By Stacy Ervin
A racing surface plagued with rain shook things up at the opening qualifying night of the 49th Annual Super Clean Knoxville Nationals presented by Lucas Oil at the Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa. Pennsylvania’s Tim Shaffer was the winner on the race night courtesy of Nos Energy Drink. His win was worth $12,000.
The race was scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, but was actually completed at 2:30 a.m. on Thursday. Just before hot laps were set to begin, a heavy rain shower popped up over the speedway and produced about 45 minutes worth of rain. That set off a four-hour delay while track crews worked on the wet, muddy surface. Time trials for the night’s 50 competitors began at 11:22 p.m.
Shaffer started fourth in the night’s 25-lap A-Main and followed polesitter Jason Johnson for the majority of the race. The first attempt at a start had contact being made in turn one and a yellow flag for a slowing Daron Clayton. Shane Stewart also came to the work area at that time.
When the race went green again, Johnson got out to the lead, while Donny Schatz, who started 21st, got a huge run down the high side of the frontstretch and came up to 14th place.
Johnson entered lapped traffic at lap six, allowing Lucas Wolfe, Shaffer and Craig Dollansky to close. On the 11th lap, Shaffer got second and closed on Johnson in heavy traffic. The top pair nearly touched in turn four coming to the 14th lap.
On lap 18, Shaffer pulled beside Johnson at the flagstand. He made the pass stick after that and took the lead. However, the race changed dramatically on the 20th lap, when John Lambertz and Greg Hall got together in turn four right in front of the leaders. When Johnson checked up, third-place runner Dollansky took drastic measures to avoid him but ended up hitting Hall and flipping.
Another yellow was displayed on the restart when Austin McCarl slowed down the backstretch with no brakes. That was a huge break for Dollansky, whose crew and many others had worked feverishly to return him to the race. As they had tried to push him off following his red flag, the left front wheel collapsed and he was stuck in the work area for the restart. With McCarl bringing out another caution before a lap was completed, Dollansky was able to make it back out.
The race stayed green from there, with Shaffer leading the last five laps and gaining the win for his happy car owner, Janet Holbrook. Johnson held on for second over Sam Hafertepe Jr., Chad Kemenah, Wolfe and Danny Smith. Schatz charged up to seventh.
Cody Darrah set the night’s fastest time trial at 14.547. Exactly half of the field turned laps in the 14-second bracket. The first heat race pushed off at 12:15 a.m. New this year the heat races featured an eight invert rather than a complete 10. Heat-race winners were Garry Brazier, Calvin Landis, Daron Clayton, Justin Henderson and Jack Dover. Erin Crocker won the C-Main, setting a new track record for six laps, the first record held by a female driver here. Donny Schatz won the B-Main.
KNOXVILLE RACEWAY, Knoxville, IA
August 12, 2009
410 RESULTS
Time Trial, 2 laps, 1. Cody Darrah, Red Lion PA, 14.547; 2. Cale Conley, Vienna WV, 14.628; 3. Donny Schatz, Fargo ND, 14.674; 4. Paul McMahan, Nashville TN, 14.687; 5. Jonathan Allard, Chico CA, 14.718; 6. Lee Sowell, Nesbit MS, 14.73; 7. Shane Stewart, Bixby OK, 14.738; 8. Erin Crocker, Wilbraham MA, 14.764; 9. Danny Lasoski, Dover MO, 14.796; 10. Jason Meyers, Clovis CA, 14.809; 11. Randy Hannagan, Pittsboro IN, 14.819; 12. Ed Lynch Jr, Apollo PA, 14.819; 13. Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks ND, 14.828; 14. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX, 14.848; 15. Craig Dollansky, Elk River MN, 14.865; 16. Davey Heskin, St. Michael MN, 14.884; 17. Brad Sweet, Grass Valley CA, 14.906; 18. Rob Chaney, Millersburg OH, 14.918; 19. Don Droud Jr., Lincoln NE, 14.934; 20. Daryn Pittman, Owasso OK, 14.936; 21. Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge OH, 14.939; 22. Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque NM, 14.952; 23. Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa PA, 14.973; 24. Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg PA, 14.978; 25. Sammy Swindell, Germantown TN, 14.987; 26. Danny Smith, Danville IN, 15.005; 27. Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington IA, 15.027; 28. Jason Johnson, Eunice LA, 15.029; 29. Bill Balog, Eau Claire WI, 15.032; 30. Chad Kemenah, Findlay OH, 15.037; 31. Skip Jackson, Sydney, NSW, Aust. , 15.041; 32. Calvin Landis, Knoxville IA, 15.058; 33. Daron Clayton, Sikeston MO, 15.065; 34. Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls SD, 15.066; 35. Greg Hall, Albany, WA, Aust. , 15.087; 36. Garry Brazier, Sydney, NSW, Aust. , 15.126; 37. Brandon Wimmer, Fairmount IN, 15.154; 38. Austin McCarl, (R) Altoona IA, 15.173; 39. John Lambertz, Sioux Falls SD, 15.18; 40. Jack Dover, Springfield NE, 15.193; 41. Brian Ellenberger, Butler PA, 15.211; 42. Matthew Reed, Melbourne, VIC, Aust. , 15.249; 43. Ty Bartz, Sheboygan Falls WI, 15.313; 44. Chris Schmelzle, Victoria, BC, Can. , 15.378; 45. Marlon Jones, Harrisburg SD, 15.574; 46. Jason Sides, Bartlett TN, 15.581; 47. John VanDenBerg, Oskaloosa IA, 15.785; 48. Justin Berg, Williston ND, 15.806; 49. Kevin Ingle, Huron SD, 16.174; 50. Seth Brahmer, Wisner NE, No Time;
