Knoxville Sprint Features go to Herrera, Madsen and Cornell
Saturday, July 11, 2009
By Bob Wilson
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (July 11) Knoxville Raceway celebrated twin features for the 410 sprint division as Johnny Herrera and Kerry Madsen each captured his own end of a twenty lapper. Jonathan Cornell was victorious in the 360 A Main Saturday night as that division ran the twin event one week ago.
The first twin feature saw Brian Brown dominate that event from the outset but just as he completed one lap an ugly 6-car pile up occurred in turn one. The cars of Tim Kaeding, Chad Kemenah, Josh Higday, Billy Alley, Wayne Johnson and Mark Dobmeier were involved. No major injuries were reported. Only Alley was able to continue after repairs.
When the race was restarted, Brown picked up from where he left off as he circled the big half-mile oval on the top side. Herrera made a pass of second place Dusty Zomer on the restart as Calvin Landis trailed.
Lap six showed Brown with a lead of the entire front stretch as he had pulled away from the field. Two laps later ominous smoke began to pour out of Brown’s sprinter in the turns, yet Brown continued to pour it on.
It was lap 16 that saw Brown’s engine expire as he headed through turns three and four bringing out the yellow. Once his car was pushed off the track and into his pit stall, his crew began the task of changing the engine for the second feature.
In the end it was Herrera who inherited the lead as Dusty Zomer and Terry McCarl traded slide jobs all the way to the finish line. It marked Herrera’s 14th career win here. McCarl took the runner-up spot, Zomer was third, Brook Tatnell claimed fourth and Don Dround, Jr drove all the way from an 18th starting spot to finish fifth.
The second 20-lap feature saw the complete inversion of the first one as pole sitter Josh Schneiderman was the early front runner. Most of the bottom of the track was gone so the leader placed his sprinter on the high cushion which was so close to Knoxville’s tall fences and cruised what would be a 5/8-mile track.
Fourth row starter Kerry Madsen was on the move having taken over the runner-up spot on the sixth go around. Soon, Madsen had cut Schneiderman’s vast lead to 10 car lengths and on the tenth circuit he took the lead for good. Madsen had a short tussle with Schneiderman but the ensuing laps saw him begin to pull away.
A final yellow greeted the leaders on lap fifteen as second running Schneiderman slowed to a stop with a flat tire. He could not make it back out onto the track.
With only five laps to go, Madsen was in complete control of the event and went on to win his 16th career feature by a full front chute over fourteenth starting Herrera who had been in a vicious battle with McCarl for that finishing spot. Kaley Gharst was fourth and fifth went to Droud.
The 360 division saw 21-year-old Jonathan Cornell dominate that 15 lapper. The track rookie started fifth and had the lead by lap two. Although he was never challenged, Dave Hall trailed him throughout the contest to finish second. Third went to 13th starting Clint Garner. Also making a huge move from the 11th stating position was Dennis Moore, Jr who took fourth. Dustin Selvage finished fifth.
Fans were treated to a huge fireworks display once the trophy presentations were over.
|