The 2012 Knoxville Raceway 410 season is looking like another good one this year. 24 full-time teams at last count and we will probably have 5 or 6 part time teams we will see on a regular basis. Average car count in 2011 was 28 for weekly KCCS (Knoxville Championship Cup Series) shows. Gone is the nine time track champion of Danny Lasoski as he chases races in Pennsylvania this summer. That leaves the door open for someone else to win the track championship and the top three contenders have to be six time track champion Terry McCarl, 2011 runner-up Dusty Zomer, and Mark Dobmeier. After that I think it’s a scramble for fourth through tenth. And even below the top ten I think there are a couple of teams that could easily get in there. It is an unknown if Kevin Swindell will be back, but rumor has it Ian Madsen is coming back to run full time, but I do not have them factored into the power rankings. I asked the five member BHG power rankings panel to help me come up with a list for the 410 class. These are five well trained race fans with life-long knowledge of racing and communing in their pews at Knoxville for 30 years or more.
Here are the official BHG 2012 Knoxville 410 power rankings presented by Dingus.
1. Dusty Zomer, 2. Mark Dobmeier, 3. Terry McCarl, 4. Austin McCarl, 5. Davey Heskin, 6. Don Droud Jr., 7. Dustin Selvage, 8. Lynton Jeffrey, 9. Kaley Gharst, 10. Bronson Maeschen.
Dusty Zomer may have won the KCCS most seasons with 4 wins, and 11 top tens in 13 races, but it wasn’t meant to be with Lasoski finishing in the top ten 13 times in 13 races with 3 wins. Take out Lasoski and you have to feel like Zomer in the Ingalls #91 car has a strong chance to win the championship. DZ has 9 career 410 wins at Knoxville.
Mark Dobmeier finished fifth in points last year while missing one night. He has 8 career 410 wins at Knoxville and he did well at the end of last year, highlighted with monster showing at the Nationals where he won the feature on his preliminary night and finishing sixth in the big dance Saturday. Momentum will carry him into contending for the championship.
Terry McCarl finished fifth in points last year in the Vermeer 55 car but T-Mac is now back in his own #24 car and I look for him to contend for sure. You can definitely make a case for him to be the favorite, and for what he may lack in equipment or funds, he can make up a lot of that with talent and experience. No doubt about it, he will be the best driver on the track. But can he find the horsepower to stay up front?
Austin McCarl finished sixth in points last year and the Grand View University student is now in his fourth year in sprint cars and shown improvement each year. He qualified for the 12th starting spot in the A-Main of the Nationals last year which ended up with a crash on the first lap, and he was the only driver to pass Shane Stewart all week. Looking for good things out of this kid, and hopefully he will pick up his first 410 win this year, if not two or three wins.
Davey Heskin finished eighth in points last year but if he would have had an engine for twin features night it would have been higher. He has made the A-Main of the Nationals two years in a row and I think he has blossomed into a good driver. He has one career win at Knoxville in a 410, but I think he can win another this year. Good kid too. Very impressed with his demeanor last year as I followed him for a story the week of the Nationals.
Don Droud Jr. is a talented driver, lots of experience, doesn’t tear up equipment, but hopefully Gil Sonner can find a some more power under the hood to get up front and qualify better.
Dustin Selvage will be in his sophomore season in a 410. Good young talent here and is on the verge of a breakout season I think.
Lynton Jeffrey should rebound after a somewhat disappointing 2011, which still found him winning one feature at Knoxville, but 3 finishes of 20th or worse hurt.
Kaley Gharst is back as a Knoxville regular this season driving the Jeremy Scadden #6 sprinter. He has three career 410 wins at Knoxville. A little uncertain how they will perform and how well their equipment is, but he is a proven veteran and glad to have him back.
Bronson Maeschen left the Jordan #1 and is back in his own #96 car this year. Good driver, usually has decent equipment, always qualifies well.
I also look for good things from Josh Schneiderman, Randy Anderson in the Vander Ecken #10, and it sounds like Rage Phillips is back in his own #9 car. Hoping we see Robby Wolfgang to have that breakout season as well if they can find some power under the hood. Rookie of the year contenders are Austin Johnson, TJ Peterson, and Jarrod Schneiderman. Good strong field of cars and I can’t wait to see everyone on the track for opening night on April 21.
Look for Clint Garner to clean up in the 360 class once again. Hopefully contenders Matt Moro, Russ Hall, Jon Agan, Carson McCarl, Jamie Ball, Nate Van Haafton, Dennis Moore Jr., and others can make for an exciting show there. I’m really looking forward to seeing the growth and improvement of Carson and Jamie this year.
In the 305 class we will have Larry Ball Jr as the favorite there, but look for his toughest competition to be Tasker Phillips, Mitchell Alexander, Matt Stephenson, Matthew Stelzer, and a wide open field including nine rookies.
As of right now, the 305 class has the 360 class outnumbered 25 to 20 this season. If you’re going to race for fun, entry level, and at a lesser cost, 305 is the answer. You don’t race for much money ($400 to win) but I think the 305 is going to become what the Sport Mod division has become for IMCA racing (that is a good thing if you’re not familiar with IMCA). I think this is a sign that more people are realizing that 360 racing isn’t any cheaper than a 410, especially with the 435 LS engine option that has a longer life. I foresee the trend of 360 class dwindling to continue at Knoxville barring some sort of major rules changes.
I can’t wait to walk in on opening night on April 21. I need my fix of tenderloin and chicken bites! And don’t forget that on Sunday the 22nd Knoxville is having a Modified, Sport Mod, Stock Car, Hobby Stock special. See you in the stands!
Hawkeye Ovals
Friday, March 9, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
ASCS / WoO and $$$
Over the past year or so I’ve looked into the costs of racing 410 versus 360 sprint cars in depth and from a financial point of view more and more I can’t understand why so many owners are electing to race 360’s. The costs are basically the same other than a 360 engine will save you some rebuilds throughout the season. Now that the season is underway for the World of Outlaws and ASCS we’ve been able to see how many teams plan to run both series’ full time.
As of my count there are 17 drivers trying to run the full 63 race ASCS schedule. Gary Wright, Jason Johnson, Brady Bacon, Tim Crawley, Jack Dover, Tony Bruce Jr., Brad Loyet, Logan Forler, Seth Bergman, Wayne Johnson, Johnny Herrera, Dustin Morgan, Zach Chappell, Derek Hagar, Matt Covington, Aaron Reutzel, Austen Wheatley. Keep in mind ASCS lost last season’s champion Shane Stewart and Jeff Swindell.
The World of Outlaws has 10 full-time racers. Joey Saldana, Donny Schatz, Steve Kinser, Craig Dollanksy, Kraig Kinser, Kerry Madsen, Chad Kemenah, Cody Darrah, Lucas Wolfe, and Bill Rose. Most races will have 4 or 5 part-time teams. Sammy Swindell, Jason Sides, Stevie Smith, Brad Sweet, Brian Brown, Terry McCarl, Shane Stewart, and you can throw in Tony Stewart as well.
