GIBSONTON, Fla. (Feb. 9) — Updates and results from Friday’s fifth round of the 48th annual Wieland Winternationals highlighted by a 50-lap, $12,000-to-win Lucas Oil Series-sanctioned Super Late Model feature (results unofficial):
Feature
Taking the lead for good with a lap-29 slider past Tyler Erb, second-starting Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., paced the remaining distance to capture Friday night's 50-lap fifth round of the 48th annual Wieland Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park. Davenport, who registered two third-place finishes before Thursday's runner-up, overcame a lap-13 slip that handed the lead to Erb to earn $12,000 for his first victory of the season.
The third-starting Erb led laps 13-28 before he experienced a failed right-front suspension and Davenport slid by to reclaim the lead; Erb pulled off on lap 30 and was credited with 24th.
Feature lineup
(50 laps)
Row 1: Mark Whitener, Jonathan Davenport
Row 2: Tyler Erb, Ross Robinson
Row 3: Jimmy Owens, Garrett Smith
Row 4: Blair Nothdurft, Daulton Wilson
Row 5: Hudson O'Neal, Spencer Hughes
Row 6: Garrett Alberson, Logan Hitt
Row 7: Clay Harris, Devin Moran
Row 8: Earl Pearson Jr., Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 9: Boom Briggs, Jeff Mathews
Row 10: Ashton Winger, Jensen Ford
Row 11: Mike Marlar, Brian Shirley
Row 12: Tony Jackson Jr., Wil Herrington
Row 13: Ricky Thornton Jr., Tim McCreadie
Row 14: Max Blair, Brandon Sheppard
Row 15: Drake Troutman, Bob Gardner
Consolation results
(10 laps; top two transfer)
First consolation finish: Ashton Winger, Brian Shirley, Tim McCreadie, Ricky Thornton Jr., Tim Dohm, Rod Conley, Chase Junghans, Jason Riggs, Jason Frame, Dean Carpenter, David McCoy, Ryan Payne, Jason Milam, Brandon Overton, Tim Lance. Scratched: Brandon Thirlby, Cody Overton, Brian Ledbetter
Second consolation finish: Jensen Ford, Tony Jackson Jr., Todd Brennan, Ethan Dotson, Tanner English, Daniel Adam, Parker Martin, Brennon Willard, Danny Snyder, Cory Lawler, Mike Spatola, R.J. Conley, Brenden Smith, Larry Grbue, Brandon Weigle, Trevor Collins. Scratched: Kerry King, Haiden Cowan
Third consolation finish: Mike Marlar, Wil Herrington, Brandon Sheppard, Kyle Bronson, Ross Bailes, Bob Gardner, Logan Zarin, Levi Yetter, Tyler Millwood, Drake Troutman, Seth Daniels, Jason Jack, Adam Boyd, Max Blair, Carson Ferguson. Scratched: Dillon McCowan, Ryan Gustin, Jack Riggs
Heat race recap
Second-starting Mark Whitener led all eight laps to win the first heat race by 0.859 of a second over pole-starting Blair Nothdurft. Clay Harris started and finished third, earning the final transfer position into Friday’s $12,000-to-win fifth round. The lone caution came out on lap four when Cody Overton and David McCoy made contact while battling for seventh, sending McCoy spinning; both drivers continued, with Overton finishing seventh and McCoy settling for 11th. … Tyler Erb led the entire distance to win heat two by 0.397 of a second over second-starting Hudson O’Neal, with Earl Pearson Jr. holding serve in third. … Second-starting Jimmy Owens repelled Garrett Alberson in the closing laps, winning heat three by 0.341 of a second over the fourth-starting Alberson. Boom Briggs improved three positions and finished third. … Jonathan Davenport led green-to-checkered to win heat four by 1.443 seconds over Daulton Wilson. Fifth-starting Devin Moran showed heavy smoke in the closing laps, but held on for third. The lone yellow flew on the second lap when Haiden Cowan and Brennon Willard tangled; Cowan was unable to continue, while Willard finished 10th. … Ross Robinson dominated the fifth heat, leading all eight laps and winning by 1.425 seconds over Spencer Hughes; Hughes narrowly repelled Dennis Erb Jr. for the entire distance, with Erb fending off Mike Marlar for the third and final transfer spot. … Garrett Smith survived a late-race restart and won the sixth and final heat race by 0.755 of a second over fifth-starting Logan Hitt. Second-starting Jeff Mathews held on to round-out the podium finishers. The race’s lone stoppage occurred on lap seven when Jack Riggs slowed from seventh before pulling off.
