The million dollar race winner from a season ago in Jonathan Davenport started his follow-up year off in the same place we saw him so frequently in 2022.
The driver of the No. 49 Longhorn Chassis late model made the trip to victory lane in the first national race of the 2023 racing season.
“You can’t win them all if you don’t win the first one,” Davenport said in his victory lane interview on FloRacing.
Davenport, who collected over $2 million in race winnings last year, takes home $10,000 for the victory in Night 1 of the Wild West Shootout at Vado Speedway Park.
The event serves as somewhat of a spring training or preseason week of racing before national tours kick off with the World of Outlaws’ Sunshine Nationals.
With six days of racing across nine days, Davenport can win a $25,000 bonus with three more wins, $100,000 with four, and $300,000 if he can sweep the week in New Mexico.
Brandon Sheppard and Ricky Weiss rounded out podium spots on the night.
Sheppard told FloRacing he was tickled to run so well in his first night racing a Longhorn Chassis.
Weiss spoiled what could have been a Longhorn podium using his self-owned Sniper Chassis, finishing in front of Cade Dillard (Black Diamond) and Kyle Larson.
Bobby Pierce led more than half of the race’s laps, but after a late caution, Pierce found his car get loose and lost his top spot and turned in a P13.
Drivers and teams will return to the track on Sunday for Night 2 of the Wild West Shootout, with hot laps scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CT and the broadcast again on FloRacing.
Wild West Shootout Night 1 Results
Vado Speedway Park
Saturday, January 7
1. Jonathan Davenport
2. Brandon Sheppard
3. Ricky Weiss
4. Cade Dillard
5. Kyle Larson
6. Stormy Scott
7. Tyler Erb
8. Mike Marlar
9. Garrett Alberson
10. Chris Simpson
11. Billy Moyer Sr.
12. Johnny Scott
13. Bobby Pierce
14. Jake Timm
15. Terry Phillips
16. Justin Duty
17. Rusty Schlenk
18. Clayton Stuckey
19. Don Shaw
20. Kyle Beard
21. Morgan Bagley
22. Tad Pospisil
23. Collen Winebarger
24. Dustin Sorensen
25. Rodney Sanders
