Davenport Wins Second Straight Wieland Winter Nationals Race at Golden Isles
2026-03-07 17:54
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WAYNESVILLE, GA (March 5, 2026) - Jonathan Davenport captured Thursday night's Wieland Winter Nationals feature for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Golden Isles Speedway, earning his second consecutive victory at the event. With the win - the 94th of his career - Davenport ties Hall of Famer Scott Bloomquist for the most victories in series history.
Hudson O'Neal, the current Midwest Sheet Metal Points Leader, finished second to Davenport for the second straight night. Brandon Overton made a last lap pass on Clay Harris to round out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Harris, who started 13th, finished fourth, while Max Blair advanced from 11th to complete the top five.
Davenport, a three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion like Bloomquist, led all 40 laps en route to the $10,000 victory. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, he reflected on tying the late Mooresburg, Tennessee driver for the all-time wins record.
"I wish he was here so we could talk about it," Davenport said. "He taught me a lot. Scott did - and believe it or not, we talked. Not all the time, but we were acquaintances. At one point, we were more than just rivals. I had a tremendous amount of respect for him, and I think I gained his respect over the years."
The Blairsville, Georgia native also reflected on his early success in the series.
"I remember my first two Lucas Oil wins with Barry Wright. We went to a new place we had never been before - I think it was Winchester, Virginia - and then the next night I outran Scott at Virginia Motor Speedway for back-to-back wins. It's just awesome, really. I never would have thought I'd get more than those two wins, but to get 90-some is just crazy."
Davenport had to fend off mid-race challenges from O'Neal, who never officially led a lap but kept the pressure on throughout the event.
"I didn't know where to go on the restarts," Davenport said. "I thought the top was a little better taking off because it gives you more momentum. This place is so wide - if you give up the bottom, you're giving up a lot of real estate. I tried a couple of different things. Hudson got to me in lapped traffic and we slid each other two or three times. He gave me plenty of room. One time I pushed off turn two and almost got into him, but I was trying my best not to. I knew he was going to be one of the cars to beat."
O'Neal, who rallied from eighth to finish second on Wednesday night, started fourth and moved into second by lap nine.
"There was no way I was going to pass him unless he hit the wall or caught lapped traffic in a bad spot," O'Neal said. "It was very top-dominant, and it was hard to set up a slide job because there was such a strong run off the corner. We're back on the podium again, so we can't complain. We're putting ourselves in good positions if something happens, and we were able to capitalize earlier in the week."
Overton's last-lap pass of Harris capped off a hard-fought battle in the closing circuits.
"I think our race car is fine - JD's just out front doing his thing, and we're all trying to match his time," Overton said. "You know how this place is - you need some tires at the end of the race. Everybody's driving as hard as they can. Every time I tried to get into a rhythm, somebody would slide me and bottle things up. I spent half the race battling back around cars in turns one and two. It was a frustrating race for me. Congrats to JD and Hudson."
The winning Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Ace Doran Hauling and Rigging, Nutrien Ag Solutions, ASC Warranty, Mark Martin Automotive, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas.
Completing the top ten were Ricky Thornton Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Devin Moran, Dillon McCowan, and Mark Whitener.
In the 602 Late Model feature, Griffin Smith of Eatonton, Georgia led all 20 laps to secure the victory. Wyatt Coffey challenged Smith multiple times but settled for second. Phil Pittman finished third, followed by Caleb Gay and Ben Lanford.
The Crown Vics once again delivered an exciting feature, with the Collins family dominating the top three positions.