ASCS will run 63 nights for $4,000 to win and $400 to start.
WoO will run 75 races that pay $10,000 to win and $800 to start.
ASCS team based in Tulsa, OK would travel 19,109 miles for the season.
WoO team based in Indianapolis, IN would travel 26,620 miles for the season.
Difference of 7,511 miles, which is approximately $4,000 in diesel fuel.
ASCS lets teams change tires any time you push off (there goes your fuel savings).
WoO makes you run one tire all night.
ASCS charges more money for pit passes and to draw your pill. Do more people think the “draw” format is more fair than qualifying? Suddenly that 6 invert in a dash race with the WoO doesn’t sound so bad. For what a team would save in engine rebuilds with a 360 motor, you could recoup that money racing with the WoO, higher purses, cheaper pit passes, and no pill draws. So why are more teams racing with ASCS?
MY CONCLUSION: People race to win.
You want to compete against the TSR and KKR teams of Kinser, Schatz, Saldana, Darrah, and Sweet, and throw in Sammy most nights…. then get your butt handed to you on the PA swings? Most teams would struggle to stay in the top ten. Or would you rather roll the dice on a pill draw and try to win a handful of races a year?
I look at my local track at Knoxville. Why else would there have been 20 cars racing in the 305 class for $400 to win at the end of the 2011 season? It’s not like they were there to race for milk money. I think most people decide what to race (when it comes to traveling a national series) where they think they can WIN within the budget they have. Whether that is a go-kart, hobby stock, modified, late model, or sprint car. But I still don’t understand how you can make a profit from being a full time race car driver. Not without sponsors.
The chances of all 17 ASCS teams making all 63 shows are slim. I don’t want to sound like I’m bashing the ASCS or 360 racing, because I love those races like any race fan. I’ve driven a few hours out of my way to see those shows in my day. But I just don’t see how from the money end of it that many teams can survive.
At some point, the 410 organizations are going to have to find a way to get motor rebuilds from 8 races to 20 plus, because if they don’t 410 racing is going to die a slow death across the country. I think John McCoy and Knoxville Raceway are on to something with this 435 LS engine. Hopefully more people see the benefit of using it soon.
Whatever it is Emmett Hahn and ASCS is doing, it seems to be working. He has more cars racing for less money with just as good of a product on the race track in my eyes. You might not see Steve or Sammy at those shows, but its good racing. I’m just glad there is room for both right now.
Knoxville season preview is coming soon….
As of my count there are 17 drivers trying to run the full 63 race ASCS schedule. Gary Wright, Jason Johnson, Brady Bacon, Tim Crawley, Jack Dover, Tony Bruce Jr., Brad Loyet, Logan Forler, Seth Bergman, Wayne Johnson, Johnny Herrera, Dustin Morgan, Zach Chappell, Derek Hagar, Matt Covington, Aaron Reutzel, Austen Wheatley. Keep in mind ASCS lost last season’s champion Shane Stewart and Jeff Swindell.
The World of Outlaws has 10 full-time racers. Joey Saldana, Donny Schatz, Steve Kinser, Craig Dollanksy, Kraig Kinser, Kerry Madsen, Chad Kemenah, Cody Darrah, Lucas Wolfe, and Bill Rose. Most races will have 4 or 5 part-time teams. Sammy Swindell, Jason Sides, Stevie Smith, Brad Sweet, Brian Brown, Terry McCarl, Shane Stewart, and you can throw in Tony Stewart as well.
ASCS will run 63 nights for $4,000 to win and $400 to start.
WoO will run 75 races that pay $10,000 to win and $800 to start.
ASCS team based in Tulsa, OK would travel 19,109 miles for the season.
WoO team based in Indianapolis, IN would travel 26,620 miles for the season.
Difference of 7,511 miles, which is approximately $4,000 in diesel fuel.
ASCS lets teams change tires any time you push off (there goes your fuel savings).
WoO makes you run one tire all night.
ASCS charges more money for pit passes and to draw your pill. Do more people think the “draw” format is more fair than qualifying? Suddenly that 6 invert in a dash race with the WoO doesn’t sound so bad. For what a team would save in engine rebuilds with a 360 motor, you could recoup that money racing with the WoO, higher purses, cheaper pit passes, and no pill draws. So why are more teams racing with ASCS?
MY CONCLUSION: People race to win.
You want to compete against the TSR and KKR teams of Kinser, Schatz, Saldana, Darrah, and Sweet, and throw in Sammy most nights…. then get your butt handed to you on the PA swings? Most teams would struggle to stay in the top ten. Or would you rather roll the dice on a pill draw and try to win a handful of races a year?
I look at my local track at Knoxville. Why else would there have been 20 cars racing in the 305 class for $400 to win at the end of the 2011 season? It’s not like they were there to race for milk money. I think most people decide what to race (when it comes to traveling a national series) where they think they can WIN within the budget they have. Whether that is a go-kart, hobby stock, modified, late model, or sprint car. But I still don’t understand how you can make a profit from being a full time race car driver. Not without sponsors.
The chances of all 17 ASCS teams making all 63 shows are slim. I don’t want to sound like I’m bashing the ASCS or 360 racing, because I love those races like any race fan. I’ve driven a few hours out of my way to see those shows in my day. But I just don’t see how from the money end of it that many teams can survive.
At some point, the 410 organizations are going to have to find a way to get motor rebuilds from 8 races to 20 plus, because if they don’t 410 racing is going to die a slow death across the country. I think John McCoy and Knoxville Raceway are on to something with this 435 LS engine. Hopefully more people see the benefit of using it soon.
Whatever it is Emmett Hahn and ASCS is doing, it seems to be working. He has more cars racing for less money with just as good of a product on the race track in my eyes. You might not see Steve or Sammy at those shows, but its good racing. I’m just glad there is room for both right now.
Knoxville season preview is coming soon….
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Getting ready for 2012
Now that football is over and we're past the Chili Bowl and indoor events like the Battle at the Barn, and the World of Outlaws season is under way, it seems like I can focus on racing after a break. I'm excited for the breath of fresh air coming to the Hawkeye Ovals in 2012 with new management and promotors at Knoxville Raceway, Osky, and Iowa Speedway.
I think the message at Knoxville is that nothing is really going to change dramatically other than the Friday of the Nationals format. The purse and point structures are the same basically. But I have this feeling as the season goes we'll see something new in how the track operates. I have no idea what that might be, and have no insider info, but it's a gut feeling I have, or maybe I'm hoping for. But I sure hope the Marion County Fairboard considers new rest rooms this year as they are sub par for sure.
