World Challenge Changes Tatnell's Luck
Brooke Tatnell
Friday, August 9, 2013
By Mike Kerchner
KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Brooke Tatnell held off the charge from behind to win Friday night’s SPEED SPORT World Challenge sprint car race that concluded the third night of the 53rd annual FVP Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway.
Tatnell started on the pole for the 24-lap race open to international qualifiers, but fell to second as Jason Johnson set the early pace.
Tatnell ran down Johnson and drove to the front with eight laps remaining. From there he set sail while Tim Kaeding, who started sixth, and 10th-starter Daryn Pittman gave chase.
Kaeding came up a car length short at the checkered flag as Tatnell took his second World Challenge victory and brightened up what had been a disappointing season. More importantly, Tatnell became the first driver in the history of the event to earn a transfer spot into the Knoxville Nationals A-main through the World Challenge. He’ll start 25th on Saturday night.
“I am not a big believer in provisionals,” Tatnell said. “I hate the damn things, but I will take this one. We’ve had a horrible year, probably the worst year of my career, but the Nationals brings something out in you and it makes you dig deeper than any other race of the year. It is so hard to get in the show theses days.”
Kaeding finished second with Pittman, Johnson and Donny Schatz rounding out the top five.
The finish:
Brooke Tatnell, Tim Kaeding, Daryn Pittman, Jason Johnson, Donny Schatz, Rico Abreu, Ian Madsen, Shane Stewart, Wayne Johnson, Terry McCarl, Kerry Madsen, James McFadden, Kevin Swindell, Jason Sides, David Gravel, Lynton Jeffrey, Danny Dietrich, Paul Morris, Tim Shaffer, Danny Smith, Jonathan Allard, Bill Rose, Glen Saville, Jack Dover, Thomas Kennedy.
|