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Oglethorpe Speedway Park News Release: Contact – RANDALL JENKINS – 912-964-8200 or 912-308-0727
December 3, 2016
SUPERMAN DAVENPORT SOARS TO SHOWDOWN IN SAVANNAH WIN AT OSP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SAVANNAH, GA – Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA has found a familiar comfortable and winning seat since returning to the Barry Wright Race Cars “house car” and picked up another big win on Saturday night in the 19th Annual Showdown In Savannah at Oglethorpe Speedway Park. The driver known as Superman took the lead on lap 49 and then led the remaining 27 laps.
Davenport took the lead on lap 49 when early race leader Travis Pennington of Stapleton, GA 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 win in the 19th Annual Showdown In Savannah, 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 the Barry Wright car to a $20,000 win on Thanksgiving weekend in Swainsboro, GA.
Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL fell one spot short of capturing his second Showdown In Savannah win coming home in the second spot. The Fastrak Pro Late Model Series World Champion Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC finished third, and fourth went to Ben Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA.
Jason Fitzgerald of Middleburg, FL charged from the 19th starting spot to finish fifth, and Russell Brown took the sixth spot. Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL started ninth, hustled up to as high as third spot, but faded late in the race to come home in the seventh spot. B-Main winner Robbie Cowart came from the 21st starting spot to finish eighth.
The Fastrak Southeastern Region and Mid-Ohio Valley Region Champion Cla Knight of North Augusta, SC took the ninth spot, and the 2015 Showdown In Savannah winner Cecil Eunice of Blackshear, GA rounded out the top ten.
In Friday night preliminary action, Hunter Carter of Blackshear, GA 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 the 75-lap 19th Annual Showdown In Savannah 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 was heads up on 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.
The new leader 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.
On the lap 49 restart, Faircloth got by Bronson for the third spot. On lap 63, Franklin was able to pass Bronson for fourth. Rambo wasn’t done, as he powered by Faircloth for the third spot on lap 67. Fitzgerald completed his charge from 19th to fifth on lap 71 when he got by a fading Bronson. Davenport took the checkered flag with a 1.682 second margin of victory over Whitener.
Oglethorpe Speedway Park is located Northwest of Savannah, GA at 200 Jesup Road, Pooler, GA 31322, or three miles east of I-95 at Exit 102 on U.S. Highway 80. For more information call 912-964-8200, or visit them online at www.ospracing.net. You can also like their Facebook page at Oglethorpe Speedway Park.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE 19TH ANNUAL SHOWDOWN IN SAVANNAH AT OGLETHORPE SPEEDWAY PARK IN SAVANNAH, GA ON 12/3/16:
POS START CAR# DRIVER LAPS
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
ENTRIES: 29
FAST QUALIFIER: Carter, 20.331 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Drawdy, Eigner, and Crane
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Pennington, 1-48; Davenport, 49-75
LAPS LED: Pennington, 48; Davenport, 27
CAUTIONS: 9
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.682 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 1 Hour, 4 Minutes and 51.954 Seconds
GROUP QUALIFYING:
GROUP 1:
POS CAR # DRIVER TIME
1. 01 Travis Pennington 21.222
2. 22 Cecil Eunice 21.224
3. 57 Keith Tuten 21.412
4. 40b Kyle Bronson 21.424
5. 4m Stanton Mills 21.648
6. 16 Casey Barrow 22.397
7. 12 Eric Register 22.406
8. 99 Larry Drawdy Jr. 23.301
GROUP 2:
POS CAR # DRIVER TIME
1. 42 Cla Knight 20.582
2. 49 Jonathan Davenport 20.820
3. 18 Ben Faircloth 20.953
4. 10c Ryan Crane 21.158
5. 28 Donnie Bazemore Jr. 21.505
6. 15 Colby Jenerette 21.794
7. 44 Eddie Morris 22.105
GROUP 3:
POS CAR # DRIVER TIME
1. 2 Dennis Franklin 20.658
2. 48 Robert Diekemper 20.789
3. 5w Mark Whitener 20.874
4. J1 Joshua Bishop 20.937
5. C2 Jason Fitzgerald 21.345
6. 8 Wayne Harbin 22.172
7. 33 Tommy Gandy 22.743
GROUP 4:
POS CAR # DRIVER TIME
1. 52 Hunter Carter 20.331
2. 00 Russell Brown 20.697
3. G4 Garrett Shurling 20.820
4. 11 Brandon Yawn 21.080
5. 24 Robbie Cowart 21.459
6. 02 Jordan Feider 21.486
7. 5 Tom Eigner 22.359
HEAT RACES (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer To Main Event):
1ST HEAT: 1. Pennington; 2. Eunice; 3. Bronson; 4. Barrow; 5. Tuten; 6. Mills; 7. Drawdy; 8. Register.
2ND HEAT: 1. Davenport; 2. Faircloth; 3. Knight; 4. Bazemore; 5. Jenerette; 6. Morris; 7. Crane.
3RD HEAT: 1. Franklin; 2. Whitener; 3. Diekemper; 4. Bishop; 5. Fitzgerald; 6. Harbin; 7. Gandy.
4TH HEAT: 1. Carter; 2. Brown; 3. Feider; 4. Yawn; 5. Shurling; 6. Cowart; 7. Eigner.
B-MAIN (10 Laps – Top 2 Transfer To Main Event): 1. Cowart; 2. Morris; 3. Eigner; 4. Harbin; 5. Crane; 6. Drawdy; 7. Mills; 8. Gandy DNS; 9. Register DNS.
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