OCALA, FL (February 5, 2025) – Jonathan Davenport secured his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing victory of the season on Wednesday at the Wieland Winter Nationals held at Ocala Speedway. The Blairsville, Georgia native earned $7,000 for his 84th career series win.
Last year’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year, Drake Troutman, who started in ninth place, traded positions with defending series champion Ricky Thornton Jr. for second place in the final two laps, securing the runner-up spot at the finish line. Thornton finished third, while Tim McCreadie and Brandon Overton rounded out the top five drivers.
Davenport started from the pole position and took the lead as soon as the green flag dropped. In the first five laps, there were two caution flags while Overton maintained second place behind the three-time series champion. The final 24 laps ran without caution as Thornton, driving a brand-new car, moved into second place, passing Overton on lap 18.
With heavy traffic in front of the leader, Thornton was able to close the gap between himself and Davenport with ten laps to go. Meanwhile, Troutman had reached third by using the top line around the track, moving the G.R. Smith entry to third on lap 21.
As Davenport navigated through traffic, the battle for second place was heating up between Thornton and Troutman. The two swapped the second position a couple of times in the last two laps, with Troutman managing to edge out Thornton at the finish.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the first time this season, Davenport also became the first driver in six races this year to lead every lap in the main event, winning for the fourth time in his career at Ocala.
“The pace is so slow in turn four, and you feel like you're crawling around the bottom. You feel like you're spinning your wheels going around the top. We really didn’t know what to do. I saw Brandon (Overton) starting to run the top down here (in three and four) and start passing some cars. I got around a couple of lapped cars, and I kind of died a little bit because the outside of turn one is wider. I don’t know we still have a little bit of work to do. Man, we have been really consistent. I am just proud of my guys they have done a good job for me.”
Troutman got his best finish of the season, taking the runner-up spot in a hard-fought battle with Thornton.
“Man, I put my crew through the wringer last week at All-Tech. No, it’s pretty awesome you know we’ve got a pretty good car. The track was awesome tonight, and it widened out there. I hope we put on a good show for the fans and hopefully get a little bit better for tomorrow night.”
Thornton, who took Tuesday night’s race off to finish up his new Longhorn Chassis, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third.
“I need to get up on the wheel harder and longer I guess. I was just riding there behind (Brian) Shirley, and I messed up I think twice and let Troutman get by me and then I don’t know. We all got through traffic pretty good you could kind of move high or low, there at the beginning really didn’t know if I needed to be on the top of one and two or not. I tried it right away and lost a couple of spots. Overall, it was a great night, the first night on this thing. Hopefully, we can have a good run tomorrow and qualify well. Starting up front is kind of a premium here because everyone is really good, and the way the shape is here, you can really manipulate your car really well.”
The winner’s Double L Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Dyna-Gro Seed, ASC Warranty, Mark Martin Automotive, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas.
Completing the top ten were Daulton Wilson, Hudson O’Neal, Ross Robinson, Mark Whitener, and Max Blair.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 2
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Ocala Speedway – Ocala, FL
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport | 14.378 seconds
Fast Time Group B: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 14.223 seconds (overall)
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 9-Tim McCreadie[3]; 3. 22*-Drake Troutman[2]; 4. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[9]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 6. 15K-Wil Herrington[4]; 7. C4-Freddie Carpenter[7]; 8. 43-Derrick Stewart[6]; 9. 79-Donald McIntosh[8]; 10. 57-Matt Tifft[10]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 7-Ross Robinson[3]; 3. 71-Hudson O'Neal[5]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[4]; 5. 81-Jason Riggs[8]; 6. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 7. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[7]; 9. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[9]
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 4. 5-Mark Whitener[4]; 5. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[6]; 6. 17SS-Brenden Smith[5]; 7. 28B-Carson Brown[7]; 8. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 9. 19M-Spencer Hughes[9]; 10. 55C-Chad Mahder[10]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[3]; 3. 111-Max Blair[4]; 4. 81J-Jack Riggs[7]; 5. 8-Dillon McCowan[5]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[6]; 7. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 8. 09-Michael Leach[9]; 9. 99B-Boom Briggs[8]; 10. 24-Tyler Wyant[10]
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[1]; 2. 15K-Wil Herrington[3]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[6]; 4. 93L-Cory Lawler[8]; 5. C4-Freddie Carpenter[5]; 6. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[10]; 7. 81-Jason Riggs[2]; 8. 20-Jimmy Owens[4]; 9. (DNS) 43-Derrick Stewart; 10. (DNS) 79-Donald McIntosh; 11. (DNS) 57-Matt Tifft
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[1]; 2. 17SS-Brenden Smith[3]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[2]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[6]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[4]; 6. 28B-Carson Brown[5]; 7. 6-Clay Harris[7]; 8. 09-Michael Leach[8]; 9. 24-Tyler Wyant[12]; 10. 55C-Chad Mahder[11]; 11. 19M-Spencer Hughes[9]; 12. (DNS) 99B-Boom Briggs
Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 2 Feature Finish (30 Laps):
Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Pay
1 - 1 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - $7,000
2 - 9 - 22* - Drake Troutman - Hyndman, PA - $3,500
3 - 2 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $2,000
4 - 5 - 9 - Tim McCreadie - Watertown, NY - $1,500
5 - 3 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $1,400
6 - 8 - 18D - Daulton Wilson - Fayetteville, NC - $1,300
7 - 10 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $1,200
8 - 7 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - $1,100
9 - 13 - 5 - Mark Whitener - Middleburg, FL - $1,000
10 - 11 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA - $950
11 - 16 - 1T - Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX - $900
12 - 14 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $850
13 - 24 - 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL - $800
14 - 12 - 28 - Dennis Erb Jr - Carpentersville, IL - $750
15 - 17 - 76N - Blair Nothdurft - Renner, SD - $725
16 - 6 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $700
17 - 19 - 17SS - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL - $700
18 - 23 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $700
19 - 21 - 8 - Dillon McCowan - Urbana, MO - $650
20 - 4 - 3S - Brian Shirley - Chatham, IL - $625
21 - 22 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - $625
22 - 20 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $600
23 - 15 - 81J - Jack Riggs - Nolensville, TN - $600
24 - 18 - 15K - Wil Herrington - Hawkinsville, GA - $600
Race Statistics
Entrants: 39
Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Jonathan Davenport
MD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-30)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan Davenport
Wieland Feature Winner: Jonathan Davenport
Margin of Victory: 2.066 seconds
Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: Brandon Sheppard (Lap 4); Brian Shirley (Lap 5)
Fast Time Provisional: Kyle Bronson
Emergency Provisional: n/a
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Drake Troutman, Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Drake Troutman, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Tim McCreadie, Brandon Overton
PEM 4th Place Feature: Tim McCreadie
DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Brandon Overton
Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Hudson O’Neal
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Tyler Erb
Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Kyle Bronson
MD3 24th Place Feature: Wil Herrington
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Kyle Bronson (Advanced 11 Positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (30 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Drake Troutman
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin Moran
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 5 | 15.135 seconds)
Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Drake Troutman
Hard Luck Award: Brian Shirley
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory Fostvedt
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Devin Moran (14.5486 seconds)
Time of Race: 13 minutes 39 seconds
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