In the Groove
Monday, May 29, 2006
by Stacy Ervin - A total of 10 features have been run at the Knoxville Raceway so far this year. And a total of 10 different winners have been celebrated.
The streak of new winners continued on Saturday, May 27, in both divisions. And a streak of first-time winners also continued with young Missouri pilot Jon Corbin picking up his first in the 360 division.
Nebraska ace Billy Alley won the 410 feature, and it was a wild one. A relatively quick and clean night of racing by Knoxville standards came to an abrupt halt in this 20-lapper. Alley started outside the front row and quickly wrestled the lead from polesitter Rager Phillips. As the field raced down the backstretch for the first time, cars tried to race three-wide and there was contact between Larry Ball Jr. and Wayne Johnson. On the second go-around, Ball brought his machine to a stop in turn four with a broken Jacob's ladder to bring the first caution.
On the restart, Alley again led with Skip Jackson chasing him down in a smoking car. The yellow flag returned on the sixth lap when a nose panel came off of Matt Moro's machine and was left as debris on the track in turn four.
On the restart, Johnson and Calvin Landis made contact in the first and second turns and that sent Johnson flipping hard into the billboards. Landis, who happened to be pitted next to Johnson, didn¹t fare too well either.
On the restart, Alley again led with Jackson chasing. But the red flag returned once again on lap eight when Phillips jumped the cushion in turn two, came down the track and made contact with Dusty Zomer, who was running the bottom groove. The contact launched Phillips into a big flip into the fence.
Alley again led when the race restarted, but it was plagued again on lap 11 when Chris Walraven, who had earlier set the night¹s fastest time trial, saw his right-rear wheel and tire come off and bounce high into the air, nearly going over the fence in turn one. The tire was diverted back, however, nearly hit Walraven's car and bounced back across the track.
On the restart, Jackson tried a slide job on Alley, but couldn't make it stick. Third-place runner Kerry Madsen also entered the fray, racing Jackson side-by-side for second in the final laps. Brian Brown had a bird's eye view of the top three as he hovered close in fourth. Alley went on for the win.
The 360 A feature saw Corbin start on the pole alongside veteran Josh Higday. The two fought for the lead of this race throughout, with Higday taking it on the first lap.
The yellow flag came out on the fifth lap when Mitchell Alexander and Mike Houseman Jr. spun in turn one.
On the restart, Corbin was stuck tight to Higday's bumper. He tried a slide job on the sixth lap and made it stick in turn two. The next time by, Higday was trying to regain the lead, but Corbin kept hold of it and actually began to stretch his lead as the race went on.
The first-time winner was congratulated by his cousin, Brian Brown, and was celebrated in victory lane for having picked up his current ride the week prior, when he won the B-Main and came from the back to get sixth in the A.
The only other unfortunate incident of the night came in one of the 360 heat races when Terry Alexander went straight into the fence in turn four and flipped over.
One notable note from Saturday was that Ricky Logan will be making his return to the speedway this coming week. He¹ll be subbing for Ball in the 5J, while Ball takes a two-week trip to Alaska.
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