Johnny Scott (left) and Chris Ferguson (right) were both winners on the weekend in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series competition at Lucas Oil Speedway. Photos: LOLMDS Media
Johnny Scott and Chris Ferguson carried home winner’s hardware from the Memorial Day race weekend in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series over the weekend.
Scott was the winner on Friday, while Ferguson took the victory on Saturday to wrap up the weekend at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri.
On Friday night, Johnny Scott and Jonathan Davenport traded the lead six times during the 40-lap feature, with Scott coming away with the win.
The 32-year-old Las Cruces, New Mexico resident took the lead for good on lap 32 from Davenport and pulled away for the victory. Davenport, from Blairsville, Georgia, finished in second followed by Jimmy Owens in third, Hudson O’Neal in fourth, and Ricky Thornton, Jr. in fifth.
Davenport grabbed the lead at the start of the main event, but a quick caution for Chris Ferguson halted the action with one lap scored. On the restart Davenport led Scott until lap 14 when Scott took his first lead of the race. On lap 16 Davenport bounced back to take the point, but Scott wasn’t done as the two raced through traffic with Scott regaining the lead on lap 18.
Scott’s lead was short-lived as Davenport vaulted back in front on lap 23. It appeared as if Davenport would have clear sailing to the checkers, but Scott changed his line which allowed him to chase down Davenport and pass him for the final time on lap 32. Scott pulled away for a 2.446 second advantage at the finish.
“There towards the end I needed to move my line up in three and four,” said Scott. “It was rough on the bottom, and I couldn’t get through there anymore. I saw JD was getting though the top in three and four pretty good, so I went up there and started reeling him in pretty good. I started diamonding one and two and I just started to hit my marks from there.”
On Saturday, Chris Ferguson emerged from a great battle for the lead to take the win in the Lucas Oil Show-Me 100.
The win was worth $50,000 for the Mt. Holly, North Carolina racer.
With 12 laps to go, the top seven drivers were on the same straightway when Ferguson went to the outside of Jonathan Davenport trying to pass him for the lead. Davenport made contact with Ferguson that sent Davenport spinning, bringing out the caution with 88 laps complete.
On the restart Ferguson, who had started in tenth, pulled away for the win.
Ricky Thornton, Jr. finished in second, with Tim McCreadie in third, Jimmy Owens in fourth, and Chad Simpson in fifth.
“JD got kind of stuck behind those lap cars,” said Ferguson. “I found a groove about a half-car-length out from everybody else. I rolled him (Davenport) in one and two and got door-to-door with him. I think we both got in hot, and we hit a little bit. It knocked the steering wheel out of my hand, but I was able to grab it back and keep the lead and I guess he didn’t make out so well.
“I hated it for him. I think we may have had a little better car than him. That was a heck of a battle. All the people that don’t realize our cars are fast that showed them we are. For a long-time I have dreamed of being at this level. I feel like I can drive good enough to get it done.”
For more information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit LucasDirt.com.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO
Race Results – May 27, 2022
1. 1ST-Johnny Scott
2. 49-Jonathan Davenport
3. 20-Jimmy Owens
4. 71-Hudson O’Neal
5. 20RT-Ricky Thornton, Jr.
6. 89-Ashton Winger
7. 40B-Kyle Bronson
8. 58-Garrett Alberson
9. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh
10. 22F-Chris Ferguson
11. 1-Brandon Sheppard
12. 91P-Jason Papich
13. 25-Chad Simpson
14. 32-Bobby Pierce
15. 0-Scott Bloomquist
16. 46-Earl Pearson, Jr.
17. 39-Tim McCreadie
18. 21-Billy Moyer, Jr.
19. 1S-Jeremy Shaw
20. 15L-Payton Looney
21. 157-Mike Marlar
22. 3S-Brian Shirley
23. 18J-Chase Junghans
24. 18-Shannon Babb
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO
Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 – May 28, 2022
1. 22F-Chris Ferguson
2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr
3. 39-Tim McCreadie
4. 20-Jimmy Owens
5. 25-Chad Simpson
6. 40B-Kyle Bronson
7. 71-Hudson O’Neal
8. 15L-Payton Looney
9. 89-Ashton Winger
10. 0-Scott Bloomquist
11. 58-Garrett Alberson
12. 1-Brandon Sheppard
13. 1T-Tyler Erb
14. 46-Earl Pearson Jr
15. 32S-Chris Simpson
16. 49-Jonathan Davenport
17. 1ST-Johnny Scott
18. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh
19. 11T-Trevor Gundaker
20. 18D-Daulton Wilson
21. 7-Ross Robinson
22. 11-Spencer Hughes
23. 18-Shannon Babb
24. 04-Tad Pospisil
25. 21-Billy Moyer Jr
26. 3S-Brian Shirley
27. 91P-Jason Papich
28. 32-Bobby Pierce
29. 2S-Stormy Scott
30. 97-Cade Dillard
31. 1S-Jeremy Shaw
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