Dirt on Dirt - Unchallenged Davenport wins Gopher prelim

July 8

Deer Creek Speedway,

Spring Valley, MN

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (NAPA Auto Parts Gopher State 50 prelim) - $5,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac and series reports (last updated July 9, 8:45 am)

Unchallenged Davenport wins Gopher prelim

NAPA Auto Parts Gopher State 50 prelim

Jonathan Davenport
Brandon Overton
Tim McCreadie
Mike Marlar
Kyle Strickler
Tyler Bruening
Chris Madden
Earl Pearson Jr.
Jimmy Owens
Johnny Scott
Spencer Hughes
Ricky Weiss
Shane Clanton
Ricky Thornton Jr.
Stormy Scott
Brent Larson
Tyler Erb
Hudson O'Neal
Garrett Alberson
Cade Dillard
Ryan Gustin
Kyle Bronson
Brandon Sheppard
Chris Simpson

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Jonathan Davenport takes the checkers for his $5,000 victory.

What won the race: Leading all the way from the pole position, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., picked up a $5,000 victory in Friday’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 prelim feature at Deer Creek. He finished finished 1.600 seconds ahead of Brandon Overton, who started fifth. Davenport earned $5,000 for the Lucas Oil Series NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 prelim feature triumph.

Quotable: “The track was a little bit different tonight than it was last night, but it was still really good,” Davenport said. “Brandon (Overton) give me all I wanted there. I could tell he was closing. I could hear him there a couple times. I just had to change my rhythm up, change my line down to the bottom.”

Key notes: The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for the first time sanctioned the historic NAPA Auto Parts Gopher State 50 which was previously a World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series event and before that on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals. … Jonathan Davenport’s lap of 14.029 seconds during time trials lowered the track record of 14.185 seconds set in 2018. … Both Mike Marlar and Kyle Bronson went to back-up cars before Friday’s prelim action. Both won their heats. ... The weekend purse exceeds $200,000. ... The charity event co-promoted by the Blooming Prairie Lions Club began 43 years ago and has been held at three tracks, shifting to Deer Creek in 2005. ... Last year's event was rained out and 2020's race fell victim to Covid-19 pandemic cancellations. ... This year's event is made up of a pair of $5,000-to-win preliminary nights capped by Saturday's $50,000-to-win finale, a record-setting purse for the race. Driver performances from the first two nights set lineups for Saturday's action ... Active drivers who have won the Gopher State 50: Brandon Sheppard, Mike Marlar, Chris Madden, Josh Richards, Darrell Lanigan, Shane Clanton, Tim McCreadie, Chub Frank, Rick Eckert, Scott Bloomquist, Shannon Babb and Jay Johnson. ... The weekend event is co-sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association.

On the move: Thursday's prelim feature winner Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., started 16th and finished seventh.

Winner's sponsors: Davenport’s Double L Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, ASC Warranty, Spartan Mowers, Lucas Oil, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, VP Racing Fuels, Bilstein, Hoosier Racing Tire, Midwest Sheet Metal and K1 RaceGear.

Points chase: Before Deer Creek: 1. Brandon Sheppard (4,150); 2. Tim McCreadie (4,120); 3. Ricky Thornton Jr. (3,950); 4. Tyler Erb (3,820); 5. Hudson O’Neal (3,735); 6. Earl Pearson Jr. (3,665); 7. Garrett Alberson (3,390); 8. Ashton Winger (3,220); 9. Daulton Wilson (3,185); 10. Spencer Hughes (3,130).

Current weather: Clear, 66°F

Car count: 40

Fast qualifier: Jonathan Davenport

Time: 14.029 seconds

Polesitter: Jonathan Davenport

Heat race winners: Jonathan Davenport, Mike Marlar, Kyle Bronson, Tim McCreadie

Consolation race winners: Ricky Thornton Jr., Garrett Alberson

Next series race: July 9, Deer Creek Speedway (Spring Valley, MN) $50,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. — Live updates from Friday’s 25-lap, $5,000-to-win preliminary program for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 at Deer Creek Speedway (results unofficial):

Feature

Polesitter Jonathan Davenport grabbed the lead on the opening lap and raced unchallenged to a 25-lap victory Friday at Deer Creek Speedway. The three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion from Blairsville, Ga., finished 1.600 seconds ahead of Evans, Ga.’s Brandon Overton, who started fifth. Davenport earned $5,000 for the Lucas Oil Series NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 prelim feature triumph.

