Jonathan Davenport Wins Modoc 100 After Late Bobby Pierce Charge

Jonathan Davenport turned a seventh-place starting spot into victory in the 60-lap Modoc 100 at Modoc Speedway in South Carolina. Bobby Pierce mounted the race’s strongest late charge, climbing from the rear of the field to second before a problem ended his run with four laps remaining. Ryan Gustin finished second, ahead of Hudson O’Neal.

The result came after an eventful lead battle. Tyler Erb took the early advantage from the outside of the front row, but Cody Overton passed him on lap 14. Overton’s lead lasted only three laps: he broke away from the front, struck the outside wall and headed to the hauler after a tire failure. Davenport inherited the lead after passing Erb on lap 20.

Davenport holds off the late pressure

Davenport controlled the closing stages, but the contest behind him kept changing. Gustin moved into second after the restart following a lap-24 caution. Pierce, who started 21st, worked his way forward and passed Gustin for second on lap 50. Five laps later, he was on Davenport’s bumper and within reach of the lead.

Pierce’s bid ended on lap 56 when he slowed from second, bringing out another caution and requiring a push to the hauler. Davenport led through the middle of the track after the restart. Gustin ran close behind, but his final-lap charge came up short after he struck the wall and threw sparks. Davenport crossed the line first.

Gustin took second, with O’Neal third. Trey Mills finished fourth and Nick Hoffman fifth. Erb, who started on the front row and led early, ended the night eighth. Overton, the pole starter and early leader, was classified 26th.

Modoc 100 feature results

World of Outlaws Late Model Feature, 60 laps. Starting positions appear in brackets.

1. Jonathan Davenport [7]
2. Ryan Gustin [4]
3. Hudson O’Neal [3]
4. Trey Mills [9]
5. Nick Hoffman [5]
6. Tim McCreadie [8]
7. Ross Bailes [14]
8. Tyler Erb [2]
9. Luke Morey [20]
10. Ethan Dotson [17]
11. Carson Ferguson [11]
12. Dennis Erb Jr. [23]
13. Chris Ferguson [15]
14. Garrett Smith [25]
15. Logan Zarin [26]
16. Dustin Sorensen [10]
17. Daulton Wilson [12]
18. Bobby Pierce [21]
19. Mike Marlar [6]
20. Tristan Chamberlain [24]
21. Chris Madden [13]
22. Brandon Overton [18]
23. Eli Johnson [16]
24. Ethan Wilson [22]
25. Kyle Strickler [19]
26. Cody Overton [1]

Qualifying and preliminary races

Cody Overton set the pace in Group A qualifying with a 16.771-second lap. Pierce was second at 16.815, followed by McCreadie at 16.890. Davenport led Group B with a 16.834, ahead of Gustin at 16.933 and Erb at 16.965. In hot laps, Chris Ferguson posted the fastest time, 16.605 seconds; Nick Hoffman was next at 16.627.

Overton, McCreadie, Mills and Chris Madden took the top four spots in the first eight-lap heat. O’Neal won Heat 2, with Hoffman and Carson Ferguson completing the top three. Erb won Heat 3 ahead of Davenport, while Gustin led Heat 4 over Marlar.

Ethan Dotson won the first 10-lap Last Chance Showdown. Strickler finished second, and Pierce claimed the third transfer spot after starting tenth. Brandon Overton won the second Last Chance Showdown, followed by Luke Morey and Ethan Wilson.

Earlier session times

Hot-lap order included Chris Ferguson (16.605), Nick Hoffman (16.627), Tim McCreadie (16.697), Davenport (16.713), Mills (16.744), Carson Ferguson (16.771), Cody Overton (16.801), Erb (16.847), Garrett Smith (16.908) and Pierce (16.935).

Group A’s remaining qualifiers were Hudson O’Neal (16.982), Mills (17.008), Carson Ferguson (17.092), Madden (17.116), Hoffman (17.128), Dotson (17.158), Chris Ferguson (17.203), Kyle Strickler (17.264), Michael Brown (17.273), Logan Zarin (17.336), Garrett Smith (17.385), Griffin Smith (17.545), Callan Hill (17.779), Brent Robinson (17.844), Dennis Erb Jr. (17.878), and Cla Knight (17.883).

Group B’s other times were Mike Marlar (17.028), Ross Bailes (17.226), Daulton Wilson (17.312), Dustin Sorensen (17.349), Willie Milliken and Brandon Overton (17.366), Tristan Chamberlain (17.367), Luke Morey (17.403), Eli Johnson (17.442), Brent Larson (17.595), Cameron Tribble (17.698), Ben Watkins (17.808), Ethan Wilson and Hunter Kohn (17.862), Billy Rushton (18.026), and Lance Brasington (18.453).

The full hot-lap order continued with Griffin Smith (16.970), Madden (17.016), Bailes (17.032), Dennis Erb Jr. (17.100), O’Neal (17.108), Dotson (17.199), Michael Brown (17.204), Chamberlain (17.206), Knight (17.214), Strickler (17.346), Brandon Overton (17.347), Marlar (17.364), Morey (17.369), Hill (17.379), Ethan Wilson (17.433), Sorensen (17.448), Zarin (17.461), Watkins (17.477), Milliken (17.491), Tribble (17.526), Daulton Wilson (17.529), Johnson (17.640), Rushton (17.794), Kohn (17.830), Larson (17.881), Brycen Fleming (17.947), and Lance Brasington, Robinson and Gustin (18.206).

For track information, visit Modoc Speedway or World of Outlaws. The previous night’s results are available for Oct. 23.