NEW RICHMOND, Wis. – Classic Rock band Guns N’ Roses said it best, “All we need is just a little patience.”
Jonathan Davenport stayed patient Saturday night, surviving a war of attrition to win the 34th annual USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisconsin for the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models.
The Blairsville, Georgia driver found momentum on a lap 89 restart, thundering to the bottom of the track, and muscling his way in front of Kyle Bronson to take the lead. From there, Davenport couldn’t be touched, claiming the $50,000 prize for a second time.
Davenport said he needed things to break the right way to make his move past Bronson.
“If I could ever get a…run on (Bronson), I was going to try and go ahead and slide him,” Davenport said after recording his eighth career series victory. “I knew I was just a little bit better off the cushion than he was, and he was pretty much married to it, and his quarter panel tore off.
“He did a hell of a job. I was just in the right place at the right time and just got to break his momentum.”
Bronson looked like the man to beat for most of the race, leading more than 80 Laps. He powered past Ashton Winger on the cushion on lap 3 and pulled away. The Brandon, Florida driver led until that lap 89 restart when Davenport got by. Soon after, things went south as Bronson jumped the cushion, ending his night early.
“It’s a mistake by my part, really, and it sucks, but that’s the way it goes,” Bronson said. “When (Davenport) got by me, I was just giving her all she got, and we pulled the left tire off the wheel.”
Davenport’s ascension toward the front showed off his ability to adapt from his 11th starting position. He picked off cars one by one before finally getting the shot at Bronson he needed to claim the victory.
“Depending on what car was in front of you was where you had to run,” Davenport said. “I was trying to be really patient through the middle of the race, and I didn’t know if I had that good of a car because there were times I couldn’t keep up with the guy in front of me.
“I stayed patient and just wanted to have the best tires at the end.”
Davenport wasn’t the only driver who was patient throughout the 100-lap feature. Evans, Georgia’s Brandon Overton methodically worked his way into second in the end, taking advantage as cars in front had either flat tires or damage.
“There was a lot of guys in front of us that wasn’t going to do too much giving,” Overton said. “I kind of hovered around between the seventh and 10th spot the whole time and never could really get going.
“I just kept my car from getting as beat up as I could, and nobody hit me in the front end, and I was just lucky to run second.”
Ashton Winger rounded out an all-Georgia podium, but the Senoia, Georgia driver faced some adversity on the way to a third-place finish.
“When I went to the top, I lost a mud cover, so the right rear was packed full of mud,” Winger said. “We were vibrating our teeth out for 80 laps, but the car was good, and I think Davenport definitely should’ve won. He was just a little better than me.”
Jason Feger finished in fourth, with Brandon Sheppard in fifth.
The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models returns to action on Thursday, August 19, at the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York. For more information, visit WorldofOutlaws.com.
WoO Morton Buildings Late Model Series
Cedar Lake Speedway – New Richmond, WI
USA Nationals – August 7, 2021
1. 49-Jonathan Davenport
2. 76-Brandon Overton
3. 12-Ashton Winger
4. 25-Jason Feger
5. 1-Brandon Sheppard
6. 111V-Max Blair
7. 32-Bobby Pierce
8. 0-Nick Hoffman
9. 16-Tyler Bruening
10. 99JR-Frank Heckenast, Jr.
11. 97-Cade Dillard
12. 40B-Kyle Bronson
13. 7-Ricky Weiss
14. 44-Chris Madden
15. 20-Jimmy Owens
16. 59-Garrett Alberson
17. 49T-Jake Timm
18. 10C-A.J. Diemel
19. 28-Dennis Erb, Jr.
20. 55C-Chad Mahder
21. 11-Gordy Gundaker
22. 74-Mitch McGrath
23. 28M-Jimmy Mars
24. 25S-Chad Simpson
25. 18-Shannon Babb
26. 18C-Chase Junghans
27. B1-Brent Larson
