Jonathan Davenport
Following Friday night’s $15,000-to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series feature at West Virginia Motor Speedway, driver Jonathan Davenport was frustrated with his second-place finish. After setting fast time in Group B qualifying then winning the third heat race, the No. 49 Longhorn Chassis started from the outside of the front row.
Devin Moran went to the early lead but Davenport passed by on lap 8 then appeared to be on his way to certain victory after building a lead of more than two seconds 20 laps into the 30-lap feature. However, slower traffic became a factor with Davenport finding himself trapped behind a slower car allowing Moran to close rapidly.
With just six laps remaining, eventual winner Moran moved around Davenport and regained the lead. From that point, the No. 9 car drove on to the win after fighting off a late challenge from Davenport.
The late laps of Friday’s feature brought back memories of last weekend’s Show-me 100 in which Davenport spun after contact with eventual winner Chris Ferguson after he had been boxed in by slower cars. That mishap resulted in a 16th place finish in a race in which he seemed to be on his way to a big win.
“I don’t know, it’s starting to be like Groundhog Day,” Davenport said in his post-race interview. “Every time we make the right move to get the lead, I lose it in lapped traffic. I was trying to really separate myself in lapped traffic. I was making some moves in lapped traffic that I didn’t really want to make diving into turn three there. It was really hard to get to the outside of a lapped car.”
Jonathan Davenport in his No. 49 Longhorn Chassis
Davenport pointed out that aerodynamics play a major role in modern-day Dirt Late Model racing, especially on the big and fast 5/8 mile track located in Mineral Wells, WV. The moment in which he lost the lead for the final time was an example of that.
“These cars knock such a huge hole in the air that I would get loose anytime I would get to the outside,” he pointed out. “That one time, lapped cars were lapping lapped cars and I thought they were all wrecking in the corner. I guess I was watching too far in front of me and went to the outside a little too much there.”
Davenport hopes the issues he has encountered recently in slower traffic will not be a factor in Saturday night’s $50,000-to-win Historic 100 at WVMS. And that would certainly also apply to next week’s Dirt Million and Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora Speedway.
“Congratulations to Devin,” Davenport stated. “My guys gave me another hell of a hotrod again tonight. I probably should’ve won the race. I don’t know, it’s getting to be quite a habit here. Maybe we can break it for tomorrow.”
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