BARBERVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 25) — Garrett Alberson was in his first-ever feature at Volusia Speedway Park. He was chasing an all-time great in Jimmy Owens. But the 35-year-old driver from Las Cruces, N.M., never had any doubt that he could win Saturday’s 50-lap Sunshine Nationals finale for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.

“Jimmy lit out there really good early, but I could pace him and kind of like run a little bit down the track,” Alberson said. “I knew we were all right.”

Confident despite his inexperience at the half-mile oval, Alberson calmly pursued Owens until striking late with a slide job through turns one and two to grab the lead from Owens on lap 42. He then survived a lap-47 restart and two last-ditch challenges from Jonathan Davenport to emerge victorious in WoO competition for the first time in his career.

Alberson turned back Davenport’s bids to beat the Blairsville, Ga., superstar by 0.843 of a second and collect a $20,000 winner’s prize.

Max Blair of Centerville, Pa., advanced from the seventh spot to finish third. Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, placed fourth after starting 15th and Newport, Tenn.’s Owens slipped backward in the final circuits to complete the top five after leading laps 1-41.

A Volusia entrant for the first time in his career, Alberson failed to qualify for Friday’s feature in his debut at the track, falling one spot short of transferring in a B-main. But he roared back in his second try, winning a heat race to lock into the Sunshine Nationals headliner.

Alberson started third and immediately shot into second behind Owens at the initial green flag. He lost second to Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, on a lap-13 restart and swapped the position a couple times at mid-race before gaining control of the spot on lap 29.

After catching Owens suddenly on lap 40, Alberson executed a slider to assume command on lap 42. He thought he was home free until the race’s last of five caution flags flew on lap 47.

“I didn’t really want to see that restart,” Alberson said. “Once we got clean air there, I think we were gonna be OK. I could make really good speed on the top (even though) my right-front was giving up a little bit, getting tight like everybody else I’m sure.”

Davenport’s slider to snatch second from Owens on the final restart put Alberson in survival mode. Davenport twice slid ahead of Alberson off the corners over the final circuits, but each time Alberson fought back to maintain his lead.

“That restart got wild, me and J.D. throwing slide jobs there at the end,” Alberson said. “Hopefully it was all clean and everything.”

Alberson’s triumph came in his 20th career WoO feature start. He had previously scored just two top-10 finishes on the series, topped by an eighth-place run in last year’s Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway.

“Man, this is awesome,” said Alberson, whose first national touring series victory came last August with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway. “It’s huge for the team. This is what I wanted to do my whole life, just be a contender in Late Model racing. This is super cool.

“Big thanks to Ken and Beth (Roberts),” he added of his car owners. “They put so much into this. It’s so cool to see it making some hay now.”

Alberson dedicated his milestone checkered flag to Jarret Stuckey, the 26-year-old Dirt Late Model driver from Shreveport, La., who on Saturday was transported to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, after suffering a heart attack related to Wegener's disease, an autoimmune disorder he was diagnosed with last year. A Facebook post by Stuckey’s mother, Terri, indicated that he might need a heart transplant.

“This win right here is for Jarret Stuckey and the whole Stuckey family,” said Alberson, who spent several years working in Shreveport, La., at Black Diamond Race Cars, the company owned by Stuckey’s father Ronnie. “I know they’re having a tough day right now, so we’re praying for you guys, we love you guys.”

Davenport, 41, started from the outside pole but slipped as far back as seventh midway through the feature. He came on strong in the closing stages, however, cracking the top five on lap 41 and nearly stealing the victory from Alberson.

What might have changed the outcome for Davenport?

“I think starting the feature the way the track is right now,” Davenport said. “When it was wet (early) we just never could go. I don’t know what the problem is. It’s like, the slicker it got, the tighter my car got, for whatever the reason is. But we’re in Florida, we’re at Volusia, so nothing makes sense.”

Davenport congratulated Alberson while noting with a smile, “I thought I’d make him earn it anyway.”

“I didn’t think I could get to (Alberson), but I found a line where I could slide across through one and two and I was really stuck very good until we could exit,” Davenport continued. “Then Garrett pushed a little off of two, and I said, ‘Hell, I might as well try it.’ But I bottomed out when I went to slide him so I had to get a little more sideways than I wanted to. That put me a little bit out of the ballpark, and then he got another run on me. From then I was just trying to break his momentum.”

Davenport’s runner-up finish was his second in as many nights at Volusia and his third straight in Georgia-Florida Speedweeks action. He started the stretch of racing with a second-place run in Jan. 17’s Lucas Oil Series opener at Golden Isles Speedway near Brunswick, Ga.

