Alley/Brown Battle Resumes at McKay Insurance Night!
Monday, August 21, 2006
Alley and Brown Battle Resumes at McKay Insurance Night!
by Bill Wright (www.knoxvilleraceway.com) – After a well deserved week off after an emotional running of the 46th Annual Knoxville Nationals, the Knoxville Raceway kicks back into action this Saturday night for McKay Insurance Night!
Billy Alley and Brian Brown will be back in familiar territory, battling each other tooth and nail for the 2006 410 Crown. Just two nights of weekly racing remain, and both former 360 champs are looking for their first title with the “Big Iron”. Alley holds a slim 40 point lead, a lead that can be made up in a hurry, and has been swapped between the two young and exciting daredevils multiple times this season.
In the last points’ race on August 5, Brown, who entered the night with a nice points lead, went through two powerplants, and had to find a ride in a qualified car to compete in A main festivities. With a strong third place run that night, Lincoln Nebraska’s Alley found himself taking over the lead in the season long race. Both ran well during the 46th Annual Knoxville Nationals, with Alley qualifying for Saturday’s championship, taking home a 20th place finish. Brown’s family battle on Saturday night was well chronicled, but overshadowed a narrow miss in locking himself in the A main on his qualifying night. Both will be hungry when Saturday rolls around.
Skip Jackson is by no means eliminated for championship contention, but would need a lot of luck to make up the 370 points he trails the leader by. Skip has had a strong year and is looking to follow up his Marion County Fair win in July with another of the same. Clint Garner is currently fourth in the standings ahead of Jesse Giannetto, who is on top of the 360 mountain after taking home the win in the 16th Annual 360 Nationals. Giannetto has Lynton Jeffrey, this year’s Summer Classic victor in his rearview, and holding down fifth will be no easy task.
Less than 300 points separate 7th place from 10th, as Calvin Landis, who gathered his first win of the year on the Friday night of Nationals, leads Rookie of the Year favorite Dusty Zomer, and fellow young lions, Kaley Gharst and Bronson Maeschen.
Jake Peters continues to stand atop the 360 rankings. He will look to build on a 131 point advantage over Jeff Mitrisin in that class. Only 143 points separate Mitrisin from sixth place Rookie sensation Dustin Lindquist, so expect plenty of movement between them in the form of Josh Higday (3rd), Johnny Anderson (4th) and John Kearney (5th). Joe Beaver, Jon Corbin, Stacey Alexander and David Hall complete the top ten and look to improve their standing.
Hot laps start at 6:45, with racing to follow. General admission tickets are $12 ($3 for youngsters). For more information, call 641 842-5431 or visit www.knoxvilleraceway.com.
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