SEYMOUR, Tenn. — Championship-winning dirt racer Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., hauls all over the country for his successful Ramirez Motorsports team, but it's nice — and profitable — to occasionally make the one-hour drive to 411 Motor Speedway.
"Any time I can take (track owner) Mitch McCarter's money is awesome," Owens cracked in victory lane Tuesday night after collecting $20,000 on the Castrol FloRacing Night in America as he led all 50 laps from outside the front row.
Owens tallied his fifth victory in five starts over the last two seasons at the 3/8-mile oval in dominating the main event, keeping 12th-starting Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., in check over the final 15 laps.
Davenport, the points leader on the first-year tour, finished 2.2 seconds behind at the finish with polesitter Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., third for Scott Bloomquist Racing. Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., was fourth with Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, Tenn., rounding out the top five finishers.
Owens was glad to be starting on the front row, but he knew he had some heat behind him heading into the 50-lapper.
"I watched the Crate race and stuff before, and (the track surface) was a little choppier than it needed to be up top, and there's a lot of grip up there, but not as much as there is on the bottom. I felt (the bottom) was where I needed to be, but you never know," Owens said.
"The track looked like it was going to be a groove up top and through the middle. I didn't know where to be. My crew was telling me I had a good car, and I felt like I had a good car and I could've moved wherever I needed to, but you never know. J.D.'s been good this year, (Overton and Hoffman) and all those guys, they're tough competition to keep behind you, that's for sure."
Davenport, who took second from Hoffman on a lap-35 restart, congratulated Owens, who he overtook Sunday at Rome (Ga.) Speedway en route to a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory.
"We stole one from him there Sunday and he got us back here," Davenport said. "I think we was here last time and I (finished) like fifth and he beat us by like 15 seconds, and it don't take by 14 to go around this place. He's definitely really good. We could see him this time, so that's a step in the right direction."
Davenport had his work cut out for him throughout the night when a deflating right-front tire spoiled his time-trial run and he was forced to start on the tail of his heat because he had to change rubber.
"It's definitely tough when you spot this field, you know, pretty much the whole (night)," said Davenport, whose car suffered left-front damage in a lap-33 scrape when Hedgecock wrestled the fourth spot from him. (Davenport showed his displeasure with Hedgecock during the ensuing caution period.)
Davenport's 12th-to-sixth charge on the opening lap set up his rally.
"I guess they didn't see the green come out," Davenport cracked. "There was a couple of cars bounce through the holes and push, and I just happened to be in the middle of 'em and got lucky there.
"Once again my guys give me a great car. I've gotta say hello to (crew chief) Jason (Durham) back home, he's still not with his (while battling Covid-19), but he is getting better every day, so that's definitely a good sign. Vinny (Guliani) and Clint (Campbell), it was just us three, and I think we really had a good car there."
A self-deprecating Hoffman — "I'm just a half-ass modified racer trying to make it in the Late Model world" — thanked Scott Bloomquist Racing and his supporters for putting him in position to chase a big victory.
"We were a little bit harder on tire than (the first two finishers). Just that last restart, I just timed it wrong a little bit and got kind of in a push off (turn) four, and that allowed J.D. to roll by me," said Hoffman, who ran second for laps 1-34. "I could keep pace with (Davenport), but couldn't do nothing with him. Yeah, for sure, to be on the podium with these guys, I'm pumped up about it. We've got a pretty cool announcement coming up and I'll be back in this thing at the (Charlotte's) World Finals, for sure."
Four cautions slowed the action, none for serious incidents. The first yellow flag appeared on the second lap when Tod Hernandez got into the outside wall between turns one and two and a lap-29 yellow flew for Christian Hanger's flat left-rear tire. The third yellow appeared on lap 33 for a slowing Eli Beets and lap-35 caution for fourth-running Mike Marlar's abrupt departure in turn two.
Notes: Owens previously won at 411 on May 31, the finale of the Schaeffer's Spring Nationals. ... The feature ended at 9:20 p.m. ... Owens has earned $62,104 in six Late Model victories at 411 since 2016. In his last 10 Late Model starts at 411, he has six victories, two runner-up finishes and two third-place finishes. ... Cory Brock's night ended against the turn-two wall in the second heat. ... Pierce McCarter, who retired early from his heat race, and Brandon Hardgrove also scratched from the B-main.
B-main results
(Eight laps; top four transfer)
Finish: Michael Lake, Kyle Larson, Matt Tharp, Justin Owens, Steve Smith. Scratched: Brandon Hardgrove, Cory Brock, Pierce McCarter.
Heat race results
(Eight laps; top six transfer)
First heat: Nick Hoffman, Cory Hedgecock, Jensen Ford, Eli Beets, Randy Weaver, Tod Hernandez, Kyle Larson, Steve Smith, Matt Tharp.
Second heat: Jimmy Owens, Mike Marlar, Stormy Scott, Spencer Hughes, Christian Hanger, Chase King, Pierce McCarter, Cory Brock.
Third heat: Brandon Overton, Ricky Weiss, Ryan King, Jonathan Davenport, Dalton Cook, Joseph Joiner, Michael Lake, Justin Owens.
Time trials
Driver (car no.), hometown, time
- Nick Hoffman (OH), Mooresville, N.C., 13.160
- Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 13.187
- Ryan King (1G), Seymour, Tenn., 13.270
- Jensen Ford (83), Johnson City, Tenn. , 13.278
- Stormy Scott (2s), Las Cruces, N.M., 13.278
- Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 13.304
- Cory Hedgecock (23), Loudon, Tenn., 13.321
- Pierce McCarter (71), Seymour, Tenn., 13.342
- Ricky Weiss (7W), Headingley, Manitoba, 13.346
- Eli Beets (109), Knoxville, Tenn., 13.361
- Christian Hanger (15), Winchester, Tenn., 13.422
- Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 13.435
- Randy Weaver (116), Crossville, Tenn., 13.438
- Spencer Hughes (11), Meridian, Miss., 13.596
- Joseph Joiner (10), Milton, Fla., 13.601
- Kyle Larson (6), Elk Grove, Calif., 13.615
- Dalton Cook (44D), Columbus, Ga., 13.642
- Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 13.654
- Matt Tharp (35), Luttrell, Tenn., 13.722
- Chase King (44), Seymour, Tenn., 13.752
- Michael Lake (27), Uniontown, Pa., 13.968
- Tod Hernandez (T6), Rossville, Ga., 14.030
- Brandon Hardgrove (H22), Burnside, Ky., 14.085
- Justin Owens (26), Chattanooga, Tenn., 14.146
- Steve Smith (3), Powell, Tenn., 14.591
- Cory Brock (5), Eiolia, Ky., 14.667
Tuesday's schedule
(All time EDT)
6:30 p.m. - Hot laps
- Super Late Models
- 604 Crate Late Models hot laps/time trials
- 602 Crate Late Models hot laps/time trials
- Super Late Model time trials
Opening ceremonies
- Super Late Model heats (8 laps)
- 604 Crate Late Models B-main
- 602 Crate Late Models B-main
- Super Late Model B-main (10 laps)
- 604 Crate Late Model feature (30 laps)
- Super Late Model feature (50 laps)
- 602 Crate Late Model feature (20 laps)
