A New Era Begins for Eighteenth Annual Knoxville Masters Classic on June 4!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A New Era Begins for Eighteenth Annual Knoxville Masters Classic on June 4
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (February 17, 2010) - On Friday, June 4, a
new era will begin for the eighteenth annual Knoxville Masters Classic
winged 360-cubic-inch sprint car race at the famed Knoxville Raceway in
south central Iowa. 2010 will mark the first time that the one-of-a-kind
race, open only to drivers age fifty and older, will be partnered with a
World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series event on the same card.
According to Knoxville director of racing Ralph 'Cappy' Capitani, "For
years, Randy Hannagan has expressed an interest in us pairing the Knoxville
Masters Classic with a World of Outlaws show, as I think he just wanted to
see some of his heroes in action and he was usually on the road racing
elsewhere that night. Well, thanks to Brian Carter, Tom Deery and Roger
Slack at the World Racing Group and the 24-member Marion County Fairboard,
it is going to be a reality on Friday, June 4. The Masters will share the
spotlight on that night with the Outlaws, with some of the greatest sprint
car drivers of all-time watching from the suites and the grandstands, as it
is happening on the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame's twenty-first
induction weekend. Nobody will want to miss this one!"
Interestingly enough, Rick Ferkel, one of the late Ted Johnson's original
Outlaws, won the first three Masters Classic sprint car races in 1993, '94,
and '95. In fact, in at least one of those years, Ferkel drove for current
Outlaw Danny Lasoski, who is old enough to compete in the Masters Classic
himself now. Of course, Lasoski isn't the only Outlaw eligible to compete
in the Masters Classic, as so are National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees
Jac Haudenschild, Steve Kinser and defending Masters Classic winner Sammy
Swindell. Kinser's father, Hall of Famer Bob Kinser, competed in the 1996
Knoxville Masters Classic.
Other Hall of Famers, besides Ferkel and Swindell, who have participated in
the seventeen-year history of the Knoxville Masters Classic are Jim
McElreath, Bill Utz, Larry Dickson, the late Lloyd Beckman, LeRoy Van
Conett, the late Earl Wagner, the late Frank Riddle, Ray Lee Goodwin, Larry
"Smokey" Snellbaker, Bobby Allen, Roger Rager, Clarence "Hooker" Hood, the
late Chuck Amati, Jimmy Sills, Keith Kauffman, Chuck Gurney, Shane Carson,
Kenny Jacobs, and Kramer Williamson. Of those, Ferkel (1993, '94, '95),
Rager (1999, 2001, '05), Sills (2003, '04), Carson (2006), and Swindell
(2009) have all won the Knoxville Masters Classic. Other winners include
National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Famer Billy Engelhart (1996, '97), Jerry
Crabb (1998), Terry Pletch (2000), Mike Peters (2002), A.J. Weaver (2007),
and Randy Smith (2008).
In fact, Randy Smith is the current event track record-holder with a one-lap
time of 16.004 seconds set in 2008. And Rick Ferkel holds the 22-lap event
record with a time of 7:54.8 minutes set in 1995. Ferkel has also led the
most laps in the seventeen-year history of the event, having led 71 times
around the big half-mile. Sills and Rager follow him at 45 and 35 laps led,
respectively. The event has always been run as a 22-lapper, except in 2006
when Shane Carson won it as a 15-lapper. That year, the top Masters Classic
racers then qualified for a special "Masters vs. Young Guns Challenge" main
event, pitting them against the top Knoxville Raceway '360' regulars, which
was won by 'young gun' Johnny Anderson.
A total of 161 different participants from 25 states & 3 foreign
states/provinces, all age fifty and over, have competed in the Knoxville
Masters Classic since its inception in 1993. Besides Smith (2008), other
fast qualifiers have been Larry Dickson (1993), the late Lloyd Beckman
(1995), the late Clifton "Woody" Woodward (1996, '97, 2001), the late John
Bankston (1998, '99, 2000), Terry Pletch (2002), Jimmy Sills (2003, '05,
'06), Jerry Potter (2004), and Gary Wright (2009). Time trials were rained
out and not held in 1994 and 2007.
Besides Ferkel in the inaugural Knoxville Masters Classic in 1993, other
Rookies of the Race were Bob Anderson (1994), Mike Brooks (1995), the late
Jerry Nemire (1996), Clay Bontrager (1997), Bobby Allen (1998), Roger Rager
(1999), Terry Pletch (2000), Dan Oswalt (2001), Jim Payne (2002), Jimmy
Sills (2003), Keith Kauffman (2004), Shane Carson (2005), Bobby Becker, Jr.
(2006), Kenny Jacobs (2007), Randy Smith (2008), and Sammy Swindell (2009).
Ferkel, Rager, Pletch, Sills, Smith and Swindell all won the Classic in
their rookie years, respectively.
Amongst the 'Iron Men' of the Knoxville Masters Classic are Bill Smith (16
years), Jerry Crabb (14 years), the late Dave Heskin (13 years), Earnest
Jennings (13 years), Chris Maurer (12 years), the late Lue Holland (10
years) and Shelby Steenson (10 years). Archie Ergenbright, Rick Ferkel and
Roger Rager have won the most Masters heat races wins over the years, with
three each. Australia has been represented by "Mad Harry" Delamont and the
late George Tatnell, while Canada has seen former WoO regular Tim Gee and
Dick Mahoney compete. Judi Bates finished as the 2008 runner-up,
representing female sprint car racers very well.
The Knoxville Masters Classic is known for its eclectic mix of veteran
participants from across the nation, including Darl Harrison, Ken Townsand,
Ray Bugg, "Big Al" Murie, Benny Rapp, Allen Barr, Johnny Suggs, Edd French,
Bill Mellenberndt, Hank Lower, Lloyd Armey, Harold McGilton, Clay Bontrager,
C.J. Holley, Wayne Reutimann (Sr.), William "Red" Stauffer, Michael Kostic,
Dwain Leiber, Gary Lynch, Ken Lange, Carl "Midge" Miller, Johnny Parsons
(Jr.), John Naida, Mike Lauterborn, Tommy Scott, Fran Hogue, George Prosser,
Larry Weeks, the late Keith Hutton, Roger Fickett, Gerry Robison, French
Grimes, Ken Chapman, the late Ricky Weld, Greg Rilat, Tony Moro, Joe
McCarthy, T.J. Giddings, Chuck Swenson, Ed Neumeister, Roland Johnson (Jr.),
and Rick Montgomery amongst others.
For more information on the 18th Knoxville Masters Classic and the entire
June 3-4-5 "Hall of Fame Classic" WoO weekend at Knoxville, fans are
encouraged to visit www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Entry forms are also available on-line
for the Masters Classic on the Knoxville Raceway web site.
(Pictured): George and Danny Lasoski aid Rick Ferkel, who won the first three Masters Classics.
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