Weekend #12 Recap

I was back in Knoxville on Saturday night for Twin 410 Features Night. Johnny Herrera and Kerry Madsen split the 410 show, and Jonathan Cornell added another win to an already stellar Knoxville 360 rookie season.

-Herrera had a great points night, winning the first 410 feature and finishing second in the other. Herrera's victory came after points leader Brown Brown suffered an engine failure while leading with only five laps to go.

In the second race, Herrera worked his way to second, but was unable to catch Kerry Madsen for the victory.

-So far it would seem that the points championship will come down to Brown and Herrera. Right now, I don't know who I would pick.

-Brian Brown looked poised to win his fourth Knoxville feature of the season, but came up five laps short. He had worked up a commanding lead but the motor just couldn't last the 20 lap distance. Thanks to some quick work by his crew, they were able to change motors and get Brown back into the second 410 feature where he would finish seventh.

-Perhaps the most consistent driver of the night was Don Droud Jr. He finished both features in fifth. Droud now sits in third in Knoxville Championship Cup Series 410 points.

KCCS 410 Feature #1
1. Johnny Herrera
2. Terry McCarl
3. Dusty Zomer
4. Brooke Tatnell
5. Don Droud Jr.
6. Skip Jackson
7. Billy Alley
8. Kerry Madsen
9. Calvin Landis
10. Scott Winters
11. Davey Heskin
12. Ryan Anderson
13. Kaley Gharst
14. Josh Schneiderman
15. Brian Brown
16. Tim Kaeding
17. Chad Kemenah
18. Mark Dobmeier
19. Wayne Johnson
20. Josh Higday

KCCS 410 Feature #2
1. Kerry Madsen
2. Johnny Herrera
3. Terry McCarl
4. Kaley Gharst
5. Don Droud Jr.
6. Billy Alley
7. Brian Brown
8. Ryan Anderson
9. Brooke Tatnell
10. Lynton Jeffrey
11. Skip Jackson
12. Davey Heskin
13. Scott Winters
14. Bronson Maeschen
15. Josh Schneiderman
16. Calvin Landis
17. Dusty Zomer
18. Mike Moore
19. Seth Brahmer
20. Mark Dobmeier

-I praised Jonathan Cornell before and I'll do it again. The kid is good and will get even better.

KCCS 360 Feature
1. Jonathan Cornell
2. Dave Hall
3. Clint Garner
4. Dennis Moore Jr.
5. Dustin Selvage
6. Johnny Anderson
7. Austin Alumbaugh
8. Chad Humston
9. Matt Covington
10. Ryan Roberts
11. Gregg Bakker
12. Randy Martin
13. Jon Agan
14. Jay Russell
15. Nate Mosher
16. Ricky Montgomery
17. Jon Corbin
18. Josh Padellford
19. Tom Lenz
20. Tyler Thompson

Another show in Knoxville this weekend before returning home to Eagle for Kid's Night.

FINAL WEEK - Kid's Night Bike Purchase Deadline is July 19

This is a friendly reminder that the deadline to purchase a bike for the July 25 Kid's Night Event is this Saturday, July 19. The price is $42.50 per bike.

If you are interested, please contact Rhonda Bryan at (H) 402-476-7336 or (C) 402-450-7992. You can also reach her by email rascal60@windstream.net. Rhonda will also be at Eagle Raceway this Saturday, just outside of the pit gate.

Bike donations are down this year. We need your help in making this event as big as it can be! Please donate and give each kid in attendance a chance at taking home a new bike.

"Any help I can get from all of you...I appreciate it and I am so grateful for your support in making this night possible! Thank you for being so very kind to Bernie, Nick and myself!" ~Rhonda

Schatz to Drive Commemorative STP Tribute Car During Knoxville Nationals

Schatz to drive his CHEVY powered car in the colors of Mario's FORD powered '69 Indy winner? Wonder if they'll leave those Blue Ovals off?

STP … A Winning Tradition Continues Tony Stewart Racing’s Donny Schatz to Drive Commemorative STP, Mario Andretti Tribute Car During Bid for Fourth Consecutive Knoxville Nationals Title

INDIANAPOLIS (July 10, 2009) – Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) announced today that three-time and defending Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals champion Donny Schatz will drive an STP-branded tribute car in this year’s 49th running of Winged Sprint car racing’s premiere event, the Knoxville Nationals.

The specially schemed car will carry a commemorative design of Mario Andretti’s STP-sponsored Brawner Hawk that the legendary race driver piloted to victory in the 1969 Indianapolis 500. The No. 15 entry Schatz will compete in will duplicate the look of Andretti’s winning Indy 500 machine, with its distinctive “Hunting Red” color and gold wheels. With Andretti on hand, the car will be unveiled with Schatz during a special ceremony at 1 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, Aug. 11 at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum in Knoxville.

