Davenport Charges for Castrol FloRacing Night in America Volunteer Victory
Tri-County Racetrack Hosts $10,000-To-Win Finale on Thursday, Oct. 28
BULLS GAP, Tenn. (Oct. 20, 2021) — With a $10,000 victory that clinched a $20,000 championship, Jonathan Davenport had a profitable night at Volunteer Speedway on Wednesday. But claiming the combined $30,000 payday was far from easy for the Dirt Late Model superstar from Blairsville, Ga.
Mastering a tricky track surface and surviving heavy lapped traffic, the fourth-starting Davenport used a bold turn-four slide job to take the lead from polesitter Ross Bailes of Clover, S.C., on lap 27 of Wednesday’s 40-lap Castrol® FloRacing Night in America feature at Volunteer’s high-banked third-mile oval and pulled away from Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Calif., through the race’s closing circuits on his way to earning his 24th overall victory of the 2021 season. Davenport, who became the first-year tour’s first repeat winner in seven races, mathematically clinched the Castrol® FloRacing tour’s championship with one race remaining on the schedule.
“This place is definitely elbows-up all the time,” Davenport said of the east Tennessee track. “Even though it is pretty slick, it’s still fast. There was just enough around one and two that I felt like that was pretty much where you had to be, right on that lip (around the top). I just got to move around a little bit behind Ross and find his weaknesses and where I was a little better than him. Then I just took advantage of it.”
Deftly navigating slower traffic in a race that was slowed by just one caution, Davenport’s Double L Motorsports Longhorn Chassis took the checkers 1.239 seconds ahead of fifth-starting Larson. Third-starting Ricky Weiss of Headingley, Manitoba, finished just behind Larson with outside polesitter Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., and 10th starting Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, Tenn., rounding out the top five. Bailes slide back to sixth at the finish.
Although Larson never got close enough to Davenport in the final 10 laps to make a serious challenge for the lead, his pressure was just enough to keep Davenport on his toes as the two superstar drivers both knifed their way through traffic.
“Man, that was fun,” said Davenport, who made his first Volunteer appearance since 2017 and earned his first win at the track since 2016. “When I seen the six on the board, I knew Larson was coming. Through those lap cars, they give me plenty of room. You catch them so fast here, I was just trying pick where I could slide them and where I could pass them at.”
Davenport’s only real trouble during the race came on the opening lap, when he used a three-wide move to go from fourth to second on the back straightaway, then slipped up in turns three and four and nearly stopped in front of the field.
“I thought it was more hairy on the first lap,” Davenport said in comparing his opening-lap miscue to his run through traffic. “Hudson pushed down here (in turns one and two) and I made it three-wide (between O’Neal and Weiss down the back straightaway). Then I went down there and I hit the slime (entering turn three) and thought I was gonna push all the way across the track and take about half the field out. Everybody let off and gave me a break there.”
Larson, who entered the night second in tour standings 96 points behind Davenport, enjoyed his first-ever visit to Volunteer despite coming up short at the finish.
“I felt like I was really equal with Jonathan. He just did a really good the last eight laps in traffic and I got kind of stuck,” said Larson, the NASCAR Cup Series title contender who drives Kevin Rumley’s No. 6 Longhorn Chassis on a part-time basis. “It’s good to come here and be fast. This place is really cool. It’s slick and the lanes moved around quite a bit. You had to be aggressive against the wall in one and two. It was a lot of fun.”
Weiss, who dropped back as far as sixth before using the bottom groove to get back up to third, earned just his sixth podium finish off 2021 with his third-place result. The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series regular was looking for his first victory since winning a Crate Late Model race at Volunteer in November of last season.
“We were catching Davenport there,” Weiss said of his late charge. “Lap cars obviously were slowing him down a little bit. He might’ve been a little bit better, but I felt like we were real close with him. It’s good to be back up here on the podium and getting consistent runs. Hats off to my guys here and everybody working so hard back at the shop. I just can’t thank all the guys enough.”
Castrol® FloRacing Night in America invades Tri-County Racetrack (Brasstown, N.C.) on Thursday, October 28 for the 18th annual FK Rod Ends Tarheel 50 presented by Jacky Jones Automotive Group. The event will mark the eighth-and-final series race of the 2021 campaign.
The night’s program is headlined by a $10,000-to-win / $700-to-start, 53-lap feature at the ¼-mile bullring.
Entering the event, Brandon Overton is the two-time defending event champion. There have been 10 different winners in the race’s history with Casey Roberts leading the way with four triumphs. The 2010 edition of the event fell victim to rain
The night’s action also includes the 602/Modified Street ($1,000-to-win) Championship as well as Street Stock ($350-to-win), Pony ($350-to-win), and Front Wheel Drive ($200-to-win).
