Dirt on Dirt - Davenport dominates for $5,000 at Eldora

September 5

Eldora Speedway,

Rossburg, OH

Sanction: UMP DIRTcar special events (non-touring) (World 100 Friday odd feature) - $5,000

Information provided by: Todd Turner (last updated September 6, 4:20 am)

Davenport dominates for $5,000 at Eldora

World 100 Friday odd feature

Jonathan Davenport
Scott Bloomquist
Brian Birkhofer
Billy Moyer
Chris Madden
Billy Moyer Jr.
Dennis Erb Jr.
Eddie Carrier Jr.
Chris Simpson
Dale McDowell
Devin Moran
Jimmy Owens
Mason Zeigler
Randy Weaver
Jimmy Mars
Brad Neat
Frank Heckenast Jr.
Ryan Gustin
Shannon Babb
Bobby Pierce
Duane Chamberlain
Jeff Babcock
Jeep Van Wormer
Brian Shirley

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Jonathan Davenport works through lapped traffic.

What won the race: Jumping into the lead at the outset from his third starting spot, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., led all 25 laps. He withstood a mid-race challenge from Scott Bloomquist amid traffic, then pulled away after a late-race restart.

Key notes: The three-day World 100 weekend is Dirt Late Model racing's most prestigious event. ... DirtonDirt.com and Eldora Speedway have teamed up for a live pay-per-view production of this weekend's World 100. ... Friday's action includes complete time trials, then the field is split into odd-even groups to run heats, consolations and $5,000-to-win feature events. ... When action begins, click the related story link in the left column for blog-style live updates and results.

On the move: Brian Birkhofer started seventh and finished third.

Winner's sponsors: Davenport's Kevin and Lee Roy Rumley-owned Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements/Rumley engine with sponsorship from AES Racing, CV Racing Products, Dirtwrap, Hoosier Racing Tire, JRi Shocks, Mega Plumbing and VP Race Fuels.

Car count: 120

Fast qualifier: Jeff Babcock

Time: 15.611 seconds

Heat race winners: Scott Bloomquist, Chris Madden, Dennis Erb Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Ryan Gustin, Eddie Carrier Jr.

Consolation race winners: Bobby Pierce, Shannon Babb

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

By Todd Turner

DirtonDirt.com managing editor

ROSSBURG, Ohio (Sept. 5) — Looking for his first Super Late Model victory at Eldora Speedway during the 44th annual World 100 weekend, things didn’t start off too well for Jonathan Davenport on Thursday’s opening night.

The 30-year-old Blairsville, Ga., driver, piloting the Longhorn Chassis owned by Lee Roy and Kevin Rumley, starting in the sixth row of Thursday’s opening 25-lap feature, never making anyway headway in finishing 13th.

He turned things around in Friday’s opening feature. Blitzing the front-row starters by going from third to first on the opening lap, Davenport led all 25 laps for a $5,000 payday.

“We worked really hard trying to get us a win here,” Davenport said. “We’ve won a couple heat races. Me and Kevin, we made a big swing at it here. We did last night and it was the wrong way, but tonight I think was the right direction.”

Davenport built a straightaway lead after seven laps and turned back a mid-race challenge from sixth-starting Scott Bloomquist, then survived a late restart before taking the checkers.

Bloomquist drew within several lengths as the frontrunners entered traffic by lap 13, but over the next few laps, Davenport stepped up his aggressiveness to put a cushion of four lapped cars between his No. 6 and Bloomquist’s No. 0, drawing away before a lap-19 caution for Brian Shirley, who stopped at the end of the frontstretch.

With the field bunched with six laps remaining, Bloomquist started alongside Davenport, who immediately returned to the high side of the track to a high groove that was too much for everyone else as he pulled away to win by more than a half-straightaway.

Bloomquist, of Mooresburg, Tenn., was second followed by fellow multiple World 100 winners and fourth-row starters Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark.. Chris Madden was fifth while front-row starters Eddie Carrier Jr. (eighth) and Ryan Gustin (18th) barely knew what hit them.

Davenport, who was hampered by brake problems in last year’s World 100 and accepted the blame for a wreck that knocked him out of June’s $100,000-to-win Dream, gained some confidence heading into Saturday’s $47,000-to-win weekend finale.

“Now I know that you can actually pass at this place, and you don’t have to take everything you can get, when you get it,” Davenport said, “and just kind of pace myself and be there for the 100 laps.”

Preliminaries

First heat (top three transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Brian Birkhofer, Jeff Babcock, Rick Eckert, Jeep Van Wormer, Brandon Kinzer, Austin Smith, Walker Arthur, McKay Wenger, Don Gordon.

Second heat (top three transfer): Chris Madden, Billy Moyer, Randy Weaver, Bobby Pierce, Jimmy Owens, Don O'Neal, Jason Welshan, Steve Lance Jr., Bill Lewis, J.T. Conley.

Third heat (top three transfer): Dennis Erb Jr., Chris Simpson, Jimmy Mars, Mike Marlar, Dustin Linville, Rod Conley, Vic Hill, Jason Hughes, Charles LaPlant, Bryant Dickinson.

Fourth heat (top three transfer): Jonathan Davenport, Billy Moyer Jr., Brad Neat, Shannon Babb, Billy Ogle Jr., Cody Mahoney, Bub McCool, Brian Diveley, Jon Hodgkiss, Scott Knepley.

Fifth heat (top three transfer): Ryan Gustin, Dale McDowell, Devin Moran, Frank Heckenast Jr., Jared Landers, Casey Noonan, Chase Junghans, Curtis Deisenroght, Tommy Bailey. Scratched: David Breazeale.

Sixth heat (top three transfer): Eddie Carrier Jr., Mason Zeigler, Brian Shirley, Duane Chamberlain, Jacob Hawkins, Jon Henry, Dan Schlieper, James Rice, Ross Nicastri. Scratched: Butch Kruckeberg.

First consolation (top three transfer): Bobby Pierce, Jeep Van Wormer, Jimmy Owens, Dustin Linville, Rick Eckert, Don O'Neal, Mike Marlar, Rod Conley, Brandon Kinzer, Vic Hill, Jason Hughes, Steve Lance Jr., Austin Smith, McKay Wenger, Walker Arthur, J.T. Conley, Charles LaPlant. Scratched: Bill Lewis, Jason Welshan.

Second consolation (top three transfer): Shannon Babb, Frank Heckenast Jr., Duane Chamberlain, Billy Ogle Jr., Bub McCool, Jacob Hawkins, Jared Landers, Chase Junghans, Jonn Henry, Casey Noonan, James Rice, Dan Schlie;er, Jon Hodgkiss, Brian Diveley, Cody Mahoney, Curtis Deisenroght, Tommy Bailey. Scratched: Ross Nicastri.