Thursday was opening night of the 18th annual Knoxville Late Model Nationals. Forty eight cars took time trials although there was one additional team in the pits. Thirteen year old Kayden Clatt had made the trip from Edina, Missouri to take his first crack at the big half mile and was on the roster to begin the night. While the Lucas Oil late model sanctioning group was okay with his participation, Knoxville Raceway has a minimum age requirement of sixteen, so he was relegated to spectator for the event. Kayden has been racing his #50 late model for a couple of years now, and has steadily improved, vowing to be back at Knoxville in three years!
The format for this three day weekend allows drivers to compete on one or both preliminary nights, keeping their best points night to earn starting spots in the Saturday lineups, whether in the $40,000 to win finale, a B or C main. Points are awarded during the preliminary events for qualifying, heats, and feature races.
Qualifying was broken into two groups. Spencer Hughes was tops in group A with a quick lap of 17.557 seconds, but the overall fast time was turned in by Brandon Overton who tripped the clock at 17.494. There would then be a six car invert in each of six twelve lap eight car heat races. Shane Clanton raced from row two to capture heat one, slipping around race long leader Ross Robinson on the final lap. Chris Madden came from the outside pole to top heat two with surprise entrant Justin Zeitner nursing his smoking #62 to a third place finish. Ryan Gustin also lined up outside row one to grab heat three. Group B cars saw Chase Junghans claim heat four from his pole start. Fast timer Overton smacked the turn three wall, then recovered to advance to fourth, narrowly missing a transfer spot. Richmond, Missouri driver Aaron Marrant started outside row one and won heat five. Behind him, National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Billy Moyer and Tad Pospisil were battling back and forth for second when the engine let go in the Moyer #21 on the final lap. Marrant then held off Pospisil and Jimmy Owens on the one lap shootout. Pole sitter Stormy Scott topped the final twelve lapper.
With the top three in each heat moving to the feature, a pair of fifteen car fifteen lap B mains would also send the top three in each to the finale. The Saturday night "Big Dance" winner in 2021, Mike Marlar charged from row three to top B main one. Hughes and Bobby Pierce had lined up in row one, but Pierce had issues in turn three to bring out a yellow. He restarted on the tail, but pulled to the infield mid race. Hughes led a good portion of the race until the caution waved for Jesse Sobbing. Marlar lined up fourth for the restart, but charged all the way to first, while Hughes fell to third behind Ricky Thornton Jr. There was plenty of action in the final qualifier. Rookie of the Year contender Daulton Wilson was running in the final transfer spot when he suddenly slowed, ending his chances. With six laps to go, Overton was cruising out front when he had a tire go down, turning him into the turn three fence. With Garrett Alberson now in first for the restart, second and third running Daniel Hilsabeck and Tyler Bruening got together on the front stretch, with Bruening spinning to a stop. At the checkers, it was Alberson, Hilsabeck, and veteran Chris Spieker.
It took just a bit of time to get the lineup correct for the twenty five lap, $7,000 to win main event. Clanton and Pospisil would sit on row one. Zeitner had earned a row four starting spot, but would go to the tail after pulling his back up car from his trailer. Clanton would pace lap one, with row two starters Hudson Oneal and Earl Pearson Jr. trailing. Jonathon Davenport is by far the hottest driver in dirt late model racing in 2022 , and on the second circuit he moved to fourth after starting sixth. Davenport then moved to third ahead of a lap three caution for a slowing Madden. Pearson retook third on the restart as Clanton continued to lead. Eight laps in, Oneal was close enough to the leader that he tried to slide him for the front in turns three and four, but could not complete the pass. Two laps later, Hudson suddenly slowed, bringing out the yellow flag, ending his run. Brandon Sheppard now powered from a row five start to fourth, but could not get close enough to Davenport to attempt a move for third. From that point, Clanton was not challenged, opening up a comfortable lead for a flag to flag win. Pearson Jr., Davenport, Sheppard, and twelfth starting Kyle Strickler turned in top five runs. Lucas Oil Series points leader Tim McCreadie ran sixth ahead of Owens, Gustin, Brian Shirley, and Junghans.
Action wrapped up shortly after 10:00 P.M. on this first night of what promises to be a great weekend of racing!
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