Jonathan Davenport Has “Super” Night At Bristol; Takes $50K Super LM Win In Dirt Nationals

Story By: BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY – BRISTOL, TN – Jonathan Davenport blasted from a 10th place starting place to run away with the 40-lap Super Late Model portion of Saturday’s Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Davenport showed exactly why he’s nicknamed “Superman,” blowing by NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson with 15 laps to go and racing away for a 3.5-second win, pocketing $50,000 in the process.

Larson, who won a heat race earlier in the evening, wound up second. Dirt racing legend Scott Bloomquist finished third followed by Bobby Pierce and Frank Ingram.

Davenport, a three-time Lucas Oil Series national champion, said Saturday night’s victory ranked near the top of his racing accomplishments.

“This ranks right up there with anything I’ve done… it’s the second or third biggest. I put so much emphasis on this race,” said Davenport, who is from Blairsville, Ga. “I just love this place in general. I think it means a lot for us to be here. We’ve had this circled on the calendar for a long time. It means a lot to me.”

Chris Ferguson, who started on the pole and had won a $10,000-to-win Super Late Model race in Friday’s Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals, fell out of the lead early and wound up seventh.

Larson dominated a 10-lap heat race early in the evening, racing to a comfortable win. But he said he was no match for Davenport in the feature.

“It was a fun race, even finishing second. The track was really good, we were able to move around,” said Larson, who will be back on track here next weekend for the Food City Dirt Race NASCAR Cup Series race.

“Davenport was just a lot better than me. He blew my doors off and put a straightaway on me and maintained it.”

Despite starting deep in the field, Davenport was able to quickly work his way toward the front and by the half-way point he had wrestled the lead from Larson.

“You just never know how things are going to play out. I think it took me maybe 10 laps to get going good. We fired back off on a restart and I could just go by them. I knew then we had a good car,” said the 38-year-old Davenport. “Then we started along Scott (Bloomquist) on a restart, and we fired off so good. I could run wide open through the center. At that point I knew I was going to be really good on the long runs.”

NASCAR Cup star Kyle Busch, who was late arriving at the track after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, advanced to the feature with a second-place finish in the first 10-lap Super Late Model last chance qualifying race.

He started 19th in the feature and wound up 11th, one lap down.

Another NASCAR Cup Series driver, Austin Dillon, started on the pole and led every lap to capture the 20-lap 604 Late Model feature in dominating fashion. Dillon took a half-second win over Ross White with Shan Smith third.

“This was a lot of fun, a blast all weekend long,” said Dillon, who won three events during the week, including a heat race and feature on Tuesday. “It was a good tune up for next weekend.”

Kyle Strickler held off NASCAR Camping World Truck Series star Matt Crafton to claim the 20-lap Modified Open race. Michael Asberry came home third with Curt Spalding fourth and Drake Troutman fifth.

The 20-lap Stock Car race was a family affair with 16-year-old Dallon Murtry beating his father Damon Murty for the win. Derrick Agee wound up third.

In the 18-lap Hornet feature, Jake Benishek was the winner with Jason Ketron second and Kyle Stark third.

The Food City Dirt Race at the dirt-transformed Bristol Motor Speedway is the first race on a dirt surface for the NASCAR Cup Series in more than 50 years. Richard Petty won the last Cup race on dirt in 1970 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.

The Food City Dirt Race will air on FOX and PRN Radio at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 28. The weekend also will feature Bush’s Beans Practice Day on Friday, March 26 and the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt for the Camping World Truck Series on Saturday, March 27, with the green flag dropping under the lights at 8 p.m. and race coverage by FS1 and MRN Radio.

Super Late Model A-Feature Results
1. Jonathan Davenport
2. Kyle Larson
3. Scott Bloomquist
4. Bobby Pierce
5. Frank Ingram
6. Donald McIntosh
7. Chris Ferguson
8. Chris Madden
9. Dakotah Knuckles
10. Joey Coulter
11. Kyle Busch
12. Coleby Frye
13. Jay Scott
14. GR Smith
15. Travis Stemler
16. Michael Rouse
17. Adam Yarbrough
18. Michael Chilton
19. Brian Nuttall Jr.
20. Kyle Lear
21. Jensen Ford
22. Jon Hodgkiss
23. Brandon Overton
24. David Payne

604 Late Model A Feature Results
1. Austin Dillon
2. Ross White
3. Shan Smith
4. Justin Hobgood
5. Oscar McCown
6. Steven Whiteaker
7. Joseph Joiner
8. Jackson Hise
9. Todd Cooney
10. Clay Harris
11. Michael Duritsky
12. Tyler Arrington
13. Jason Fitzgerald
14. Cory Dumpert
15. Brock Hall
16. Kyle Lear
17. JJ Mazur
18. Ben Sukup
19. Kevin Godwin
20. Michael Combs
21. Corey LaJoie
22. Anthony White
23. Joe Sheddan

Open Modified A Feature Results
1. Kyle Strickler
2. Matt Crafton
3. Michael Asberry
4. Curt Spalding
5. Drake Troutman
6. Clay Harris
7. Michael Truscott
8. Gunner Martin
9. Steve Arpin
10. Cory Davis
11. Aaron Branham
12. Dalton Magers
13. Andrew Charlson
14. Victor Lee
15. Daniel Sanchez
16. Brad Deyoung
17. KC Burdette
18. Rich Michael Jr.
19. Brayden Berry
20. Mitch Thomas
21. David Reutimann
22. Nick Stroupe
23. Dave Pinkerton
24. Brianna Robinson

Hornet A Feature Results
1. Jake Benischek
2. Jason Ketron
3. Kyle Stark
4. Travis Brown
5. Matt Pederson
6. Dan Benson
7. Billy Evans
8. Terry Merritt
9. Tim Raup
10. Christopher Meyer
11. Josh Lank
12. Andy Thompson
13. Logan Clausen
14. Phil King
15. Tanner Earhart
16. Wayne Risner
17. Shannon Weaver
18. Jaedon Erickson
19. Brad Chandler
20. Kaleb Hinkley
21. Walker Windham
22. Chuck Fullenkamp
23. John Windham
24. Robert Williams
25. Brandon Gibson Jr.
26. Jonathan Sarratt
27. Cyle Hawkins
28. Don Rufener III
29. Brandon Dalton
30. Joshua Wood
31. Devon Dixon
32. Hunter Anthony