Spencer Davis Holds Off Conner Jones For Night #2 Pro Late Model Win at New Smyrna

Night #2 of Pro Late Model racing at the 59th World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway came down to the wire, as Spencer Davis held off Conner Jones for the victory on Saturday night.

Davis took the lead from Max Reaves on lap 17 of the 50-lap feature. While the Georgia driver led the rest of the way, it was not without immense pressure from Jones. Both Davis and Jones are former Pro Late Model champions during the World Series of Asphalt, and the two champions battled nose-to-tail over the closing laps.

When the checkered flag fell, Davis finished just .121 seconds ahead of Jones for his fourth Pro Late Model victory and sixth overall win in the staple of Florida Speedweeks. The veteran Davis offered his praise of the younger Jones after the race.

"That boy right there has matured since he's 18 now," said Davis in victory lane. "It happened quick overnight for him. Conner's been racing clean this week. I was hoping he'd continue that trend.

Davis admitted his car faded near the end of the 50-lap race, but there was still plenty of speed in the No. 96 for Ben Kennedy Racing to hold on for the win.

"We weren't as good there at the end of the race. We faded a little bit. Perseverance paid off. He laid it to me, but I would have done the same thing to him. That's respectable right there. This Ben Kennedy Racing Surf USA Mobile 96 Chevrolet was on rails tonight. We couldn't be stopped. First of many for Mr. Ben."

One night after losing a victory in post-race technical inspection regarding a carburetor discrepancy, Jones was on the verge of another win early in the nine nights of racing during the World Series. Despite the desire to score that win, the Virginia racer acknowledged the importance of keeping both his and Davis' car in one piece early in the week.

"You just don't want to tear up two good race cars," said Jones. "We're probably two of the best race cars in the field. Just don't want to tear them up. No point in racing like that early in the week. We're going for a championship, we've got a championship to win. We're set forward on doing it."

Jade Avedisian, the dirt racing standout who has joined the Wilson Motorsports stable for an expanded pavement racing schedule in 2025, finished third. It was an impressive finish after a 14th-place qualifying effort.

"Obviously, we didn't have the qualifying run we wanted to," said Avedisian. "That's just part of learning. Just getting acclimated to everyone on the team here. Hats off to everyone at Wilson [Motorsports], they do a phenomenal job.

"I want to win so bad. I feel like I'm close. I just need to pick up a few things, get track position early on, just go out and race. I'm excited for the rest of the week."

Cole Robie finished fourth, with Hunter Wright rounding out the top five. Unofficially, Wright leads Brody Monahan by 10 points after two Pro Late Model races for the World Series title, as Monahan finished sixth on Saturday.

The Pro Late Models will be back on track on Sunday, February 9 with a 35-lap feature. The David Rogers Super Late Models, 602 Modifieds and Florida Modifieds are also part of the "Super Sunday" racing program for Night #3 of the World Series.

-Photo credit: Jason Reasin/Ben Kennedy Racing

Pro Late Model 50 Unofficial Results