Poll Position presented by Keyser Manufacturing
Top 25: Senoia-ruling J.D. solidifies top spot
By Kevin Kovac
DirtonDirt staff reporter
Jonathan Davenport (Chris Anderson)
Extending his late-season hot streak to four wins in a row with a $50,000 sweep of the Peach State Classic at Senoia (Ga.) Raceway, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., earned unanimous recognition as the No. 1 driver in the final DirtonDirt power rankings of the 2025 season.
The 42-year-old superstar was unbeatable in Senoia’s rich doubleheader, collecting $20,000 for a flag-to-flag victory in Friday’s 50-lap feature and adding a $30,000 triumph in Saturday’s finale while leading all but two circuits of the 75-lap event. The checkered flags came one week after he captured the final two nights of the World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C.
Davenport received all 10 first-place votes in the Keyser Manufacturing-sponsored Top 25 poll after claiming eight the previous week when he returned to the top of the rankings for the first time in eight months.
Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., who spent more time than anyone as the No. 1-ranked driver in 2025, remained second in the voting after a rough-and-tumble Senoia weekend that saw him finish seventh in Friday’s opener and sixth in Saturday’s finale. He rallied in Saturday’s 75-lapper from a late-race flat tire sustained in a scrape with Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., to nip Davenport by six points for the $75,000 FloRacing Night in America Series by Kubota championship.
Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., climbed one spot to No. 3 in the poll after logging finishes of sixth and third at Senoia. Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., whose best run at Senoia was fifth in Saturday’s finale, slipped one position to No. 4 while Senoia’s third-place finisher on Friday, Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, took over sole possession of the No. 5 ranking after tying for the spot the previous week with Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., who didn’t enter the Peach State Classic.
Movement in the rankings was minimal with only one driver — Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa — advancing multiple positions. Gustin moved up two spots to No. 9 after recording a pair of top-five finishes at Senoia, including a runner-up performance on Saturday.
Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C., joined the Top 25 in a tie for No. 23 following a weekend highlighted by his $15,000 triumph in Sunday’s Carolina Clash-sanctioned Freddy Smith Memorial at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, S.C. Sam Seawright of Rainsville, Ala., dropped out of the poll.
The balloting is the last of the season at DirtonDirt, where rankings appear Tuesdays from mid-February through mid-November provided at least half of the drivers in the current rankings are in action in the previous weekend.
DirtonDirt.com's Drivers of the Year — national, regional and weekly — will be determined by staff consensus and appear next month. The Top 25 power rankings tentatively will return in February.
Voting is done by a 10-member committee made up of staffers and contributors to determine the Top 25 power rankings: Richard Allen, Bryan Ault, Jeff Broeg, Kelley Carlton, Ryan Delph, Josh James, Kevin Kovac, Kyle McFadden, Mike Ruefer and Kyle Symons. Results are compiled and tabulated by Todd Turner, who serves as a voting alternate along with fellow staffer Aaron Clay.
1. Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
Comment: After extending late-season heater to four straight wins with $50,000 sweep of Senoia’s Peach State Classic, he’s looking forward to capping 2025 indoors at Dec. 4-6’s Gateway Dirt Nationals. Series points: 3rd (Lucas Oil); 2nd (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 1st (nc)
2. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.
Comment: Experiences rough weekend at Senoia as seventh- and sixth-place finishes are just enough to hold off Davenport for $75,000 FloRacing Night in America title. Indoor action in St. Louis will close his ’25 campaign. Series points: Champion (WoO); Champion (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 2nd (nc)
3. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
Comment: Improves from sixth-place finish in Senoia’s opener to third-place result in finale. Gateway Dirt Nationals still to come. Series points: 4th (Lucas Oil); 3rd (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 4th (+1)
4. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
Comment: No Senoia glory this year following 22nd-place finish on Friday (out early with front-end damage) and better fifth-place run in finale. Focused on Gateway Dirt Nationals to complete Dirt Late Model season. Series points: 2nd (Lucas Oil); 4th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 3rd (-1)
5. Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio
Comment: Starts Peach State Classic with strong third-place finish but two tangles drop him to 14th in rundown of 75-lap headliner. Indoor racing in St. Louis up next. Series points: Champion (Lucas Oil); 9th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: T5th (nc)
6. Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, N.C.