The changes at Oskaloosa have me excited. With Mike Van Genderen the new man in charge and bringing back IMCA rules I think it will help car counts, hopefully in the A-Mod division more than any. After a few years of only seeing a handful of modified's for a weekly show, it can't get much worse. Hopefully the IMCA rules entices some drivers from the Des Moines, Boone, and Marshalltown areas to come compete. The schedule has been expanded and there is a new website up and running at www.oskyspeedway.com. I'm hopeful that the Southern Iowa Fair is ready to step the racing program up a notch and I think they are off to a good start bringing in new energy with MVG. I'm not sure I'm a fan of this new four cylinder sport compact class, but the jury is still out. If they were going to add another class, why not add Late Models weekly similar to Des Moines where they race in the May, June, and July months? Just a thought. The Penn Central Mall in Osky will host their annual car show on March 23-25.
Iowa Speedway has a slightly expanded schedule with two NASCAR Trucks and two Nationwide Series' races while adding a weekend of races in September. I think adding another race in the fall is a bad idea once you're into football season. It didn't work well in the past, and I don't see it working any better now, but I guess we'll see how the crowd turnout is. Hopefully the ongoing legal battles between the Clement's and the Mannatt's over terms of the sale of the track doesn't spill over and affect the racing on the track. You can follow that story at www.newtondailynews.com and www.newtonindependent.com. It's an amazing facility in it's seventh racing season now and hopefully the track is rewarded for their patience in the coming year or two with a NASCAR Cup race.
The World of Outlaws started their season off this weekend in Florida. I'm still amazed that two time defending champion Jason Meyers is stepping back from the sport to be closer to home and family. It's the right thing to do, and I admire him for his decision. I don't know how the traveling circus of racers manage their personal lives being on the road so much. I can't imagine how many activities Steve Kinser must have missed with his three children. But with Meyers out of the points race it narrows it down to a dozen drivers; Donny Schatz, Joey Saldana, Craig Dollanksy, Steve Kinser, Kraig Kinser, Stevie Smith, Kerry Madsen, Chad Kemenah, Cody Darrah, Lucas Wolfe, Bill Rose. It's hard to pick against Schatz or Saldana but I'm really pulling for Joey this year. That guy deserves a few breaks to go his way, but he has the car and team to win it. I think Dollanksy is a serious threat to win as well. And of course it will be interesting to see how many times the true Outlaws (Sammy Swindell, Brian Brown, Terry McCarl, Jason Sides, Brad Sweet, and that guy Tony Stewart) show up to spoil the points race for someone.
ASCS has expanded their schedule this year to over 60 races but they are still racing on the western half of the US as they only venture east of the Mississippi river once for a race in Peoria, IL and do not venture into SOD Region in Michigan or Ohio. It almost seems like the ASCS is content to keep the western half of the US and let USAC, the WoO, All-Stars, IRA, Knoxville, and Pennsylvania have their own regions. But that leaves Knoxville right in the middle of all of them.
I'm so ready to see a race in Iowa on any of these Hawkeye Ovals! I'll be putting together my Knoxville season preview next.
I think the message at Knoxville is that nothing is really going to change dramatically other than the Friday of the Nationals format. The purse and point structures are the same basically. But I have this feeling as the season goes we'll see something new in how the track operates. I have no idea what that might be, and have no insider info, but it's a gut feeling I have, or maybe I'm hoping for. But I sure hope the Marion County Fairboard considers new rest rooms this year as they are sub par for sure.
The changes at Oskaloosa have me excited. With Mike Van Genderen the new man in charge and bringing back IMCA rules I think it will help car counts, hopefully in the A-Mod division more than any. After a few years of only seeing a handful of modified's for a weekly show, it can't get much worse. Hopefully the IMCA rules entices some drivers from the Des Moines, Boone, and Marshalltown areas to come compete. The schedule has been expanded and there is a new website up and running at www.oskyspeedway.com. I'm hopeful that the Southern Iowa Fair is ready to step the racing program up a notch and I think they are off to a good start bringing in new energy with MVG. I'm not sure I'm a fan of this new four cylinder sport compact class, but the jury is still out. If they were going to add another class, why not add Late Models weekly similar to Des Moines where they race in the May, June, and July months? Just a thought. The Penn Central Mall in Osky will host their annual car show on March 23-25.
Iowa Speedway has a slightly expanded schedule with two NASCAR Trucks and two Nationwide Series' races while adding a weekend of races in September. I think adding another race in the fall is a bad idea once you're into football season. It didn't work well in the past, and I don't see it working any better now, but I guess we'll see how the crowd turnout is. Hopefully the ongoing legal battles between the Clement's and the Mannatt's over terms of the sale of the track doesn't spill over and affect the racing on the track. You can follow that story at www.newtondailynews.com and www.newtonindependent.com. It's an amazing facility in it's seventh racing season now and hopefully the track is rewarded for their patience in the coming year or two with a NASCAR Cup race.
The World of Outlaws started their season off this weekend in Florida. I'm still amazed that two time defending champion Jason Meyers is stepping back from the sport to be closer to home and family. It's the right thing to do, and I admire him for his decision. I don't know how the traveling circus of racers manage their personal lives being on the road so much. I can't imagine how many activities Steve Kinser must have missed with his three children. But with Meyers out of the points race it narrows it down to a dozen drivers; Donny Schatz, Joey Saldana, Craig Dollanksy, Steve Kinser, Kraig Kinser, Stevie Smith, Kerry Madsen, Chad Kemenah, Cody Darrah, Lucas Wolfe, Bill Rose. It's hard to pick against Schatz or Saldana but I'm really pulling for Joey this year. That guy deserves a few breaks to go his way, but he has the car and team to win it. I think Dollanksy is a serious threat to win as well. And of course it will be interesting to see how many times the true Outlaws (Sammy Swindell, Brian Brown, Terry McCarl, Jason Sides, Brad Sweet, and that guy Tony Stewart) show up to spoil the points race for someone.
ASCS has expanded their schedule this year to over 60 races but they are still racing on the western half of the US as they only venture east of the Mississippi river once for a race in Peoria, IL and do not venture into SOD Region in Michigan or Ohio. It almost seems like the ASCS is content to keep the western half of the US and let USAC, the WoO, All-Stars, IRA, Knoxville, and Pennsylvania have their own regions. But that leaves Knoxville right in the middle of all of them.
I'm so ready to see a race in Iowa on any of these Hawkeye Ovals! I'll be putting together my Knoxville season preview next.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Chili Bowl Rookie
By Dan Zimmermann
Hawkeye Ovals Chili Bowl Correspondent
I have been home now for 24 hours and have been able to fully digest my first Chili Bowl experience. It is just that, an experience. Sure, there are races going on but the weeklong festivities are much more than just a race. It is a chance to escape the reality of winter for a few days of being with friends from all over the US and beyond. The trade show is large and diverse. It is a great way to spend any leftover Christmas money. The pits are open for those who buy pit passes and I would highly suggest purchasing one. It is the most unique pit experience in racing.
