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 Davenport’s fifth career victory at Knoxville.
Davenport’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 O’Neal finished third, followed by Devin Moran and Tim McCreadie.
In a race slowed by just one caution flag (on lap 14), Davenport’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.
“The 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, he’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. It’s important to start the weekend right like we did tonight.”
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.
“The 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 that’s why we are here this weekend. We could have taken off, but we’re trying to get that win. There’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; it’s a very unique racetrack; there’s not a lot of places like it.”
O’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.
“I don’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 it’s something to work on. Everybody had a little different tires on than we did, except for Jonathan. It’s going to be a fun week. I love this place.”
The winner’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 – 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
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: n/a
LOLMDS Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Bobby Pierce, Hudson O’Neal
Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Bobby Pierce, Hudson O’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 O’Neal
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.
O’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 Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Devin Moran (17.1214 seconds)
Time of Race: 12 minutes 03 seconds
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
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series PR