Comment: Skips Senoia to gear up for Gateway Dirt Nationals. Series points: 2nd (WoO). Previous ranking: T5th (-1)
7. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
Comment: Fails to crack top-10 with Rocket1 machine both nights at Senoia. Taking family-owned No. B5 to St. Louis in bid for third straight Gateway Dirt Nationals triumph. Series points: 5th (Lucas Oil); 7th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 7th (nc)
8. Tyler Erb, New Waverly, Texas
Comment: Just misses top-10 in Senoia’s opener, rises to fourth in finale. St. Louis indoor race coming up. Series points: 2nd (Summer Nationals). Previous ranking: 8th (nc)
9. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa
Comment: Enjoys weekend at Senoia with finishes of fourth and second. Series points: 3rd (WoO); 5th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 11th (+2)
10. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
Comment: Starts Senoia weekend with runner-up finish, but problems in finale relegate him to 20th-place result. Series points: 4th (WoO). Previous ranking: 9th (-1)
11. Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, N.M.
Comment: Quiet-but-steady at Senoia with finishes of eighth and 11th. Weekend at The Dome at America’s Center on tap. Series points: 6th (Lucas Oil); 8th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 10th (-1)
12. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill.
Comment: Scores pair of top-10 finishes at Senoia. Series points: 5th (WoO); 6th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 13th (+1)
13. Brandon Overton, Evans, Ga.
Comment: Senoia provides another frustrating weekend, lowlighted by scrape with Bobby Pierce in Saturday’s finale that results in cut right-front tire, smack of turn-one wall — and an angry helmet-toss at Pierce’s passing car. Turning page to focus on season-ending trip to St. Louis. Series points: 7th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 12th (-1)
14. Chris Madden, Gray Court, S.C.
Comment: Logs respectable outings (fifth, eighth) at Senoia. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 14th (nc)
15. Jason Feger, Bloomington, Ill.
Comment: Bypasses long haul to Senoia as Gateway Dirt Nationals looms. Series points: Champion (MARS and Summer Nationals). Previous ranking: 16th (+1)
16. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, Ga.
Comment: Ended 2025 season with recent World Finals at Charlotte. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 15th (-1)
17. Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn.
Comment: Makes both Senoia features but leaves with finishes of 21st and 17th. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 18th (+1)
18. Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.
Comment: Sits idle while preparing for Gateway Dirt Nationals. Series points: 7th (WoO). Previous ranking: 17th (-1)
19. Drake Troutman, Hyndman, Pa.
Comment: Doesn’t enter Senoia’s doubleheader, but still has Gateway Dirt Nationals on schedule. Series points: 6th (WoO). Previous ranking: 19th (nc)
20. Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, Tenn.
Comment: Closed 2025 racing season on Nov. 8 at Clarksville, Tenn. Series points: 2nd (Hunt the Front); 5th (Southern Thunder). Previous ranking: 20th (nc)
21. Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn.
Comment: Best finish at Senoia is 15th in finale. Headed to St. Louis to end ’25 campaign. Series points: Champion (Hunt the Front); T2nd (Southern Nationals). Previous ranking: 21st (nc)
22. Max Blair, Centerville, Pa.
Comment: With 2025 racing done, he’s looking toward return to national tour next season. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 22nd (nc)
T23. Chris Ferguson, Mount Holly, N.C.
Comment: Records ninth-place in Senoia’s finale, then hauls up to South Carolina’s Cherokee Speedway and leads flag-to-flag for $15,000 Carolina Clash victory. Series points: None. Previous ranking: Unranked
T23. Zack Mitchell, Enoree, S.C.
Comment: Forgettable weekend includes 17th-place finish and DNQ at Senoia and 23rd-place run at Cherokee. Series points: 4th (Hunt the Front); 4th (Southern Thunder). Previous ranking: 23rd (nc)
25. Josh Rice, Crittenden, Ky.
Comment: Last action of 2025 — and with longtime sponsor and car owner Rick Jones — coming up at Gateway Dirt Nationals. Series points: Champion (Northern Allstars). Previous ranking: 24th (-1)
Dropped out: Sam Seawright
Others receiving votes: Ethan Dotson, Sam Seawright, Mason Zeigler, Carson Ferguson, Cade Dillard, Ashton Winger, Dustin Sorensen, Trey Mills, Gregg Satterlee, Trever Feathers.
