Gamble: Jonathan Davenport can ‘check that one off’ after winning elusive Firecracker 100
There aren’t many major events left for Super Dirt Late Model star Jonathan Davenport to check off his career list, but the Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway had remained elusive.
That changed Saturday night when the Blairsville, Ga., native conquered the 100-lap main event, earning $50,000 and his 88th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory.
“Check that one off, finally. I’ve had this one circled for a while,” Davenport said in victory lane. “Thanks to all y’all fans for coming out here. This was awesome. My car was really, really good there.”
For Davenport, the victory held personal significance.
“I’m really fortunate to be standing here, finally. This one’s eluded me for a long time,” he said. “I’ve always loved this place. It’s super slick, real technical and tough to get around.”
He also paid tribute to late dirt legend Scott Bloomquist, a three-time Firecracker winner.
“When I was out there leading, I thought about Scott,” Davenport reflected. “He was so good through the middle here and at Eldora, too. That man taught me a lot. We all miss him.”
Originally scheduled over three nights, the event was condensed into a single-day show after rain washed out both preliminaries. Despite the format shakeup, Davenport showed dominant form, leading all but two laps of the 19th running of the Firecracker.
Only Ricky Thornton Jr., the pole-sitter and last year’s winner, and Max Blair posed serious threats. Thornton led the opening lap and again momentarily surged ahead on Lap 85, but Davenport swiftly reclaimed the lead.
Davenport’s victory didn’t come without drama. On Lap 84, Blair made slight contact with Davenport’s left-rear in Turn Four. Moments later, Thornton, while charging forward, hit the infield berm and then clipped Davenport’s left front.
The contact misaligned the steering rack, forcing Davenport to fight through the final 15 laps.
“My steering rack was out by about a quarter turn, I could hardly turn it,” he said. “It was all gas and brake and trying not to spin the tires. I couldn’t steer at all. Thank goodness we held on.”
Mason Zeigler took a gamble by bringing both his Super Late Model and RUSH Late Model to the track, despite being short on crew for the condensed one-day show. The decision to go home and bring the Super Late proved worthwhile: he finished fifth in the Firecracker 100 and won the $20,000 Bill Emig Memorial RUSH Late Model Series feature after midnight.
The annual 50-lap event honors Bill Emig, the late car owner and father of RUSH Series director Vicki Emig. From 1969 to 1990, Emig’s cars amassed over 300 feature wins and multiple championships. This year’s edition broke records, drawing 62 cars from seven states and Canada.
Seven other drivers pulled double-duty with Zeigler: Charlie Sandercock, Brayton Santee, Logan Zarin, Brock Pinkerous, Michael Norris, Alex Ferree and Blair.
- Thornton set the overall fast time in Lucas Oil qualifying, followed by Devin Moran and teenage upstart Brock Pinkerous, who impressed with third.
- Michael Norris, Lernerville’s 2024 point champion, won his heat and transferred to the feature along with Colton Flinner.
- Points leader Ken Schaltenbrand used the track provisional to start last and finished 21st, the highest among Lernerville drivers.
- 70-year-old Hall of Famer Gary Stuhler wowed fans by finishing second in his B-main to qualify for the A-main.
- Veteran Chub Frank also transferred through his B-main.
The racing community mourns the passing of Dave Dragovich, longtime columnist for “Area Auto Racing News,” who died at age 76 after a brief illness. A former racer himself, Dave lived in Munhall, Pa., before relocating to Florida with his wife, Beth.
“Dave loved interviewing and writing about drivers to give them recognition,” Beth shared. “He was a race fan first, then became a driver, and eventually a car owner.
Friday – Lernerville Speedway presents Holiday Races with FIREWORKS, sponsored by #1 Cochran Automotive, and celebrates Fan Appreciation Night.
Sunday, June 29– Sharon Speedway hosts the Walk for Willies World program supporting Autism Awareness.
Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle
