PORT ROYAL, Pa. — Brandon Sheppard and Jonathan Davenport went to Lucas Oil Victory Lane on Friday night in the preliminary night twin 25-lap features at the Port Royal Speedway.
Sheppard led all the way to win the first 25 lap main event, while Davenport had to chase down Chris Ferguson to take the lead on lap 17 for the victory.
In the first preliminary feature, Sheppard pulled away from Earl Pearson Jr. and Jimmy Owens after a late race caution for the win. Mike Marlar came home in fourth, with Michael Norris completing the top five.
Sheppard took advantage of his pole starting spot, bolting to the lead at the start of the race. Owens then followed Sheppard until lap 17 when Pearson, using the top line, got by him for second. The two four-time series champions then battled to the finish with Pearson edging out Owens. Sheppard’s margin of victory was 1.230 seconds at the finish.
Completing the top ten in the first feature were Gary Stuhler, Ross Robinson, Daulton Wilson, Rick Eckert and Dale Hollidge.
“It’s good to get back to victory lane. The track was awesome tonight. The track crew did a great job getting the track ready after the rain,” Sheppard said. “You could race all over it tonight. I am sure tomorrow night it will slick off and put on a good show for these fans. I want to thank my crew for all the hard work they do on the car. This should get us a good starting spot tomorrow night for the heat races.”
Pearson, who capitalized on a solid run at Port Royal Speedway in April, came home in second. “Our car was good tonight. We could run that top good. I thought maybe on that last restart I had something for him [Sheppard]. The top three put on a heck of a show for these fans. Jimmy and I went back and forth for a long time there. The track was smooth and racy. I am sure it will be drier tomorrow night. I think we have a car capable of winning this race on Saturday night.”
Davenport continued his hot streak but had to earn the win as Ferguson led the first 16 laps of the second 25 lapper before yielding the lead to Davenport in traffic. When the checkers flew, Davenport had opened a 4.337-second advantage.
Davenport, who started third, led Ferguson, Gregg Satterlee, Kyle Strickler and Hudson O’Neal to the finish line for his sixth straight Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory and the 65th of his career.
“That was the key to get through lapped traffic. I knew it would slime up there a little bit once we got to traffic,” Davenport said. “The top was pretty dominant there. Finally, there was a couple of drivers that got in his way. Then we started dicing through there. I got a good run off the bottom of two there one time and that was the only time I could do that. He come back on me one time and he turned down across and I tried not to hit him, so I got broke loose and I had to try and slide him all the way across hos nose. I was trying to run him as clean as I could.”
Ferguson, the 2022 Show-Me 100 winner, appeared to have the car to end Davenport’s long win streak but fell short at the end.
“I just needed to be a little better on the cushion. We were just a little too tight to be up there running where we were. I was having to drive the car really hard. I did what I could to keep him behind me as long as I could, but he was just a little bit better up there than us.”
The finishes:
First feature (25 laps): Brandon Sheppard, Earl Pearson Jr., Jimmy Owens, Mike Marlar, Michael Norris, Gary Stuhleer, Ross Robinson, Daulton Wilson, Rick Eckert, Dale Hollidge, Mason Zeigler, Dylan Cecce, Bryan Bernheisel, Mike Lupfer, Austin Berry, Justin Weaver, Jim Yoder, Tyler Emory, Shaun Jones, Jason Miller, Jared Miley, Chad Myers, Roy Deese Jr., Jason Covert, Jason Schmidt, Spencer Hughes.
Second feature (25 laps): Jonathan Davenport, Chris Ferguson, Gregg Satterlee, Kyle Strickler, Hudson O’Neal, Tim McCreadie, Ricky Thornton Jr., Garrett Alberson, Tyler Erb, Colton Flinner, Dillan Stake, Eddie Carrier Jr., Matt Cosner, Travis Stickley, Jeff Rine, Dan Stone, Logan Zarin, Garrett Smith, Russell Erwin, Hayes Mattern, Deshawn Gingerich, Brian Booze, Tim Wilson, Brandon Little, Kody Lyter.