Gharst Captures final tune-up for 47th Knoxville Nationals
Saturday, August 4, 2007
By Bob Wilson
(Casey's General Stores Night)
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 4) Kaley Gharst took the annual "tune-up" for the Knoxville Nationals as he won the 20-lap 410 feature event at Knoxville Raceway Saturday night. The seven-event card for 410 cui sprinters was held simultaneously with the 17th annual 360 Knoxville Nationals.
Front row starter Jeff Mitrisin took the lead at the start and was chased closely by Californian Tim Kaeding. With two laps in the books, a yellow was displayed for Travis Cram who had lost a left-rear tire. During this same incident Californian Jonathan Allard spun in turn two. Both cars restarted on the tail of the 24-car field.
When the race went green again, Mitrisin again held the top spot with Kaeding in second and Gharst suddenly surging to third. Though the Kaeding machine suddenly began smoking a great deal, he was able to keep pace with the leader.
On a track which was by no means worn out from two divisions racing on it, most all of the top running cars chose to run the high cushion. Lap six showed Mitrisin to have a 10 car-length advantage. That's the way it would stay with Don Droud, Jr., Davey Heskin, Billy Alley and Ricky Logan trailing.
What had been a 15 car-length advantage for Mitrisin at the half-way point of the race, suddenly melted when he came upon lap traffic on lap eleven. One lap later Mitrisin went low in turns three and four to avoid those lap cars and he seemed to lose traction. Kaeding pulled even with him and they raced nose to tail as they roared under the flagstand to complete the lap. As they flew into turn one, Mitrisin seemed to get somewhat sideways on the cushion and the close following Kaeding went up and over his left rear tire. Both cars slammed into the first turn fence in the wreck. Both machines were damaged too severely to return to action.
On the ensuing restart, Gharst, who had inherited the lead, was able to get a great jump on second running Droud. Gharst was in fact able to pull away in his Bruce Williams Maxim in the remaining laps and win the race by over 25 car lengths. Droud settled for second. Billy Alley (started 9th), Davey Heskin and Ricky Logan completed the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Wayne Johnson (from 18th), Calvin Landis (from 15th), Mark Dobmeier (from 22nd), Dusty Zomer and Jonathan Allard from the tail.
410 RESULTS
Time Trial, 1. Travis Cram, Knoxville IA, 15.14; 2. Billy Alley, Lincoln NE, 15.156; 3. Bronson Maeschen, Knoxville IA, 15.159; 4. Ryan Farrell, Perth, WA, Aust , 15.171; 5. Dion Hindi, Albuquerque NM, 15.195; 6. Don Droud Jr, Lincoln NE, 15.211; 7. Ricky Logan, Little Rock AR, 15.218; 8. Kaley Gharst, Decatur IL, 15.241; 9. Davey Heskin, (R)St. Michael MN, 15.253; 10. Skip Jackson, Sydney, NSW, Aust. , 15.289; 11. Seth Brahmer, Wisner NE, 15.3; 12. Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa IA, 15.305; 13. Tim Kaeding, San Jose CA, 15.308; 14. Brian Paulus, Mechanicsburg PA, 15.332; 15. Mike Deavers, (R)Normal IL, 15.345; 16. Dusty Zomer, Brandon SD, 15.345; 17. Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust./Prairie City IA, 15.36; 18. Jack Dover, (R)Springfield NE, 15.364; 19. Calvin Landis, Knoxville IA, 15.397; 20. Toni Lutar, (R)White Rock, BC, Can. , 15.412; 21. Brian Brown, Grain Valley MO, 15.418; 22. Ben Gregg, Glendale AZ, 15.458; 23. Wayne Johnson, Mustang OK, 15.464; 24. Jonathan Allard, Chico CA, 15.506; 25. Mark Dobmeier, (R)Grand Forks ND, 15.521; 26. Rager Phillips, Pleasantville IA, 15.526; 27. Clint Garner, Sioux Falls SD, 15.555; 28. Gary Isom, Mullen NE, 15.597; 29. Josh Higday, Des Moines IA, 15.637; 30. Bob Weuve, Newton IA, 15.642; 31. Brent Antill, Ankeny IA, 15.678; 32. Mike Moore, East Des Moines IA, 15.689; 33. Danny Smith, Danville IN, 15.727; 34. Tony Shilling, Knoxville IA, 15.765; 35. Matt Wasmund, Jackson MN, 15.988; 36. Ray Allen Kulhanek, Conroe TX, 16.18; 37. Garrett Ishii, Caruthers CA, No Time;
Heat 1, 8 laps, 2:04.7: 1. Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust./Prairie City IA; 2. Brian Brown, Grain Valley MO; 3. Davey Heskin, (R)St. Michael MN; 4. Tim Kaeding, San Jose CA; 5. Travis Cram, Knoxville IA; 6. Dion Hindi, Albuquerque NM; 7. Josh Higday, Des Moines IA; 8. Mark Dobmeier, (R)Grand Forks ND;
Heat 2, 8 laps, No Time: 1. Jack Dover, (R)Springfield NE; 2. Ben Gregg, Glendale AZ; 3. Billy Alley, Lincoln NE; 4. Don Droud Jr, Lincoln NE; 5. Brian Paulus, Mechanicsburg PA; 6. Rager Phillips, Pleasantville IA; 7. Tony Shilling, Knoxville IA; 8. Skip Jackson, Sydney, NSW, Aust. ;
Heat 3, 8 laps, No Time: 1. Wayne Johnson, Mustang OK; 2. Calvin Landis, Knoxville IA; 3. Ricky Logan, Little Rock AR; 4. Seth Brahmer, Wisner NE; 5. Clint Garner, Sioux Falls SD; 6. Mike Deavers, (R)Normal IL; 7. Bronson Maeschen, Knoxville IA; 8. Brent Antill, Ankeny IA; 9. Matt Wasmund, Jackson MN;
Heat 4, 8 laps, 2:05.1: 1. Jonathan Allard, Chico CA; 2. Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa IA; 3. Kaley Gharst, Decatur IL; 4. Dusty Zomer, Brandon SD; 5. Ryan Farrell, Perth, WA, Aust ; 6. Mike Moore, East Des Moines IA; 7. Ray Allen Kulhanek, Conroe TX; 8. Gary Isom, Mullen NE; 9. Garrett Ishii, Caruthers CA; 10. Toni Lutar, (R)White Rock, BC, Can. ;
B Feature, 12 laps, 3:14.0 (New Track Record): 1. Bronson Maeschen, Knoxville IA; 2. Mark Dobmeier, (R)Grand Forks ND; 3. Dion Hindi, Albuquerque NM; 4. Rager Phillips, Pleasantville IA; 5. Brent Antill, Ankeny IA; 6. Mike Deavers, (R)Normal IL; 7. Gary Isom, Mullen NE; 8. Josh Higday, Des Moines IA; 9. Mike Moore, East Des Moines IA; 10. Ray Allen Kulhanek, Conroe TX; 11. Toni Lutar, (R)White Rock, BC, Can. ; 12. Bob Weuve, Newton IA; 13. Garrett Ishii, Caruthers CA; 14. Matt Wasmund, Jackson MN;
A Feature, 20 laps, No Time: 1. Kaley Gharst, Decatur IL; 2. Don Droud Jr, Lincoln NE; 3. Billy Alley, Lincoln NE; 4. Davey Heskin, (R)St. Michael MN; 5. Ricky Logan, Little Rock AR; 6. Wayne Johnson, Mustang OK; 7. Calvin Landis, Knoxville IA; 8. Mark Dobmeier, (R)Grand Forks ND; 9. Dusty Zomer, Brandon SD; 10. Jonathan Allard, Chico CA; 11. Brian Brown, Grain Valley MO; 12. Dion Hindi, Albuquerque NM; 13. Brian Paulus, Mechanicsburg PA; 14. Ryan Farrell, Perth, WA, Aust ; 15. Travis Cram, Knoxville IA; 16. Clint Garner, Sioux Falls SD; 17. Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust./Prairie City IA; 18. Bronson Maeschen, Knoxville IA; 19. Rager Phillips, Pleasantville IA; 20. Ben Gregg, Glendale AZ; 21. Seth Brahmer, Wisner NE; 22. Jack Dover, (R)Springfield NE; 23. Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa IA; 24. Tim Kaeding, San Jose CA. Lap Leaders: Mitrisin 1-12; Gharst 13-20
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