7/4
Knoxville Raceway
WoO and 360s
53 410s
39 360s
410s
Terry McCarl (35th car to time) stopped the clock at 15.471 seconds for quick time. This was impressive as the times got slower as qualifications went on. Paul McMahan (3rd car out) was second quick, followed by Danny Lasoski (9th), Tim Shaffer (6th), Jason Sides (2nd), Sammy Swindell (45th), Randy Hannagan (24th), Joey Saldana (25th), Kraig Kinser (10th) and Adam Clarke (7th). Marty Perovich scratched for the night before time trials. Ricky Logan would have qualified in the top ten, but had to take one lap at the end of qualifications, after his rear end gears were installed upside down. Motor problems relegated Clint Garner to the slowest clocking of the night.
Heat one (started): 1. Logan 17G (2) 2. Daryn Pittman 21 (1) 3. Johnny Herrera 2w (9) 4. Saldana 17 (5) 5. Lynton Jeffrey 4K (7) / 6. K. Kinser 11K (4) 7. Justin Henderson R19 (11) 8. Randy Anderson 1s (8) 9. Greg Jones 35 (13) 10. Travis Cram 92 (10) 11. Brian Carlson 18 (12) 12. Calvin Landis 70 (3) 13. McCarl 24 (6) DNS - Perovich 12
I don't know how many cars it takes to run five heats, but looks like 53 isn't enough for the WoO. After the initial start was called back, the next try ended in disaster for the night's quick timer. Saldana ran Landis out of formation on the frontstretch, sending him bounding towards McCarl who made heavy contact with both Landis and the wall. Both cars sustained significant damage. McCarl paid a visit to Saldana in the work area. Landis was done for the night, while McCarl's crew received some aid in getting the car ready for the B. The third try was a charm, and Pittman set sail. Logan was working well on the high side and passed him for the lead on lap two. Carlson exited on lap three. Cram broke a rear axle and flipped on lap four. The restart saw Logan leading Pittman, Saldana, a surging Herrera and K. Kinser. Jeffrey used the restart to work the bottom to perfection, passing K. Kinser for the final transfer and came inches from getting by Saldana at the line.
Heat two (started): 1. Kevin Frey 2K (2) 2. Colin Northway 60 (9) 3. Randy Hannagan 1x (5) 4. Brian Brown 6 (7) 5. Clarke 14 (4) / 6. Derek Beckman 50D (8) 7. Jon Agan 4 (11) 8. McMahan 11h (6) 9. Scott Young 47 (1) 10. Eddie Leavitt Jr. 1A (10) 11. Robert Bell 71 (12) 12. Brooke Tatnell 66 (3) DNS - Chris Walraven 56
Frey led the distance. McMahan was running second until he stopped with a fuel leakage on lap five. Tatnell bowed out on lap five with motor woes while in a transfer as well. Northway was a rocket from row five and grabbed second from Hannagan on the final circuit. Clarke beat Beckman by a nose for the final transfer.
Heat three (started): 1. Lasoski 20 (6) 2. Danny Wood 15 (2) 3. Brian Paulus 28 (1) 4. Kerry Madsen 82 (4) 5. Jason Meyers 7 (3) / 6. Swindell 1 (5) 7. Mark Kinser 5m (7) 8. Jeff Mitrisin 5J (8) 9. Wayne Johnson 12x (9) 10. Jeremy Campbell 10c (10) 11. Eric Vanderploeg 57a (11) 12. Rob Tvedte 1w (12) 13. Tyler Houseman 50 (13)
This stout field left several heavy hitters in its wake (the B). Paulus shot out to the early lead before being overcome by Wood (subbing for Donny Schatz) on lap three. Lasoski would work under Wood a lap later to take the lead in impressive fashion.
Heat four (started): 1. Steve Kinser 11 (4) 2. Skip Jackson 21x (1) 3. Jaymie Moyle 10 (2) 4. Shaffer 83 (6) 5. Don Droud Jr. 7x (3) / 6. Sides 7s (5) 7. Stevie Smith 19 (8) 8. Jeff Johnson 11J (9) 9. Adam West 20A (10) 10. Clint Garner 55 (11) 11. Mike Moore 69 (12) 12. Bob Bennett 3 (7) DNS - Brent Antill 1J
Jackson dashed out to an early lead with the "King" in tow. S. Kinser took the point on lap five. Shaffer earned fourth with a last corner pass. Bennett exited on the white flag lap.