Jax Raceways Hall of Famer Johnny Collins led his sons, Chase and Brody, for four laps before Chase took over the lead in traffic. Chase Collins went on to capture his second Crown Vic feature win of 2026, finishing ahead of Johnny Collins, Brody Collins, Tommy Roach Sr., and Kevin Hildebrand.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Wieland Winter Nationals
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Golden Isles Speedway | Waynesville, GA
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 14.931 seconds (Overall)
Fast Time Group B: Carson Ferguson | 15.294 seconds
Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 3. 88-Trent Ivey[2]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 5. 16B-Ross Bailes[6]; 6. 1-Brandon Sheppard[4]; 7. 10-Garrett Smith[7]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 9. 11-Josh Rice[9]; 10. 15K-Cory Hedgecock[10]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 5-Mark Whitener[2]; 3. 111-Max Blair[6]; 4. 16-Cody Overton[5]; 5. 09-Michael Leach[3]; 6. 74X-Ethan Dotson[9]; 7. 19M-Brenden Smith[4]; 8. 7-Ross Robinson[8]; 9. 13-Dallon Murty[7]; 10. 555-Brock Pinkerous[10]
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[1]; 3. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[4]; 5. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 6. 81F-Jadon Frame[6]; 7. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[10]; 8. 55-Benji Hicks[9]; 9. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[8]; 10. 79-Donald McIntosh[7]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O'Neal[2]; 2. 14-Trey Mills[1]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[3]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 5. 388-Jackson Hise[6]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 8. 77-Preston Luckman[8]; 9. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[10]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[7]
Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 2. 16B-Ross Bailes[1]; 3. 10-Garrett Smith[5]; 4. 09-Michael Leach[2]; 5. 74X-Ethan Dotson[4]; 6. 19M-Brenden Smith[6]; 7. 13-Dallon Murty[10]; 8. 7-Ross Robinson[8]; 9. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[7]; 10. 555-Brock Pinkerous[12]; 11. 11-Josh Rice[9]; 12. (DNS) 15K-Cory Hedgecock
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[4]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 4. 388-Jackson Hise[2]; 5. 55-Benji Hicks[7]; 6. 81F-Jadon Frame[3]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[6]; 8. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[10]; 9. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[9]; 10. 79-Donald McIntosh[11]; 11. 77-Preston Luckman[8]; 12. C4-Freddie Carpenter[12]
Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (40 Laps):
Pos - Start - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Earnings
1 - 1 - 49 - Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA - $10,000
2 - 4 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - $5,600
3 - 3 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - $3,500
4 - 13 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - $2,700
5 - 11 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA - $2,500
6 - 5 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - $2,300
7 - 22 - 28 - Dennis Erb Jr - Carpentersville, IL - $2,200
8 - 18 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - $2,100
9 - 12 - 8 - Dillon McCowan - Urbana, MO - $2,050
10 - 7 - 5 - Mark Whitener - Middleburg, FL - $2,000
11 - 14 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - $1,600
12 - 28 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - $700
13 - 2 - 1T - Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX - $1,200
14 - 8 - 14 - Trey Mills - St. Augustine, FL - $1,000
15 - 10 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - $950
16 - 17 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - $925
17 - 27 - 19M - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL - $200
18 - 20 - 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL - $875
19 - 21 - 10 - Garrett Smith - Madison, GA - $850
20 - 24 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - $825
21 - 23 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - $800
22 - 6 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - $800
23 - 15 - 16 - Cody Overton - Thomson, GA - $800
24 - 19 - 16B - Ross Bailes - Clover, SC - $800
25 - 25 - 11 - Josh Rice - Crittenden, KY - $100
26 - 9 - 88 - Trent Ivey - Union, SC - $800
27 - 16 - 3S - Brian Shirley - Chatham, IL - $900
28 - 26 - 79 - Donald McIntosh - Dawsonville, GA - $100
Race Statistics
Entrants: 40
Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Jonathan Davenport
MD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-40)
Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan Davenport
Wieland Feature Winner: Jonathan Davenport
Margin of Victory: 1.321 seconds
Hellraizer Jacks Cautions: Brian Shirley (Lap 7); Tyler Erb (Lap 7 Restart); Kyle Bronson (Lap 22); Josh Rice, Daniel Hilsabeck (Lap 29), Cody Overton, Ross Bailes (Lap 31)
MyRacePass Series Provisionals: Daniel Hilsabeck; Cory Lawler
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Emergency Provisionals: Josh Rice, Donald McIntosh, Brenden Smith, Ross Robinson
Track Provisional: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O'Neal, Brandon Overton
Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O'Neal, Brandon Overton, Clay Harris, Max Blair
Behrent's One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O'Neal, Clay Harris
PEM 4th Place Feature: Clay Harris
Diversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Max Blair
Wilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Dennis Erb, Jr.
Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Garrett Alberson
Velocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Tyler Erb
XS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Dan Ebert
Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Ross Robinson (Advanced 16 positions)
MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (40 Laps)
Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O'Neal
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Hudson O'Neal
O'Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/a
Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Hudson O'Neal | Lap 11 | 15.452 seconds
FK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Brian Shirley
Victory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Brandon Overton
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory Fostvedt
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Race Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Hudson O'Neal | 15.5343 seconds
Time of Race: 30 minutes 12 seconds
Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:
Pos - Car # - Competitor - Hometown - Points - Earnings
1 - 71 - Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN - 1210 - $72,300
2 - 99 - Devin Moran - Dresden, OH - 1135 - $50,400
3 - 76 - Brandon Overton - Evans, GA - 1110 - $26,050
4 - 6 - Clay Harris - Jupiter, FL - 1005 - $23,600
5 - 20RT - Ricky Thornton Jr - Chandler, AZ - 960 - $15,450
6 - 1 - Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL - 955 - $32,500
7 - 111 - Max Blair - Centerville, PA - 920 - $13,500
8 - 40B - Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL - 920 - $11,575
9 - 93 - Carson Ferguson - Lincolnton, NC - 905 - $14,350
10 - 60 - Dan Ebert - Lake Shore, MN - 865 - $12,875
11 - 3s - Brian Shirley - Chatham, IL - 855 - $12,600
12 - 11 - Josh Rice - Crittenden, KY - 840 - $10,525
13 - 58 - Garrett Alberson - Las Cruces, NM - 835 - $14,600
14 - 79 - Cory Hedgecock - Loudon, TN - 795 - $8,800
15 - 19M - Brenden Smith - Dade City, FL - 745 - $8,900
16 - 22 - Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA - 715 - $8,375
17 - 8 - Dillon McCowan - Urbana, MO - 710 - $5,825
18 - 7 - Ross Robinson - Georgetown, DE - 685 - $4,725
19 - 76N - Blair Nothdurft - Renner, SD - 655 - $5,450
20 - 9 - Michael Leach - Sun River, MT - 650 - $3,700
21 - 13 - Dallon Murty - Chelsea, IA - 640 - $5,350
22 - 93L - Cory Lawler - Hanover, PA - 630 - $6,825
23 - 77 - Preston Luckman - Coos Bay, OR - 610 - $3,125
24 - C4 - Freddie Carpenter - Parkersburg, WV - 540 - $900
Official Marketing Partners
Associate Marketing Partners
Advanced Powder Coating, All Makes Collision Center, Arizona Sport Shirts, Behrent's Performance Warehouse, Black Diamond Chassis, Bilstein Shocks, Boyd Bilt Fabrication, Brodix, Capital Race Cars, Clements Racing Engines, Cornett Racing Engines, Dave Warren Powersports, Denago Powersports, Diversified Machine Inc, Fast Shafts, Fire Suppression Engineering, FOX Shocks, Heartbeat Hot Sauce, Heath Lawson Photography, Hellraizer Jacks, Hoker Trucking, Jackson County Tourism, Keyser Manufacturing, Longacre Scales, Longhorn Chassis, The Massengill Company, MD3, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, Midwest Sheet Metal, MSD, Ohlins Shocks, Outerwears, PEM - Performance Engineering Mfg, Penske Racing Shocks, ProFabrication Headers, Pro Power Racing Engines, Rocket Chassis, Schoenfeld Headers, Shocker Hitch, Simpson Race Products, Slicker Graphics, Strange Oval, Swift Springs, Thermo-Tec Automotive Products, Velocity Manufacturing, Victory Fuel, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood, Xceldyne, XS Power Batteries, and 5150 Race Trailers.