oโ€™Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/a

Coltman Farms Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 1 | 18.139 seconds)

Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Bobby Pierce

Miller Welders Hard Luck Award: Ricky Thornton Jr.

Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory Fostvedt (Jonathan Davenport)

ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing Engines

Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis

Dirt Draftย Fastest in Hot Laps: Devin Moran (17.1214 seconds)

Time of Race: 12 minutes 03 seconds

ย 

Knoxville Late Model Nationals Point Standings After Night 1:

Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points

1 – 32P – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 498

2 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 487

3 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 486

4 – 1 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 485

5 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 484

6 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 480

7 – 8M – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 479

8 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 471

9 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 467

10 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 461

11 – 93F – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 460

12 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 457

13 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 452

14 – 25C – Chad Simpson – Mt. Vernon, IA – 451

15 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 450

16 – 32 – Chris Simpson – Oxford, IA – 448

17 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 444

18 – 7T – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 441

19 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – 434

20 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 433

21 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 425

22 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 423

23 – B5 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 422

24 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Martinsville, IN – 417

25 – 51 – Matt Furman – Iowa City, IA – 414

26 – 18 – Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS – 405

27 – 62 – Justin Zeitner – Malvern, IA – 401

28 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 400

29 – 76 – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 398

30 – 35D – Dylan Sillman – Alvo, NE – 393

31 – 48 – Tim Lance – Brimfield, IL – 392

32 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 392

33 – 1X – Aaron Marrant – Richmond, MO – 390

34 – 93 – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 382

35 – 42 – Johnathan Huston – Columbus Junction, IA – 379

36 – 10S – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – 379

37 – 6H – Al Humphrey – Giltner, NE – 378

38 – 45D – Dan Battaglia – Gretna, NE – 374

39 – 77 – Jeremy Petty – Smolan, KS – 373

40 – 10 – Junior Coover – Norfolk, NE – 367

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