C main (started): 1. Henderson (1) 2. Moore (2) / 3. Garner (6) 4. Tvedte (7) 5. Bell (4) 6. Jones (8) 7. Houseman (9) 8. Vanderploeg (3) 9. Carlson (5) 10. Walraven (10) DNS - Agan, Antill, Perovich
Henderson led the distance. Vanderploeg followed him until he stopped and exited on lap six. Walraven elected to start at the tail. Carlson exited on lap three.
Dash one (started): 1. S. Kinser (3) 2. Meyers (2) 3. Lasoski (6) 4. Clarke (4) 5. Paulus (8) 6. Hannagan (5) 7. Moyle (7) 8. Frey (1)
S. Kinser glued himself to the bottom and cruised to the win. Lasoski moved up nicely, and Clarke battled with Paulus, earning fourth in turn four, coming for the checkered.
Dash two (started): 1. Logan (2) 2. Madsen (4) 3. Wood (1) 4. Shaffer (6) 5. Pittman (8) 6. Saldana (5) 7. Droud (3) 8. Jackson (8)
Logan was hooked up and hauling. Fellow Knoxville regular Madsen followed him to the stripe.
B main (started): 1. Swindell (4) 2. McMahan (2) 3. Sides (3) 4. McCarl (1) / 5. K. Kinser (5) 6. R. Anderson (8) 7. Mitrisin (10) 8. S. Smith (13) 9. W. Johnson (12) 10. West (16) 11. Bennett (9) 12. Henderson (19) 13. Beckman (11) 14. J. Johnson (15) 15. Young (7) 16. Campbell (17) 17. M. Moore (18) 18. Leavitt (14) 19. Tatnell (6) DNS - M. Kinser, Landis
McMahan led throughout until the white flag lap, when Swindell moved under him in lapped traffic. K. Kinser finished on the nerf bar of McCarl, but could never pose a serious threat for the final transfer. Tatnell exited on lap four.
A main (started): 1. S. Kinser (1) 2. Lasoski (5) 3. Meyers (3) 4. Shaffer (8) 5. Logan (2) 6. Saldana (12) 7. Madsen (4) 8. Pittman (10) 9. McCarl (17) 10. Wood (6) 11. Droud (14) 12. Jackson (16) 13. Moyle (13) 14. Hannagan (11) 15. McMahan (18) 16. Swindell (20) 17. Paulus (9) 18. Herrera (23) 19. Sides (19) 20. Northway (24) 21. Brown (22) 22. Clarke (7) 23. Jeffrey (21) 24. Frey (15)
S. Kinser jumped out to the early lead over Logan and Meyers. Herrera had a fuel nozzle leak on lap four and came to a stop. At the time, S. Kinser led Meyers, Lasoski, Logan and Madsen. Lasoski got by Meyers and worked on S. Kinser in traffic. On lap 18, he performed a nose chopping slider for the lead. S. Kinser got into a sliding Brown, who spun, bringing out a caution and giving the lead back to the "King." He would never surrender the lead again. Logan ran well, but lost a Saturday feature lock to Shaffer with two to go. McCarl earned hard-charger honors, cruising by eight cars en route to ninth. Frey dropped out on lap five, Jeffrey on lap 21.
360s
Heat one (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Steve Breazeale 57 (1*) 2. Josh Higday 24 (6*) 3. Brandon Hainline 4J (3*) 4. Ed Ergenbright 11 (8*) 5. Tom Lenz 8L (5) 6. Brett Golik 5G (7) 7. Doug Wilson 33w (10) 8. Frankie Heimbaugh 6x (4) 9. Alan Zoutte 33 (2) 10. Danny Hutchins F4 (9)
Breazeale led wire to wire. Higday and Ergenbright put on a nice show, with both passing four competitors.
