Owens Doubles Up at Knoxville

 It was fifteen years before Jimmy Owens added his name to the list of winners of the Knoxville Late Model Nationals. It took only one more year for him to become one of the two time winners of the event. The Newport, Tennessee veteran topped a field of fifty or so super late models on Saturday night, taking his first lead about lap eighty five of the one hundred lap race, then holding off a late charge from Brandon Sheppard to claim the $40,000 top prize.
  Threatening skies throughout the day did nothing to hold down a large and enthusiastic gathering of fans, as all but a handful of the original fifty five Lucas Oil late models from Thursday qualifying were joined by all thirty two invited SLMR late models packing the pit area for a full night of racing.
  The brainchild of legendary late model pilot Joe Kosiski, the Eastern Nebraska based series ran a complete show in support of the Lucas Oil weekend finale, culminating with a scheduled twenty two lap feature paying $4,000 to win. Invitations were based on various race and point finishes at  series tracks and special events during the 2019 season. Series rookie Josh Leonard set quick time, with heat race wins going to Jason Rauen, Allan Hopp, and Ricky Thornton Jr., one of several drivers competing in both classes during the evening, with the only requirement being they could not use the same car in both divisions.
   The two classes alternated events during the evening as officials attempted to keep the show moving.
    Eight cars started the fifteen lap C main for the Lucas Oil division, with the top four set to move on to the B main. Outside pole sitter Brian Harris, wheeling the Curless Racing #99 was well out front when his transmission let go, ending his weekend. California driver Cody Laney then drove to victory, with J C Wyman, Mike Fryer, and Reid Millard also earning transfers.
  Following hot laps for the twenty four cars already locked in to the A feature by virtue of their point accumulation on either Thursday or Friday, the twenty lap B main lined up, with twenty two cars scheduled to take the green. From this final qualifier, the top six would fill out the thirty car starting field for the big dance.
    Shannon Babb and Billy Moyer Jr. started row one, with Moyer Jr. grabbing the early lead.As the race approached the half way point. Moyer Jr. attempted to put Fryer a lap down in turns three and four. However he wound up sliding across the nose of the #54, sending Fryer hard into the fence. As the veteran pilot showed his displeasure and the safety crew prepared to pick up his badly damaged machine, a slight sprinkle turned into a steady shower, sending fans scattering for cover and bringing a halt to the action.
    While short of a downpour, and lasting only a few minutes, there was enough rain to cancel racing at most venues. But the black dirt surface at the famed 1/2 mile and a track crew that is second to none had us racing again after a total delay of perhaps just over an hour.
    With a " new " surface now in place, crowd favorite Brian Birkhofer shot to the lead and the win in his newly debuted #15B. Tim McCreadie, who was, along with Moyer Jr. the only drivers eligible for series provisionals should they be needed, came home in second. Babb held on for third ahead of Chase Junghans, while Moyer Jr. fell to fifth. His father Billy, with an amazing 840 career wins to his credit, started in row seven and looked as though he would be watching the feature from the trailer. However as the laps wound down, he was able to find that old magic, and he edged Johnny Scott at the line for the final transfer spot in a battle so close we had to wait for the official scorer for determination.
   It was now time for the SLMR headliner. Points earned with fast time and a runner up heat race finish put Leonard on the pole. Outside row one was to be filled by Hopp, but his engine likely expired during a hot lap session following the rain delay, as he left a trail of oil on the racing surface. Another double duty driver, Tyler Bruening then moved to the front row. Third starting Tad Pospisil took the lead coming off turn two before Leonard reclaimed the spot ahead of the first caution period. Row three starter Jeff Aikey used the Delaware double file restart to power to second, even as Leonard checked out on the field. With ten laps scored, the red flag was displayed when Jason Wallace jumped the cushion in turns one and two, climbing the fence, then rolling his #13 onto its top. During the cleanup, it was announced that the race would be cut to eighteen laps, four less than originally scheduled. When the green flag again waved, Rauen shot from third to the lead, quickly distancing himself from the pack. A couple laps later, Bruening moved to the runner up spot and began a pursuit of the leader. With no more stops, however, Rauen held on for the win. Bruening settled for second ahead of Leonard, Aikey, and Pospisil. Thornton Jr. drove the Todd Cooney #30RT to a sixth place finish in front of double duty Chad Simpson, series points leader Kyle Berck, South Dakota driver Scott Ward, and Josh Krug.
