Madsen wins non-qualifiers' feature
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Madsen wins Nationals non-qualifiers' feature
By Stacy Ervin
Australia’s Kerry Madsen won the 15-lap non-qualifiers’ feature and a $5,000 payday at the 47th Annual Knoxville Nationals on a track weary from abundant sunshine and steamy conditions on Saturday, August 11. The non-qualifiers’ program is normally scheduled to run on Friday night but rain on Wednesday night postponed the show until Saturday afternoon. The event is sponsored by Super Clean and presented by Factory Value Parts. The Friday night show run on Saturday afternoon was presented by Northland Oil.
Madsen started on the pole of the non-qualifiers feature and led all the laps to take the checkered flag around 3 p.m. He came to lapped traffic in the race on the fifth circuit and that allowed fourth starter Jonathan Allard to make a charge. But the yellow flag came out on the seventh lap when Calvin Landis slowed to a stop in turn three with mechanical problems.
When the race went green again, Madsen pulled out to a comfortable lead on the dusty dirt surface. The yellow flag returned, though, on lap 11 for Ryan Farrell and Sean Michael, who got together in turn one. Farrell was able to keep his machine going, while Michael stopped.
After that caution period, the race stayed green and Madsen ran off with the win. Lynton Jeffrey shredded a tire as the field came to the checkered flag, but the leader had already taken the win. Allard was second, Brock Mayes third, Jac Haudenschild fourth and Jason Meyers fifth.
The afternoon show saw a historical first as track-preparation crews reworked the racing surface following the heat races and then did another short run-through following the B-Main. In track history, there has only been one reworking of the track in the middle of a show and that came earlier this season. Track Historian Bob Wilson noted the track has never been reworked in the middle of a show during Nationals.
Non-qualifiers’ heat races were won by Kerry Madsen, Brock Mayes, Jac Haudenschild, Jonathan Allard and Jeff Mitrisin. Scott Winters won the B-Main and transferred to the A-Main along with Chad Hillier, Clint Garner and Todd King.
Also on the afternoon card were Scramble races for the top qualifiers in the Saturday night C, B and A features. Lance Dewease won the C Scramble while Shane Stewart won the B Scramble. In hot laps for the C Scramble, Jason Johnson suffered a mechanical problem. He was taken to the local hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries and was not able to start the race.
The A Scramble was won by polesitter Terry McCarl, who garnered the $7,000 payday. The finish of that event showed defending Knoxville Nationals champion Donny Schatz as the apparent polesitter for Saturday night’s finale, with Paul McMahan to his outside.
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