A True Outlaw, Jonathan Davenport Stole The Podium In Big Shows
A True Outlaw, Jonathan Davenport Stole The Podium In Big Shows
Jonathan Davenport rode into the pits on a black stallion in major events and stole the big dollars from the national touring regulars.
Jonathan Davenport was at his best when big money was on the line, and top fives in nearly all of the major contests he entered secured his position 34th among the Flo50 Greatest Dirt Track Drivers of 2017.
There is a lot to be said for getting off to a strong start. In the Super Bowl of Racing at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, GA, last February, Davenport scored back-to-back fifth-place finishes. In his next two attempts in the Winter Nationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL, he added another pair of top 10s. All of these came while competing against the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series regulars.
In fact, Davenport was perfect until April with a streak of seven top 10s to his credit.
Part of the secret to Davenport’s success was that he balanced runs in the national touring series with dominance in the regional races he ran. His first win of the season came with the Fastrak Series at Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, VA, on April 8. In the Ultimate Super Late Model race run later that same day, he finished fourth and then followed with another Ultimate top five at Modoc (SC) Speedway one week later.
Those strong runs kept him sharp so that when he joined the World of Outlaws Late Model Series for two nights in May. He finished fourth at Cherokee Super Speedway in Gaffney, SC, and seventh at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, TN.
Davenport’s greatest accomplishment came in the fall. He won the World 100 after living through a near-perfect weekend. In the UMP Dirt Car Special event, he finished second in the first preliminary night and was eighth on night two. That allowed him to line up third for the finale, and he parlayed the excellent track position into the biggest win of his career.
Davenport continued to step up onto the big stage. In the Late Model Nationals at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway, he banked third- and second-place finishes in his two races. He started on the pole and finished third in the Dirt Track World Championship with the Lucas Dirt stars.
Finally, he finished sixth after started 15th in the Outlaws World Finals to record his 21st top 10 in 26 major league races.
Flo 50
| Rank | Driver (Click On Driver Name) | % Points | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | Jonathan Davenport | 79.17 | 2 | 11 | 21 |
| 35 | Tim Shaffer | 78.84 | 6 | 25 | 39 |
| 36 | Stormy Scott | 78.67 | 6 | 28 | 47 |
| 37 | Seth Bergman | 77.60 | 1 | 15 | 26 |
| 38 | Shane Clanton | 77.55 | 5 | 18 | 32 |
| 39 | Daryn Pittman | 77.24 | 2 | 28 | 56 |
| 40 | Johnny Scott | 75.00 | 2 | 12 | 19 |
| 41 | Don O'Neal | 76.47 | 5 | 27 | 37 |
| 42 | Stewart Friesen | 76.41 | 2 | 10 | 14 |
| 43 | Jimmy Owens | 76.95 | 3 | 25 | 34 |
| 44 | Shane Stewart | 76.65 | 8 | 28 | 55 |
| 45 | Brian Brown | 75.30 | 3 | 22 | 28 |
| 46 | Rick Eckert | 75.25 | 3 | 17 | 30 |
| 47 | Freddie Rahmer Jr. | 75.11 | 2 | 8 | 13 |
| 48 | Ryan Smith | 75.01 | 3 | 13 | 32 |
| 49 | Bobby Pierce | 74.99 | 1 | 7 | 17 |
| 50 | Lucas Wolfe | 74.20 | | 11 | 22 |
*Percentage points utilize the baseline belief that a win is a win in the major series covered. One hundred points is awarded to first and the points decrement below that as a percentage of the field. For example, in a 25-car field, each position behind the winner is worth four fewer points. In races with incredibly large fields, the points decrement to a less extreme degree. A 50-car field decrements two points per position, and drivers earn points even if they fail to make the A-Main.