The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will provide six nights of exciting competition as the next round of the 43rd annual Winternationals will get underway on Monday, February 4.
The series moves into town after a pair of season-opening races at Golden Isles Speedway. Florida’s Earl Pearson Jr. comes into East Bay with the series lead after capturing the Saturday night event. Tyler Erb scored the opener, which was moved from Friday night to Saturday afternoon due to weather.
Neither driver was able to secure a win in last year’s visit to the Clay by the Bay. Both managed a pair of top five finishes through the six nights of competition. Pearson’s best run was a third-place finish on opening night while Erb had fifth place efforts on nights #2 and #4.
Last year’s events saw the field top 50 cars for the first time in seven years with the car count eventually reaching 54.
The 2018 visit of the series started rocky when the scheduled Sunday practice was scrapped due to weather. On night #1, it took a last lap pass to get Brandon Sheppard to Victory Lane. The following night, Jonathan Davenport chalked up the victory leading from start to finish. Davenport held the late race lead despite the best efforts of Brandon Overton. The following night would be vindication for Overton, who grabbed the lead on lap 25 for his first East Bay win.
With the fourth night of competition, the first repeat winner surfaced as Sheppard backed up his Monday win, despite starting deep in the field. His work saw the 21st place start matter not as he grabbed the point on lap 21 for the second win of the week. Not to be outdone, Davenport became a two-time winner on the following night, locked in a late race battle with Josh Richards that saw the lead change hands numerous times.
The 2018 Saturday finale gave local racer Kyle Bronson his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory and his biggest payday of $12,000. Bronson was the last of six different leaders that held a share of the top spot through the race.
Davenport would go on to win the 2018 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points championship. His 2019 run in Georgia has resulted in a second-place finish behind Pearson on Saturday night after a third-place effort in the earlier main, putting him a good position to contend once again.
Race time for the six nights of action is 7 p.m.