7/10/04 Knoxville Raceway

37 410s

39 360s

410s

Kevin Frey (6th car out to time) set quick time at 16.179 seconds.  Matt Moro (1st car out) was second quick, followed by Terry McCarl (4th), Lynton Jeffrey (27th), Randy Hannagan (5th), Ryan Anderson (14th), Kerry Madsen (8th), Ricky Logan (26th), Don Droud Jr. (21st) and John VanDenBerg (28th).  Tyler Houseman got one sour sounding lap in before retiring pitside for the night.

Heat one (started): 1. Mike Reinke 02 (1) 2. Calvin Landis 70 (2) 3. Droud 83 (4) 4. Hannagan 1x (5) / 5. Jeff Mitrisin 5J (3) 6. Tim St. Arnold 8s (8) 7. Chris Walraven 56 (7) 8. Frey 2K (6) 9. Mark Hurd 44m (9) DNS - Tyler Houseman 50

Reinke led flag to flag.  Droud was driving the Ridge 83 for the first time.  Mitrisin and St. Arnold supplied the best racing for position.  The top four drivers qualified for the A.

Heat two (started): 1. Brent Antill 1 (1) 2. Jesse Giannetto D1 (3) 3. Manny Rockhold 02x (2) 4. Moro 47 (6) / 5. VanDenBerg v10 (4) 6. Clint Garner 40 (8) 7. Jeff Johnson 11J (7) 8. Ry. Anderson 71R (5) 9. Troy Little 20AU (9)

Antill led the duration of the eight lap heat.  Moro made his pass of VanDenBerg for the final transfer on lap four.  VanDenBerg came back with a late charge, but came up short.  Little is utilizing his 372 engine he campaigns in Australia.

Heat three (started): 1. McCarl 24 (6) 2. Jason Johnson 50D (1) 3. Travis Cram 92 (4) 4. Randy Anderson 17G (2) / 5. Colin Northway 60 (3) 6. Jerrol Slinkard 15s (7) 7. Robert Bell 71 (5) DQ - Madsen 55, Mike Moore 69

Madsen and Moore were tardy out of their pitstalls and DQed.  Ja. Johnson took the early lead from the pole.  McCarl was on a mission and took the point on lap six in the non-stop affair.  Ra. Anderson was piloting the 17G vacated by Logan for the first time and held off Northway for the final transfer.

Heat four (started): 1. Skip Jackson 2 (1) 2. Jaymie Moyle 1s (2) 3. Wayne Johnson 14AJ (4) 4. Billy Alley 22 (9) / 5. John Sernett 91 (3) 6. Chad Meyer 1w (7) 7. Jeffrey 10 (6) 8. Logan 7x (5) 9. Greg Jones 35 (8)

Moyle took the early lead on the cushion, while Jackson tucked in beside him low.  The two battled cleanly side by side for eight laps in an entertaining heat race.  Jackson finally took command on the last go-around, after grabbing the lead briefly on lap six.  That came after a lap seven caution for Jeffrey, who smacked the  turn four wall while running fifth.  During the caution, Logan also retired.  The restart behind the lead two was W. Johnson in third, Chad Meyer, who had impressively run into a transfer from the rear, and Sernett.  Alley used the low side to get by both Meyer and Sernett on the green, white, checker finish to nab the final transfer.

B main (started): 1. VanDenBerg (5) 2. Frey (1) 3. Madsen (16) 4. Mitrisin (4) / 5. Northway (7) 6. Sernett (6) 7. Ry. Anderson (3) 8. Meyer (11) 9. Je. Johnson (8) 10. Walraven (9) 11. Little (17) 12. Bell (14) 13. Hurd (12) 14. St. Arnold (10) 15. Garner (13) 16. Logan (2) 17. Jones (15) 18. Houseman (18)

Frey jumped out to an early lead with Logan in his first spin in the McCarl 7x in pursuit.  On lap three, Logan worked under Frey to gain the point.  Three laps later in the 12 lapper, VanDenBerg used the same line to move by Logan.  Just as a lap was complete, Jones got over the cushion and into the wall in turn two.  The restart saw VanDenBerg leading Logan, Frey, Mitrisin and Ry. Anderson back to the green flag.  By lap seven, Madsen had moved from 16th to a transfer spot in fourth.  By lap ten he was third, when Garner flipped in turn four.  He was uninjured.  VanDenBerg held on, while Madsen just about got by Frey at the line.