“Three seconds in a row ain’t bad,” Davenport said. “I guess it could always be worse. We’re showing speed. A win will finally come.”

The first of the race’s five caution flags was displayed on lap three when Mike Marlar slowed in turn four. Other cautions flew on lap 13 for Nick Hoffman, who was running fourth when a cut right-front tire sent him high in turns one and two (he rallied to finish 10th); laps 24 and 28 following turn-four spins by Brent Larson and Ricky Thornton Jr.; and lap 47 when Brian Shirley slowed in turn one.

Feature lineup

(50 laps)

Row 1: Jimmy Owens, Jonathan Davenport
Row 2: Garrett Alberson, Tyler Erb
Row 3: Nick Hoffman, Cody Overton
Row 4: Max Blair, Daniel Hilsabeck
Row 5: Kyle Bronson, Mike Marlar
Row 6: Tim McCreadie, Chris Madden
Row 7: Brian Shirley, Tanner English
Row 8: Devin Moran, Ryan Gustin
Row 9: Bobby Pierce, Ethan Dotson
Row 10: Tyler Bruening, Dustin Sorensen
Row 11: Brandon Overton, Hudson O'Neal
Row 12: Brandon Sheppard, Ricky Thornton Jr.
Row 13: Cade Dillard, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 14: Drake Troutman, Brent Larson
Row 15: Tristan Chamberlain, Dustin Walker

Consolation results

(10 laps; top two transfer)

First consolation: Tyler Bruening, Hudson O'Neal, Boom Briggs, Carson Ferguson, Brent Larson, Cade Dillard, Jackson Hise, Ashton Winger, Jason Riggs, Beckham Malone, Dale McDowell, Dustin Walker, Austin Smith. Scratched: Brenden Smith.

Second consolation: Dustin Sorensen, Brandon Sheppard, Ross Robinson, Drake Troutman, Dennis Erb Jr., Jake Timm, Frank Heckenast Jr., Daulton Wilson, Daniel Adam, Cory Lawler, Blair Nothdurft, Seth Zacharias, Nick Johnson.

Third consolation: Brandon Overton, Ricky Thornton Jr., Tristan Chamberlain, Dillon McCowan, Trey Mills, Mark Whitener, Derrick Stewart, Dan Ebert, Dillard Hatchett, Michael Leach, Carson Brown. Scratched: Stacy Boles.

Heat race recap

Pole-starting Nick Hoffman cruised to lead the entire distance, winning the first heat race by 1.411 seconds over third-starting Max Blair, with fourth-starting Brian Shirley grabbing the third and final transfer spot into Saturday’s 50-lap feature. The race’s lone caution came on lap six when sixth-running Hudson O’Neal over-rotated and spun in turn three; he recovered to finish sixth. … Cody Overton overcame a few restarts to score a green-to-checkered victory in the second heat, winning by 1.472 seconds over fifth-starting Kyle Bronson, with second-starting Devin Moran hanging on for third. The first stoppage came when Dustin Walker slowed from ninth the third circuit; he did not continue. The second yellow flag was displayed on lap five when Austin Smith hopped the turn-two cushion and slapped the backstretch wall while battling Jason Riggs for fourth, breaking his drive shaft and requiring a tow back to the pits. The third caution came on lap seven when Jackson Hise slowed from eighth and pulled off. … Second-starting Jimmy Owens fired off from the outside front row and led all eight laps to win heat three by 1.511 seconds over Tim McCreadie. The fourth-starting McCreadie, of Watertown, N.Y., slipped by Bobby Pierce on the lap-four restart, leaving the pole-starting Pierce to settle for third. The lone caution was displayed on lap four after Blair Nothdurft slowed from eighth and pulled off. Nick Johnson also retired under the lap-four yellow. … Second-starting Tyler Erb dominated the fourth heat, leading the entire distance and taking the checkers 2.599 seconds ahead of sixth-starting Daniel Hilsabeck, with pole-starting Tanner English holding on to grab the third and final transfer position into the $20,000-to-win finale. … Garrett Alberson went flag-to-flag to win the fifth heat by 2.313 seconds over fifth-starting Mike Marlar, while Ryan Gustin, winner of Friday’s $12,000 season opener, charged from sixth-to-third. … Jonathan Davenport never looked back in the sixth and final heat, winning in dominating fashion and crossing the line 6.174 seconds ahead of fourth-starting Chris Madden. Second-starting Ethan Dotson rounded out the podium finishers.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top three transfer)

First heat: Nick Hoffman, Max Blair, Brian Shirley, Tyler Bruening, Cade Dillard, Hudson O'Neal, Ashton Winger, Carson Ferguson, Brenden Smith, Dale McDowell.

