Herrera warms up at Knoxville for 50th Nationals
Saturday, August 7, 2010
By Bob Wilson
Herrera warms up at Knoxville for 50th Nationals
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 7) Defending Knoxville Raceway track champion Johnny Herrera laid claim to the “Saturday Before the Nationals” feature event at Knoxville Raceway Saturday night. The win was Herrera’s 17th at this historic oval and paid the New Mexican driver $3,000.
At the outset of the 20-lap feature event , race leader Skip Jackson yielded to Herrera on the second lap. Jackson had been up high on the cushion and Herrera chose the low route on a track which had two very good and distinct lines. By five laps Herrera had pulled out to a twenty car-length advantage as he stayed on the bottom. The gap between himself and Jackson was about to change as the red was displayed on the eighth circuit. That was when Ian Madsen lost a left-rear tire in turn three and in the ensuing moments he collected Californian Tim Kaeding. Both drivers walked away from their wrecked machines.
Herrera led Jackson Veal, Wimmer, Tatnell and Brown back to green. As the top cars kept their spots, positions were changing behind them. Dale Blaney moved two spots on the restart and charged into fifth. Swindell too began to move and claimed seventh.
All of the above was about to change again as on lap 13 Blaney’s left rear began to flatten as he drove by the flag stand causing him to lose control. The car skidded into the turn, rotated 180 degrees and backed into the turn one fence. He was not injured but the car was badly damaged.
The restart saw Swindell in fourth and charging from his sixth row starting nod. Lap 15 saw Swindell take third with a charge in turn three to overtake Aussie Jaimie Veal. Behind them, Brown had fallen back and was working hard to regain those lost spots.
Herrera utilized the top groove in turns one and two while he traveled on the bottom in three and four. This line enabled the 2009 Knoxville track champion to pull away from second running Jackson. Swindell was unable to make up the distance on Jackson and those cars would finish that way. Veal held his fourth spot and Mark Dobmeier claimed fifth after having started 18th. Completing the top ten were Tatnell, Brown, Maeschen (from 21st), Brandon Wimmer and Don Droud Jr.
Bronson Maeschen led Jonathon Allard, Austin McCarl and Davey Heskin as transfers out of the B to the tail of the A main. Four qualifying heats saw Tim Kaeding, Dusty Zomer, Tyler Walker and Max Dumesny as victorys. Sammy Swindell led 39 cars through qualifying time trials with a quick lap of 15.078. He then drew for the feature event invert and pulled out a twelve,saying, “It’s only fitting because it seems like I’ve started on the tail all week.”
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