GIBSONTON, Fla. (Feb. 6) — Round two of the 42nd annual Wrisco Industries Winternationals nearly ended with another last-lap pass for the win. But when Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., was unable to make his final challenge for the lead stick, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., held on for a $5,000 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory Tuesday at East Bay Raceway Park.
Leading all 30 laps, Davenport fought back Overton’s last-lap turn-two slider, pulling away from from the Dream Team driver down the backstretch to score his first victory with his Lance Landers-owned team.
"I didn't know (it was Overton). I heard (Monday's last-lap winner Brandon Sheppard) was in second and I thought, 'Well, here he comes again,'" Davenport said in victory lane. "We had something going on. I think I ran over something there on that last caution because the right-rear was going down. I was getting tighter in and freer off. I'm just glad we held on there. It's awesome we got our first win for Lance."
Starting outside the front row, Davenport stretched his lead in the early running, as polesitter Gregg Satterlee of Indiana, Pa., and Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., battled for the second-place spot. Just four laps in to the 30-lapper, Overton began working his way to the front of the field, advancing from his 10th starting spot to run in fourth.
As the race’s first yellow flag waved on lap 11, Overton used the ensuing restart to his advantage, powering around the bottom of the racetrack to take second from Satterlee. With Davenport setting a torrid pace out front, Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., joined the frontrunners, moving into the third on lap 18.
Sheppard overtook second-running Overton on lap 21, with the Dream Team driver falling into a tight battle with Satterlee for third. Attempting to slip under Overton on lap 22, fourth-running Satterlee spun in turn three to draw the race's second caution. Overton shot past Sheppard to regain the second-place spot on the restart, setting his sights on the No. 49 of Davenport.
As the top two distanced themselves from the field in the final circuits, Overton’s late-race charge would come up short, with Davenport notching his 28th career Lucas Oil Series victory and first win on his 2018 Georgia-Florida Speedweeks campaign.
"We've still got a lot more days to go," Davenport said. "But we've got us a pretty good little package. Kevin (Rumley) and Jason (Durham) put their heads together last night and made some changes and man, I'm just exstatic to get our first win."
With Overton finishing second, Sheppard settled for third. Advancing from the 17th starting spot, Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., was fourth while eighth-starting Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, rounded out the top five.
"If we would have had a good start to it and I didn't care about junking this thing ... I knew Jonathan wasn't going to let off," Overton said of his last-lap slider. "I said, 'I better let off, because I know he's going to rip the whole right side off of this thing when he comes back by.' Hopefully he'll remember that the next time we're racing. We're ready for tomorrow, I guess."
While Sheppard's choice to take the low groove on a late-race restart didn't play to his advantage, he was still able to come away with another podium finish. The Rocket house car driver has finished no worse than fifth in the first four Speedweeks events.
"That last (restart) I chose the bottom," Sheppard said. "I didn't know if I could get enough grip coming off of (turn) four here to shoot up across getting into (turn) one. J.D. and Overton, they restarted way better on the top than what I did on the bottom. I just went out on a limb and chose the bottom there. I don't think I would have beat J.D. either way, the cushion as big as it was. I haven't been out of the top five since we've been down here, so I guess you can say something for that."
Notes: The feature was slowed by two cautions. ... The first yellow flag waved on lap 11 when Tim Dohm got into the backstretch wall. … Gregg Satterlee spun to draw a caution on lap 22 when he spun in turn three while battling among the leaders.
Preliminary notes and results:
Pre-feature notes
It was deja va all over again for Heat 4 winner Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., who overtook Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, to grab the lead with a late-race pass for the second consecutive night. Bronson couldn’t take advantage of a pole position start in Monday’s feature — he said his car was just too tight — so he’s hopeful of enjoying a better result from the fourth starting slot this time. … Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., looked dominant in capturing the third heat, but he was far from satisfied with his Lance Landers-owned mount. “We need to get a little better,” he said while munching on a sandwich in the pit area. “I was too free. I didn’t like that feeling to run more than two laps.” … Heat 1 victor Gregg Satterlee of Indiana, Pa., had a succinct response when asked how much better his car felt compared to Monday night. “A lot,” he said. “I doesn’t take much with these cars. A little bit (of a change) goes a long way, and we just tweaked it today.” … One year after a struggle-filled Winternationals was followed by his departure from the GRT house car, Timothy Culp of Prattsville, Ark., cruised to victory in the second heat with his XR1 Rocket to secure the third starting spot in the 30-lap A-main. … Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., had to make repairs to the nosepiece of his Best Performance Motorsports car after he was clipped by a passing machine as he spun between turns three and four on the first lap of Heat 2. He couldn’t rally from the rear to transfer in the heat but went on to win the first B-main. … Carder Miller, a 13-year-old from Salem, Va., qualified for his first Winternationals and Lucas Oil Series feature with his runner-up finish in the second heat. … Jason Jameson of Lawrenceburg, Ind., was running third on lap two of the third heat when his Rattliff Racing car shut off because its oil-pump belt shredded and caught the coil wires. He earned a berth in the feature thanks to a fast-time provisional, however, and will start the race in a backup car. … Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., was felled by engine trouble during a B-main, forcing him to pull out a backup Dunn-Benson Racing car to use a provisional to start the feature.