“This is a unique opportunity for Tony Stewart Racing to pay tribute to one of the more memorable occasions in auto racing history,” said team owner Stewart, a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and the series’ current point leader. “To have the opportunity to celebrate STP’s first Indianapolis 500 victory with a racing icon such as Mario Andretti is a truly unique one, and we’re proud to have Donny carry the brand’s colors as he attempts to win his fourth consecutive Knoxville Nationals championship.”

“STP has a rich and proud history of helping engines run better on the highway and of supporting championship drivers on the racetrack,” said Jonathan Paluga, marketing manager for Armor All/STP Products Company. “Naturally, we are very excited to have STP on the track at Knoxville paying tribute to racing legend Mario Andretti and sponsoring the No. 15 STP Sprint car driven by Donny Schatz, a dirt track legend in his own right. We can’t think of a better way to honor the 40th anniversary of Mario Andretti’s thrilling Indy 500 victory than by giving Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart Racing the opportunity to get back in the winner’s circle with the iconic 1969 commemorative STP paint scheme.”

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Andretti’s thrilling victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He dominated the race, winning by more than two laps, and was welcomed famously in victory lane by his car owner, Andy Granatelli, the former President and CEO of STP. Granatelli became the CEO of a Studebaker subsidiary, Chemical Compounds, in 1963. He soon changed the company’s name to STP, transforming the brand into a pop culture icon over the next several years. The Clorox Company acquired the STP brand in 1999 following the acquisition of First Brands Corporation.

“I was full of pride when I learned that Tony Stewart Racing was paying tribute to me this way,” said Andretti, whose 1969 Indianapolis 500 victory gave the STP brand its first triumph at the legendary Brickyard. “The effort they are going through to present this commemorative car is flattering. Thank you to the team for that effort, and also for acknowledging my part in STP racing history.

“When I see the car, it will definitely be an opportunity for reflection. It’s humbling. It is a tremendous compliment to me that this team would look back at my victory and find it worthy of recognition. I am honored to have Donny Schatz carry the design from my 1969 car. I hope this winning paint scheme will be a good omen for him and that he’ll get his fourth victory.”

The Knoxville Nationals is the largest Sprint car race in the world. Its stature in short-track racing mirrors the magnitude of the Indianapolis 500 in Indy car racing. Each year, the Nationals attracts the best Winged Sprint car drivers and race fans from all over the world to a four-day marathon during which more than 30,000 attendees converge on the “Sprint car Capitol of the World” in Knoxville. The prestigious event culminates with a 40-lap feature on Saturday, Aug. 15, that will unfold in a live broadcast on SPEED-TV.

After finishing second four times at the Nationals from 2000 to 2005, Schatz conquered the 2006 Nationals, and returned to victory lane again in 2007 and 2008. This year, he will be vying for his fourth consecutive Knoxville Nationals crown. Legendary Sprint car racer Steve Kinser is the only driver to have won four Nationals in a row since the event’s inception in 1961.

“I’m really excited about trying to win another Knoxville Nationals title,” admitted Schatz, who’s also won the last three World of Outlaws Series championships. “Winning the Knoxville Nationals once was a dream come true, but I can tell you it gets sweeter every time you do it. Working with Armor All and the Clorox Company has been a lot of fun during the last year-and-a-half. To be able to represent the brand and carry the STP colors that Mr. Andretti won Indy with is really going to be an honor. ”

For information regarding TSR, Schatz, Armor All, STP, or the Knoxville Nationals, visit www.tonystewartracing.com, www.donnyschatz.com, www.aa-ownercenter.com, www.stp.com, or www.knoxvilleraceway.com. For more information regarding Andretti, log on to www.marioandretti.com.

- TSR -

About Armor All/STP

The Armor All/STP Products Company is a subsidiary of The Clorox Company, headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Clorox is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with fiscal year 2008 revenues of $5.2 billion. With 7,600 employees worldwide, the company manufacturers products in two dozen countries and markets them in more than 100 countries. For more information about Clorox, visit www.TheCloroxCompany.com. For more information on Armor All, go to www.armorall.com or www.aa-ownercenter.com. For more information about STP, go to www.stp.com.

Dare2Team Website Update

To keep up with Don Droud Jr. and the rest of the Dare2 team, visit their re-vamped site at www.Dare2Team.com.

Currently, Droud sits fifth in 410 Knoxville Championship Cup Standings in the Gil Sonner owned Casey's #47. Droud is also fifth in ASCS Midwest ponits, driving the family-owned Dare2 Team #2.

In addtion to all of the team's current news, they have an extensive photo section that covers the history of the Droud family in racing.

Rodney Droud and the guys over at Harris Decals have done a great job putting together one of the better local race team websites, so be sure to visit Dare2Team.com today!

It's Almost Time for Speedway Motors Open Wheel Week!

