Davenport captures World 100

ROSSBURG - Jonathan Davenport entered World 100 weekend at Eldora Speedway as one of the favorites to take home the famed globed trophy and the $48,000 top prize.

Davenport shook off lackluster efforts in the preliminary features, charged from 18th starting position in the main event, took the lead from Jared Landers on lap 66 and pulled away for his first win in dirt late model racing's biggest event.

"How about coming from 18th?" Davenport asked the overflow crowd estimated at more than 25,000. "This thing started circling on that bottom and I knew we were going to have a race car then. I just kept circling that bottom and circling that bottom and when the track cleaned up, I knew it was time for me to go to the top. I love this place and I love this car. I had great horsepower as well."

Davenport, of Blairsville, Ga., caught Landers in lapped traffic and then the duo swapped the lead several times from laps 60-65 before Davenport cleared Landers on lap 66 and then gradually pulled away to win by nearly a half lap. Landers eventually slipped back and finishe fourth.

"The car was great and the tires didn't give up. I just slowed down to the pace of lapped cars and that allowed Davenport to catch me," Landers said. "He had the best car and I don't know if I could have held him off but I am disappointed in myself to lead that much and then get passed because I wasn't aggressive enough."

Eighteen year-old Bobby Pierce ran in the top five throughout the 100-lap main event and eventually worked his way to a second place finish, matching his top finish at Eldora in July in his NASCAR debut at the Camping World Truck Series Mudsummer Classic.

"It's great to run up here with these guys and finish second but I really wanted to win this thing for Illinois," Pierce said, referring to the fact a driver from Illinois has never won the World 100. "Congrats to Davenport. He had the best car and has really been fast all year."

Davenport was ruled the winner of the Late Model Dream in June when Scott Bloomquist failed to make the minimum weight requirement. Many expected a Davenport/Bloomquist duel again. The duo battled briefly when Davenport passed Bloomquist for second just past the halfway point.

Bloomquist, the defending and four-time World 100 winner, started the race on the pole after winning a thrilling sixth heat race with a third-to-first move that seemed to be in line to make amends for the June disqualification. But Bloomquist dropped behind Landers at the start and never seriously challenged for the lead and had to settle for third.

"We were just a little too tight all weekend and then we loosened it up for the heat race and the car really turned well and I really felt like we had something for the 100 lapper," Bloomquist said. "We just got it a little too loose and I couldn't be as aggressive as I would have liked to have been."

Steve Francis, the 1999 World 100 winner, completed the top five, while Dale McDowell, Chris Madden, Shane Clanton, Jimmy Mars and Mike Marlar completed the top 10.

Earl Pearson, Jr. and Billy Moyer joined Landers, Bloomquist, Madden and Pierce as heat race winners. Marlar and Don O'Neal won the two B-mains.

Despite being named the winner of the Dream, Davenport came to Eldora determined to win a major Eldora event on the track.

"Scott did his job a little better than I did that last time," Davenport said. "This time I feel like I did mine a little better. He is the best that has ever driven one of these cars and we have a good, friendly rivalry going and I think the fans really enjoy it."

Davenport becomes just the third person to win both the Dream and the World 100 in the same season, joining Donnie Moran, who did it twice (1996 and 1998) and Billy Moyer (2010). He also now joins a fraternity of seven who have won both the Dream and World 100 in their career.

Duane Chamberlain, driving for St. Henry's Bill Dues, and Matt Westfall, driving for St. Marys-based Best Performance Motorsports team, both failed to qualify for the main event.

Earlier Saturday afternoon, Billy Moyer and Brandon Sheppard collected preliminary feature wins. The twin 25-lap main events had been postponed by rain on Friday evening.

Next up at Eldora is the 34th Annual Four Crown Nationals. The World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds are featured on Sept. 25. The USAC National Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown tours are showcased on Sept. 26.