Our hosts for the weekend were Bob McCutchan and Scott Chilcutt. I know I speak for all in our group, we can’t say enough how much we appreciated their hospitality and transportation back and forth from the Quik Trip center. We were able to run into several friends that we normally only see at the Knoxville Nationals or at other racing events during the year. The event has the feeling of a Knoxville Nationals for midgets. Wherever we went, we saw people wearing their racing shirts. Our hotel was full of Chili Bowl fans. One of the best parts of the trip was seeing friends and making new ones.
We left Iowa on Thursday morning with an Arctic blast sending us down I-35. We have only had one measurable snow in Iowa until last week. Of course the second one had to occur the night before we left. Fortunately the 30 mph winds helped blow the snow off of the interstate so we were able to safely arrive in Tulsa. Excitement was at a fever pitch when we arrived in the parking lot. I had an idea of how large the Quik Trip center was but seeing it in person was much more than I could have imagined. The complex the building sits on is also most enormous with a ¾ mile dirt track, water park, baseball stadium, and other pavilions spread around the facility. Inside the Quik Trip center was eye opening to say the least. The track itself sits on about 1/3rd of the floor space. The stands can hold an impressive amount of people. The news estimated 15,000. I’m not sure how accurate that is but I know there are a lot of people there from all over. I was very impressed with a couple other aspects of the Quik Trip center. The place stays very clean, they are very conscious of cleanliness and it was noticeable how well the maintenance crew took care of the facility. The second was the diverse options for eating and drinking that are available there. Prices are similar to what you would pay at a fair. The food was good and you could pretty much find about anything you would be hungry for. I would also suggest paying for pit passes. No place else can you enjoy a beverage of your choice and be front and center with the cars and race teams. There are a few deals to be had on t shirts in the pits. It is a great feeling to add to the racing shirt collection in January!
The racing is the main attraction of course and the Chili Bowl features wall to wall action. To channel my inner Steve Evans, the Chili Bowl is full contact auto racing. The MMA of motorsports and the race track in the Quik Trip center is the octagon. Bumps, spins, crashes, and flips are part of the action. The weekend’s most spectacular flip was performed by Blake Hahn in his Friday heat race. The track was especially tacky in the heats and Blake launched himself off of turn 2 and ended up coming to a stop in turn 3. At one point he completed two mid air flips without touching. The course workers were there quickly and somehow his team miraculously fixed the car in time for one of the C features. Unfortunately for Blake, he would turn the car over in the C feature as well. Joey Moughan went over a right rear and his car tumbled into the catch fence. His roll cage was bent and we hadn’t heard if he was ok. Hopefully he is as it took a while to get his car into a safe position. Before the A main rolled off on Saturday night, 64 cars had gotten upside down. Levi Jones made that 65 on the first lap of the A main after going over a right rear.
Of course great racing is also present and the best races in my opinion were the A qualifiers. The drivers were going all out for those all important starting positions in the A main. The track crew does a great job keeping the track in racing condition. A tractor pulls a sprayer around between heats to keep the racing groves moist and limit the amount of dust that is flying. Earl Baltes would be proud. Wheel banging and bumper crunching slide jobs are part of the excitement. Like any racing, tv can’t really do justice to the amount of action on the track. The cars can reach some pretty serious speed on the Tulsa bull ring. I was impressed by Rico Abreu who was making his first Chili Bowl A main start. I know he had made quite an impression in Australia and he was certainly a hit in Tulsa. He will certainly have a great career in sprint cars and midgets. Fellow Californian and Chili Bowl rookie Richard Vanderweerd was also impressive winning the first B feature. He was the only rookie to make the A main on Saturday night.
Like most big races, the twin B features on Saturday night would feature serious racing for transfer spots and some ruffled feathers in the pits after the races were over. The first B main, Kevin Ramey was running solidly in 2nd place. Coleman Gullick was in the rear of the pack and looped his car in turn 4. Instead of coming to a stop, he tried to do a 360 which went wrong and he drove right into Ramey’s path. Ramey punted him in the rear bumper which caused him to stall. Because he required a push, Ramey was sent to the rear with only a handful of laps left. Obviously upset, Ramey looked to vent his frustrations on Gullick. However the other Klatt entry of Bobby East was in the race and Ramey whacked him instead of Gullick as they had similar tail tanks. The second B main featured similar revenge tactics that were taken up a notch. Excitement was in the air as Jac Haudenschild was on the outside pole. On the initial start, Daryn Pittman stalled coming to take the green. While we were watching that, Haud scattered Indy Race Parts in turn one. Unfortunately he was unable to make repairs and did not make the call for the restart. Brady Bacon and Zach Daum battled for the lead when contact in turn one and two send Bacon on his lid. Back on 4 wheels, Bacon drove into the rear of Daum’s teammate Mike Hess on the restart which sent the 5h spinning and ultimately tipped over. Hess may not have known at the time of the initial incident but he wasn’t going to go quietly. On the next restart he cross checked Bacon in turn 3 sending the Wilke car backwards. Pressure is high to make the A main and it certainly showed on Saturday night.
The A main was a Swindell battle. Sammy gave it his all but could not make a pass for the lead. With 3 laps to go, Sammy got into a lap car down the front stretch that sent his tail end skyward. He fortunately returned the rear tires to the track but that incident eliminated any chance of a pass for the win. The A main was lengthened to 55 laps to honor Donnie Ray Crawford. News of what happened to Donnie started circulating on social media Saturday morning. A sadness was felt by everyone who was part of the event whether they knew Donnie or the Crawfords. Immediately honorariums were put into place. Brian Brown racing contributed $555 for the leader on lap 55 of the A main. The opening ceremonies held several tributes to Donnie. Donna Hahn read a touching poem about Donnie. We were treated to a video of his victory interview from his 2011 Chili Bowl prelim victory. Matt Ward and Blake Hahn carried a banner in honor of Donnie as the driver’s states were being introduced. Matt Ward also drove Donnie’s car in the parade laps before the feature. I can’t imagine what was going through his mind but I know he was very honorable in driving that car. I think all of us in the building carried emotions of sadness during this part of the event. We are all praying for the Crawfords and offer our sincere condolences.
My first Chili Bowl won’t be my last. I think everyone who is an open wheel dirt racing fan should attend this event at some point. Seeing this quality of racing in January is a great way to make winter less painful. The event staff does a tremendous job and being around racing friends whether you know them or not is one of the great parts of the Chili Bowl.
