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 NationalsThursday, March 5, 2026Golden Isles Speedway | Waynesville, GA Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast 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 – Earnings1 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $10,0002 – 4 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $5,6003 – 3 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $3,5004 – 13 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $2,7005 – 11 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $2,5006 – 5 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $2,3007 – 22 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $2,2008 – 18 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,1009 – 12 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $2,05010 – 7 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $2,00011 – 14 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,60012 – 28 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $70013 – 2 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,20014 – 8 – 14 – Trey Mills – St. Augustine, FL – $1,00015 – 10 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $95016 – 17 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $92517 – 27 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $20018 – 20 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $87519 – 21 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $85020 – 24 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $82521 – 23 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $80022 – 6 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $80023 – 15 – 16 – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – $80024 – 19 – 16B – Ross Bailes – Clover, SC – $80025 – 25 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $10026 – 9 – 88 – Trent Ivey – Union, SC – $80027 – 16 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $90028 – 26 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $100 Race Statistics Entrants: 40Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Jonathan DavenportMD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-40)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan DavenportWieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 1.321 secondsHellraizer 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 LawlerFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: Josh Rice, Donald McIntosh, Brenden Smith, Ross RobinsonTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon OvertonPenske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Clay Harris, Max BlairBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Clay HarrisPEM 4th Place Feature: Clay HarrisDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Max BlairWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Dennis Erb, Jr.Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Tyler ErbXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Dan EbertHoker 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’NealMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Hudson O’NealO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Hudson O’Neal | Lap 11 | 15.452 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Brian ShirleyVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Brandon OvertonOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory FostvedtARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Hudson O’Neal | 15.5343 secondsTime of Race: 30 minutes 12 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1210 – $72,3002 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1135 – $50,4003 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1110 – $26,0504 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 1005 – $23,6005 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 960 – $15,4506 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 955 – $32,5007 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 920 – $13,5008 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 920 – $11,5759 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 905 – $14,35010 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 865 – $12,87511 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 855 – $12,60012 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 840 – $10,52513 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 835 – $14,60014 – 79 – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 795 – $8,80015 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 745 – $8,90016 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 715 – $8,37517 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 710 – $5,82518 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 685 – $4,72519 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 655 – $5,45020 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 650 – $3,70021 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – 640 – $5,35022 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 630 – $6,82523 – 77 – Preston Luckman – Coos Bay, OR – 610 – $3,12524 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 540 – $900 |
