(Photo Credit: Doug Johnson)
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 5, 2014) - The Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real took part in the opening of the Southern Iowa Speedweek this past weekend with the 24th annual Arnold Motor Supply ASCS 360 Knoxville Nationals and the 19th annual Musco Lighting / Casey’s General Stores Front Row Challenge presented by Don Long’s Searsboro Telephone Company.
Over the course of four nights of racing, 104 drivers took part in this year's events between the Knoxville Raceway and Southern Iowa Speedway with drivers representing three countries, 77 municipalities, and 22 United States.
The Winners:
Thursday, July 31, 2014
• Davey Heskin - For the first time, Minnesota's Davey Heskin found victory lane with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series, while also recording his first 360 Nationals preliminary A-Feature victory. The win was also enough to qualify Heskin for Saturday's A-Feature for the first time. While his night ended with a DNF in twenty-first, Heskin bettered his finish in the 360 Nationals of sixteenth in the B-Feature in 2010.
Friday, August 1, 2014
• Sammy Swindell - The crafty veteran parked the Big Game Treestands No. 1 in Victory Lane for his second 360 Nationals preliminary A-Feature victory and eleventh Lucas Oil ASCS triumph. The win also marks Swindell's third Top-Five finish in the three years that Swindell has entered the 360 Nationals (2010. 2011, and 2014).
Saturday, August 2, 2014
• Brian Brown - For the first time, Brian Brown pocketed $10,000 in the Arnold Motor Supply 360 Knoxville Nationals. Bettering his runner-up in 2008, Saturday was Brown's thirteenth championship feature start. It was also his seventh top-five, and tenth top-ten, putting the Missouri driver atop both statistical lists. Brown's win also counted for his first Lucas Oil ASCS victory of the season, and eleventh overall with the National Tour.
Monday, August 4, 2014
• Brian Brown - For the second year in a row, Brian Brown earned the title of "Champion" at the Front Row Challenge. Working past Jac Haudenschild at the race's half way point, Brown opened up his advantage in the closing laps to 3.317 seconds at the checkered flag. Taking his National Tour win total to a dozen, Brown's win was also his fourth top-five, and fifth top-ten in the Front Row Challenge. Best part for Brown, this year's win came with the Championship Belt.
A few notes on the fun:
• First Timers - Four drivers made their first A-Feature starts in the Arnold Motor Supply 360 Nationals on Saturday night. Davey Heskin, Mark Dobmeier, Calvin Landis, and Jamie Ball each took their first green flag in the $10,000 to win event with Mark Dobmeier posting the best finish of the four, with a fourth place finish from tenth.
• Alan Ambers - The Knoxville Raceway regular suffered a major hit to the left side of his machine during Friday's preliminary A-Feature. Spinning in turn one, Ambers was quickly found by Jack Dover. Having little time to react, Dover slid the car as much as possible before making contact. Ambers was taken for observation with pain in his ankle. On Saturday, his Facebook page showed him all smiles.
• Out of the Park - Another driver taking a nasty ride was Cody Ledger. Taking the green in the night's opening Heat Race at the Southern Iowa Speedway, Ledger found the right-rear of Derek Hagar in turn two, sending the No. 35L flipping over the catch fence. Ledger was not transported, and reported on his personal Facebook page that all is well.
• Brad Loyet - The current leader of the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour drew the pole in Monday's Front Row Challenge after threatening weather forced the cancellation of the "King of the Hill". A little negotiation with McCarl before taking the challenge put a nice carrot of $1,000 to make the top-ten. Loyet came to ninth to take the extra grand from McCarl, and also earned a free suit from Hinchman Racewear, and an HRP Top Wing.
• Hard Chargers: Terry McCarl was Saturday's Hard Charger at the Knoxville Raceway, coming from twentieth to eighth. Monday night, it was Sam Hafertepe, Jr. who advanced from fourteenth to fifth.
• Overcoming Mechanical Woes - Danny Lasoski was running in the top-five on Thursday night before an engine failure put the driver of the No. 1m to twenty-second. "The Dude" put the Mark Burch powered entry in the A-Main on Saturday; coming from twenty-first to tenth after winning the night's B-Main.
• No. 14 - For two reasons we are talking about the No. 14 and they both revolve around Brian Brown. For starters, Brown is the fourteenth driver to lead start-to-finish and win the 360 Nationals. Also, he had a little help over the weekend from the driver of the No. 14...Tony Stewart. "Smoke" was present at the Front Row Challenge, where he addressed the crowd during intermission at the Southern Iowa Speedway. He even compared scars with Terry McCarl.
• Highest Finishing Rookie - Mark Dobmeier was the highest finishing Rookie at the 360 Nationals with an eleventh place finish in the B-Feature. This marks the second year in a row that the highest finishing rookie was in the B-Feature.
Coming Up:
With the Sprint Car world still focused on Knoxville, Iowa, the next Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real event will be Saturday, August 16 at the Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Oka. with the Oil Capital Racing Series and Midgets.
In the meantime, good luck to the drivers of the ASCS National Tour who are competing this week at the 54th FVP Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey's General Store.
For a complete listing of ASCS events in 2014, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com.
The 2014 season marks the twenty-third year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series, which brings the best of Sprint Car racing to dozens of different tracks throughout the nation. Anchored by the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.
Lucas Oil Products is the title sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. More information can be found on Lucas Oil Products at www.lucasoil.com. MAVTV is the presenting sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. Log onto www.mavtv.com for information regarding availability and listings in your area.
Associate sponsors for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV include: Hoosier Racing Tire and Brodix.
Team Lucas Sponsors for the American Sprint Car Series consist of Protect the Harvest, iON Camera, Smokey Mountain Moonshine, C&R Radiator, Hawk Performance Products, Geico, E3 Spark Plugs, and General Tire.
Product and Contingency Sponsorship provided by: K&N Filters, KSE Racing Products, SpeedMart, Competition Suspension, Engler Machine and Tool, FSR Radiator and Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Driverwebsites.com, Weld Wheels, Saldana Racing Products, Maxwell Industries, Print Place, Simpson, The Joie of Seating, Wesmar Racing Engines, Hinchman Indy Racewear, Rod End Supply, Smiley's Racing Products, Speedway Motors, and Hilborn Injection Systems.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com as well as Twitter (@LucasOilASCS) and Facebook. News and information can also be sent to you with the ASCS E-News by texting ASCS to 22828 with any mobile device.
- Bryan Hulbert on Aug 05, 2014
- Article Date: 8/5/2014