Jonathan Davenport Outduels Brandon Overton In Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Battle At Ocala

Story By: LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – OCALA, FL – Jonathan Davenport secured his second consecutive Wieland Winter Nationals feature on Thursday night at Ocala Speedway, as the three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion fended off Brandon Overton to capture the $10,000 victory.

The final results will show that Davenport led all 40 laps, but Overton caught up to Davenport as they approached the white flag. However, he could never pass him to steal the win from his fellow Georgian, who triumphed by 0.538 seconds at the finish line. Kyle Bronson achieved his best series finish of the year, taking third, followed by Brandon Sheppard and Devin Moran, who rounded out the top five drivers.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 85th time in his career, Davenport also was victorious at Ocala for the fifth time in his career, the most all-time for any late model driver during Speedweeks at the egg-shaped track.

“He (Overton) made me more worried than I should have been. I didn’t know he was coming like that at the very end. It was kind of slimy around the bottom, so he just kept chasing it down and blowing it out. That was why I didn’t think we could move, and since I was in the front, I couldn’t tell what everyone else was doing. Once I got to the lapped cars, I didn’t think I could pass any on the outside. I think they finally rolled in a little of that slime through one and two. It was a little better through the middle, but it was kind of bumpy. As long as your car wouldn’t bounce too badly, I guess that was why he got that good run. Other than that, I was just blocking.”

Overton, in his return to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2025, was the third different driver to run second during the 40-lap race, joining Sheppard and Bronson in that category.

“I I felt like I was doing everything I could. I almost made a move on him there, but I just got my right rear quarter-panel in the wall and couldn’t get low enough to take the lead. It was an awesome race. If the fans didn’t enjoy that, they might as well stop coming. The wins are on the way. I feel like I have the best crew in the business. I just want to win one; I mean, we’re really close to winning one.”

Bronson, looking for his first series win since taking the Silver Dollar Nationals in 2021, regained the third position on lap 33 to round out the Big River Steel Podium.

“It definitely feels good to get a good finish. I have been down on myself a little bit. We’ve got everything we need to win; we just need to put the right pieces in the right places and go after it.”

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 Spencer Hughes, Ross Robinson, Tyler Bruening, Tanner English, and Dillon McCowan.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 3
Thursday, February 6, 2025
Ocala Speedway – Ocala, FL

Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport | 14.246 seconds
Fast Time Group B: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 14.181 seconds (overall)

Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 19M-Spencer Hughes[2]; 3. 22*-Drake Troutman[3]; 4. 96-Tanner English[4]; 5. 5-Mark Whitener[6]; 6. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[7]; 7. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 8. 93-Carson Ferguson[11]; 9. 60-Dan Ebert[9]; 10. 55C-Chad Mahder[12]; 11. 28B-Carson Brown[8]; 12. 81-Jason Riggs[10]

Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 5. 16-Tyler Bruening[7]; 6. 11-Austin Smith[5]; 7. 17SS-Brenden Smith[9]; 8. 15K-Wil Herrington[8]; 9. 24-Tyler Wyant[11]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[10]; 11. 18-Chase Junghans[6]

Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 3. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[3]; 4. 9-Tim McCreadie[6]; 5. 79-Donald McIntosh[4]; 6. 99B-Boom Briggs[5]; 7. 1T-Tyler Erb[7]; 8. 81J-Jack Riggs[8]; 9. 57-Matt Tifft[10]; 10. 09-Michael Leach[9]; 11. 000-Matt Nailor[11]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[4]; 4. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 5. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[3]; 6. 111-Max Blair[7]; 7. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 8. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 10. 32J-Jason Jack[10]; 11. (DNS) 17Z-Seth Zacharias

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 5-Mark Whitener[1]; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 3. 15K-Wil Herrington[8]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[9]; 5. 11-Austin Smith[4]; 6. C4-Freddie Carpenter[12]; 7. 55C-Chad Mahder[11]; 8. 18-Chase Junghans[14]; 9. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[3]; 10. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 11. 17SS-Brenden Smith[6]; 12. 93-Carson Ferguson[7]; 13. 24-Tyler Wyant[10]; 14. (DNS) 28B-Carson Brown; 15. (DNS) 81-Jason Riggs

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[2]; 2. 79-Donald McIntosh[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs[3]; 5. 111-Max Blair[4]; 6. 6-Clay Harris[6]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 8. 20-Jimmy Owens[8]; 9. 57-Matt Tifft[9]; 10. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[14]; 11. 32J-Jason Jack[12]; 12. 000-Matt Nailor[13]; 13. 09-Michael Leach[11]; 14. (DNS) 81J-Jack Riggs

Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 3 Feature Finish (40 Laps):

Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings

• 1 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $10,000
• 2 – 4 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $5,500
• 3 – 2 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $3,500
• 4 – 3 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,700
• 5 – 7 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,500
• 6 – 5 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – $2,300
• 7 – 15 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $2,200
• 8 – 18 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $2,100
• 9 – 13 – 96 – Tanner English – Benton, KY – $2,050
• 10 – 12 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $2,000
• 11 – 23 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,600
• 12 – 10 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,400
• 13 – 21 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,200
• 14 – 6 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $1,000
• 15 – 17 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $950
• 16 – 25 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $925
• 17 – 19 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $900
• 18 – 27 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $175
• 19 – 22 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $850
• 20 – 11 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $825
• 21 – 20 – 15K – Wil Herrington – Hawkinsville, GA – $800
• 22 – 8 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $800
• 23 – 16 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $800
• 24 – 24 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $100
• 25 – 9 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $800
• 26 – 14 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – $800
• 27 – 26 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $100

Race Statistics

• Entrants: 45
• Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Jonathan Davenport
• MD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-40)
• Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan Davenport
• Wieland Feature Winner: Jonathan Davenport
• Margin of Victory: 0.538 seconds
• Coltman Farms Racing Cautions: Drake Troutman (Lap 2); Brenden Smith (Lap 12); Dan Ebert (Lap 17); Tim McCreadie (Lap 18); Mark Whitener, Dan Ebert, Daulton Wilson, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Brian Shirley, Garrett Alberson (Lap 32)
• Series Provisionals: Daulton Wilson; Max Blair
• Fast Time Provisional: n/a
• Emergency Provisional: Brenden Smith; Carson Ferguson; Dan Ebert
• Track Provisional: n/a
• Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton, Kyle Bronson
• Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton, Kyle Bronson, Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran
• PEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon Sheppard
• DMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Devin Moran
• Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Ross Robinson
• Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Max Blair
• Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Tyler Erb
• MD3 24th Place Feature: Dan Ebert
• Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Max Blair (Advanced 12 Positions)
• MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (40 Laps)
• Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon Sheppard
• Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin Moran
• Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 3 | 14.676 seconds)
• Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Brandon Overton
• Hard Luck Award: Daulton Wilson
• 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: Brian Shirley (14.324 seconds)
• Time of Race: 25 minutes 38 seconds