Heat 1, 10 laps, 2:32.1 New Track Record: 1. Garry Brazier, Sydney, NSW, Aust. ; 2. Skip Jackson, Sydney, NSW, Aust. ; 3. Danny Smith, Danville IN; 4. Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge OH; 5. Randy Hannagan, Pittsboro IN; 6. Jason Sides, Bartlett TN; 7. Lee Sowell, Nesbit MS; 8. Brian Ellenberger, Butler PA; 9. Davey Heskin, St. Michael MN; 10. Cody Darrah, Red Lion PA;
Heat 2, 10 laps, 2:35.8: 1. Calvin Landis, Knoxville IA; 2. Brandon Wimmer, Fairmount IN; 3. Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque NM; 4. Matthew Reed, Melbourne, VIC, Aust. ; 5. Brad Sweet, Grass Valley CA; 6. Ed Lynch Jr, Apollo PA; 7. Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington IA; 8. Shane Stewart, Bixby OK; 9. Cale Conley, Vienna WV; 10. John VanDenBerg, Oskaloosa IA;
Heat 3, 10 laps, 2:32.4: 1. Daron Clayton, Sikeston MO; 2. Austin McCarl, (R) Altoona IA; 3. Jason Johnson, Eunice LA; 4. Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa PA; 5. Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks ND; 6. Ty Bartz, Sheboygan Falls WI; 7. Donny Schatz, Fargo ND; 8. Rob Chaney, Millersburg OH; 9. Erin Crocker, Wilbraham MA; 10. Justin Berg, Williston ND;
Heat 4, 10 laps, 2:33.2: 1. Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls SD; 2. Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg PA; 3. John Lambertz, Sioux Falls SD; 4. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX; 5. Paul McMahan, Nashville TN; 6. Don Droud Jr., Lincoln NE; 7. Danny Lasoski, Dover MO; 8. Bill Balog, Eau Claire WI; 9. Chris Schmelzle, Victoria, BC, Can. ; 10. Kevin Ingle, Huron SD;
Heat 5, 10 laps, 2:35.1: 1. Jack Dover, Springfield NE; 2. Greg Hall, Albany, WA, Aust. ; 3. Craig Dollansky, Elk River MN; 4. Chad Kemenah, Findlay OH; 5. Jason Meyers, Clovis CA; 6. Sammy Swindell, Germantown TN; 7. Jonathan Allard, Chico CA; 8. Daryn Pittman, Owasso OK; 9. Marlon Jones, Harrisburg SD;
C Feature, 6 laps, 1:30.0 New Track Record: 1. Erin Crocker, Wilbraham MA; 2. Cale Conley, Vienna WV; 3. Chris Schmelzle, Victoria, BC, Can. ; 4. Kevin Ingle, Huron SD; 5. Cody Darrah, Red Lion PA; 6. Davey Heskin, St. Michael MN; 7. Marlon Jones, Harrisburg SD; 8. John VanDenBerg, Oskaloosa IA; 9. Justin Berg, Williston ND;
B Feature, 12 laps, No Time: 1. Donny Schatz, Fargo ND; 2. Paul McMahan, Nashville TN; 3. Jonathan Allard, Chico CA; 4. Shane Stewart, Bixby OK; 5. Jason Meyers, Clovis CA; 6. Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks ND; 7. Ed Lynch Jr, Apollo PA; 8. Danny Lasoski, Dover MO; 9. Daryn Pittman, Owasso OK; 10. Don Droud Jr., Lincoln NE; 11. Brad Sweet, Grass Valley CA; 12. Jason Sides, Bartlett TN; 13. Lee Sowell, Nesbit MS; 14. Cale Conley, Vienna WV; 15. Bill Balog, Eau Claire WI; 16. Sammy Swindell, Germantown TN; 17. Erin Crocker, Wilbraham MA; 18. Rob Chaney, Millersburg OH; 19. Ty Bartz, Sheboygan Falls WI; 20. Brian Ellenberger, Butler PA; 21. Randy Hannagan, Pittsboro IN; 22. Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington IA;
A Feature, 25 laps, No Time: 1. Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa PA; 2. Jason Johnson, Eunice LA; 3. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX; 4. Chad Kemenah, Findlay OH; 5. Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg PA; 6. Danny Smith, Danville IN; 7. Donny Schatz, Fargo ND; 8. Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge OH; 9. Jack Dover, Springfield NE; 10. Calvin Landis, Knoxville IA; 11. Skip Jackson, Sydney, NSW, Aust. ; 12. Shane Stewart, Bixby OK; 13. Craig Dollansky, Elk River MN; 14. Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque NM; 15. Jonathan Allard, Chico CA; 16. Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls SD; 17. Brandon Wimmer, Fairmount IN; 18. Daron Clayton, Sikeston MO; 19. Paul McMahan, Nashville TN; 20. Garry Brazier, Sydney, NSW, Aust. ; 21. Matthew Reed, Melbourne, VIC, Aust. ; 22. Austin McCarl, (R) Altoona IA; 23. John Lambertz, Sioux Falls SD; 24. Greg Hall, Albany, WA, Aust. Lap Leaders: J. Johnson 1-18; Shaffer 19-25