Hawkeye Ovals Chili Bowl Correspondent
I have been home now for 24 hours and have been able to fully digest my first Chili Bowl experience. It is just that, an experience. Sure, there are races going on but the weeklong festivities are much more than just a race. It is a chance to escape the reality of winter for a few days of being with friends from all over the US and beyond. The trade show is large and diverse. It is a great way to spend any leftover Christmas money. The pits are open for those who buy pit passes and I would highly suggest purchasing one. It is the most unique pit experience in racing.
Our hosts for the weekend were Bob McCutchan and Scott Chilcutt. I know I speak for all in our group, we can’t say enough how much we appreciated their hospitality and transportation back and forth from the Quik Trip center. We were able to run into several friends that we normally only see at the Knoxville Nationals or at other racing events during the year. The event has the feeling of a Knoxville Nationals for midgets. Wherever we went, we saw people wearing their racing shirts. Our hotel was full of Chili Bowl fans. One of the best parts of the trip was seeing friends and making new ones.
We left Iowa on Thursday morning with an Arctic blast sending us down I-35. We have only had one measurable snow in Iowa until last week. Of course the second one had to occur the night before we left. Fortunately the 30 mph winds helped blow the snow off of the interstate so we were able to safely arrive in Tulsa. Excitement was at a fever pitch when we arrived in the parking lot. I had an idea of how large the Quik Trip center was but seeing it in person was much more than I could have imagined. The complex the building sits on is also most enormous with a ¾ mile dirt track, water park, baseball stadium, and other pavilions spread around the facility. Inside the Quik Trip center was eye opening to say the least. The track itself sits on about 1/3rd of the floor space. The stands can hold an impressive amount of people. The news estimated 15,000. I’m not sure how accurate that is but I know there are a lot of people there from all over. I was very impressed with a couple other aspects of the Quik Trip center. The place stays very clean, they are very conscious of cleanliness and it was noticeable how well the maintenance crew took care of the facility. The second was the diverse options for eating and drinking that are available there. Prices are similar to what you would pay at a fair. The food was good and you could pretty much find about anything you would be hungry for. I would also suggest paying for pit passes. No place else can you enjoy a beverage of your choice and be front and center with the cars and race teams. There are a few deals to be had on t shirts in the pits. It is a great feeling to add to the racing shirt collection in January!
The racing is the main attraction of course and the Chili Bowl features wall to wall action. To channel my inner Steve Evans, the Chili Bowl is full contact auto racing. The MMA of motorsports and the race track in the Quik Trip center is the octagon. Bumps, spins, crashes, and flips are part of the action. The weekend’s most spectacular flip was performed by Blake Hahn in his Friday heat race. The track was especially tacky in the heats and Blake launched himself off of turn 2 and ended up coming to a stop in turn 3. At one point he completed two mid air flips without touching. The course workers were there quickly and somehow his team miraculously fixed the car in time for one of the C features. Unfortunately for Blake, he would turn the car over in the C feature as well. Joey Moughan went over a right rear and his car tumbled into the catch fence. His roll cage was bent and we hadn’t heard if he was ok. Hopefully he is as it took a while to get his car into a safe position. Before the A main rolled off on Saturday night, 64 cars had gotten upside down. Levi Jones made that 65 on the first lap of the A main after going over a right rear.
Of course great racing is also present and the best races in my opinion were the A qualifiers. The drivers were going all out for those all important starting positions in the A main. The track crew does a great job keeping the track in racing condition. A tractor pulls a sprayer around between heats to keep the racing groves moist and limit the amount of dust that is flying. Earl Baltes would be proud. Wheel banging and bumper crunching slide jobs are part of the excitement. Like any racing, tv can’t really do justice to the amount of action on the track. The cars can reach some pretty serious speed on the Tulsa bull ring. I was impressed by Rico Abreu who was making his first Chili Bowl A main start. I know he had made quite an impression in Australia and he was certainly a hit in Tulsa. He will certainly have a great career in sprint cars and midgets. Fellow Californian and Chili Bowl rookie Richard Vanderweerd was also impressive winning the first B feature. He was the only rookie to make the A main on Saturday night.
Like most big races, the twin B features on Saturday night would feature serious racing for transfer spots and some ruffled feathers in the pits after the races were over. The first B main, Kevin Ramey was running solidly in 2nd place. Coleman Gullick was in the rear of the pack and looped his car in turn 4. Instead of coming to a stop, he tried to do a 360 which went wrong and he drove right into Ramey’s path. Ramey punted him in the rear bumper which caused him to stall. Because he required a push, Ramey was sent to the rear with only a handful of laps left. Obviously upset, Ramey looked to vent his frustrations on Gullick. However the other Klatt entry of Bobby East was in the race and Ramey whacked him instead of Gullick as they had similar tail tanks. The second B main featured similar revenge tactics that were taken up a notch. Excitement was in the air as Jac Haudenschild was on the outside pole. On the initial start, Daryn Pittman stalled coming to take the green. While we were watching that, Haud scattered Indy Race Parts in turn one. Unfortunately he was unable to make repairs and did not make the call for the restart. Brady Bacon and Zach Daum battled for the lead when contact in turn one and two send Bacon on his lid. Back on 4 wheels, Bacon drove into the rear of Daum’s teammate Mike Hess on the restart which sent the 5h spinning and ultimately tipped over. Hess may not have known at the time of the initial incident but he wasn’t going to go quietly. On the next restart he cross checked Bacon in turn 3 sending the Wilke car backwards. Pressure is high to make the A main and it certainly showed on Saturday night.
The A main was a Swindell battle. Sammy gave it his all but could not make a pass for the lead. With 3 laps to go, Sammy got into a lap car down the front stretch that sent his tail end skyward. He fortunately returned the rear tires to the track but that incident eliminated any chance of a pass for the win. The A main was lengthened to 55 laps to honor Donnie Ray Crawford. News of what happened to Donnie started circulating on social media Saturday morning. A sadness was felt by everyone who was part of the event whether they knew Donnie or the Crawfords. Immediately honorariums were put into place. Brian Brown racing contributed $555 for the leader on lap 55 of the A main. The opening ceremonies held several tributes to Donnie. Donna Hahn read a touching poem about Donnie. We were treated to a video of his victory interview from his 2011 Chili Bowl prelim victory. Matt Ward and Blake Hahn carried a banner in honor of Donnie as the driver’s states were being introduced. Matt Ward also drove Donnie’s car in the parade laps before the feature. I can’t imagine what was going through his mind but I know he was very honorable in driving that car. I think all of us in the building carried emotions of sadness during this part of the event. We are all praying for the Crawfords and offer our sincere condolences.