Fourth-starting Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., finished third, while Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., dropped one spot to finish fourth. Gaining two positions, Kyle Strickler of Mooreville, N.C., completed the top five in the non-points event that will be used along with Thursday’s results to set the starting lineup for Saturday’s $50,000-to-win Gopher 50.

The race was slowed by two caution, both on lap one. Chris Simpson slowed to draw the first and then on the restart Kyle Bronson, who started second in the main event, spun in turn two, collecting sixth-running Brandon Sheppard, who had nowhere to go.

Feature lineup

(25 laps)
Row 1: Jonathan Davenport, Kyle Bronson
Row 2: Mike Marlar, Tim McCreadie
Row 3: Brandon Overton, Brandon Sheppard
Row 4: Kyle Strickler, Johnny Scott
Roe 5: Tyler Bruening, Earl Pearson Jr.
Row 6: Jimmy Owens, Spencer Hughes
Row 7: Shane Clanton, Chris Simpson
Row 8: Ricky Weiss, Chris Madden
Row 9: Ricky Thornton Jr., Garrett Alberson
Row 10: Hudson O’Neal, Tyler Erb
Row 11: Ryan Gustin, Cade Dillard
Row 12: Brent Larson, Stormy Scott

Consolation results

(10 laps: top four transfer)
First consolation: Ricky Thornton Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Ryan Gustin, Brent Larson, Daulton Wilson, Jared Hawkins, Scott Bloomquist, Blair Nothdurft, Steve Stultz, Ross Robinson, Daniel Hilsabeck, Larry Grube.

Second consolation: Garrett Alberson, Tyler Erb, Cade Dillard, Stormy Scott, Jake Timm, Chase Junghans, Chase Simpson, Jesse Glenz, Chad Mahder, Paul Parker, Lance Matheese, Kolby Vandenbergh.

Heat race results

(8 laps: top four transfer)
First heat: Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton, Tyler Bruening, Shane Clanton, Rick Thornton Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Scott Bloomquist, Ross Robinson, Daniel Hilsabeck, Blair Nothdurft.

Second heat: Mike Marlar, Kyle Strickler, Jimmy Owens, Ricky Weiss, Daulton Wilson, Brent Larson, Ryan Gustin, Jared Hawkins, State Stultz, Larry Grube.

Third heat: Kyle Bronson, Brandon Sheppard, Earl Pearson Jr., Chris Simpson, Chad Simpson, Chad Mahder, Cade Dillard, Jesse Glenz, Stormy Scott Kolby Vandenbergh.

Fourth heat: Tim McCreadie, Johnny Scott, Spencer Hughes, Chris Madden, Garett Alberson, Tyler Erb, Jake Timm, Chase Junghans, Paul Parker, Lance Mathees.

Time trials

Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
First group
Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 14.029
Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 14.044
Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 14.074
Kyle Strickler (8), Mooresville, N.C., 14.153
Tyler Bruening (16), Decorah, Iowa, 14.232
Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 14.234
Shane Clanton (25), Zebulon, Ga., 14.242
Ricky Weiss (7W), Headingley, Manitoba, 14.258
Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 14.296
Brent Larson (B1), Lake Elmo, Minn., 14.309
Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 14.326
Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., 14.331
Ross Robinson (7), Georgetown, Del., 14.481
Ryan Gustin (19r), Marshalltown, Iowa, 14.507
Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn., 14.514
Jared Hawkins (77), Fairmont, W.Va., 14.611
Larry Grube (29), Cresco, Iowa, 14.832
Blair Nothdurft (76), Renner, S.D., 14.832
Daniel Hilsabeck (22), Earlham, Iowa, 14.882
Steve Stultz (78s), Peoria, Ariz., 15.231
Second group
Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 14.286
Spencer Hughes (11), Meridian, Miss., 14.307
Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 14.314
Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 14.333
Earl Pearson Jr. (46), Jacksonville, Fla., 14.386
Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C., 14.417
Chris Simpson (32), Oxford, Iowa, 14.504
Johnny Scott (1st), Las Cruces, N.M., 14.523
Cade Dillard (97), Robeline, La., 14.535
Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 14.543
Chad Simpson (25), Mount Vernon, Iowa, 14.559
Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan., 14.594
Stormy Scott (2s), Las Cruces, N.M., 14.607
Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 14.665
Chad Mahder (55c), Eau Claire, Wis., 14.702
Jake Timm (49T), Winona, Minn., 14.805
Kolby Vandenbergh (15), Ashland, Ill., 14.982
Paul Parker (10), Kaukauna, Wis., 14.998
Jesse Glenz (7x), Chippewa Falls, Wis., 15.005
Lance Matthees (90), Winona, Minn., 15.328