Heat race results
(Eight laps; top three transfer)
First heat finish: Mark Whitener, Blair Nothdurft, Clay Harris, Brian Shirley, Tim McCreadie, Brandon Thirlby, Cody Overton, Tim Dohm, Dean Carpenter, Tim Lance, David McCoy, Brian Ledbetter.
Second heat finish: Tyler Erb, Hudson O'Neal, Earl Pearson Jr., Ashton Winger, Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Overton, Chase Junghans, Rod Conley, Jason Riggs, Ryan Payne, Jadon Frame, Jason Milam.
Third heat finish: Jimmy Owens, Garrett Alberson, Boom Briggs, Jensen Ford, Tony Jackson Jr., Daniel Adam, Parker Martin, Brenden Smith, Brandon Weigle, Danny Snyder, Cory Lawler. Scratched: Kerry King
Fourth heat finish: Jonathan Davenport, Daulton Wilson, Devin Moran, Todd Brennan, Mike Spatola, R.J. Conley, Larry Grube, Tanner English, Ethan Dotson, Brennon Willard, Trevor Collins, Haiden Cowan.
Fifth heat finish: Ross Robinson, Spencer Hughes, Dennis Erb Jr., Mike Marlar, Wil Herrington, Bob Gardner, Logan Zarin, Drake Troutman, Dillon McCowan, Carson Ferguson, Jason Jack, Adam Boyd.
Sixth heat finish: Garrett Smith, Logan Hitt, Jeff Mathews, Ross Bailes, Brandon Sheppard, Kyle Bronson, Tyler Millwood, Levi Yetter, Max Blair, Seth Daniels, Ryan Gustin, Jack Riggs.
Pre-race notes
The steady warming up throughout the Winternationals continues Friday with an afternoon high temperature approaching 80 degrees under sunny skies. … Friday’s 72-car field includes Mike Spatola of Manhattan, Ill., who is making his first start of the week. … Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., is driving Jeff Mathews’s Rocket car for the second straight night after retiring early from Thursday’s regularly-scheduled feature. … Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., made an engine change for Friday’s action after an oil leak his crew discovered after Thursday’s heat action forced him to run his backup car for the remainder of the program. … Ross Robinson of Georgetown, Del., recorded a Winternationals career-best fifth-place finish Thursday in Monday’s rained-out feature. It was also his first top-10 run in four years of competition at East Bay. … Jason Riggs of College Grove, Tenn., also logged a career-best Winternationals finish in Monday’s held-over A-main, placing eighth for his first top-10 outing over 10 Winternationals appearances. … With Hudson O’Neal, Tyler Erb, Jimmy Owens and Brandon Sheppard earning victories, it’s the second consecutive year that the Winternationals has begun with four different winners. O’Neal ended the streak last year when he won the fifth race, which became the finale after Saturday’s show was rained out. … The last time the Winternationals did not have a repeat winner was 2017 when only four features were contested. … Since the Winternationals were expanded to six scheduled nights in 2000, the only years with six different winners have been 2007 and ’11.
