TAMPA, Fla. - Jonathan Davenport withstood an incredible ten-lap battle to win the East Bay Late Model Winternationals finale on Saturday night at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida.
The Blairsville, Georgia speedster took the lead for good from Tanner English on lap 45 and scored his third win of the week at “The Clay by the Bay.” Davenport came alive in the final 15 laps of the 50-lap main event as he powered his car around the top side of the track. English led the majority of the race, and then battled Davenport in heavy lapped traffic lap after lap. The caution flag waved on lap 47 for Earl Pearson, Jr., who was forced to pit for a flat tire.
Davenport then dashed to the finish line for his 39th career series win. Tyler Erb slipped by English with two laps to go to finish in second. Devin Moran barely edged out English at the finish line to take third. English led 40 of the 50 laps before coming home in fourth, with Justin Williams scoring the best series finish of his career in fifth.
“I knew we had a really good car, it was a little bumpier out there tonight,” said Davenport. “I was just trying not to buzz my tires. I just wanted to save my tires until the last ten laps. We went with a little different set-up tonight.
“The car hasn’t felt good the last two nights even though we won. Tanner did a great job tonight. I have driven that car for Randy (Weaver) and Chip (Stone) so I knew they were going to be tough to outrun. This was a heck of a race track tonight. I really didn’t know where to go at the end. I knew Tanner was better on the bottom than I was. I saw there was a little bit of brown in the middle, and the top was getting so dirty. I don’t know if there were other guys running up there or not.”
Jimmy Owens, Josh Richards, Shanon Buckingham, Billy Moyer, Jr. and Kyle Bronson rounded out the top ten.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL
East Bay Winternationals – February 9, 2019
| FINISH | START | CAR # | DRIVER NAME | HOMETOWN | EARNINGS |
| 1 | 3 | 49 | Jonathan Davenport | Blairsville, GA | $12,000 |
| 2 | 4 | 1T | Tyler Erb | New Waverly, TX | $5,500 |
| 3 | 19 | 1M | Devin Moran | Dresden, OH | $3,500 |
| 4 | 1 | 116 | Tanner English | Benton, KY | $2,750 |
| 5 | 15 | 89 | Justin Williams | Concord, VA | $2,250 |
| 6 | 5 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN | $1,800 |
| 7 | 13 | 14 | Josh Richards | Shinnston, WV | $1,500 |
| 8 | 18 | 50 | Shanon Buckingham | Morristown, TN | $1,300 |
| 9 | 9 | 21 | Billy Moyer, Jr. | Batesville, AR | $1,200 |
| 10 | 22 | 40B | Kyle Bronson | Brandon, FL | $1,100 |
| 11 | 7 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist | Mooresburg, TN | $1,075 |
| 12 | 21 | 94 | Austin Rettig | Sikeston, MO | $1,050 |
| 13 | 2 | 1 | Earl Pearson, Jr. | Jacksonville, FL | $1,025 |
| 14 | 16 | 39 | Tim McCreadie | Watertown, NY | $1,000 |
| 15 | 24 | 71 | Hudson O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | $1,000 |
| 16 | 26 | 1V | Vic Hill | Mosheim, TN | $1,000 |
| 17 | 8 | 5 | Don O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | $1,000 |
| 18 | 23 | 22 | Gregg Satterlee | Indiana, PA | $1,000 |
| 19 | 11 | 12J | Jason Jameson | Lawrenceburg, IN | $1,000 |
| 20 | 14 | 32S | Chad Stapleton | Edinburgh, IN | $1,000 |
| 21 | 6 | 1Gk | Ryan King | Seymour, TN | $1,000 |
| 22 | 10 | 66c | Matt Cosner | Ridgeley, WV | $1,000 |
| 23 | 20 | 11H | Austin Hubbard | Bridgeville, DE | $1,000 |
| 24 | 17 | 942 | Terry Casey | New London, WI | $1,000 |
| 25 | 12 | 25B | Mike Benedum | Salem, WV | $1,000 |
| 26 | 25 | 48 | Colton Flinner | Allison Park, PA | $1,000 |
