WAYNESVILLE, GA (March 4, 2026) – Jonathan Davenport scored his first win at Golden Isles Speedway since February 6, 2016, on Wednesday night, leading all 30 laps of the Wieland Winter Nationals feature for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing. The victory marked Davenport’s fifth career win at Golden Isles. He led a hard-charging Hudson O’Neal across the finish line in a caution-free feature — the third such race of the season for the series. Davenport held more than a three-second lead for much of the second half of the race until O’Neal trimmed the advantage to just over a second in the closing laps. Brandon Sheppard, who was seeking his first career win at Golden Isles, finished third, followed by Devin Moran. Max Blair earned the Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race honors, finishing fifth after starting 12th. The win was the 93rd Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory of Davenport’s career. The Blairsville, Georgia native and three-time series champion captured his first Golden Isles win in 10 years and his first victory of the 2026 season. “It was my first lap led of the year,” Davenport said. “It just feels like we could never get any air on the front of this car. I started on the front row in Arizona, but we could never get the start we needed and just didn’t have the car to come back to the front. My guys gave me an awesome car tonight, and this one is definitely for them. We wrecked that car on Thursday at Ocala, and they worked their tails off and drove a lot more miles than they should have to fix it.” “The race car was awesome tonight. They’ve done a great job widening the track back out, especially going into turn one. They took a lot of the cup out of turn two, so we didn’t have to run up there as much and could let the bottom come in a little bit. The biggest difference was tires — Hudson and I were a little different from the other guys up front. I knew I needed to get the lead and get some clean air.” O’Neal, who will enter Thursday night’s action as the Midwest Sheet Metal points leader, charged from eighth to finish second. “More than anything, I was following those guys on the bottom, and I felt like I was better than them running sixth or seventh, wherever I was,” O’Neal said. “So I moved to the top and started passing a few of them. Then I got back down behind (Mark) Whitener and kept trying to peek under him, but I couldn’t quite make it work. I think that was when the top finally cleaned off a little bit, and we started making really good time up there.” “I was able to move around, and I thought the race track turned out awesome. We could race all over it with different tire choices — from the softer tires on the inside to literally rubbing the right-rear tire on the wall.” Sheppard rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. “We finished tonight — that’s all I’m going to say,” Sheppard said. “The last few nights at Ocala, we had some unfortunate situations, and we had a really fast car there. The track was awesome tonight, our car was really fast, and we had another consistent night.” 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 10 were Tyler Erb, Brian Shirley, Mark Whitener, Garrett Alberson, and Brandon Overton. In the companion Crown Vic feature, Brody Collins of Hilliard, Florida, led all 15 laps for the victory. Collins inherited the pole position when his father, Johnny, scratched from the feature due to mechanical issues. Daniel Baldwin finished second, followed by J.O. Nobles, Chase Collins, and Kevin Hildebrand. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsWednesday, March 4, 2026Golden Isles Speedway | Waynesville, GA Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 15.189 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Garrett Alberson | 15.380 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[5]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 3. 19M-Brenden Smith[2]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 5. 55-Benji Hicks[10]; 6. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 7. 11-Josh Rice[7]; 8. 09-Michael Leach[4]; 9. 79-Cory Hedgecock[9]; 10. (DNS) 88-Trent Ivey Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 2. 5-Mark Whitener[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 4. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[7]; 5. 93-Carson Ferguson[6]; 6. 8-Dillon McCowan[9]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[3]; 8. 16-Tyler Bruening[8]; 9. 13-Dallon Murty[5]; 10. (DNS) 157-Mike Marlar
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 3. 6-Clay Harris[2]; 4. 97-Cody Overton[4]; 5. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[7]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 7. 60-Dan Ebert[6]; 8. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[8]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 10. (DNS) 93L-Cory Lawler
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 3. 111-Max Blair[5]; 4. 10-Garrett Smith[3]; 5. 16B-Ross Bailes[7]; 6. 388-Jackson Hise[6]; 7. 81F-Jadon Frame[8]; 8. 555-Brock Pinkerous[9]; 9. 14-Trey Mills[4]; 10. (DNS) 77-Preston Luckman Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 2. 55-Benji Hicks[1]; 3. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[3]; 4. 13-Dallon Murty[10]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 6. 88-Trent Ivey[11]; 7. 09-Michael Leach[7]; 8. 16-Tyler Bruening[8]; 9. 8-Dillon McCowan[4]; 10. 11-Josh Rice[5]; 11. (DNS) 79-Cory Hedgecock; 12. (DNS) 157-Mike Marlar
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[1]; 2. 16B-Ross Bailes[2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 5. 81F-Jadon Frame[6]; 6. 388-Jackson Hise[4]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[11]; 8. 14-Trey Mills[10]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 10. 555-Brock Pinkerous[8]; 11. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[7]; 12. (DNS) 77-Preston Luckman Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (30 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $7,0002 – 8 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,5003 – 4 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,0004 – 3 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $1,5005 – 12 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,4006 – 11 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,3007 – 2 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,2008 – 7 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $1,1009 – 6 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,00010 – 5 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $95011 – 10 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $90012 – 14 – 97 – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – $85013 – 13 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $80014 – 16 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $75015 – 9 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $72516 – 18 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $70017 – 15 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $70018 – 23 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $70019 – 17 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $65020 – 21 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $62521 – 19 – 55 – Benji Hicks – Mount Airy, NC – $62522 – 24 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $60023 – 22 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $60024 – 20 – 16B – Ross Bailes – Clover, SC – $600 Race Statistics Entrants: 40Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Jonathan DavenportMD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-30)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan DavenportWieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 1.194 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: n/aMyRacePass Series Provisionals: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon SheppardPenske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Max BlairBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon SheppardPEM 4th Place Feature: Devin MoranDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Max BlairWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Brian ShirleyWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Clay HarrisVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Ricky Thornton, Jr.XS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Brenden SmithHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Cody Overton (Advanced 2 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (30 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 6 | 15.964 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Mike MarlarVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Hudson O’NealOuterwears 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 | 15.3089 secondsTime of Race: 8 minutes 18 seconds |
