ROSSBURG, Ohio — In taking the checkered flag after dominating the second half of Saturday's 52nd annual World 100 at Eldora Speedway, Jonathan Davenport made sure everyone knew how many times he's won Dirt Late Model racing's most prestigious event.

His right hand grabbing the steering wheel that he'd shortly be hoisting in victory lane, the 38-year-old Blairsville, Ga., driver thrust his orange-gloved left hand out the window with four fingers and a thumb extended.

Gimme five. Five World 100s. Five in eight years. And just one World 100 victory shy of the all-time leader Billy Moyer, the Batesville, Ark., Hall of Famer who won his six globe trophies over 20 seasons, including his last at the age of 52.

In catching his breath amid a litany of thank-yous, explanations and tributes in victory lane, Davenport said what's becoming obvious, particularly to runner-up Brandon Overton and the rest of the sport's best drivers trying to catch him at Eldora.

“Damn," Davenport said. "I love this place.”

With Davenport's sixth heat victory providing a cruel twist of the knife for his competition by putting him on the pole position, Davenport led 83 of 100 laps, his race in doubt only during 17 middle-stage laps when Overton slipped by on a restart. Davenport repaid the move on a lap-55 restart and ran virtually unchallenged the rest of the way during a season where he owns sport's richest victory (June's Eldora Million at the track he loves so much) and the sport's biggest victory (yet another World 100).

“It's just unbelievable to have my name up there with (four-time winner) Scott (Bloomquist) and Billy (Moyer) or (three-time winner Jeff) Purvis, any of those guys," said the top-ranked Davenport, adding that the night could only have been better by having all his family on hand. "I was not expecting this at all and I'm sure a mom and dad wouldn't either, but I love y'all. Brothers and sisters and everybody, just thanks for all the sacrifices getting me here. ... I really appreciate everything.”

VIDEO: Watch highlights from the 52nd World 100 at Eldora Speedway.

Overton, comforted by a his rich consolation prize of his $128,000 Dream victory on Wednesday in the conclusion of a race halted by rain in June, finished 5.479 seconds behind at the finish with Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., in third while again falling short of his first major victory at Eldora (he was second in Wednesday's Dream after leading most of the way). Longhorn Chassis house car driver and 2018 World 100 winner Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., was fourth with Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., rounding out the top five finishers in a caution-plagued race where 15 of 28 starters were running at the finish.

Overton's lap-38 pass provided some drama in a race where it appeared Davenport might cruise all 100 laps as he did during a stretch of three consecutive crown jewel victories last month, but when Davenport slipped back ahead in turn two, edging up to steal Overton's groove, the drama was virtually over. Davenport built leads of more than three seconds while turning the fastest laps at the track he loves more than any other.

"I don't know what it is about this place, but I just love it," Davenport said. "I've just got a feel that I want here. Ever since I figured out what I need with my race car, it's just helped me learn even more. And the long laps around the top and around the bottom and around the middle, you know, me and Overton run about the same line around this place, so it was definitely going to be hard to pass him if it wasn’t on a restart.”

Davenport's car improved the longer the race went on, he said.

“We wasn’t great to start off with and I kind of didn't think we would be just right. But then as the tires kind of quit, our car got better and better. So I knew — Brandon got by me — that definitely worried me there, so I knew I had to get up on the wheel on a restart," the winner said. "I hope I gave him plenty of room down here. I didn't really go ahead and slide all the way across (the track), but I was just trying to just block a little air and that way I could get back down into turn three first."

Overton admitted in his postrace interview that he "just didn't have nothing for him. It is what it is, congrats to J.D. and them guys. We'll take our second and go on to the house.

"It was fun weekend. Like I said, there's three good cars up here (on the podium) — and there's good cars in the whole field — so to win one and run second, we'll take it. I'm cool with J.D. winning the Worlds if he just keeps giving me the Dreams, you know?"

Madden started seventh and reached the third position on the 14th lap, holding it the rest of the way. He'd have to settle for third after his career-long quest for a major Eldora victory fell one spot shy when Overton overtook him late in Wednesday's Dream.

“We were a little bit off right there at the end of the race. We were just a little bit snug and and those guys I think, I don't know, J.D. had gotten out there and I couldn’t even see him," Madden said. "But Brandon there, he was just kind of making circles just like I was.

"We've done a great job this week. My guy’s have done a great job. We're happy with our finish. We didn't win, but we gotta a good car and we just need a little few things here and there. But for all in all to bring a brand new car up here this week and have the results that we've had all week long it's very pleasing for my time and for Mark (Richards of Rocket Chassis) and says a lot for Rocket.”

The 47-year-old Madden isn't giving up on his Eldora hopes any time soon.

"I want to get a win here. This is my favorite place and I can't wait (for) those two times, two weeks out of the year that we get to come up here and do this," he said. "It’s just like I said, my favorite time and I get really pumped up and put a lot into it, and a lot into my program to come up here and try to get that win. We thought we had it done this week, but it didn’t happen. But overall, we're gonna get us one before we get too old. We've got a lot (of racing) left."

Nine cautions slowed the World 100 action, the most serious for a scramble among backmarkers in turn two after the lap-18 restart in turn two that damaged several cars and knocked Mason Zeigler, Stormy Scott, Spencer Hughes and Chris Ferguson out of the race.

The first caution blinked on after 17 laps were complete when a piece of the Spencer Hughes car ended up on the track at the end of the frontstretch after passing through the right side of Davenport’s cockpit. Other cautions flew for slowdowns for Scott Bloomquist (laps 28 and 41) Josh Rice (lap 35), Shannon Babb (lap 38) and Kyle Strickler (lap 66).

Garrett Smith, like Rice a first-time World 100 starter, spun in turn three on the 55th lap, retiring with right-front damage and Kyle Bronson got into the wall on lap 57 to draw another quick yellow.

Two of the restarts proved key, but otherwise the slowdowns didn't make any difference to Davenport, who was soaking everything in while he ringed the track built by Earl Baltes and now owned by Tony Stewart.

"To see all these people, basically all the way around (the track), you can feel the electricity in this place. It’s badass," he said. "I love coming here.”

Notes: Davenport in victory lane dedicated the victory to the Langston family, who lost their 18-year-old daughter in a recent automobile accident. Matt Langston is a longtime employee of Longhorn Chassis who has worked closely with Davenport. “I know it's been a tough week for y’all, but we're here for you," he said in victory lane. "She was riding with me every bit of the way.” ... Along with five World 100 victories, Davenport has three other major race victories: the 2015 Dream, 2020's Intercontinental (a replacement race for the World 100 during the a Covid-restricted season) and June's Eldora Million, which paid $1,002,002. ... Davenport has 20 victories overall in 2022, eight paying $50,000 or more.