WHEATLAND, Mo. — Johnny Scott and Jonathan Davenport put on a spirited battle for the race lead on Friday night at Lucas Oil Speedway.
Scott and Davenport officially traded the lead six times during the 40-lap Tribute to Don and Billie Gibson, Show-Me 100 founders, in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and Lucas Oil MLRA sanctioned event to kick off the 30th annual Show-Me 100 weekend.
For Scott, the current MLRA points leader, it was his third win in that series in 2022 and his first career in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series competition.
The 32-year-old New Mexico resident took the lead for good on lap 32 from Davenport and pulled away for the victory. Davenport finished in second, followed by Jimmy Owens, Hudson O’Neal and Ricky Thornton Jr.
Davenport grabbed the lead at the start of the main event, but a quick caution for Chris Ferguson halted the action with one lap scored. On the restart Davenport led Scott until lap 14 when Scott took his first lead of the race.
On lap 16 Davenport bounced back to take the point, but Scott wasn’t done as the two raced through traffic with Scott regaining the lead on lap 18.
Scott’s lead was short-lived as Davenport, the 2015 Show-Me 100 winner vaulted back in front on lap 23. It appeared as if Davenport would have clear sailing to the checkers, but Scott changed his line which allowed him to chase down Davenport and pass him for the final time on lap 32. Scott pulled away for a 2.446-second advantage at the finish.
“There towards the end I needed to move my line up in three and four,” Scott said. “It was rough on the bottom, and I couldn’t get through there anymore. I saw JD was getting though the top in three and four pretty good, so I went up there and started reeling him in pretty good. I started diamonding one and two and I just started to hit my marks from there.
“This win is huge. I have been out for the last month after hurting my back. I just want to thank my sponsors and crew for sticking with me. Hopefully we can keep this going and get a big win tomorrow night, I am gassed right now.”
Davenport, the three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion took the runner-up position. “
He (Scott) did a great job there. I was just trying to find the smoothest way around the race track,” Davenport said. “The track had a whole lot of character tonight. My team gave me a good car again tonight. I just couldn’t hang on like he could. He was a little bit better than us. The top was definitely the fastest line, we just struggled a little bit in the middle.”
Owens, a four-time Show-Me 100 winner came from seventh to round out the podium.
“We have been struggling with this car, but it’s been a good car. We are just learning what to do with it, I feel like we have made some leaps and bounds with this car this weekend and here in the last week.”
Ryan Middaugh won the USRA modified feature.
The finish:
Feature (40 laps): 1. 1ST-Johnny Scott[3]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[7]; 4. 71-Hudson O’Neal[13]; 5. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[14]; 6. 89-Ashton Winger[9]; 7. 40B-Kyle Bronson[19]; 8. 58-Garrett Alberson[24]; 9. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[8]; 10. 22F-Chris Ferguson[18]; 11. 1-Brandon Sheppard[11]; 12. 91P-Jason Papich[5]; 13. 25-Chad Simpson[22]; 14. 32-Bobby Pierce[10]; 15. 0-Scott Bloomquist[15]; 16. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[4]; 17. 39-Tim McCreadie[17]; 18. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[6]; 19. 1S-Jeremy Shaw[21]; 20. 15L-Payton Looney[12]; 21. 157-Mike Marlar[1]; 22. 3S-Brian Shirley[20]; 23. 18J-Chase Junghans[16]; 24. 18-Shannon Babb[23]