Will Davenport Continue Dream Season at Knoxville?
Jonathan Davenport
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
By Eric Arnold
Leading up to the 12th Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals on September 24-26, there is one driver that has dominated the national late model scene in 2015. It’s not a familiar name such as Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, or Jimmy Owens. His name is “Superman” Jonathan Davenport from Georgia. Davenport won the Thursday night preliminary last year at Knoxville in only his second entry here, and finished 18th on Saturday night while finishing tenth in the 2012 finale. But 2015 has been the year for JD. He has won most of the “crown jewel” events on the Late Model circuit.
Here is a list of Davenport’s biggest paying wins so far in 2015.
USA Nationals at New Richmond, WI: $50,000
Clash at the Mag at Magnolia, MS: $20,000
Show-Me 100 at Wheatland, MO: $30,000
The Dream at Eldora Speedway: $100,000
North-South 100 at Florence, KY: $50,000
Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury, IL: $27,000
World 100 at Eldora Speedway: $48,000
All these races total up to $325,000 in winnings this season, and those are just six of his 18 total wins in 2015.
Only one driver has ever won the Dream and World 100 events at Eldora Speedway in the same season – Billy Moyer – and Moyer completed that feat twice in 2010 and 1998. In 2010 Moyer went on to sweep all three nights at Knoxville. Davenport is on an unprecedented run winning these other races as well. As dominant as Donny Schatz has been this season in sprint cars, Davenport is his equal in late models.
Speaking of Schatz, he plans to race at Knoxville in his late model on Thursday night the 24th while he has a night off from the World of Outlaws.
Can Davenport continue his dream season and win at Knoxville? Can Bloomquist get to the front and win his third title after a heartbreaking loss last year to now retired Brian Birkhofer? Jimmy Owens and Josh Richards are also strong contenders who have yet to win the Late Model Knoxville Nationals. Former champions Brian Shirley, Don O’Neal, Steve Francis, and Darrell Lanigan are all entered as well. Be here to find out who wins next weekend at the 12th Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals!
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