   As fireworks lit up the sky, thirty high powered machines came to the oval. With the rain delay in mind, I am sure, on track driver introductions were cancelled, and we were ready to go racing!
    By virtue of his outstanding run on Thursday, Zebulon, Georgia pilot Shane Clanton sat on the pole, flanked by Darrell Lanigan. Clanton jumped to a commanding lead, and was just catching slower traffic when the caution waved at lap nine. Canadian Ricky Weiss now slipped around Lanigan for second, but another quick yellow and Lanigan was back in the runner up slot. Clanton was again well out front as the next caution came about lap twenty two. Tyler Erb moved to third as racing resumed, with Brandon Sheppard charging to fourth. Sheppard then used a low side move in turns one and two to ease around Erb, and four laps later, a major pile up knocked out three top contenders. The #5 of Don Oneal appeared to get the worst of things, although McCreadie and Josh Richards were now also out of action. Although Clanton continued to lead, in typical Knoxville fashion, there was action all around the track, with drivers battling for and swapping positions at dizzying rates. Six laps from the half way mark, Thornton Jr. had placed his  #20RT ride in the fourth position when he slipped over the cushion in turns three and four, contacting the fence and rolling onto his top, much as Wallace had earlier in the other set of turns. Sheppard climbed to second on the restart, taking along Chris Madden in third, but the race was stopped at lap fifty for a scheduled fuel stop. The cars were stopped on the front straightaway, and crews were only allowed to top off fuel and offer drivers a " clean " helmet if needed.
     With everyone having caught their breath, Sheppard elected the inside line on the restart, and Madden moved ahead briefly before Brandon regained the spot exiting turn four. Following a caution for Tyler Erb five laps later, Sheppard this time restarted on the outside, and used that momentum to take the lead out of turn two. However the caution waved for a stalled Bobby Pierce, turning the top spot back over to Clanton. On this restart, Clanton moved up the track to counter Sheppard, and Madden shot to the front from the inside line, ending Clantons' fifty five lap domination. Both Sheppard and hard charging Kyle Bronson, who had come from row ten into the top five, were shuffled back on the restart. Madden, driving a second Bloomquist Racing entry, opened a sizable advantage before catching slower traffic about lap sixty eight. Sheppard was again on the move, taking third at that point, then second three laps later. Clanton saw his night end as he brought out a final caution with twenty eight laps remaining. Sheppard again pounded the cushion, taking the lead off turn two, as eighteenth starting Jimmy Owens now appeared on the scene in third. About the same time, Hudson Oneal, who had run outside the top ten for much of the race suddenly advanced five spots to fifth. Twenty laps remained on the board when Owens took over the second spot, and as Sheppard caught traffic two circuits later, Owens closed the gap to the front. In traffic at lap eighty five, the " Newport Nightmare " took his first lead, pulling ahead to what looked like might be a comfortable win. But B Shepp was not done yet, and the last five laps had the crowd holding its collective breath. After a pair of failed slide jobs in turn one at lap ninety five and ninety six, Sheppard followed immediately in the tire tracks if the #20 until the white flag waved. No one was sitting as the third generation driver gave it a last ditch effort coming to the final flying checkers by retiring Doug Clark, but he was a half car length short at the line! It gave Owens back to back wins at the historic 1/2 mile.
   Sheppard claimed second to lead a contingent of young guns at the finish. Hudson Oneal, Devin Moran, and Bronson, all a big part of the next generation of dirt racers, completed the top five. Madden continued his strong run for Team Bloomquist in sixth, trailed by Stormy Scott, Weiss, Earl Pearson Jr., and Frank Heckenast Jr.
  Sitting in the rain two and a half hours from home after a full day of sight seeing and bench racing in Knoxville had me wondering if it was time for Grandpa ( thanks to Keagan and Megan for coming along! ) to rethink his choices. And then here comes another typical Knoxville finish, and well, the 2020 dates for the Nationals is September 17-19. Hopefully I will see you there!
  Next up for me, 34 Raceway will be hosting the Gangbusters 41, featuring the 500th edition of the IMCA late model Summer Series sponsored by Deery Brothers, along with the Dirt Knights modified tour as well as IMCA stock cars, sport mods, and sport compacts next Saturday to honor the memory of a long time friend and racer, Jim Oliver Sr.
  Thanks for reading!