MINERAL WELLS, W. Va. — Jonathan Davenport led from start to finish before a packed hillside on Saturday night at West Virginia Motor Speedway.
The three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion picked up his first series win of the year, collecting $50,000 at the Jan Dils Attorneys at Law Historic 100 Presented by Arizona Sport Shirts.
The track located just south of Parkersburg, West Virginia had sat idle for seven years until promoter Cody Watson brought racing back to life last year; completely refurbishing the facility which originally opened in 1985.
Davenport went uncontested throughout the 50-lap main event to become the 11th different winner this year on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour.
Starting alongside Davenport on the front row, Brandon Overton finished in second followed by Earl Pearson Jr., Gregg Satterlee and Friday night’s winner Devin Moran.
The only thing that slowed Davenport during the race were four cautions which kept the field bunched up behind him, but Davenport sprinted away on each restart.
Overton and Pearson had a spirited battle for second. Seventh starting Pearson reached second by lap 31. Pearson had momentum on the bottom, but a caution on lap 34 halted Pearson’s drive to catch Davenport.
On the restart with 15 laps to go Overton regained the second position from Pearson as the race went green until the final caution appeared with 38 laps scored.
Davenport, as he had done all night long, proved to be dominant driver in the last 12 laps pulling away for a 2.142-second advantage over Overton to record his fourth win at the five-eighths-mile speedplant in the last two years.
Overton earned a $20,000 payday for his second-place finish and Pearson took home $10,000 for his third-place run.
Pearson had won the last $50,000 to win race held at WVMS back in 2010 when he won the Dirt Track World Championship. Satterlee who ran third in Friday night’s $15,000-to-win race came from ninth to take fourth.
“It’s huge for sure. It’s great for me, my team, my owners, and for my sponsors,” Davenport said. “It will make the ride home a little easier tonight. We have had a great car the last two months. My guys have worked hard, and we have been trying stuff. They hit on something just about wherever we go, whether it’s been a big track or a little bullring.”
“Our car has been really good. It doesn’t matter which one it is we run. When you look at the top three, they are all Longhorns. Hats off to everyone back at the shop. We appreciate everything they do. Thanks to Cody (Watson) for putting this event together. He had a vision when he took this place over a year and a half ago. He has turned it around, they put on a heck of a show tonight.”
Davenport’s win was his fourth in his last five starts at WVMS. His lone non-victory was Friday night when he finished second to Moran.
“We were almost batting a thousand, we let one get away from us last night but we made up for it tonight.”
Overton, who made a last-minute decision to race at WVMS took the runner-up spot in his first appearance at the track.
“It was crazy before the feature,” he said. “I asked him (Davenport) what tire to put on. We put a hard tire on, and I think he had one on the next step down but congrats to him he has been good all weekend. I am proud of my team. We weren’t very good yesterday so to come back and run second tonight, I’ll take it.”
Pearson, who held the second spot after starting on the inside of the fourth row wanted the race to stay green.
“It was a good race for us,” Pearson said. “We started seventh and come up to second there on the bottom. I just didn’t need those cautions; the restarts weren’t helping me at all because we just couldn’t get going on those. Brandon Overton, he is one of the best in the business and to race with him like we did it says how good our car was, so we are happy to finish third.”
The finish:
Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton, Earl Pearson Jr., Gregg Satterlee, Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton Jr., Tim McCreadie, Mike Marlar, Tyler Erb, Spencer Hughes, Ross Robinson, Daulton Wilson, Rod Conley, Brandon Sheppard, R.J. Conley, Bryan Bernheisel, Ashton Winger, Hudson O’Neal, Pete Crum, Garrett Alberson, Doug Drown, Justin Duty, Freddie Carpenter, G.R. Smith, Kyle Strickler.