DirtonDirt.com Strawberry Dash results
Finish (winner transfers to feature): Chase Junghans, Freddie Carpenter, Shanon Buckingham, Walker Arthur, Ryan King, Allen Murray, Joey Moriarty, Jonathan Rowan, Shane Tankersley, Mike Benedum, Corey Conley.
DirtonDirt.com Strawberry Dash Lineup
Row 1: Chase Junghans, Walker Arthur
Row 2: Shanon Buckingham, Freddie Carpenter
Row 3: Corey Conley, Allen Murray
Row 4: Joey Moriarty, Rance Garlock
Row 5: Ryan King, Jeff Mathews
Row 6: Shane Tankersley, Mike Benedum
Row 7: Coleby Frye, Bob Gardner
Row 8: Greg Oakes, Jonathan Rowan
Row 9: Byron Meeks, Travis Stemler
Row 10: Blake Spencer, Bob Geiger
Second consolation
Polesitter Earl Pearson Jr. took an early lead, as Morgan Bagley, Tim McCreadie and Boom Briggs battled behind him. Pearson stretched his lead at the halfway mark, with the top four cars pulling away from the rest of the field. A yellow flag waved on lap 11 when fifth-running Travis Stemler slowed in turns one and two, bringing his No. 2 to a stop on the backstretch. Pearson won the consolation, with Briggs edging out Bagley on the final lap to finish second.
Finish (top three transfer): Earl Pearson Jr., Boom Briggs, Morgan Bagley, Tim McCreadie, Shanon Buckingham, Corey Conley, Allen Murray, Rance Garlock, Jeff Mathews, Mike Benedum, Bob Gardner, Jonathan Rowan, Travis Stemler, Bob Geiger.
First consolation
A yellow flag waved on the opening lap for a backstretch tangle involving Bobby Pierce, Ryan King, Blake Spencer, Walker Arthur and Byron Meeks. Polesitter Devin Moran shot to the lead as the race went green, with Meeks drawing a caution when he spun in turn one. Using the restart to his advantage, charged around the high side to take the lead on lap two. With Richards stretching his lead early, Chase Junghans and Hudson O’Neal battled for the third-place spot. A yellow flag waved on lap five when Greg Oakes slowed on the backstretch. Rallying from the tail of the field, Pierce joined the battle for third late-race, with O’Neal and Moran racing side-by-side for second. Coleby Frye got into the backstretch wall to draw a caution on the ninth lap. Richards won the consolation, with Moran holding off O’Neal to to run second. O’Neal edged out Junghans at the line to run third.
Finish (top three transfer): Josh Richards, Devin Moran, Hudson O’Neal, Chase Junghans, Walker Arthurd, Freddie Carpenter, Bobby Pierce, Joey Moriarty, Ryan King, Shane Tankersley, Coleby Frye, Greg Oakes, Byron Meeks, Blake Spencer.
Consolation lineups
(12 laps; top three transfer)
First consolation
Row 1: Devin Moran, Greg Oakes
Row 2: Hudson O’Neal, Josh Richards
Row 3: Chase Junghans, Craig Wolford
Row 4: Blake Spencer, Walker Arthur
Row 5: Coleby Frye, Freddie Carpenter
Row 6: Shane Tankersley, Joey Moriarty
Row 7: Bobby Pierce, Byron Meeks
Second consolation
Row 1: Earl Pearson Jr., Morgan Bagley
Row 2: Tim McCreadie, Boom Briggs
Row 3: Mike Benedum, Travis Stemler
Row 4: Corey Conley, Shanon Buckingham
Row 5: Jeff Mathews, Allen Murray
Row 6: Rance Garlock, Jonathan Rowan
Row 7: Bob Geiger, Bob Gardner
Row 8: Jason Jameson
Fourth heat
Sliding ahead of polesitter Kyle Bronson in turn four, Tyler Erb took an early lead. With Erb setting the pace out front, Bronson maintained a solid second, attempting to reel in the race leader at the halfway mark. The pair racing side-by-side on lap eight, Bronson slid ahead of Erb in turn two to lead lap nine. Bronson won the heat, with Erb finishing second. Mason Zeigler ran third, with Brian Shirley taking the fourth and final transfer spot.