A main #1 (started): 1. McCarl (2) 2. W. Johnson (6) 3. Giannetto (7) 4. Moro (1) 5. Hannagan (3) 6. Madsen (19) 7. Ra. Anderson (10) 8. Droud (4) 9. Ja. Johnson (14) 10. VanDenBerg (17) 11. Reinke (12) 12. Rockhold (9) 13. Alley (16) 14. Jackson (15) 15. Moyle (11) 16. Mitrisin (20) 17. Antill (13) 18. Cram (5) 19. Frey (18) 20. Landis (8)

 

McCarl wrestled the lead from Moro on the opening lap and led the distance in the 16 lapper.  Jackson spun on lap three bringing out the yellow flag.  Landis came to a stop on the restart and retired to the pits for the night.  At the time, McCarl led Moro, Hannagan, W. Johnson and Droud.  The final stoppage came on lap ten when Cram, who was leading the points came to a stop in turn four with motor problems.  The problem proved fatal the rest of the night for Cram, making points tallies interesting.  Both the hard-charger, Madsen and Giannetto came on late, and with a few more laps could have moved even higher.  W. Johnson looked to be the fastest car on the track and was gaining steadily on McCarl on the final circuit.  He could not prevent McCarl from winning his 39th career feature at Knoxville, tying him with Sammy Swindell for fifth on the all-time list.

A main #2 (started): 1. Jackson (4) 2. W. Johnson (16) 3. Moyle (3) 4. Alley (5) 5. Mitrisin (2) 6. Ja. Johnson (9) 7. McCarl (17) 8. Madsen (12) 9. Reinke (7) 10. VanDenBerg (8) 11. Hannagan (13) 12. Giannetto (15) 13. Rockhold (6) 14. Moro (14) 15. Antill (1) 16. Northway (19) 17. Ra. Anderson (11) 18. Droud (10) 19. Sernett (20) 20. Frey (18) DNS - Landis, Cram

Mitrisin raced out to the lead at the outset.  Jackson was using his low line and took over on lap eight, while eyes were again on W. Johnson coming from deep in the pack.  Frey dropped out on lap four, and Sernett did the same on a lap 14 caution for Droud, who suffered a flat right rear tire.  The restart saw Jakcson leading Mitrisin, Alley, Moyle, Ja. Johnson and W. Johnson with two laps to go.  W. Johnson put on a show, but his bid for passing Jackson for the win on the final lap came up short.  With two features going 20 laps instead of 16, we may have seen Wayne win them both.  As it was, Jackson picked up win #22 at Knoxville moving him into sole possession of ninth on the all-time list.

360s

Heat one (started, *qualified for feature): 1. John Kearney 83 (2*) 2. Eric Vanderploeg 24 (1*) 3. Stacey Alexander 126 (6*) 4. Jerry Crabb 12x (3*) 5. Pete Crall 11 (7*) 6. Doran Doty 99x (5) 7. Mike Houseman 5 (10) 8. Jarod Smith 77J (8) 9. Alan Zoutte 33 (4) DNS - Rodney Turner 69 (9)

Vanderploeg took the early lead and battled Kearney, until the Kansas native took over on the second circuit.  S. Alexander was impressive moving up three spots to third.  Zoutte went up in smoke on the white flag lap.  Houseman is teaming with Mike Waddell, running Waddell's motor with his chassis.

Heat two (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Brett Mather 54 (3*) 2. Josh Higday 10 (4*) 3. Rager Phillips 9 (1*) 4. Ryan Jamison 51J (5*) 5. Eric Jobe 23 (6) 6. Rob Edwards 22 (7) 7. DJ Heskin 84 (10) 8. Curtis Thorson 91 (8) 9. Mike Houseman Jr. Y5 (2) DNS - Nate Mosher 22N (9)

Mather battled Phillips to gain the lead.  He led flag to flag.  On lap two, Thorson spun, collecting Houseman Jr., who got upside down.  Both were done for the night.  Jamison got by Jobe for fourth and a transfer with two laps to go.

Heat three (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Jake Peters 57x (1*) 2. John Schulz 2s (2*) 3. Dusty Zomer 1z (6*) 4. Dave Hesmer 1 (4) 5. Larry Ball Jr. 5J (9*) 6. Bronson Maeschen 96 (7) 7. Dave Hall 51 (5) 8. Eric Mason B29 (8) 9. Nate Van Haaften 3 (10) 10. Stevie Walsh 20 (3)

 

Peters led the duration in a pretty stacked heat.  Schulz did not give up without a fight, battling side by side with Peters for the first five laps.  Zomer continues to impress and passed Hesmer in the last corner, coming for the checkered flag, sending Hesmer to the B.  Ball also made a pass for fifth on the last lap, gaining enough passing points to qualify for the main event.