Second heat: Cody Overton, Kyle Bronson, Devin Moran, Boom Briggs, Jason Riggs, Brent Larson, Beckham Malone, Jackson Hise, Austin Smith, Dustin Walker.

Third heat: Jimmy Owens, Tim McCreadie, Bobby Pierce, Dustin Sorensen, Drake Troutman, Dennis Erb Jr., Cory Lawler, Nick Johnson, Blair Nothdurft.

Fourth heat: Tyler Erb, Daniel Hilsabeck, Tanner English, Brandon Sheppard, Daniel Adam, Ross Robinson, Jake Timm, Frank Heckenast Jr., Seth Zacharias, Daulton Wilson.

Fifth heat: Garrett Alberson, Mike Marlar, Ryan Gustin, Brandon Overton, Ricky Thornton Jr., Trey Mills, Mark Whitener, Derrick Stewart, Carson Brown.

Sixth heat: Jonathan Davenport, Chris Madden, Ethan Dotson, Tristan Chamberlain, Dillon McCowan, Dan Ebert, Dillard Hatchett, Michael Leach, Stacy Boles.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 15.835
2. Cody Overton (2), Evans, Ga., 16.002
3. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 16.067
4. Tyler Bruening (16), Decorah, Iowa, 16.181
5. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 16.201
6. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 16.243
7. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 16.358
8. Austin Smith (11), Rome, Ga., 16.373
9. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 16.411
10. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 16.455
11. Jason Riggs (81), College Grove, Tenn., 16.472
12. Tim McCreadie (9m), Watertown, N.Y., 16.478
13. Cade Dillard (97), Robeline, La., 16.556
14. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 16.619
15. Blair Nothdurft (76n), Renner, S.D., 16.633
16. Dale McDowell (81J), Chickamauga, Ga., 16.636
17. Brent Larson (B1), Lake Elmo, Minn., 16.646
18. Dustin Sorensen (19), Rochester, Minn., 16.664
19. Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 16.669
20. Jackson Hise (388), Ocala, Fla., 16.686
21. Cory Lawler (93L), Hanover, Pa., 16.735
22. Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 16.744
23. Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 16.902
24. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 17.026
25. Ashton Winger (33), Hampton, Ga., 17.041
26. Beckham Malone (23), Rock Hill, S.C., 17.267
27. Nick Johnson (109), Alachua, Fla., 17.664
28. Carson Ferguson (93), Lincolnton, N.C., 17.731
29. Dustin Walker (14w), Polk, Mo., 17.957
Group B
1. Tanner English (96), Benton, Ky., 15.944
2. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 16.035
3. Jonathan Davenport (49D), Blairsville, Ga., 16.248
4. Tyler Erb (1T), New Waverly, Texas, 16.251
5. Mark Whitener (5), Middleburg, Fla., 16.285
6. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 16.305
7. Daniel Adam (75), Peru, Ill., 16.356
8. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 16.373
9. Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Mo., 16.394
10. Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 16.429
11. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 16.459
12. Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C., 16.494
13. Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., 16.505
14. Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 16.510
15. Tristan Chamberlain (20tc), Richmond, Ind., 16.554
16. Daniel Hilsabeck (22), Earlham, Iowa, 16.585
17. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 16.618
18. Michael Leach (09), Sun River, Mont., 16.686
19. Jake Timm (49), Winona, Minn., 16.851
20. Derrick Stewart (43), Ainsworth, Iowa, 16.866
21. Stacy Boles (11B), Clinton, Tenn., 16.909
22. Ross Robinson (7), Georgetown, Del., 16.962
23. Carson Brown (28B), New London, N.C., 17.091
24. Dan Ebert (60), Lake Shore, Minn., 17.121
25. Seth Zacharias (17z), Vestal, N.Y., 17.214
26. Trey Mills (59m), St. Augustine, Fla., 17.304
27. Dillard Hatchett (59), Cornersville, Tenn., 19.580
28. Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., no time

Saturday’s schedule

(All times local)
Noon - Pits open
1 p.m. - Registration opens
3 p.m. - Grandstands open
3 p.m. - Registration closes
3:15 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
4 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- 602 Crate group qualifying (2 laps)
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- 604 Crate group qualifying (2 laps)
6 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- 602 Crate heats (10 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- 604 Crate consolations (10 laps)
Intermission/redraw
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
- 604 Crate consolations (10 laps)
- 602 Crate consolations (10 laps)
Features
- Late Models (50 laps)
- 602 Crates (20 laps)
- 604 Crates (30 laps)