Finish (top four transfer): Kyle Bronson, Tyler Erb, Mason Zeigler, Brian Shirley, Morgan Bagley, Boom Briggs, Travis Stemler, Shanon Buckingham, Allen Murray, Jonathan Rowan, Bob Gardner.
Third heat
Polesitter Jonathan Davenport charged to the lead at the drop of the green flag, as third-starting Jason Jameson slowed on the backstretch to draw a caution on the second lap. Setting a torrid pace over the field, Davenport stretched his lead at the halfway mark, as Dennis Erb Jr. and Scott Bloomquist battled side-by-side for the second-place spot. Davenport won the heat, with Bloomquist pulling ahead of Erb to finish runner-up. Rallying from the ninth starting spot, Brandon Overton ran third, with Erb settling for fourth.
Finish (top four transfer): Jonathan Davenport, Scott Bloomquist, Brandon Overton, Dennis Erb Jr., Earl Pearson Jr., Tim McCreadie, Mike Benedum, Corey Conley, Jeff Mathews, Rance Garlock, Bob Geiger, Jason Jameson.
Second heat
A yellow flag waved on the first lap when third-starting Josh Richards spun in turn four, nearly collecting Tim Dohm as he avoided collision with the remainder of the field. As the race went back green, outside polesitter Timothy Culp set the pace over the field, with Richards advancing from the tail to run in seventh by lap five. With the top three cars distancing themselves from the field, Culp picked up the heat race win. Polesitter Carder Miller held off Dohm to finish runner-up, with Jesse Stovall running fourth to transfer to the feature.
Finish (top four transfer): Timothy Culp, Carder Miller, Tim Dohm, Jesse Stovall, Greg Oakes, Josh Richards, Craig Wolford, Walker Arthur, Freddie Carpenter, Joey Moriarty.
First heat
Outside polesitter Gregg Satterlee edged ahead of fellow front-row starter Billy Moyer Jr., to take an early lead, as fourth-starting Hudson O’Neal was shuffled back to seventh in the early running. A yellow flag waved on lap two when Ryan King spun in turns three and four. Using the restart to his advantage, Austin Hubbard took the second-place spot from Moyer, challenging Satterlee for the lead. Bobby Pierce nearly got sideways on the fourth lap, falling back to the tail of the field. Satterlee picked up the heat race win, with Hubbard finishing second. Brandon Sheppard advanced from the sixth starting spot to run third, with Moyer Jr. edging out Devin Moran at the line for the fourth and final transfer spot.
Finish (top four transfer): Gregg Satterlee, Austin Hubbard, Brandon Sheppard, Billy Moyer Jr., Devin Moran, Hudson O’Neal, Chase Junghans, Blake Spencer, Coleby Frye, Shane Tankersley, Bobby Pierce, Ryan King.
Heat race lineups
(10 laps; top four transfer)
First heat
Row 1: Billy Moyer Jr., Gregg Satterlee
Row 2: Austin Hubbard, Hudson O’Neal
Row 3: Bobby Pierce, Brandon Sheppard
Row 4: Ryan King, Devin Moran
Row 5: Chase Junghans, Coleby Frye
Row 6: Shane Tankersley, Blake Spencer
Second heat
Row 1: Carder Miller, Timothy Culp
Row 2: Josh Richards, Tim Dohm
Row 3: Craig Wolford, Greg Oakes
Row 4: Walker Arthur, Jesse Stovall
Row 5: Freddie Carpenter, Joey Moriarty
Row 6: Byron Meeks
Third heat
Row 1: Jonathan Davenport, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 2: Jason Jameson, Mike Benedum
Row 3: Scott Bloomquist, Rance Garlock
Row 4: Earl Pearson Jr., Tim McCreadie
Row 5: Brandon Overton, Jeff Mathews
Row 6: Corey Conley, Bob Geiger
Fourth heat
Row 1: Kyle Bronson, Tyler Erb
Row 2: Brian Shirley, Morgan Bagley
Row 3: Mason Zeigler, Travis Stemler
Row 4: Shanon Buckingham, Boom Briggs
Row 5: Jonathan Rowan, Allen Murray
Row 6: Bob Gardner
Pre-race notes
It’s another gorgeous day at East Bay with overcast skies and the temperature climbing to a high of 80. … Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, Tenn., plans to enter Tuesday’s program after sitting out Monday’s opener while making a motor change. He pulled his bigger powerplant to save it for later in Speedweeks. … While Clint Bowyer Racing teammates Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., will sit out their second straight night of action (no Lucas Oil points are on the line until Friday), other drivers joining the field after bypassing Monday’s lidlifter include Timothy Culp of Prattsville, Ark., Chase Junghans of Manhattan, Kan., Boom Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., Morgan Bagley of Longview, Texas, and Blake Spencer of St. Augustine, Fla. … Lucas Oil regulars Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., and Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., have changed cars for Tuesday’s competition. McCreadie, who pulled out of Monday’s feature, will be behind the wheel of a Sweeteners Plus-backed Longhorn house car that was driven late last year by Chris Madden of Gaffney, S.C., while the 17-year-old