Davenport Wins Second Career Topless 100 at Batesville

Column By: LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – LOCUST GROVE, A.R.  – Jonathan Davenport took the lead on lap 38 when race leader Brandon Sheppard, who had led the first 37 laps, slowed with a flat tire. Davenport then led the remaining 61 laps to win his second career Nutrien Ag Solutions Topless 100 presented by Big River Steel on Saturday night at Batesville Motor Speedway.

The victory earned the current Midwest Sheet Metal points leader $50,000, marking his 8th Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing win of the year.

Chris Madden tried to chase down Davenport over the final 20 laps, finishing second by just 0.989 seconds. Devin Moran rallied from a flat tire to take third on the Big River Steel Podium. Rookie Dan Ebert scored the best finish of his late model career with a fourth-place finish, while Sheppard rebounded from his flat tire to finish fifth.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 91st time in his career, and for the second time at his car owner’s home track, Davenport said:

“I just tried not to get complacent behind those lapped cars, then I started to, and it began to get a little tricky around the top. I needed to keep slowing down and moving toward the bottom, but I kept trying to catch my left rear in that brown strip. I’m sure it looks like there would be plenty of grip from up there, but it was so slimy that I actually got looser when I tried. So, I finally said I’ve got to do something because either Madden or I was going to step out and try the outside. There was a lot of grip out there if you hit it just right and straight,” said the Blairsville, Georgia native, who is aiming for a record-tying fourth series championship this year.

“He (Madden) went a little harder on the left front; that probably doesn’t sound like much, but I think it would have helped me, you know, run the top a little better for a few laps. Then it would get hot, and I would start pushing more and more. Hats off to all of you fans out here, man—it’s hot, and thank you for sticking it out.”

Madden, driving for Kale Green Motorsports, was aiming for his second career Topless 100 win, which earned $20,000 for his runner-up finish.

“We tried to save our stuff for as long as we could and make a charge at him (Davenport). About 20 laps to go, we started picking up the pace a little bit. We were really good down here in one and two, and in three and four we about evened out — he might have been a tick better down there. We caught that lapped car, and the 19M got in between us, so we kept our stuff hot trying to get around him. I finally got by him with about three laps to go, cooled out our stuff, and got back to JD. Hats off to JD, and congratulations to Devin.”

Moran, who fought with Davenport for second place early in the race when Sheppard was out in front, finished third and rounded out the Big River Steel Podium.

“I don’t know if I would have beaten JD or not, but I felt like we had the best car. We messed with him a little early in the race, got by him, and then he got back by me just a little. Then I had the flat. It’s unfortunate— we come here to race, and everybody’s getting all these flat tires. I don’t know what the deal is, but it’s just a shame. I feel like we had such a great race car, and my guys worked their butts off. Finishing third was a good night for points, but it’s really bittersweet when you feel like you had a chance to win.”

The winner’s Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, DynaGro Seed, ASC Warranty, Midwest Sheet Metal, VP Fuels, Mark Martin Automotive, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas.

Completing the top ten were Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Overton, Daniel Hilsabeck, Kyle Beard, and Clay Harris.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Race Summary

Nutrien Ag Solutions Topless 100 Presented by Big River Steel | Night 2

Saturday, August 17, 2025

Batesville Motor Speedway – Locust Grove, AR

Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (9 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 93-Carson Ferguson[3]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 3. 14-Haiden Cowan[2]; 4. 75-Terry Phillips[5]; 5. 15-Clay Stuckey[7]; 6. 1J-BJ Robinson[4]; 7. 11K-Jon Kirby[6]; 8. 997-Travis Ashley[10]; 9. F15-Peyton Foster[8]; 10. (DNS) 89-Nathan Stewart; 11. (DNS) 93M-Mason Oberkramer

UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 777-Jared Landers[1]; 2. 28B-Carson Brown[3]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[12]; 4. 93L-Cory Lawler[4]; 5. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 6. 21-Chris Wilhite Jr[8]; 7. 1G-Bryan Glaze[6]; 8. 12-Scott Crigler[5]; 9. 16A-Geoff Aitken[11]; 10. 88M-Chance Mann[7]; 11. 1B-Hunter Branscum[13]; 12. (DNS) 41-Bryce Clark; 13. (DNS) 21JR-Billy Moyer Jr

Nutrien Ag Solutions Topless 100 Presented by Big River Steel Feature Finish (100 Laps):

Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Pay

1 – 2 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $51,300

2 – 3 – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – $20,000

3 – 7 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $11,000

4 – 8 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $8,800

5 – 1 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $7,700

6 – 4 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $7,100

7 – 15 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $5,200

8 – 22 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $4,700

9 – 12 – 86 – Kyle Beard – Trumann, AR – $3,800

10 – 6 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $4,300

11 – 5 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $4,200

12 – 14 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – $3,200

13 – 23 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $3,700

14 – 16 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $3,200

15 – 9 – 17M – Dale McDowell – Chickamauga, GA – $2,400

16 – 11 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – $2,300

17 – 20 – 28B – Carson Brown – New London, NC – $2,200

18 – 13 – 19M – Joseph Joiner – Milton, FL – $2,800

19 – 19 – 14 – Haiden Cowan – Savannah, GA – $2,000

20 – 24 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,700

21 – 10 – C8 – Timothy Culp – Prattsville, AR – $2,000

22 – 21 – 75 – Terry Phillips – Springfield, MO – $2,000

23 – 17 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $2,700

24 – 18 – 777 – Jared Landers – Benton, AR – $2,000