Heat four (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Mitchell Alexander 6 (4*) 2. Troy Meyer 11m (2*) 3. Joe Beaver 53 (5*) 4. Frankie Heimbaugh 04 (3) 5. Brett Golik 5G (6) 6. Mike Trent 14c (7) 7. Terry Alexander 77 (8) 8. John Hall 7H (9) DNS - Johnny Anderson 7a (1)

M. Alexander outdueled Meyer for the lead and held it despite a late charge by Meyer on the low side.  Beaver grabbed third from Heimbaugh with two to go, giving him a transfer.

B main (started): 1. Hesmer (1) 2. Heimbaugh (2) 3. Trent (10) 4. Golik (4) / 5. Jobe (3) 6. Doty (7) 7. T. Alexander (11) 8. D. Hall (12) 9. Maeschen (6) 10. Anderson (18) 11. J. Hall (14) 12. Edwards (5) 13. Heskin (9) 14. Van Haaften (17) 15. Smith (13) 16. Mason (15) 17. Mosher (19) 18. Houseman (8) 19. Walsh (16) DNS - Thorson, Zoutte, Houseman Jr., Turner

Hesmer took the early lead before Heimbaugh drove under him on lap two.  Walsh lost his brakes on lap three and coasted to a stop.  Meanwhile, Houseman retired with a flat right rear.  On the restart, Heimbaugh led Hesmer, Jobe, Golik and Trent, up from tenth.  Three more laps passed before Hesmer took the point again.  On lap seven, Mason spun and retired.  Now Hesmer led Heimbaugh, Jobe, Golik and Trent with three laps to go.  Trent glided by Golik and then Jobe for an impressive third, while Golik grabbed the last transfer on the last lap from the rookie, Jobe.

A main #1 (started): 1. Kearney (3) 2. Mather (2) 3. Zomer (7) 4. Vanderploeg (8) 5. Higday (4) 6. Peters (5) 7. M. Alexander (1) 8. Beaver (13) 9. Golik (20) 10. Meyer (10) 11. Jamison (14) 12. Trent (19) 13. Heimbaugh (18) 14. Crabb (15) 15. Crall (16) 16. Phillips (11) 17. Ball (12) 18. Schulz (9) 19. S. Alexander (6) 20. Hesmer (17)

Hesmer flipped on the initial try at green, ending his night.  On the restart, M. Alexander took an early lead over Mather.  Mather took command on lap two, one lap before Schulz stopped in turn three.  The restart saw Mather ahead of M. Alexander, Kearney, Higday and Peters.  Mather held the point strongly until lap ten of the twelve lapper when a stutter in the motor could be detected.  Kearney passed him with one to go, but it was negated when Phillips stopped on the high side of turn four.  Kearney's winning pass came on the restart to thwart a nice effort by Mather.  The win was Kearney's 17th, moving him into third place all-time at the raceway.  Zomer drove an impressive race and looked to have something for the leaders late.  Vanderploeg also came on late.  Golik was the hard-charger, moving forward 11 spots.

A main #2 (started): 1. Peters (11) 2. Golik (8) 3. Phillips (1) 4. Crall (2) 5. Jamison (6) 6. Trent (5) 7. Kearney (16) 8. Heimbaugh (4) 9. S. Alexander (19) 10. Zomer (14) 11. Beaver (9) 12. Higday (12) 13. Schulz (18) 14. Crabb (3) 15. Mather (15) 16. Jobe (19) 17. Doty (20) 18. Meyer (7) 19. M. Alexander (10) 20. Vanderploeg (12) DNS - Ball, Hesmer

Phillips took command on the cushion early.  The sixteen year old rookie held the point through two stoppages on laps four and five.  Lap four saw Meyer get a bit sideways, collecting Vanderploeg who flipped and landed on M. Alexander.  All were uninjured but done for the night.  On lap five, Beaver spun and restarted at the tail.  Phillips led Golik, Crall, Heimbaugh and Jamison back to green flag racing.  Golik was challenging and took over the lead on lap nine.  All eyes were on Jake "the Snake" as he had been taking no prisoners through the field.   On the white flag lap, using the far bottom of the track he passed Golik for his second career Knoxville win.