As has been our practice for the last couple of seasons, night number one of the Knoxville Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals has been on the calendar. The Saturday night finale of the three day spectacle was on my "can't miss" list from year one until the covid interrupted season of 2020, but with the advent of a mid race fuel stop and the reduced number of laps for the main event, this first preliminary night has become more of an attraction. This would not have been the case with the field split into two qualifying nights, but with the current manageable car counts a full night of racing with all the participants taking a shot at the $7,000 top prize has become a satisfying event leaving the weekend open for other activities.
And although the car count for this Thursday show may have been the lowest yet at forty, I would have to say it was easily the best start to finish night of racing I have witnessed not only in 2023 but likely for many seasons! Each of the four heat races, two B mains, and twenty five lap feature were filled with twists and turns, unexpected outcomes, and to top it off the final checkers flew at 9:15!
Former Nationals winner Mike Marlar started the night off with quick overall time, turning the big half mile at a blistering 17.109 seconds.
With the six car invert utilized in the heat races, Marlar lined up outside row three, and with four laps down he suddenly rolled to a stop, bringing out the first and only heat race yellow flag. Without so much as a drive through the work area, he rejoined the field at the back of the ten car field. Meanwhile, third starting Max Blair found his way to the front and held on to pick up the win ahead of fifth starting Devin Moran and Brian Shirley, still sporting the #8S he featured at the World 100. With five cars transferring to the main event, Marlar came back to take the last spot from Chris Simpson just four laps after restarting at the tail. Not content with fifth, he also drove past Tyler Erb to come home in fourth.
The second twelve lap event found pole sitter Chase Junghans setting the pace early while row two starters, Brandon Overton in his #4 World 100 car, and Kyle Bronson battled for second. Soon sixth starting Chris Ferguson, racing Knoxville for the first time, joined the back and forth barn burner for second. As the laps wound down, the leaders came upon the slower car of Al Humphrey, and Ferguson made his move all the way to the lead. Once in front he checked out, topping Junghans, Bronson, Overton, and Daulton Wilson.
Heat three was another down to the wire scrum. Daniel Hilsabeck led the opening circuit before the future Longhorn chassis house car pilot Brandon Sheppard charged to the top spot. As the laps clicked off, fifth starting Jonathon Davenport was closing ever so slightly on the leader. As the front duo exited turn four the final time, J.D. powered around Sheppard by the slimmest of margins to take the win. Group B fast qualifier Ricky Thornton Jr., Earl Pearson Jr., and Hilsabeck finished in transfer positions.
The final heat had Tyler Bruening leading the charge from his pole start with Chad Simpson, Spencer Hughes, and Ryan Gustin all challenging. With just two more trips around remaining, Simpson cleared Bruening to claim the win. On the final lap, Bruening fell all the way to forth behind Hughes and Gustin in the Iowa dominated heat. Hudson Oneal scored the final transfer spot.
With barely enough time to catch our breaths, the first of two fifteen lap B mains came to the track. Only Richie Bell was absent from the ten car field that would see just the top two move on to the money round. Chris Simpson and Garrett Alberson lined up in row one and they were quickly joined by the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Billy Moyer Sr. in a tightly contested event.While Simpson managed to hold the lead for all fifteen laps, Alberson and Moyer played hot potato with the runner up spot. With the white flag flying, Moyer conjured up one last charge, clearing Alberson for the opportunity to move on.
B main number two was no less dramatic, at least in the race for second. Tim McCreadie rebounded from a poor showing in both time trials and his heat race to drive off to a nearly half lap victory. Meanwhile four cars battled side by side and nose to tail for the final bite of the apple. Louden Tennessee pilot Cory Hedgecock was behind the wheel of a Jason Rauen #98, and he maintained a slight advantage over Tim Lance, Justin Zeitner, and Todd Cooney. But as the laps wound down, Cory began to fade back in the pack, leaving Lance and Zeitner to do battle with Cooney looking for an opening. When the checkers waved, it was the former Chicago Bear Lance edging Cooney for the twenty fourth feature starting spot.
A break of no more than fifteen busy minutes preceded the cars hitting the track for the main event. Wilson and Pearson Jr. sat on row one and paced the field as lap one was scored. On the third trip around, Davenport cleared EPJ for second, even as Wilson was building a sizable lead. Behind the front pair, a frantic four car battle was going on. As the leaders caught the back of the pack with ten laps down, Davenport began to cut in to the lead. Racing on lap sixteen, Wilson found cars racing three wide in front of him, and with a birds eye view in second, Davenport moved to the front. The outside move proved costly, however, as Jonathon tagged the front stretch guardrail, and as he powered towards turn one, his car would not turn and he found himself facing the wrong way at the end of the straightaway. As his #49 was towed to the pits, there appeared to be extensive damage to his ride. The young North Carolina driver Wilson was back in front for the restart, with eleventh starting Overton and seventh starting Marlar breathing down his neck and seventeen laps scored. Three circuits later, Overton used a high side move to grab the lead while eighth starting Thornton Jr. followed him in second. With just three laps left, Oneal made a rare mistake, spinning between turns one and two, bringing out only the third caution of the entire night! This final restart would be single file, and Wilson moved back into the runner up position one lap later even as Marlar and Moran remained a threat close behind. Heading down the backstretch with two to go, Wilson was quickly closing on Overton, but both drivers missed their mark in turn three, and Thornton took advantage to clear Wilson for second as the white flag waved. With plenty of momentum, Thornton would then drive to the bottom of turn one then slide up the track in front of Overton as they raced down the back chute. Ricky would then close the deal exiting turn four, adding another "W" and seven grand to his already phenomenal 2023 season! Wilson was perhaps disappointed but looked good in taking the runner up spot ahead of Overton, Moran, and Marlar. Ferguson rolled home sixth, topping row nine starters Erb and Gustin, while Sheppard and Pearson completed the top ten.
The decent sized Thursday night crowd was buzzing as they headed for either the pit gate, the exit, or perhaps for some bench racing at the Dingus Lounge. Walking in the door at home at 12:05 was an unexpected treat, and I am a bit jealous of those who will be back at the historic half mile tonight and Saturday!
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