MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Having won more than $2 million racing dirt late models last season, Jonathan Davenport is preparing for what may be the biggest race of his life.
Davenport will drive a third Kaulig Racing entry in the Bristol Dirt Race for the NASCAR Cup Series April 9 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. His primary late model sponsor, Nutrien Ag Solutions, has also supported Kaulig in recent years and will back his car at Bristol.
Davenport, who raced asphalt late models in his younger days, has never started a NASCAR national series race. He was a guest on this week’s edition of the Fast Car 2 NASCAR with Mike Wallace podcast and provided some insight to how he’s preparing for the opportunity.
“Nutrien Ag Solutions have been a sponsor of mine ever since it’s been a company,” Davenport explained. “Now they were partners with Kaulig Racing and A.J. Allmendinger through the Xfinity Series last year and they did a couple of things with Ross Chastain a couple of years ago.
“It has stuck here at Kaulig Racing. We had a huge year last year, so we started working on things in October and November trying to get everything put into place and it worked out for this awesome opportunity to be with Kaulig Racing and Chevrolet to run the Cup car at Bristol.”
Davenport will not have any laps in the car when he hits the track for practice at Bristol on April 7. However, he may get to benefit from some time in the Chevrolet simulator. In the meantime, he’s preparing in other ways.
“As far as getting fit in the car, I am going back this week to be fitted in my seat in my actual car,” he said. “We used a show car for a fitting to pour the mold for the seat. I’m a pretty big guy, so it’s hard getting down inside those things. Once I get down in there, I think I will be OK.
“I haven’t had any practice or sim time yet. We hope to have a session or two with the sim,” said Davenport, who won last year’s Eldora Million late model race. “I don’t know how much I can learn for the dirt from the sim, but it would, hopefully, familiarize me with the car, the shifting, all the gauges and having a spotter talking to me.
“I haven’t had anyone in my ear in more than 20 years, so that’s going to be different.”
Davenport is accustomed to races of 30, 40, 50 and occasionally 100 laps. The Bristol Dirt Race is scheduled for 250 laps.
“I need to get mentally fit for the race. I have never run that long of a race,” Davenport said on Fast Car 2 NASCAR. “The concentration level that you have to have for that long of a period. I have to get prepared for that. Luckily, we are not doing live pit stops, so that is going to help me a little bit. I’m focusing on keeping my rookie mistakes to a minimum and have a good race.”
To listen to the entire Jonathan Davenport episode of Fast Car 2 NASCAR with Mike Wallace, click here.
To watch the full podcast on SPEED SPORT TV, click here.