SAVANNAH, Ga. – Jonathan Davenport picked up another big win on Saturday night in the 19th Annual Showdown In Savannah at Georgia’s Oglethorpe Speedway Park.
The Blairsville, Georgia driver, whose nickname is “Superman,” took the lead on lap 49 and then led the remaining 27 laps.
Davenport claimed the top spot when early race leader Travis Pennington of Stapleton, Georgia fell off the pace with a flat tire. Pennington had led the first 48 laps, and was racing with a heavy heart, looking for a win to dedicate to his grandfather Ed Massey, who passed away Saturday morning.
Davenport picked up $10,000 for the victory, his second big win in as many weeks since he returned to the Barry Wright machine after leaving that ride and spending the last couple of seasons with the Rumley Racing team. Davenport drove to a $20,000 win on Thanksgiving weekend in Swainsboro, Georgia.
Mark Whitener came home in the second spot, with Dennia Franklin in third, Ben Faircloth in fourth and Jason Fitzgerald in fifth.
Russell Brown, Kyle Bronson, Robbie Cowart, Cla Knight and Cecil Eunice rounded out the top ten.
In Friday night preliminary action, Hunter Carter out-timed the 29-car field with a lap around the ½-mile dirt oval in 20.331 seconds in qualifying. The four eight-lap Heat Races were won by Pennington, Davenport, Franklin and Carter.
Pennington took the lead at the start of Saturday night’s 75-lap feature from the pole position followed by Davenport, Franklin, Carter, and Whitener. While Pennington and Davenport controlled the top two spots for the first two-thirds of the race, there were wholesale position changes early and often from third on back through the field.
On lap three, Whitener and Faircloth sailed by Carter to take over the fourth and fifth spots respectively. Bronson got by Carter for the sixth spot on lap 11. Faircloth made a big move on lap 16, getting by Whitener and Franklin to jump up to the third spot. Whitener came back with a two-car leap frog on a lap 34 restart to pass Franklin and Faircloth and move up to the third spot.
Franklin made the most of a lap 35 restart to pass Faircloth for the fourth spot. Bronson made a power move on a lap 40 restart to advance from the seventh spot and up to fourth. Lap 48 saw Faircloth get by Franklin for the fifth position.
The entire complexion of the race changed on lap 49 when Pennington brought out the caution flag with a flat tire and Davenport took over the lead. Pennington returned to the track for the restart in the 14th spot as the last car on the lead lap. He climbed back up to the 11th spot, before pulling to the pits on lap 71 and finished 14th.
Davenport brought the field back to green on lap 49 followed by Whitener, Bronson, Faircloth, and Franklin. Davenport pulled away from Whitener when the green flag came out and was able to maintain a second and a half lead. The battles from third on back continued for the remaining 27 laps.
Up front, Davenport took the checkered flag with a 1.682 second margin of victory over Whitener.
For more information on Oglethorpe Speedway Park, visit OSPRacing.net.
Oglethorpe Speedway Park – Savannah, GA
Showdown At Savannah – Dec. 3, 2016
POS START CAR# DRIVER
1. 2 49 Jonathan Davenport 75
2. 7 5w Mark Whitener 75
3. 3 2 Dennis Franklin 75
4. 6 18 Ben Faircloth 75
5. 19 C2 Jason Fitzgerald 75
6. 8 00 Russell Brown 75
7. 9 40b Kyle Bronson 75
8. 21 24 Robbie Cowart 75
9. 10 42 Cla Knight 75
10. 5 22 Cecil Eunice 75
11. 20 G4 Garrett Shurling 75
12. 17 57 Keith Tuten 74
13. 22 44 Eddie Morris 73
14. 1 01 Travis Pennington 71
15. 11 48 Robert Diekemper 48
16. 25 10c Ryan Crane 48
17. 24 5 Tom Eigner 47
18. 23 99 Larry Drawdy, Jr. 37
19. 4 52 Hunter Carter 34
20. 16 11 Branden Yawn 28
21. 12 02 Jordan Feider 18
22. 15 J1 Joshua Bishop 14
23. 18 15 Colby Jenerette 13
24. 14 28 Donnie Bazemore, Jr. 2
25. 13 16 Casey Barrow 0