O’Neal is jumping in a freshly-skinned Club 29 machine he ran in 2017. … Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., and the Dream Racing team entered the pit area Tuesday afternoon and plan to compete this evening and Wednesday before heading north for the weekend World of Outlaws doubleheader at Georgia’s Screven Motor Speedway. … Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., retired from Monday’s feature due to a broken motor in his G.R. Smith-owned car. He pulled out a second machine for Tuesday’s racing. … Tim Dohm of Cross Lanes, W.Va., brought out a caution flag in Monday’s A-main after he clipped the track’s inside berm and spun in turn two, but he brand-new Swartz car escaped the incident virtually unscathed. … Greg Oakes of Franklinville, N.Y., had high hopes on Monday after landing an outside pole starting spot for his heat, but he slipped high rounding turns one and two on the opening lap and tumbled to last in just over a lap. “I just got a bad start,” he said, “and that totally ruined our night.” … Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark., made an engine change and breaking a rear main seal on Monday. … Missing from Brandon Sheppard’s victory lane photo on Monday was Rocket Chassis house car crew chief Danny White, who was in Iowa attending his grandmother’s funeral. He is expected to return to the team on Wednesday. … Sheppard will attempt to become the fourth driver since 2000 to kick off East Bay’s Winternationals with back-to-back Dirt Late Model triumphs, joining Don O’Neal (2001, ’02, ’12), Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis. (’04) and Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. (’16).
Pre-race setup
East Bay Raceway Park’s Winternationals continue on Tuesday night with the second of six Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events. The $5,000-to-win program is a non-points race.
Edging out Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, by .056 seconds, Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., picked up a $5,000 victory on Monday night. Sheppard won the East Bay opener for the second straight season.
Tuesday’s program will include time trials, four heat races, two consolations, the DirtonDirt.com Strawberry Dash and the 30-lap main event. The top four finishers from each heat and top three finishers from each consolation will transfer to the feature. Provisionals (two series, one fast time and the dash winner) will set the final to rows of the feature lineup.
Time trial results
Driver (car no.), hometown, time
Group A
Billy Moyer Jr. (21), Batesville, Ark., 14.334
Carder Miller (69*), Salem, Va., 14.472
Gregg Satterlee (22), Indiana, Pa., 14.527
Timothy Culp (C8), Prattsville, Ark., 14.584
Austin Hubbard (11), Seaford, Del., 14.592
Josh Richards (1), Shinnston, W.Va., 14.646
Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 14.667
Tim Dohm (6), Cross Lanes, W.Va., 14.692
Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 14.771
Craig Wolford (36), Saint Louisville, Ohio, 14.798
Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 14.817
Greg Oakes (22), Franklinville, N.Y., 14.885
Ryan King (1G), Seymour, Tenn., 14.912
Walker Arthur (87), Forest, Va., 14.927
Devin Moran (9), Dresden, Ohio, 14.953
Jesse Stovall (00), Galena, Mo., 14.969
Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan., 15.068
Freddie Carpenter (K), Parkersburg, W.Va., 15.144
Coleby Frye (0), Dover, Pa., 15.242
Joey Moriarty (51), Peoria, Ariz., 15.253
Shane Tankersley (21), Blue Ridge, Ga., 15.345
Byron Meeks (01), Parkersburg, W.Va., 16.312
Blake Spencer (6S), St. Augustine, Fla., 16.417
Group B
Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 14.301
Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 14.468
Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 14.504
Tyler Erb (91), New Waverly, Texas, 14.518
Jason Jameson (12), Lawrenceburg, Ind., 14.579
Brian Shirley (3S), Chatham, Ill., 14.621
Mike Benedum (25), Salem, W.Va., 14.632
Morgan Bagley (14m), Longview, Texas, 14.651
Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn., 14.688
Mason Zeigler (25z), Chalk Hill, Pa., 14.718
Rance Garlock (72), Three Springs, Pa., 14.782
Travis Stemler (2), Ionia, Mich., 14.843
Earl Pearson Jr. (1), Jacksonville, Fla., 14.848
Shanon Buckingham (50), Morristown, Tenn., 14.859
Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 14.88
Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 14.919
Brandon Overton (116), Evans, Ga., 14.924
Jonathan Rowan (56), Jackson, Tenn., 14.983
Jeff Mathews (33), Apollo Beach, Fla., 15.11
Allen Murray (2M), San Antonio, Texas, 15.177
Corey Conley (14), Wellsburg, W.Va., 15.192
Bob Gardner (4G), East Peoria, Ill., 15.908
Bob Geiger (38), Laurel, Del., 16.72
