Alley and Higday take first Knoxville sprint wins of the season.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
By Bob Wilson
KNOXVILLE, Iowa – Billy Alley and Josh Higday, both former track champions, captured feature events at Knoxville Raceway Saturday night. The wins catapulted each driver into contention for Knoxville Championship Cup titles at the end of the season.
Alley, who started the 20-lap feature alongside Randy Anderson, took lap one in a blanket finish over Anderson. Anderson was not done as he grabbed the lead back on the second go around and held it through lap seven.
Heading into turn one of the 8th circuit, Alley was right on Anderson’s rear nerf bar and when the leader slid up to the cushion in turn two, Alley took advantage and the lead as he headed out of turn two and down the backstretch. By the half-way point, Alley headed into lap traffic and began to pull away.
Lap 12 saw Dusty Zomer get by Anderson in the same location and one lap later Brian Brown did the same. Two laps later the lone slowdown yellow flag was displayed for a stopped car on the track.
The restart again saw Alley take the point as Zomer tried in vain to find a way to get around him. It was all for naught as the Alley SA Racing JEI/Wesmar began to pull away once again.
The win marked the fourth 410 feature victory of the Lincoln, Nebraska youngster who garnered $3,000 for his efforts. Trailing were Zomer and Danny Lasoski who settled a race-long battle with fourth place Brian Brown on the last lap. Ricky Logan was fifth. Completing the top ten were Justin Henderson, Jake Peters, Mark Dobmeier (from 18th), Calvin Landis, and Anderson.
In the 360 feature event, front row starter Tom Lenz held the point on the first two laps. Fourth starting Josh Higday found the bottom to his liking and dove low in turn one of the third lap and had the lead as he roared into turn two and down the backstretch. Though he fell back in his pacing of the Higday Maxim/Wesmar, Lenz held down that second spot through a lap seven yellow and the ensuing restart.
As the race moved on and Higday began to pull away for the twenty-car field, Lenz found himself being hard pressed by Matt Moro. Also coming forward at this point was last week’s winner John Kearney who was gaining positions by running the top groove.
Finally on the 13th go around, Moro got by Lenz who began to fade rapidly allowing car after car to pass him on the track.
In the end, it was Higday taking his 15th career win here for owner Dwight Snodgrass and a $1,250 check for his efforts. It was Moro, Travis Rilat, Jesse Giannetto and Brett Mather completing the top five. Kearney (from 17th) David Hall, Russ Hall, Lenz, and Natalie Sather from the tail formed the top ten finishers.
In ceremonies on the fairgrounds during the day, the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum inducted 12 new members into its Hall of Fame. New Inductees in this 16th annual affair were Kramer Williamson (driver), Brent Kaeding (driver), Doug Howells (owner), Glenn Fitzcharles (driver), Dick Jordan (media), Louis “Rusty” Espinoza , Earl Wagner (driver), Bob Hampshire (owner), Johnnie Parsons (driver), Tony Bettenhausen (driver), Gordon Schroeder (manufacturer) and John Padjen (promoter).
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