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Knoxville Raceway 6-2-18 - Hall of Fame Induction Weekend
410, 360 & 305 Sprints
Results & Story by Bill Wright
Brian
Brown Wins Fourth of Year at Knoxville! by
Bill
Wright KNOXVILLE,
Iowa (June 2, 2018) – Brian Brown survived lapped traffic and several
cautions to win another thriller at Knoxville Raceway Saturday on McKay
Insurance Agency/Nationwide Night. The Grain Valley, Missouri driver
earned $4,000 for his win aboard the FVP/Casey’s General Stores #21.
Daytime activities also saw the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame induction
activities. Clint Garner earned his 36th career win
and $2,000 in the 360 class, and Eric Bridger led wire to wire for his
third 305 main event win of the season, and fifth in his
career. Before
a lap could be completed in the 20-lap 410 feature, Allan Woods and Bob
Weuve contacted at the end of the front
straight. Woods was done, but no one was injured. Lynton
Jeffrey led at the drop of the green, ahead of Kerry Madsen, Brian Brown,
Austin McCarl and Terry McCarl. Brown
threw a slider and took second from Madsen on lap two. When Jeffrey
approached lapped traffic on lap six, Brown shot by for the lead.
Austin McCarl started to advance, grabbing third
from Madsen on lap seven, and second from Jeffrey on lap nine.
Justin Henderson entered the top five at that point and took fourth from
Madsen at the halfway point. Brown
had a 2.1 second lead at that point, while a hectic battle took place for
third between Jeffrey, Madsen, Henderson and Terry McCarl. Contact between Carson McCarl and Bob Weuve
collected RJ Johnson, who got upside down at the flagstand with eight laps to go. He was
uninjured. Henderson went to the work area at that point,
surrendering fifth with issues with the right rear of the car. Brown
led Austin McCarl, Jeffrey, Madsen and Terry
McCarl back to green. Madsen would jump
from fourth to second, while Terry McCarl would
move into fourth. A final caution for Rager Phillips didn’t change things up front.
Brown won his 41st career feature here, ahead of Madsen,
Austin McCarl, Terry McCarl and Brooke Tatnell. Tasker Phillips, Jeffrey, Matt Juhl, hard-charger Josh Schneiderman and Jamie Ball
rounded out the top ten. Austin McCarl set
quick time over the field, while Ball, Chris Martin and Brown won
heats. “Hat’s
off to my whole crew, but Chad (Morgan), especially,” said Brown in
Victory Lane. “We’ve been pretty good the last three or four weeks,
so we tried something completely different from what we normally do.
I wouldn’t say it’s better, but I wouldn’t say it’s worse. I was
having a heck of a time late. I think a power steering line busted
or something. I was going through tear-offs like they were going out
of style and I could hardly hold the wheel. There’s some cowboys up
in front. We needed to get our elbows up and get going. Tonight is a special night with the (National Sprint
Car) Hall of Fame inductions. Those guys that went in today…if it’s
not the stoutest class I’ve seen in some time, I don’t know what
is.” An
incident slowed the start of the 18-lap 360 feature. Dylan Peterson
got sideways in turn two and collected both Joe Beaver, who ended upside
down, and Cody Ledger. Everyone was o.k., but only Ledger
returned. When
the green fell, Ryan Giles led over Clint Garner, Matt Moro, Nate Van
Haaften and Ryan Bickett. Giles would catch the inside berm in
turn two on the second circuit and pull a wheelie. Garner would
pounce on the opportunity and take the lead. Garner shot into lapped
traffic on lap six and had a 2.1 second lead. Skylar
Gee moved into fourth on lap eight, while the leader had a 4.4 second lead
with six to go. Gee would gain a podium spot by getting by Giles
with six to go, but Garner had no peer up front. Moro would run
second, ahead of Gee, Giles and Van Haaften. Hard-charger Sawyer Phillips, Bickett, Jason Martin, Ryan Roberts and Calvin Landis
completed the top ten. Moro set quick time, while heat races were
won by Tom Lenz, Gee and Martin. “With
36 wins, you’d think you’d sit back in the trailer and know what to do,”
said Garner in Victory Lane. “We were back there kicking around what
gear to run and what tire pressure. I was pretty sure the top was
going to win that race. It was definitely
treacherous up there. The car was great and the engine was awesome. It’s a lot of
fun to be up here and I’d like to thank everyone for coming
out.” Eric
Bridger used a “0” point invert to lead wire to wire from the pole in the
15-lap 305 main event. Ryan Leavitt settled in behind him early,
ahead of Devin Kline, Kelby Watt and Rob Kubli. Kubli took
fourth early and battled with Kline for third, taking the spot in the
middle stages of the race. Bridger
entered lapped traffic on lap ten and slowed a bit, allowing Leavitt to
close in, but he found clean air again and pull away. Kline may have
had the fastest car late. He used the low groove to move by Kubli for third with three to go,
and threaded the needle to get under Leavitt for second coming to
the checkers. Bridger’s
win came ahead of Kline, Leavitt, Kubli and
Watt. Chasey Young, hard-charger Mike Mayberry, Matthew Stelzer, Joe Simbro and Evan
Epperson rounded out the top ten. Bridger posted his sixth quick
time of the year, while Jon Hughes and Epperson were heat race
winners. “(Lapped
traffic) was horrible there,” said Bridger in Victory Lane. “I was
just trying to hold on there. I had a pretty
loose car. I didn’t screw up too bad. I thought I heard
someone the whole time, but I was just hoping to see checkers there.
It was a handful.”
Clint Garner Dominates in 360
Feature Win; Eric Bridger Wire to Wire in 305’s
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