SARVER, Pa. — Two former Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series national champions, Jonathan Davenport and Tim McCreadie, each took a trip to victory lane during Friday afternoon’s two preliminary features at Lernerville Speedway.
Davenport claimed his fourth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season, leading all 25 circuits for his 69th career win in the series. Michael Norris fought off several contenders for second place, finishing ahead of Brandon Overton, Max Blair and Mason Zeigler.
McCreadie claimed his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season, leading the entire distance as the reigning Firecracker 100 winner becomes the 14th different winner this season on the tour.
A heated battle for second on back the entire way saw Spencer Hughes grab the runner-up spot ahead of Devin Moran, Hudson O’Neal and Daulton Wilson.
Davenport Shuts The Door On Group A
Davenport, who is returning to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series full time this year, picked up his first career win at Lernerville.
“Man, I sure hope we can get us one here tomorrow night. This place here hasn’t been very good to me, but it’s special to my heart. A few weeks after my best friend died in 2013, his dad and I came out here and we put his ashes around the top of this place. Ever since then this place has eluded me,” Davenport said. “It’s awesome that we got the win today.
“I never came off the top. I was thinking about my old friend Peanut the whole time. I just have to thank my crew for this win. This is a brand-new car. It wasn’t much more than a frame to start the week.”
Norris gained the runner-up spot in front of his home track fans.
“I hope this is the year we can finally get that Firecracker victory. I have got a pretty good piece under me. We were a little tight in that feature. I really had to hang onto to it. Kudos to the track crew,” Norris said.
“The track is actually pretty nice considering all the rain we got last night. I hope it’s our year, but every time somebody asks me it’s like yeah, I hope so. I guess I won’t know until we start the feature and do the first lap and I see how I feel.”
Overton coming off a rough three weeks will be looking for his third career Firecracker win on Saturday night.
“We have got a little bit of work to do. At least we are up here towards at the front. We have been pretty bad here lately. We have had a lot of bad luck as well. It’s just been hard to get caught up. We haven’t quit and we are not going to,” Overton said.
Completing the top 10 finishers in the Group A feature were Tyler Bruening, Boom Briggs, Earl Pearson Jr. and Ken Schaltenbrand.
Group A Feature Results (25 Laps)
Group B Belongs To McCreadie
McCreadie’s 35th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win came in a caution plagued Group B 25-lapper.
“It’s a little treacherous on the cushion and there’s slick spots everywhere. It’s not an easy track to race on. It was probably to my benefit to be out front to be able to see where every little nook and cranny of the cushion is and be smooth. I struggled a little bit in traffic there,” McCreadie said.
“Lernerville did a very good job on the track. The place when I got here this morning, I thought maybe it wasn’t even going to be ready. It had a little bit of a cushion but that’s part of racing, but the rest of it’s nice. Hopefully we keep running good.”
Hughes continues to edge closer to his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win, surviving a race-long battle with several other drivers to grab the runner-up position.
“We just need to keep tuning on it. I wasn’t quite as good up against the cushion there at the end. I was just a little too free. Most of the time I am not that good up on a big curb like that anyway. It was just a real good run for us,” Hughes said.
Moran was also in the hotly contested race for a podium spot as he came home in third.
“Hudson [O’Neal] messed up right there a little bit at the end. Spencer and Hud were crossing each other over and I just stayed committed to that top. Man, that was a lot of fun. There was a lot of cautions unfortunately, but we were racing all over, it was a blast,” Moran said.
Completing the top 10 in the second feature were Ross Robinson, Garrett Alberson, Kyle Strickler, Chub Frank and Alex Ferree.
Group B Feature Results (25 Laps)