My first Chili Bowl won’t be my last. I think everyone who is an open wheel dirt racing fan should attend this event at some point. Seeing this quality of racing in January is a great way to make winter less painful. The event staff does a tremendous job and being around racing friends whether you know them or not is one of the great parts of the Chili Bowl.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Spicy Hot
by Hawkeye Ovals Chili Bowl Correspondent Dan Zimmermann
The Bus House Gang is making its first en masse voyage to the Chili Bowl this year. A few of us have made the trek to Tulsa in the past but this is the first year we have a large group headed south out of Iowa. I’ve been attending sprint car races since 1978 but for some reason, this is the first time I’ve went to the Chili Bowl. I’m sure it won’t be the last and I’ll probably be kicking myself for waiting this long to go. For those of us who are rookies, we have heard about what the Chili Bowl is like. We have seen the pictures and watched the races on tv. However, I don’t think we will be able to grasp the enormity of what the Chili Bowl really is. I’ll attempt to bring my view of the Chili Bowl from a first time fan’s perspective including a few photos from our journey. Our gracious hosts for the weekend are Scott Chilcutt and Bob McCutcheon. Hopefully they take some pity on us after their Sooners gave our Hawkeyes a butt kicking in the Insight Bowl. Football is in the rear view mirror now and the only bowl that really matters starts in a handful of days.
The Chili Bowl is a big melting pot, not only of competitors from many racing disciplines but fans from across the country who are dying for some racing. It is hard for me to fathom a racing event with 260+ competitors. I’ve seen the pictures of the pit area with the haulers all parked indoors. I can’t wait to be able to walk through the pit area and soak in the atmosphere. I only wish all my racing friends could be with us on this trip. We know you all will be with us in spirit. The racing at the Chili Bowl is as intense as any race in the world. Luck plays a huge role in a drivers result. The numerous spins, crashes, and flips can ruin an otherwise perfect evening. There will be top flight drivers mired in D, E, F, mains or worse come Saturday night. There will be surprise drivers making the A main and we’ll ask ourselves, how the hell did so and so make the A feature?? I’m excited to see Kyle Larson, Steve Buckwalter, and Tony Stewart wheel their midgets around the bull ring. I can’t wait to watch 10+ hours of racing come Saturday! I’ll try to capture the spirit of the thing and keep things within the boundaries of good taste (had to get a couple Slap Shot references in here). I have made an attempt to rank the top 50 entries coming into the Chili Bowl. Use this information in your fantasy pool at your own risk. To my facebook buddies, I’ll have regular photo updates so check those out. I can’t wait to get the car headed south, lets go racing!!!
BHG Spicy Hot Power Rankings:
1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Kevin Swindell, 3. Tony Stewart, 4. Bryan Clauson, 5. Kyle Larson, 6. Dave Darland, 7. Jerry Coons Jr, 8. Levi Jones, 9. Michael Pickens, 10. Chris Windom, 11. Steve Buckwalter, 12. Darren Hagen, 13. Brad Sweet, 14. Jon Stanbrough, 15. Cory Kruseman, 16. Tracy Hines, 17. Brady Bacon, 18. Shane Cottle, 19. Brad Loyet, 20. Damion Gardner, 21. Nick Knepper, 22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr, 23. Thomas Meseraull, 24. Donnie Ray Crawford, 25. Jason Leffler
The Bus House Gang is making its first en masse voyage to the Chili Bowl this year. A few of us have made the trek to Tulsa in the past but this is the first year we have a large group headed south out of Iowa. I’ve been attending sprint car races since 1978 but for some reason, this is the first time I’ve went to the Chili Bowl. I’m sure it won’t be the last and I’ll probably be kicking myself for waiting this long to go. For those of us who are rookies, we have heard about what the Chili Bowl is like. We have seen the pictures and watched the races on tv. However, I don’t think we will be able to grasp the enormity of what the Chili Bowl really is. I’ll attempt to bring my view of the Chili Bowl from a first time fan’s perspective including a few photos from our journey. Our gracious hosts for the weekend are Scott Chilcutt and Bob McCutcheon. Hopefully they take some pity on us after their Sooners gave our Hawkeyes a butt kicking in the Insight Bowl. Football is in the rear view mirror now and the only bowl that really matters starts in a handful of days.
The Chili Bowl is a big melting pot, not only of competitors from many racing disciplines but fans from across the country who are dying for some racing. It is hard for me to fathom a racing event with 260+ competitors. I’ve seen the pictures of the pit area with the haulers all parked indoors. I can’t wait to be able to walk through the pit area and soak in the atmosphere. I only wish all my racing friends could be with us on this trip. We know you all will be with us in spirit. The racing at the Chili Bowl is as intense as any race in the world. Luck plays a huge role in a drivers result. The numerous spins, crashes, and flips can ruin an otherwise perfect evening. There will be top flight drivers mired in D, E, F, mains or worse come Saturday night. There will be surprise drivers making the A main and we’ll ask ourselves, how the hell did so and so make the A feature?? I’m excited to see Kyle Larson, Steve Buckwalter, and Tony Stewart wheel their midgets around the bull ring. I can’t wait to watch 10+ hours of racing come Saturday! I’ll try to capture the spirit of the thing and keep things within the boundaries of good taste (had to get a couple Slap Shot references in here). I have made an attempt to rank the top 50 entries coming into the Chili Bowl. Use this information in your fantasy pool at your own risk. To my facebook buddies, I’ll have regular photo updates so check those out. I can’t wait to get the car headed south, lets go racing!!!
BHG Spicy Hot Power Rankings:
1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Kevin Swindell, 3. Tony Stewart, 4. Bryan Clauson, 5. Kyle Larson, 6. Dave Darland, 7. Jerry Coons Jr, 8. Levi Jones, 9. Michael Pickens, 10. Chris Windom, 11. Steve Buckwalter, 12. Darren Hagen, 13. Brad Sweet, 14. Jon Stanbrough, 15. Cory Kruseman, 16. Tracy Hines, 17. Brady Bacon, 18. Shane Cottle, 19. Brad Loyet, 20. Damion Gardner, 21. Nick Knepper, 22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr, 23. Thomas Meseraull, 24. Donnie Ray Crawford, 25. Jason Leffler
Monday, January 2, 2012
TGIF?
I originally wrote this Sep 29, 2011 and it appeared in the December issue of Flat Out. This came from a converstaion I had with a fan during the week of the nationals, and some notes I handed to John McCoy in August. Sounds like he liked my ideas....
Friday night of the Knoxville Nationals has seen a few format changes over the years. Since the race became a four day show in 1975, the Friday show has always been a event for the “non-qualifiers” who were 51st in qualifying points or worse. The idea was to give the slower cars a chance to compete for a little more money, build the car count, and it gave teams a chance to improve their starting position (somewhat) for the Saturday finale. The winner of the Friday Non-Qualifier A-Main has always been award the eleventh starting position in the Saturday C-Main.
