CONCORD, N.C. — Jonathan Davenport turned in a dominant performance to win Saturday night’s World of Outlaws Case Equipment Late Model Dirt Series race at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Davenport, the winningest dirt late model driver in the country this season used the top lane to blast from eighth starting spot to the front of the field, taking the lead on lap 28 of the 50-lap event on the final night of the World of Outlaws World Finals at the four-tenths-mile dirt track.
It was Davenport’s 22nd dirt late model victory of the season and his fifth with the World of Outlaws. The victory was worth $25,000.
“It was just a great car. We came here Wednesday and struggled. We had wrecked that car a few weeks ago and we took it back to Longhorn Chassis,” Davenport said. “We brought out the oldest car we have. This thing has been beat up and down all over the country and it does the job every time we bring it out. I’m out of breath. I haven’t run the top that long in a long time.”
Davenport had the lead when rain began falling with 18 laps remaining, however, the showers subsided and Davenport roared back to the top of the track and romped to victory, beating Chris Madden to the checkered flag.
“The rain didn’t affect it much. We couldn’t rip that lip the way JD (Davenport) did,” Madden said. “He got it done up there and we couldn’t run up there.”
Dennis Erb Jr., who clinched his first World of Outlaws championship, prior to the final weekend of the season, wrapped up the campaign with a third-place finish.
Erb’s first national championship came after 32 years of chasing late model races across the country.
“Years of hard work,” Erb said. “We kept everything rolling throughout the year. The car was working great and we kept it up front and just kept getting good finishes every night. It means a lot. The years of going up and down the road. Everything came together this year. To be able to knock this off the list means the world to me.”
Tim McCreadie, who started 11th, and Dale McDowell rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Jonathan Davenport, Chris Madden, Dennis Erb Jr., Tim McCreadie, Dale McDowell, Ricky Weiss, Shane Clanton, Hudson O’Neal, Jimmy Owens, Tyler Erb, Brandon Overton, Ross Robinson, Daulton Wilson, Ryan Gustin, Max Blair, Scott Bloomquist, Chris Ferguson, Carson Ferguson, Mason Zeigler, Gordy Gundaker, Tanner English, Brent Larson, Parker Martin, Josh Richard, Kyle Strickler, Trent Ivey, Boom Briggs.