Big Night at Knoxville Sees Three Feature Winners During NSCHoF Induction Weekend
Sunday, June 3, 2007
by Bob Wilson - Three new victors were presented on the winner's stage at Knoxville Raceway Saturday night during the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum (NSCHoF&M) induction weekend. A.J. Weaver was crowned the winner of the 15th annual Masters Classic while Jake Peters and Calvin Landis captured Knoxville Championship Cup Series wins.
The Masters Classic, a race for drivers who are fifty years of age or older, proved to be an exciting race as a nightcap event for the weekend. It had been rained out 24 hours earlier and shortly after the checkered flag fell on the 22-lap sprint, rain began to fall once again.
At the outset it looked to be a runaway for pole sitter Kenny Jacobs. Jacobs, who had been inducted into the NSCHoF just a few hours earlier, roared to a huge and commanding lead until a yellow flew at the end of lap three. Jacobs' then formed a single file restart and that is when A.J. Weaver came into the mix after having started in the eighth row. Lap six saw Weaver pull into the runner-up spot as he began to close on Jacobs.
Jacobs led to the half-way point but Weaver dropped low in turns one and two to take the lead running down the backstretch. While Jacobs circled on the high cushion, Weaver had found a faster way around on the bottom which had taken rubber.
Lap sixteen saw the front running leaders head into lap traffic as Jacobs began to carve away at the Weaver lead. Weaver continued his route around the bottom as Jacobs slowly reeled him in from the high groove. At the end of lap 20 a second yellow was displayed for Roger Rager who had spun into the front stretch guard rail.
With only two laps to go and no traffic ahead of them, Weaver and Jacobs played-out the affair in style as they each utilized their years of racing experience in the run to the checkers. Weaver finished just in front of Jacobs at the end to claim the $3,000 first place prize money. Jacobs took home $2,000. Mike Peters was third, Tim Gee made the tow from Canada pay fourth and Greg Rilat finished fifth.
Calvin Landis captured his third career feature event win in the 20-lap 410 feature event. Landis led from start to finish in a race which saw numerous red and yellow flags in the early portions.
At the outset Landis was chased by Skip Jackson. Jackson stayed in the fray until late in the race when engine problems sidelined him and forced a 17th position finish.
It was eight laps into the race when Billy Alley made a pass of Jackson sending him to third. At the half-way point Landis could claim a 10 car-length lead as he was trailed by Alley, Dusty Zomer, Jackson and Brian Brown. Zomer would take the second spot two laps later.
With so many laps being run on the Knoxville half mile on this night, the cushion was within feet of the tall Knoxville fences. 15 laps down saw most of the frontrunners placing their right rear tires on that cushion. That was also the point when those cars headed into lap traffic. Zomer was one of the few who did not run high and as the laps ran down it was obvious that he was catching Landis by running the bottom. In fact, lap 18 saw those two running nose to tail down the chutes and just when it look as if Zomer would make his move, his car would falter as if loosing power.
Zomer's car, starved for fuel, could not make the pass and Landis took his self-owned Maxim across the stripe to claim the win. Alley was third and Brown came from a 14th start to finish fourth. Jon Corbin, who won the B Main and started 19th drove to fifth. Thirty-two 410 sprinters competed on the evening.
Defending 360 track champion Jake Peters won his first feature of the season in a 15-lap run. David Hall led at the outset but Peters ran him down and took the point on the fourth go around. Peters found the top to his liking and was chased by Hall to the end. Behind those two, John Kearney and Jeff Mitrisin locked horns for the duration. In the mix too were Roger Rager and Johnny Anderson.
Just after the five mile mark Peters began to pull away and the question to be settled was who would get second.
In the end, as Peters took the checkered flag in his Schnee/Weseman sprinter, Hall was exiting turn four and would place second. Kearney and Mitrisin were third and fourth respectively while Anderson took the fifth place spot. Forty-seven cars filled the ranks of the 360 division.
In afternoon ceremonies on the fairgrounds proper, the NSCHoF&M held its 18th annual inductions. Newly inducted were Shane Carson, Jerry "Scratch Daniels, Rajo Jack, Kenny Jacobs, Bayless Levrett, Hal Minyard, Earl Gaerte, Joe Jagersberger, Glen Niebel, Emmett Hahn, Ken Coles and Bill White.
For a complete results sheet go the the yellow menu bar and click on RESULTS.
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