But the fans were not happy to pay to see the slower cars only, so tobring more of the bigger names to compete the idea of the Mystery Feature was born in 1979, and then the Race of States was added in 1981. But when some teams refused to race in the special event races in fear of tearing up a car the night before the high paying race the Mystery and States races were tossed aside and the invention of the “Scrambles” was given to us in 1993. The Scrambles was for the top 10 in points of the A, B, and C Mains and gave those cars a chance to “scramble” or improve their starting position on Saturday night by awarding more points and forcing the bigger names to race on Friday. In 1996 the World Challenge was added. This past year promoter Ralph Capatani changed it up again doing away the Scrambles in favor of a Race of Champions. The Champions race was for past Nationals winners, past Knoxville track champions, and champions of other series’ and events across the country over the past year. This was a good event, but with it being a “reverse draw” where you had to give your number to another driver it worked out to be a fun race to watch, but to think those same drivers would be willing to do this again is absurd.
So many race fans complain that the Friday ticket is expensive for only five races on the night and it really has no effect of the outcome on Saturday night and is meaningless. It’s a sham, and a way for Knoxville to force you to see a race that no one cares about. Those are all comments I hear nearly every year throughout the week of the Nationals. And let’s face it, the car count at the Nationals isn’t going to grow, so we don’t even have that many cars to put in to a Non-Qualifiers show. So what does Knoxville do with the Friday show at this point? I have some ideas.
One easy solution is to divide the field up on three nights instead of two. 30-35 cars each night wouldn’t water the field down that much. And you run four heats instead of five each night, we would still see good racing.
A more complicated idea is to lock in a lower number than 50 cars from Wednesday-Thursday in to Saturday. Make Friday night mean something and still reward those who do well on their qualifying night. My idea is to only lock in the top 16 in points for Saturday and reward them with taking Friday night off. Everyone else, roughly 80 cars, come back Friday to re-qualify or maybe race for a new night of points and keeping the best of your two totals. Or you could run a split show. Carry over their qualifying times and sort them into a odd and even program of 4 odd heats, 4 even heats, 2 B-Mains, and 2 A-Mains with the top two in each A-Main transferring to the Saturday A-Main in positions 17-20. This would make good racing as everyone is trying to claw their way into the “big dance” on Saturday night, the carrot is dangling for all who come. And the cars finishing 3rd and on back in the Friday A-Main can determine the B, C, D, E on Saturday by finishing order, or points.
And while we’re at it, let’s make the Saturday C-Main 18 or 20 laps instead of 15 to give some drivers a chance to run the alphabet. The days of Doug Wolfgang passing 20 cars in 15 laps in the C-Main are over.
I personally like the 50 laps for the Saturday championship. I think it would be more interesting if you couldn’t change tires though. Let’s run harder tires that last longer and don’t allow as much horsepower to be transferred to the ground and put more emphasis on the skill of the driver.
Friday night of the Knoxville Nationals has seen a few format changes over the years. Since the race became a four day show in 1975, the Friday show has always been a event for the “non-qualifiers” who were 51st in qualifying points or worse. The idea was to give the slower cars a chance to compete for a little more money, build the car count, and it gave teams a chance to improve their starting position (somewhat) for the Saturday finale. The winner of the Friday Non-Qualifier A-Main has always been award the eleventh starting position in the Saturday C-Main.
But the fans were not happy to pay to see the slower cars only, so tobring more of the bigger names to compete the idea of the Mystery Feature was born in 1979, and then the Race of States was added in 1981. But when some teams refused to race in the special event races in fear of tearing up a car the night before the high paying race the Mystery and States races were tossed aside and the invention of the “Scrambles” was given to us in 1993. The Scrambles was for the top 10 in points of the A, B, and C Mains and gave those cars a chance to “scramble” or improve their starting position on Saturday night by awarding more points and forcing the bigger names to race on Friday. In 1996 the World Challenge was added. This past year promoter Ralph Capatani changed it up again doing away the Scrambles in favor of a Race of Champions. The Champions race was for past Nationals winners, past Knoxville track champions, and champions of other series’ and events across the country over the past year. This was a good event, but with it being a “reverse draw” where you had to give your number to another driver it worked out to be a fun race to watch, but to think those same drivers would be willing to do this again is absurd.
So many race fans complain that the Friday ticket is expensive for only five races on the night and it really has no effect of the outcome on Saturday night and is meaningless. It’s a sham, and a way for Knoxville to force you to see a race that no one cares about. Those are all comments I hear nearly every year throughout the week of the Nationals. And let’s face it, the car count at the Nationals isn’t going to grow, so we don’t even have that many cars to put in to a Non-Qualifiers show. So what does Knoxville do with the Friday show at this point? I have some ideas.
One easy solution is to divide the field up on three nights instead of two. 30-35 cars each night wouldn’t water the field down that much. And you run four heats instead of five each night, we would still see good racing.
A more complicated idea is to lock in a lower number than 50 cars from Wednesday-Thursday in to Saturday. Make Friday night mean something and still reward those who do well on their qualifying night. My idea is to only lock in the top 16 in points for Saturday and reward them with taking Friday night off. Everyone else, roughly 80 cars, come back Friday to re-qualify or maybe race for a new night of points and keeping the best of your two totals. Or you could run a split show. Carry over their qualifying times and sort them into a odd and even program of 4 odd heats, 4 even heats, 2 B-Mains, and 2 A-Mains with the top two in each A-Main transferring to the Saturday A-Main in positions 17-20. This would make good racing as everyone is trying to claw their way into the “big dance” on Saturday night, the carrot is dangling for all who come. And the cars finishing 3rd and on back in the Friday A-Main can determine the B, C, D, E on Saturday by finishing order, or points.
And while we’re at it, let’s make the Saturday C-Main 18 or 20 laps instead of 15 to give some drivers a chance to run the alphabet. The days of Doug Wolfgang passing 20 cars in 15 laps in the C-Main are over.
I personally like the 50 laps for the Saturday championship. I think it would be more interesting if you couldn’t change tires though. Let’s run harder tires that last longer and don’t allow as much horsepower to be transferred to the ground and put more emphasis on the skill of the driver.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
2011 Knoxville Raceway 360 Recap
Clint Garner won his third consecutive 360 track championship this past year in the Boyd and Glenda Fluth owned number 40 sprint car. He assembled 4 wins, 9 top fives, 12 top tens, 5 quick times, in 14 starts. Garner is one of two men at Knoxville to win a 410, 360, and 305 feature (Rim Ridin’ Randy Smith is the other). Powered by his Al Parker engine Garner seems content to compete in the 360 class, but when you’ve won it all and have won two 410 features in the past, why not move back to the 410 class? Garner is clearly the best driver in the 360 class, you can’t take that away from him… until someone beats him.
Chad Humston looked like he was going to be there til the end and kept the points race close until the end of the season. Car owner Mark Burch brought in hired gun Danny Lasoski after the Knoxville season to win some ASCS National Tour races. It’s unclear what the future holds for this team, but Humston has impressed me the past two seasons as one of the best drivers at Knoxville, he has just had horrible luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If a break goes his way in lapped traffic, he probably wins the 2010 360 Nationals as he wrecked while leading. Humston had 12 top tens, the same as Garner, but only one win and 7 top fives, and 2 quick times. Hope this team sticks together as they are the best bet to beat Garner, but will Burch stay with Knoxville 360’s or move to something else?
