Sammy Swindell capped off an electrifying National Sprint League feature at Knoxville Raceway with a last lap pass of Davey Heskin to record his 49th career feature win at Knoxville. The win aboard the CJB/Big Game Motorsports #1 was worth $5,000 to the Germantown, Tennessee native. Jamie Ball grabbed his first 360 win of the year and the second in his career in the 360 class, and Kade Higday won his second career feature in the 305 class.
Heskin led the 25-lap main event early over Josh Schneiderman and Danny Lasoski. Brian Brown entered the top four with a pass of Craig Dollansky on lap four, and Bronson Maeschen moved into the top five on lap five. Hitting the high side of turn four, Brown would sail around Lasoski for third on lap six.
Swindell, who started fourth, lost ground early, but reentered the top five on lap 11. He would grab fourth from Lasoski on lap 13. Brown was tracking down Schneiderman for second on lap 15, when his left front wheel flew off while heading down the back straightaway. Fortunately, he kept the car under him, and further disaster was avoided. There was too much damage for him to continue, however.
Heskin led Schneiderman, Swindell, Lasoski and Maeschen back to green on the restart. Swindell used the low side to move into second, and the battle for the lead was on. Maeschen jumped the infield berm and slid out and hit the wall. The result was a flat right rear, and he coasted to a stop with three laps to go. Heskin led Swindell, Schneiderman, Ian Madsen and Lasoski back to green.
Lasoski would pass Madsen and Schneiderman for third on the restart. Up front, Heskin held Swindell off by running smooth on the cushion. Swindell ran a perfect last lap, pulling even with Heskin and then sliding across the track, to make the winning pass in three and four. Following Swindell and Heskin across the finish line were Lasoski, Madsen and Schneiderman. Dollansky, hard-charger Jake Bubak, Tasker Phillips, Brooke Tatnell and Billy Alley rounded out the top ten. Swindell set quick time, while Schneiderman and Dollansky won heat races.
“It was probably better to run the top, but Davey was there,” said Swindell in Victory Lane. “We were just trying to get our car working down there in the slick. I thought I’d stay with it. I got screwed up on the start. I got in the wrong place and got hung up. Four or five guys passed me. We made it interesting. I’m just so blessed to be here and be able to do this. I’m thankful for everybody that supports me, and God is upstairs looking after me. I won a feature at Knoxville in my sixth decade, and I don’t know that anyone’s done that. That might be a hard record to break.”
Sawyer Phillips was a spin victim before a lap could be completed in the 360 18-lap feature. Ohio visitor Devon Dobie also spun to avoid, causing damage to the left front of the car. Unfortunately, he was done for the night.
Jamie Ball shot out to a healthy lead early over Calvin Landis and Matt Moro. Ryan Giles ientered the top three on lap three, and then took second from Landis on lap seven. At that point, Rob Weuve spun with the leaders just hitting heavy lapped traffic. The restart saw Ball leading Giles, Landis, Moro and Tony Shilling.
Moro shot to third on the restart, while Clint Garner entered the top five. Moro continued his charge, getting by Giles for second two laps later. Meanwhile, Garner moved into fourth on lap nine and got by Giles for third on lap eleven. The leaders entered heavy lapped traffic with three to go, and Garner passed Moro and reeled in Ball for the lead. Ball would hold him off, however, in the White Lightning Motorsports #5J. Following Ball and Garner were Moro, Giles and Shilling. Joe Beaver, Nate Van Haaften, Ryan Roberts, Landis and Phillips rounded out the top ten. Garner set quick time, while Roberts and Ball won the heats.
“Typically, I run high in one and two and low in three and four, but it was the opposite tonight,” said Ball in Victory Lane. “That car was perfect. We’ve been so good lately, but bad luck has really plagued us the whole year. To be sitting here right now is a testament to all the guys and girls that work on this crew. Without them, this wouldn’t be possible.”
Josh Higday was the class of the 305 field, leading all fifteen laps. The race got off to a tough start when Dan Henning lost a left front wheel and spun into the infield. He was uninjured. When the green replaced the yellow, the race went non-stop and Higday had no peer, winning by 3.598 seconds.
There was plent of action behind him, however. Christopher Scank ran second, much of the way, but was overtaken by Corey Kautz on lap 11. Christian Bowman moved into third on lap twelve, and Devin Kline grabbed fourth on lap 14. Scank ended up fifth. Hard-charger McKenna Haase, Matthew Stelzer, Ben Woods, Chase Wanner and Mike Mayberry completed the top ten. Brad Comegys set quick time, while Wanner and Mitchell Alexander won heats.
“(Father Josh Higday) had this thing rolling,” said Kade in Victory Lane. “To come back from what we had this year (injury) is cool. It’s great to get one the right way compared to the last one (won as a results of a disqualification). Our 360 should be done this week, and we hope to be back in it next Saturday.”
Join us next Friday and Saturday, July 1 and 2 for a huge weekend of action! The National Sprint League will be in action both nights. The 305’s join Friday’s program, while the 360’s will be running on Saturday! Saturday is Iowa Corn Districts 5&9/Marion County Cattlemen's Association Night. A Fireworks show to celebrate our nation’s Independence will cap Saturday night’s action as well! For more information, visit www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com!
- administrator on Jun 27, 2016
- Article Date: 6/25/2016