Time trials
Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Blair Nothdurft (76n), Renner, S.D., 14.167
2. Tyler Erb (1T), New Waverly, Texas, 14.178
3. Jensen Ford (15k), Johnson City, Tenn., 14.197
4. Mark Whitener (5), Middleburg, Fla., 14.205
5. Hudson O’Neal (1), Martinsville, Ind., 14.231
6. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 14.294
7. Clay Harris (6), Jupiter, Fla., 14.304
8. Earl Pearson Jr. (46), Jacksonville, Fla., 14.308
9. Daniel Adam (75), Wade, N.C., 14.328
10. Brandon Thirlby (69), Traverse City, Mich., 14.379
11. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 14.381
12. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 14.400
13. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 14.404
14. Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan., 14.439
15. Tony Jackson Jr. (25), Lebanon, Mo., 14.439
16. David McCoy (187), Franklin, N.C., 14.501
17. Ashton Winger (12), Hampton, Ga., 14.512
18. Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 14.518
19. Cody Overton (97), Evans, Ga., 14.549
20. Brandon Overton (33x), Evans, Ga., 14.580
21. Brandon Weigle (47w), Middlebourne, W.Va., 14.583
22. Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 14.584
23. Rod Conley (71R), Wheelersburg, Ohio, 14.656
24. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 14.684
25. Dean Carpenter (51), Coldwater, Miss., 14.762
26. Jason Riggs (81), College Grove, Tenn., 14.763
27. Parker Martin (6jr), Miledgeville, Ga., 14.765
28. Tim Dohm (6T), Cross Lanes, W.Va., 14.789
29. Ryan Payne (12R), Pennsboro, W.Va., 14.800
30. Cory Lawler (93), Hanover, Pa., 14.822
31. Tim Lance (48), Brimfield, Ill., 14.908
32. Jadon Frame (81F), Winchester, Tenn., 15.116
33. Danny Snyder (4s), Green Lane, Pa., 15.152
34. Brian Ledbetter (07), Stanley, N.C., 15.234
35. Jason Milam (82B), Guntown, Miss., 15.375
36. Kerry King (K&B), Delmar, Del., no time
Group B
1. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 14.170
2. Ross Robinson (7), Georgetown, Del., 14.319
3. Garrett Smith (10), Eatonton, Ga., 14.347
4. Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., 14.408
5. Spencer Hughes (19m), Meridian, Miss., 14.419
6. Jeff Mathews (33), Brandon, Fla., 14.436
7. Larry Grube (29), Mauldin, S.C., 14.440
8. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 14.441
9. Jack Riggs (81J), Nolensville, Tenn., 14.445
10. R.J. Conley (71c), Wheelersburg, Ohio, 14.460
11. Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 14.468
12. Tyler Millwood (31), Kingston, Ga., 14.477
13. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 14.494
14. Wil Herrington (14x), Hawkinsville, Ga., 14.526
15. Logan Hitt (2*), Buckhannon, W.Va., 14.530
16. Mike Spatola (89), Manhattan, Ill., 14.571
17. Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 14.618
18. Ryan Gustin (30), Marshalltown, Iowa, 14.618
19. Ethan Dotson (174), Bakersfield, Calif., 14.640
20. Carson Ferguson (00), Lincolnton, N.C., 14.648
21. Ross Bailes (6H), Clover, S.C., 14.677
22. Todd Brennan (20B), Zanesville, Ohio, 14.687
23. Bob Gardner (4G), East Peoria, Ill., 14.690
24. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 14.701
25. Brennon Willard (3), Lebanon, Mo., 14.727
26. Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Mo., 14.793
27. Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 14.817
28. Tanner English (96v), Benton, Ky., 14.836
29. Drake Troutman (7T), Hyndman, Pa., 14.837
30. Levi Yetter (9), Cabot, Pa., 14.870
31. Trevor Collins (11c), Seaford, Del., 14.923
32. Jason Jack (32), Tampa, Fla., 14.959
33. Seth Daniels (s21), Jackson, Ohio, 15.048
34. Haiden Cowan (214), Rincon, Ga., 15.064
35. Adam Boyd (6B), Riverview, Fla., 15.102
36. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 15.167
Friday’s schedule
(All times local)
1:30 p.m. - Pits cleared
2 p.m. - Pits open
2-4:45 p.m. - Tech and registration
5 p.m. - Grandstands open
5:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model qualifying (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (50 laps)