Heat two (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Curtis Thorson 91 (3*) 2. Eric Mason B29 (1*) 3. Chris Martinez 7m (5*) 4. Dave Middleswart 40 (6*) 5. Dave Hall 51 (8) 6. Bruce Williams 8s (9) 7. Steve Wares 10 (10) 8. Rob Edwards 22 (4) 9. Mitchell Alexander 6 (7) 10. Rod Foster 40F (2)
Mason jumped out to an early lead. He battled wheel to wheel with Thorson for about three laps, before Thorson took the point for good.
Heat three (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Jesse Giannetto D1 (4*) 2. Billy Alley 22A (7*) 3. Bobby Mincer 15 (1*) 4. Michael Jones 12 (8*) 5. Terry Alexander 77 (5) 6. DJ Heskin 56 (10) 7. Ryan Anderson 71R (2) 8. Stacey Alexander 126 (3) 9. Larry Ball Jr. 5J (9) 10. Brett Mather 54 (6)
Mather dropped out early. This stout field was led by bonzai charges by both Giannetto and Alley. Ball looked like he would get by S. Alexander and R. Anderson, when the two collided and collected him on lap six. Both S. Alexander and Ball ended up upside down. Ball was done for the night. Jones benefited from the accident by moving up three spots and earning a transfer.
Heat four (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Joe Beaver 53 (1*) 2. Matt Moro 2 (2*) 3. Mike Houseman 83 (3*) 4. John VanDenBerg V10 (7*) 5. Johnny Anderson 7a (6) 6. Roger Rager 6R (9) 7. Nate Mosher 45 (8) 8. Jerry Crabb 12x (4) 9. Dave Hesmer 1 (5)
Beaver led flag to flag. Crabb drifted up in turn two on the second lap, and Hesmer tagged him, sending them upside down. Hesmer got the worst end of the flipping and both were done for the night. VanDenBerg moved up nicely to gain a transfer.
B main (started): 1. J. Anderson (4) 2. Golik (8) 3. R. Anderson (12) 4. Wilson (9) 5. Rager (5) / 6. S. Alexander (15) 7. D. Hall (1) 8. T. Alexander (7) 9. Wares (10) 10. Mather (19) 11. Heskin (2) 12. Heimbaugh (11) 13. M. Alexander (16) 14. Edwards (14) 15. Zoutte (17) 16. Foster (18) 17. Hutchins (17) 18. Lenz (6) 19. Williams (3) 20. Mosher (11) DNS - Crabb, Ball, Hesmer
The dreaded B main lived up to its reputation. The initial start saw Golik slide into Williams who in turn supplied a right rear for Lenz to launch his mount on. The wild ride ended as the rest did during the evening, without injury. Williams continued sans nose wing. The next attempt saw Mosher spin in the middle of the pack going into turn three. He was T-boned by Williams, who flipped and had a very bad B main. D. Hall and Heskin both had troubles lining up at the chalk line, and Heskin decided the back would be a better place to start. Once underway, the race was pretty good. J. Anderson led the distance, but had to hold off the efforts of Golik the whole way. Wilson got by Rager for fourth. Rager would also transfer to the A when VanDenBerg could not make the call.
A main (started): 1. Moro (2) 2. Beaver (5) 3. Giannetto (12) 4. Jones (1) 5. Ergenbright (6) 6. Higday (10) 7. Wilson (20) 8. Houseman (16) 9. Golik (18) 10. Alley (9) 11. Mincer (13) 12. R. Anderson (17) 13. J. Anderson (15) 14. Thorson (7) 15. Middleswart (14) 16. Rager (19) 17. Martinez (4) 18. Hainline (11) 19. Breazeale (8) 20. Mason (3) DNS - VanDenBerg
VanDenBerg was to be the polesitter, but suffered fuel system problems. Moro took the point, while eyes were on Giannetto and Alley who were charging to the front. On lap two, Mason slapped the backstretch wall and came to a stop. He would retire. At the same time, Breazeale brought his mount pitside. They were running fifth and sixth, respectively. Alley took two spots on the restart, and was up to third on lap ten, when debris on the track caused a yellow. Alley was black-flagged for a broken torsion arm. He would recover from the rear to finish in the top ten. Moro took his second career 360 win (he also has two 410 wins). Wilson was the hard-charger, though impressive runs were put in by Giannetto, Houseman and Golik as well. Next week will see twin features for the 360s.