TAZEWELL, Tenn. - The fastest car doesn’t always win the race and that was the case in the Toyota Knoxville 50 on Friday night at Tennessee’s Tazewell Speedway.
Jonathan Davenport inherited the lead when Jimmy Owens left the race on lap 46 with terminal issues. The Blairsville, Georgia speedster then held off a hard-charging Tim McCreadie for his fifth series win of the season.
McCreadie finished a close second, with Don O’Neal in third, Dennis Erb, Jr. in fourth and Earl Pearson, Jr. in fifth.
Owens bolted to the lead at the start of the event and dominated much of the race. He led by almost a straightaway on several occasions as Davenport and McCreadie battled for second.
No one appeared to have anything for Owens, who was looking for the sixth Toyota Knoxville 50 win of his career. Unfortunately, with four laps to go Owens retreated to the pits off turn four in a cloud of smoke. McCreadie pressured Davenport in the final laps, but Davenport held on for first Tazewell Speedway victory since 2015.
“I hate for anybody to have any bad luck, especially when you are leading,” said Davenport.” We were running second there at the end, early on I don’t know if I could have gotten by Josh Richards or Jimmy Owens.” Richards pulled out of the race on lap 18 while running second to Owens.
“I don’t know how much Jimmy was saving,” Davenport continued. “This place is so fast. The top went away, and the bottom was coming back in at the end. Man, I love this place. I didn’t see anything coming from the 20 car. I thought he had a tire going down or something. Josh was smoking for several laps there early on. Man, it was heartbreak for those two. We will take it, it was a good points night for us.
“Thanks to Lance Landers for putting together this wonderful race team. The sky is the limit. The first time I ever came here I loved it. This place is so unique. There is nothing like it. I wish we could come back here two or three times.”
Hudson O’Neal, Eric Wells, Mason Zeigler, Chad Ogle, and Jason Jameson rounded out the top ten.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Tazewell Speedway – Tazewell, TN
Toyota Knoxville 50 – May 4, 2018
| FINISH | START | CAR # | DRIVER NAME | HOMETOWN | EARNINGS |
| 1 | 8 | 49 | Jonathan Davenport | Blairsville, GA | $12,900 |
| 2 | 6 | 39 | Tim McCreadie | Watertown, NY | $6,200 |
| 3 | 7 | 5 | Don O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | $4,300 |
| 4 | 10 | 28 | Dennis Erb, Jr. | Carpentersville, IL | $2,750 |
| 5 | 9 | 1 | Earl Pearson, Jr. | Jacksonville, FL | $3,050 |
| 6 | 3 | 71 | Hudson O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | $2,500 |
| 7 | 12 | 18E | Eric Wells | Hazard, KY | $1,500 |
| 8 | 19 | 25Z | Mason Zeigler | Chalk Hill, PA | $1,400 |
| 9 | 16 | 10C | Chad Ogle | Sevierville, TN | $1,200 |
| 10 | 4 | 12J | Jason Jameson | Lawrenceburg, IN | $1,100 |
| 11 | 25 | 22 | Gregg Satterlee | Indiana, PA | $775 |
| 12 | 13 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist | Mooresburg, TN | $1,850 |
| 13 | 5 | 21K | Dakotah Knuckles | Ewing, VA | $1,025 |
| 14 | 23 | 40B | Kyle Bronson | Brandon, FL | $1,700 |
| 15 | 21 | 69* | Carder Miller | Salem, VA | $1,000 |
| 16 | 11 | 1G | Ryan King | Seymour, TN | $1,000 |
| 17 | 2 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN | $1,800 |
| 18 | 22 | 21 | Robby Moses | Maryville, TN | $1,000 |
| 19 | 15 | 25 | Eric Webber | Morristown, TN | $1,000 |
| 20 | 17 | 32 | Bobby Pierce | Oakwood, IL | $1,700 |
| 21 | 1 | 1R | Josh Richards | Shinnston, WV | $2,000 |
| 22 | 14 | 101 | Forrest Trent | Talbott, TN | $1,000 |
| 23 | 20 | 86 | Jeff Neubert | Rockford, TN | $1,000 |
| 24 | 18 | 7b | Brian Smith | Barbourville, KY | $1,000 |
| 25 | 24 | 14 | Darrell Lanigan | Union, KY | $1,700 |
http://accesswdun.com/article/2018/5/668195/owens-misfortune-gives-davenport-victory-at-tazewell