The 2008 360 track champion Matt Moro battled back this year to third in points after finishing a disappointing eighth last season. He accumulated 1 win, 8 top fives, 11 top tens, and made 13 of the 14 features. Moro is now a veteran at the track and owns his own equipment. He has 7 career 360 wins and 2 career wins in a 410 at Knoxville. Underrated as a driver who doesn’t get much hype.
Russ Hall was fourth in points, up from eleventh a year ago. He also got his first two career wins this year with 6 top fives, and 9 top tens. Hall’s stock is on the rise, looking forward to see what he can do next season.
Jon Agan is a owner/driver and a hometown favorite who finished fifth in points is down one spot from last season. Agan won 2 features, but only managed 3 top fives, 11 top tens in 13 features. He also won 4 heat races which is tied with Larry Ball Jr., and Nate Van Haafton for the most this season. Winning heat races is a indicator of poor qualifying putting you on the front row of heat races and that is where Agan lost the most points, as poor qualifying adds up to starting behind the invert most nights in the feature, and the lack of top fives shows he didn’t quite have the car to make the passes but was strong out front. Part of me wonders how good Agan might be if he wasn’t a owner/driver having to protect his equipment.
Nate Van Haafton comes home sixth and also got his first career win. Known as a kid who tore up a lot of equipment in past years, Van Haafton grew up before our own eyes this year and showed tons of improvement. He had 11 top tens in 13 starts and raced his way to the front in features after poor qualifying times. We’ll see if he can back it up next season.
Dennis Moore Jr. brought the D12 Doc Sloan car home seventh in points. 1 win, 7 top fives, 11 top tens, 13 starts. DMJ is a veteran driver who has yet to win a track championship, but has two 360 Nationals titles. He was ninth in points last season.
My personal awards:
360 Driver of the Year: Clint Garner
360 Most Improved Driver: Russ Hall (11th to 4nd in points, 2 wins)
Goody’s Headache Powder Award: Alan Zoutte. He is a better driver than he can show on the track. Very limited funds and he has been racing for a long time. I don’t know if it’s just horsepower or set-up’s but I think he is a better driver than the results show.
305 Recap
Carson McCarl started the season on opening night with a win (also becoming the youngest driver to ever win at Knoxville) and finished it with him on top of a season long point battle with Jamie Ball, Tasker Phillips, and Mitchell Alexander came on late in the season. The 305 class grew again this year with 15 cars qualifying for points as only 12 did a year ago. I’m still not quite sure why this class is growing, it’s still expensive to race a 305 car and it only pays $400 to win a race. But it’s also (hopefully) becoming a spring board for the future racers in the 410 class. The talent that kids like Tasker, Jamie, and Carson bring to the track, gave us some of the best races all season and I wish their features were longer than 12 laps. I’m very impressed with Carson McCarl. Racing is their blood and I sure hope the resources are there down the road to see Terry, Austin, and Carson all competing in the 410 class at some point.
Merry Christmas to everyone!
Chad Humston looked like he was going to be there til the end and kept the points race close until the end of the season. Car owner Mark Burch brought in hired gun Danny Lasoski after the Knoxville season to win some ASCS National Tour races. It’s unclear what the future holds for this team, but Humston has impressed me the past two seasons as one of the best drivers at Knoxville, he has just had horrible luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If a break goes his way in lapped traffic, he probably wins the 2010 360 Nationals as he wrecked while leading. Humston had 12 top tens, the same as Garner, but only one win and 7 top fives, and 2 quick times. Hope this team sticks together as they are the best bet to beat Garner, but will Burch stay with Knoxville 360’s or move to something else?
The 2008 360 track champion Matt Moro battled back this year to third in points after finishing a disappointing eighth last season. He accumulated 1 win, 8 top fives, 11 top tens, and made 13 of the 14 features. Moro is now a veteran at the track and owns his own equipment. He has 7 career 360 wins and 2 career wins in a 410 at Knoxville. Underrated as a driver who doesn’t get much hype.
Russ Hall was fourth in points, up from eleventh a year ago. He also got his first two career wins this year with 6 top fives, and 9 top tens. Hall’s stock is on the rise, looking forward to see what he can do next season.
Jon Agan is a owner/driver and a hometown favorite who finished fifth in points is down one spot from last season. Agan won 2 features, but only managed 3 top fives, 11 top tens in 13 features. He also won 4 heat races which is tied with Larry Ball Jr., and Nate Van Haafton for the most this season. Winning heat races is a indicator of poor qualifying putting you on the front row of heat races and that is where Agan lost the most points, as poor qualifying adds up to starting behind the invert most nights in the feature, and the lack of top fives shows he didn’t quite have the car to make the passes but was strong out front. Part of me wonders how good Agan might be if he wasn’t a owner/driver having to protect his equipment.
Nate Van Haafton comes home sixth and also got his first career win. Known as a kid who tore up a lot of equipment in past years, Van Haafton grew up before our own eyes this year and showed tons of improvement. He had 11 top tens in 13 starts and raced his way to the front in features after poor qualifying times. We’ll see if he can back it up next season.
Dennis Moore Jr. brought the D12 Doc Sloan car home seventh in points. 1 win, 7 top fives, 11 top tens, 13 starts. DMJ is a veteran driver who has yet to win a track championship, but has two 360 Nationals titles. He was ninth in points last season.
My personal awards:
360 Driver of the Year: Clint Garner
360 Most Improved Driver: Russ Hall (11th to 4nd in points, 2 wins)
Goody’s Headache Powder Award: Alan Zoutte. He is a better driver than he can show on the track. Very limited funds and he has been racing for a long time. I don’t know if it’s just horsepower or set-up’s but I think he is a better driver than the results show.
305 Recap
Carson McCarl started the season on opening night with a win (also becoming the youngest driver to ever win at Knoxville) and finished it with him on top of a season long point battle with Jamie Ball, Tasker Phillips, and Mitchell Alexander came on late in the season. The 305 class grew again this year with 15 cars qualifying for points as only 12 did a year ago. I’m still not quite sure why this class is growing, it’s still expensive to race a 305 car and it only pays $400 to win a race. But it’s also (hopefully) becoming a spring board for the future racers in the 410 class. The talent that kids like Tasker, Jamie, and Carson bring to the track, gave us some of the best races all season and I wish their features were longer than 12 laps. I’m very impressed with Carson McCarl. Racing is their blood and I sure hope the resources are there down the road to see Terry, Austin, and Carson all competing in the 410 class at some point.
Merry Christmas to everyone!
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