Stenhouse is Knoxville Midget Nationals King
Sunday, June 24, 2007
by Bob Wilson - Ricky Stenhouse placed his name in the Knoxville Raceway record books as he won the 6th Pepsi/Mountain Dew Knoxville Midget Nationals at this Marion County fairgrounds Saturday night. It was a USAC (United States Auto Club) sanctioned event but included co-sanctioning by five additional bodies (BMARA, SMRS, ARDC, RMMRA & POWR).
Darren Hagen took the crown as "King Doodlebug" in a 20-lap feature event which was rain delayed from Friday night. It was the fifth such event staged here. Brian Brown stole the show in the 410 sprints by winning his third of the year here.
Stenhouse rode out three yellow flags during the 25-lap championship feature, the last one being the most crucial. His start from the pole enabled him to grab a lead which he quickly extended as his rivals battled for position behind him. Teammate Levi Jones stayed close at first but then faded slowly as Stenhouse pulled out to a near chute advantage by lap seven. Two laps later a stopped car on the track brought out a yellow flag and bunched the 28-car field for a single file restart.
It was on that restart that Darren Hagen made a pass of Jones to take the runner-up spot. Hagen was able to stay with Stenhouse but was never able to challenge for the lead. Just past the half-way mark a light drizzle threatened to dampen the event but the constant turning of laps kept the track in fine racing condition. That precipitation would drift out of the sky to the end of the race.
With Hagen behind Stenhouse, the race became a two-car battle with the leader maintaining no more than a five car-length advantage. Too, it must be noted that Kevin Swindell had come from twentieth to record a seventh running position. He seemed to be the only one running the bottom and that allowed him to move forward on the pack.
Lap 18 saw the second caution flag as second running Hagen blew a right-rear tire. He was unable to restart with the field.
With Hagen's demise, that put Jerry Coons, Jr. on the tail of Stenhouse. Once again it turned into a two-car fight for the Nationals title. Both drivers were on the cushion and Coons seemed to be waiting for the Stenhouse mistake that never came.
Just when it looked like the drama was over, the final and most critical yellow flew for a stalled car on the track. That meant a green-white-checkered run to the finish.
Stenhouse was up to the challenge and brought his Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises to the finish stripe by about 10 car lengths over the Coons machine. The win was worth $3,350 to the youngster. Completing the top five were Davey Ray, Jones and Swindell. A look at the remainder of the top ten showed Brady Bacon, Danny Stratton, Mike Hess (from 26th), and Don Droud, Jr. Sixty-two cars competed in the eleven event program.
Darren Hagen became "King Doodlebug the 5th after taking a later race lead in the 20-lap event. From the outset the race belonged to Don Droud, Jr. who survived three reds and two yellows to lead the first 18 laps of the race. Terrifying tumbles were taken by Brad Loyet and Alfred Galedrige, Jr. in separate incidents. Also bringing stoppage to the event were Kevin Swindell and Jerry Coons, Jr. who got together in the same accident.
Through all of this, Droud was able to keep control of the race and by lap five could claim a 10 car-length lead. He had doubled that advantage at the tenth circuit and was trailed by Hagen, Dustin Morgan, Levi Jones and Brady Bacon. Those same cars found the cushion on this tremendously fast track to be the quickest route around the half-mile oval.
As the laps wound down the race seemed to be in Droud's pocket. Then on lap 19 the final caution flew and the restart would be the undoing of Droud. Hagen dove low on that restart as Droud stayed on the cushion. Hagen's momentum propelled him into the lead as he ran into and out of turn two. There was nothing Droud could do except hope for another restart which did not happen.
Hagen claimed the $1,650 prize money and the title by no more than 5 car lengths. Droud settled for second, Morgan was third, Jones took fourth and Stenhouse rounded out the top five.
In a near-duplication of the previous race, Skip Jackson was able to survive all that the event threw at him, except for the final yellow flag. The former Aussie/American took the lead at the outset and by the five-mile mark he could claim a 15 car-length lead. At this point he was chased by Jon Corbin, Brown, Mark Dobmeier and Dusty Zomer.
On the 13th go around Corbin came upon a slower car in lap traffic and Brown was able to make a pass out of turn two to take the runner-up spot. Once in second, Brown began his running down of the leader as they diced through lap traffic. Though Brown was coming ever so close, Jackson looked to be the winner on the final lap until the yellow flag came out.
It was a green/white/checkers restart and Jackson took the first but could not hold off what appeared to be a stronger Brown mount on this night. Brown managed a narrow margin for his win in the WiseGuy Motorsports Maxim/Kistler to record his ninth career win here. Jackson, Zomer, Dobmeier and Corbin completed the top five. Following them were Rager Phillips (from 12th), Calvin Landis (from 11th), Dennis Moore, Jr., Jack Dover and Ricky Logan (from 13th). 31 cars competed in the 410 portion of the program. No 360 events were held.
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