Davenport Takes Third Career Diamond Nationals Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Win

Story By: LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – WHEATLAND, MO – Jonathan Davenport picked up his third career CMH Diamond Nationals win on Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Speedway. The race was co-sanctioned with the Lucas Oil MLRA. Davenport held off late-race charges from both Josh Richards and Kyle Bronson to pick up his sixth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of 2021.

Davenport had just passed race leader Jimmy Owens coming of off turn two, moments before Owens got into the back of a slowing lapped car when he had nowhere to go. Third place driver, Shane Clanton also had nowhere to go in a chain reaction, got into Owens. Both Owens and Clanton had to pit due to damage, to return on the tail of the lineup.

Advancing 14 positions, Richards finished second with Bronson coming home in third. Stormy Scott and Earl Pearson Jr. completed the top five.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 56th time in his career, Davenport closed the gap on points leader Tim McCreadie, who finished 12th in the final rundown after being involved in a lap 42 caution.

“I kind of figured those guys were close to me, this place never did slow down at all. I was figuring it might get a little black streak or something, but it never did so you had to search around. It was getting a little choppy there past the halfway point, so I had to move around a little bit, from off the bottom. I was a little better through three and four but would come back and hug the bottom off of turn two. I don’t know what happened to Jimmy [Owens] there, he’s had the worst luck in the world this year.”

Richards was not only the Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the race, but he also turned the fastest lap in the 50-lap event. “Yeah, we will take it. We were just a little off, I didn’t get a very good qualifying lap in, and it put us behind all night long. We have been off, what seems like a month, with all of these rainouts. It’s good to be back in the seat. There was a lot of attrition there. Hudson [O’Neal] and I were racing hard into three and I was down low while he was stuck in the middle. I hate it for him.”

Bronson entered the race with two runner-up finishes in his last two series events and came home in third tonight. “I wanted to get my guys a win tonight. We were just riding around there at the beginning because I didn’t want to blister my tires. We were running well, running Jonathan [Davenport] down with about ten laps to go. That caution killed us.”

The winner’s Lance Landers Double L Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and is sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, ASC Warranty, Bilstein Shocks, VP Fuels, Lucas Oil Products, Midwest Sheet Metal, Fatheadz Eyewear, and Spartan Mowers.

Completing the top ten were Justin Duty, Jimmy Owens, Aaron Marrant, Shane Clanton, and Tyler Erb.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
15th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals
Saturday, July 17th, 2021
Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO

Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Stormy Scott / 14.759 seconds
Fast Time Group B: Jimmy Owens / 14.738 seconds (overall)

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 2S-Stormy Scott[1]; 2. 91P-Jason Papich[2]; 3. 39-Tim McCreadie[3]; 4. 41-Jeremiah Hurst[4]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 6. 12C-Scott Crigler[5]; 7. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[7]; 8. 50-Kaeden Cornell[9]; 9. 36-Logan Martin[8]

Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[2]; 3. 1X-Aaron Marrant[3]; 4. 25S-Chad Simpson[4]; 5. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[6]; 6. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 7. 00S-Jesse Stovall[7]; 8. L88-Larry Clawson[8]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20-Jimmy Owens[1]; 2. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[2]; 3. 15D-Justin Duty[3]; 4. 11H-Spencer Hughes[4]; 5. 93-Mason Oberkramer[5]; 6. 14M-Reid Millard[6]; 7. 157-Mike Marlar[7]; 8. 45-Kylan Garner[9]; 9. 3W-Brennon Willard[8]

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[4]; 3. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[1]; 4. 14-Josh Richards[5]; 5. 59-Garrett Alberson[3]; 6. 22F-Chris Ferguson[6]; 7. 56-Jonathan Rowan[7]; 8. 96-Dalton Imhoff[8]

LINE-X B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 4. 00S-Jesse Stovall[6]; 5. 36-Logan Martin[9]; 6. 50-Kaeden Cornell[7]; 7. (DNF) 12C-Scott Crigler[3]; 8. (DNF) L88-Larry Clawson[8]; 9. (DNS) 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr

UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 59-Garrett Alberson[2]; 2. 93-Mason Oberkramer[1]; 3. 14M-Reid Millard[3]; 4. 56-Jonathan Rowan[6]; 5. 22F-Chris Ferguson[4]; 6. 3W-Brennon Willard[9]; 7. 96-Dalton Imhoff[8]; 8. 45-Kylan Garner[7]; 9. 157-Mike Marlar[5]

15th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals Feature Finish (50 Laps):

Pos Start Car # Competitor Hometown Pay
1 4 49 Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA $15,400
2 16 14 Josh Richards Shinnston, WV $6,900
3 3 40B Kyle Bronson Brandon, FL $3,850
4 1 2S Stormy Scott Las Cruces, NM $3,700
5 6 1 Earl Pearson Jr Jacksonville, FL $2,900
6 10 15D Justin Duty Happy Valley, OR $2,400
7 2 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN $2,800
8 11 1X Aaron Marrant Richmond, MO $2,200
9 7 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA $2,450
10 21 1T Tyler Erb New Waverly, TX $2,350
11 12 22H Daniel Hilsabeck Earlham, IA $1,600
12 9 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY $1,850
13 25 56JR Tony Jackson Jr Lebanon, MO $1,300
14 5 91P Jason Papich Nipomo, CA $1,200
15 22 14M Reid Millard Jefferson City, MO $1,050
16 13 41 Jeremiah Hurst Dubuque, IA $1,000
17 18 59 Garrett Alberson Las Cruces, NM $1,000
18 14 11H Spencer Hughes Meridian, MS $1,000
19 8 71 Hudson O’Neal Martinsville, IN $1,350
20 15 25S Chad Simpson Mt. Vernon, IA $1,000
21 20 93 Mason Oberkramer Broseley, MO $1,000
22 26 3W Brennon Willard Lebanon, MO $1,000
23 19 3S Brian Shirley Chatham, IL $1,000
24 17 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr. Adel, IA $1,350
25 24 22F Chris Ferguson Mt. Holly, NC $1,000
26 23 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN $1,350

Race Statistics
Entrants
: 34
Lap Leaders: Jimmy Owens (Laps 1 – 28 ); Jonathan Davenport (Laps 29 – 50)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Jonathan Davenport
Arizona Sport Shirts CJC – Presented by DirtOnDirt Feature Winner: n/a
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Jonathan Davenport
Margin of Victory: 1.407 seconds
Stop Tech Brakes Cautions: Earl Pearson Jr (Lap 5); Chris Ferguson (Lap 17); Shane Clanton (Lap 28); Hudson O’Neal, Spencer Hughes, Chad Simpson, Tyler Erb, Jason Papich, Daniel Hilsabeck (Lap 28); Tony Jackson Jr, Reid Millard, Garrett Alberson, Tim McCreadie (Lap 42)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Mike Marlar
Allstar Performance Fast Time Provisional: Chris Ferguson
Lucas Oil Midwest Latemodel Racing Association Provisionals: Tony Jackson Jr, Brennon Willard
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Josh Richards, Kyle Bronson
Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Josh Richards, Kyle Bronson, Stormy Scott, Earl Pearson Jr
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Josh Richards (Advanced 14 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tim McCreadie
Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Jimmy Owens (28 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Josh Richards
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: Ricky Thornton Jr.
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Josh Richards (Lap 44 – 14.425 seconds)
Fast Shafts Tough Break of the Race: Jimmy Owens
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Jason Durham (Jonathan Davenport)
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Jimmy Owens (14.838 seconds)
Time of Race: 48 minutes 29 seconds