Jonathan Davenport drove his familiar #49 to victory in the EAMS Crate LM feature.
*Story composed from DirtonDirt.com video and various social media reports.
Along with the National 100 for Super Late Model cars, the East Alabama Motor Speedway hosted a $5,000-to-win Crate Late Model event on this big racing weekend. That race on the Phenix City, Alabama track featured a number of drivers with east Tennessee ties.
When it was all said and done under the bright Alabama sunshine, it was Georgia’s Jonathan Davenport who scored the win and collected the first place prize money in a caution filled 50-lap CLM feature. Davenport, who this season has piloted the No. 6 Longhorn Chassis for owner Kevin Rumley in Super Late Model competition, was on board his more familiar No. 49 in this race.
The top-18 drivers in qualifying were locked into the feature race via time-trials. Davenport earned the pole position for the main event with Montana Dudley, Ronnie Johnson(Chattanooga), Bobby Mills, Chase Edge, Terrance Nowell, Cory Hedgecock(Loudon), Jimmy Thomas, Clay Knight and Damon Flowers rounding out the top-10. Matt Henderson of Loudon rolled off from the 13th spot.
At the start of the race, Davenport and Dudley battled hard to be the first into turn one as the two cars banged sheet metal in an attempt to gain the much coveted front spot on the rubbery racing surface. Davenport emerged with the lead as the field roared onto the backstretch with Dudley, Johnson, Edge and Nowell trailing just behind.
The first of seven yellow flags waved on lap 7 as the 6th running Mills went for a solo spin on the backstretch. Hedgecock narrowly avoided disaster as the looping No. 32 machine came right across the front of the Loudon, Tenn. driver’s machine.
As he would do each time the green flag waved, Davenport jumped out to the lead after the single-file restart. With cautions coming out on laps 7, 16, 19, 22, 24, 25 and 43, the leaders were often spared from the burden of lapped traffic on a track that proved to be very bottom dominant in the daytime sun.
Aside from Johnson, who ran 3rd throughout the event, east Tennessee natives Hedgecock and Henderson spent their day racing inside the top-10 as well. Perhaps the best battle of the day was during the middle section of the event as Hedgecock battled Nowell for 5th.
A caution for a tangle involving Mike Head and Steven Roberts on lap 43 set up an intense battle for the win over the final seven circuits. Dudley rode right on the rear spoiler of Davenport with Johnson lurking just behind as the laps clicked away. With two laps remaining, the challenger made his strongest bid for the lead when he tagged the left rear quarter panel of Davenport’s car in turn four. Both drivers maintained their positions and drove on to the checkered flag.
At the finish, it was Jonathan Davenport getting the win ahead of Montana Dudley, Ronnie Johnson, Chase Edge and Terrance Nowell making up the top-5. Tennesseans Cory Hedgecock and Matt Henderson came home 7th and 8th respectively.