Adult grandstand admission is $25 with kids (ages 11-16) $15 and children (ages 10-and-under) free with a paying adult. Pit admission is $40 with (children (ages 11-16) $20 and children (ages 10-and-under) free with a paying adult.
The pit gate opens at 3:00 p.m. EST with the grandstand gate opening at 4:00 p.m. The driver’s meeting is at 6:00 p.m. with hot laps at 6:15 p.m. and racing action to follow.
For more information on the facility, please visit www.TriCountyRaceTrack.net .
A driver’s best seven finishes count toward the 2021-point fund. A total payout of $62,500 will be divvied among the Top-10 drivers in the final standings with the inaugural champion receiving $20,000.
The pit gate opens at 3:00pm EST and the grandstand gate opens at 4:00pm with the driver’s meeting at 6:00pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6:30pm with racing action to follow.
Sportsman Late Models, Street Stocks, and Front Wheel Drives will join the night’s action.
The Super Late Model tire rule for the event is a Hoosier 1300, Hoosier 1350, Hoosier Crate 21, American Racer SD-44, and American Racer SD-48 on all four corners with the added option of a Hoosier 1600, Hoosier Spec 55, or American Racer MD-56 on the right rear. Racers must run the same four tires for qualifying, heat races, and b-main action. For the 40-lap feature only, a driver may change one tire of their choice.
Racers also please note that for the Volunteer Speedway event, a window net is required on the driver’s side.
Tri County Racetrack – Castrol FloRacing LMNiA Payout (October 28, 2021)
1)$10,000 2)$5,000 3)$3,000 4)$2,500 5)$2,000 6)$1,750 7)$1,600 8)$1,500 9)$1,400 10)$1,300 11)$1,200 12)$1,100 13)$1,000 14)$900 15)$800 16-22)$700
Entry Fee – $100
Complete rules can be found at www.flosports.tv/castrolfloracingnightinamerica/
For more information on the facility, please visit www.VolunteerSpeedway.com .
In addition to races paying $10,000- to $22,000- to win, the Castrol® FloRacing Night in America also offers a points fund totaling $62,500.
Any questions regarding Castrol® FloRacing Night in America and its events can be directed toward series general manager Ben Shelton at msrmafia@gmail.com or 901-335-3037.
For more information on Castrol® FloRacing Night in America sponsors, visit the company websites at www.castrol.com; www.renegaderacefuel.com; www.keysermanufacturing.com/brand/integra-racing-shocks-springs; www.pitstopusa.com; www.pfcbrakes.com; www.buzzeracing.com; www.arizonasportshirts.com; and www.hoosiertire.com.
For complete details regarding Castrol® FloRacing Night in America, please visit the series landing page at www.flosports.tv/castrolfloracingnightinamerica/
Castrol FloRacing Night in America
Volunteer Speedway (Bulls Gap, Tenn.) – October 20, 2021
A-Feature Results (40 Laps)
1)Jonathan Davenport 2)Kyle Larson 3)Ricky Weiss 4)Hudson O’Neal 5)Cory Hedgecock 6)Ross Bailes 7)Mike Marlar 8)Shane Clanton 9)Forrest Trent 10)Ryan King 11)Eli Beets 12)Christian Hanger 13)Will Roland 14)Jensen Ford 15)Sam Seawright 16)Travis Stickley 17)Joe Denby 18)Benjamin Cranford 19)Kaede Loudy 20)Mack McCarter 21)Bobby Pierce 22)Jadon Frame
DNS: Jeff Neubert, Troy Eads, Aaron Guinn, Matt Tharp, Adam Yarbrough, Adam Ahl
Entries: 28
Renegade Race Fuels Fast Qualifier: Jonathan Davenport (12.664 seconds)
Integra Shocks and Springs Heat Race No. 1 Winner: Ross Bailes
Pit Stop USA Heat Race No. 2 Winner: Hudson O’Neal
PFC Brakes Heat Race No. 3 Winner: Ricky Weiss
Series Provisionals: None
Buzze Racing B-Main Winner: Christian Hanger
Hoosier Tire Drawing Winners: Will Roland, Adam Yarbrough
$150 Drawing Winners: Adam Ahl, Ryan King
Castrol FloRacing Late Model Night in America Points (Thru 10/20/21)
1)Jonathan Davenport – 561 points (x)
2)Kyle Larson – 459 points
3)Mike Marlar – 411 points
4)Bobby Pierce – 324 points
5)Ryan King – 306 points
6)Tanner English – 288 points
7)Hudson O’Neal – 240 points
8)Tyler Erb – 234 points
9)Jimmy Owens – 222 points
10)Brandon Sheppard – 219 points
x = clinched championship