Halfway Home?
Monday, June 13, 2005
by Bill Wright - It’s hard to believe it’s Justice Brothers’ Midseason Championships this Saturday. It seems we were just getting underway with the season opener. Friday night, June 17, will be the annual “Nostalgia at Knoxville”, a night for historians to remember and educate the younger race fan on the cars of the past that have circled the famous half-mile over the years. Admission is $3.
On Saturday, June 18, four new members will be inducted into the Knoxville Hall of Fame. Stay tuned to www.knoxvilleraceway.com for more announcements.
On top of all that, there will be more cash on the line in the 410 and 360 classes, and it’s going to be intense! Make sure you’re a part of it all.
We’re halfway home, but not much has been decided in the way of a 410 champion. The last few weeks Wayne Johnson has been gaining on point leader, Kerry Madsen. Last week’s events brought Johnson within a mere 10 points of the leader. The two could swap the lead several times this Saturday night. Not much has been decided yet.
Ricky Logan continued his pursuit of the leader by closing to within 200 points. He led much of last Saturday’s feature event, despite having his primary engine being refined in Pennsylvania, and held on to his third place position in points.
Brian Brown captured the win and sits in fourth place in the standings. It was Brian’s first win at Knoxville since May of 2003, and he was elated to get it for car owners Tim and Tina Doogs. Steady Skip Jackson still holds down fifth in the points, while Justin Henderson, Don Droud Jr., Billy Alley, Matt Moro and Calvin Landis hold down the top ten. Visit these drivers bios to learn more about them and their sponsors.
Speaking of Alley, he is currently 600 points behind the leader, and registered quick time as well as a top five run last Saturday night. He has been coming on strong as of late. Where would he be in the points race if he had not missed two nights of racing?
Eric Vanderploeg and Mike Moore both got upside down last Friday night at US36 Raceway in Cameron, MO, but got it back together enough to make Saturday’s feature event. Huset’s was rained out after the heat events last Sunday night, as were the Sprint Invaders at Burlington a week ago Wednesday.
Larry Ball Jr. still holds a nice lead (108 points) in the 360 race. Second place Johnny Anderson holds down second, but Jake Peters, Brett Mather, John Kearney, David Hall and John Schulz are all within 85 points of the runner-up. There was a big shake-up in the points last week, and although the leader appears to be running strong for now, expect more turbulence this Saturday night.
Mather shot into fourth place with his second victory in a row for Boyd and Lisa Burnham and the 54 team. It seems when there is a breakthrough, the confidence grows, and that is the case with this team. After many years, Mather is now showing that he is a legitimate threat for victory lane each Saturday night.
Rookie Peter Crall threw his hat back into the 360 Rookie of the Year race with a strong third place showing last Saturday night. Jeff Mitrisin looks as good as ever in Steve Wares 10, and was on the move until suffering a fender bender in the feature.
Sadly, David Hesmer, who owns 65 career Knoxville 360 feature wins, announced his retirement this week. David has had horrible luck this race season, and it reared its head, as he was a flip victim in the feature. Hopefully, we'll still see you at the race track, David. Thanks for the memories.
Expect car counts to rise as the “Big Events” in August draw nearer by the week. Don’t miss a night!!!
Web Updates
Much is going on behind the scenes to make www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com the place to start and end your web surfing. Look for exciting additions in the near future.
Pre-entries are rolling in for the 360 Nationals, Brodix Tournament of Champions, 45th Annual Knoxville Nationals, the Clean-O World Challenge and the Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals. Keep hitting our “Events” section daily to stay updated on who is coming, and click on the driver names for the latest photos and bio information.
Live Results are a smashing success. If you can’t make it to the races, check Bob Wilson’s “Results” section, and tune in to the American Dirt Network at americandirtnetwork.com, or on the radio at KNIA/KRLS 1320 AM or 92.1 FM.
Until next time…
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