There is no better time to be a dirt track open wheel fan than late July through mid-August. It's sort of the crescendo to the summer's racing and it kicks off with the Second Annual Speedway Motors Open Wheel Week.

The following is the initial list of events covered, they are subject to change.

Midget Schedule
Sunday, July 26 - POWRi Midgets, US 36 Raceway (Cameron, MO)
Monday, July 27 - POWRi Midgets, Butler County Motorplex (Rising City, NE)
Tuesday, July 28 - POWRi Midgets, Junction Motor Speedway (McCool Junction, NE)
Wednesday, July 29 - POWRi Midgets, Junction Motor Speedway (McCool Junction, NE)
Friday, July 31 - Belleville Midget Nationals, Belleville High Banks (Belleville, KS)
Saturday, August 1 - Belleville Midget Nationals, Belleville High Banks (Belleville, KS)

Sprint Car Schedule
Wednesday, July 29 - All Star Circuit of Champions, US 36 Raceway (Cameron, MO)
Thursday, July 30 - All Star Circuit of Champions, Belleville High Banks (Belleville, KS)
Friday, July 31 - All Star Circuit of Champions, Thunderhill Speedway (Mayetta, KS)
Saturday, August 1 - All Star Circuit of Champions, Huset's Speedway (Brandon, SD)
Sunday, August 2 - All Star Circuit of Champions, Huset's Speedway (Brandon, SD)

In 5 Weeks...

The 49th Annual Knoxville Nationals kicks off five weeks from today. Competition red flags or not, it's still going to be a great weekend of sprint car racing.

Pre-Entry List 7/8/09
0 - Jonathan Allard, Chico CA
1 - Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, OK
1au - Garry Brazier, Sydney, NSW, Aust.
1x - Randy Hannigan, Pittsboro, IN
2au - Todd Wanless, Brisbane, QLD, Aust.
2L - Ed Lynch Jr., Apollo, PA
2w - Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque, NM
4 - Danny Smith, Chillicothe, OH
4H - Chad Meyer, Harrisburg, SD
4L - Mark Amenda, Streator, IL
4x - Toni Lutar, White Rock, BC, Can.
4WA - Greg Hall, Albany, WA, Aust.
5w - Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, PA
6 - Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO
7K - Rob Chaney, Wooster, OH
8L - Tom Lenz, Marion, IA
9 - Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, IN
9N - Wade Nygaard, Fargo, ND
10 - Rager Phillips, Pleasantville, IA
10a - Ricky Logan, Little Rock, AR
10s - Sammy Swindell, Bartlett, TN
11 - Steve Kinser, Bloomington, IN
12 - Lynton Jeffrey, Prarie City, IA
13 - Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks, ND
13v - Seth Brahmer, Wisner, NE
13J - Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, MO
14 - Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA
14AJ - Wayne Johnson, Knoxville, IA
14M - Randy Martin, California, MO
17 - Daryn Pittman, Pittsboro, IN
17A - Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA
17B - Bill Balog, Eau Claire, WI
17G - Dusty Zomer, Brandon, SD
19 - Craig Dollansky, Elk River, MN
20 - Dennis Moore Jr., Grinnell, IA
21 - Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO
21AU - Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust.
22N - Brian Ellenberger, Butler, PA
22x - Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, PA
24 - Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA
30c - Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, PA
39 - Dough Esh, Lancaster, PA
40 - Clint Garner, Sioux Falls, SD
41 - Jason Johnson, Eunice, LA
49 - Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington, IA
57 - Shane Stewart, Bixby, OK
57c - Chris Schmelze, Victoria, BC, Can.
65 - Jordan Goldesberry, Springfield, IL
81 - TBA
83 - Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA
89 - Cody Darrah, Red Lion, PA
91 - TBA

Roush Yates Engine Giveaway at Western World

This news came out a couple days ago, but it's something I thought was worth posting here.

Mooresville, NC—Roush Yates Engines, engine builders extraordinaire and winners of this year’s Daytona 500, has just announced an amazing 360 Sprint Car contest: Winners powered by a Roush Yates engine at this year’s 42nd Western World Sprint Car National Championships at Tucson, AR, Nov. 19-21, will also WIN A NEW ROUSH YATES ENGINE. This contest extends to the winners of both winged and non-winged categories.

"We're real excited about Roush Yates’ involvement with the ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series at Tucson’s USA Raceway in our season-ending event, the 42nd Annual Western World Sprint Car Championship. Roush Yates’ promotion with the winged and non-winged teams at the Western World speaks loudly about the commitment they have placed in the future of the ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series,“ said ASCS Founder, Emmett Hahn.

Roush Yates Engines recently entered the 360 Sprint Car scene with Chuck “the Cobra” Hebing. Hebing achieved an early victory at Autodrome Drummond, Quebec. “This new engine has a long power curve, sustaining peak horsepower from 6,500 to 8,500 rpm—exceptional power all the way through," Hebing commented.

When news of this super contest emerged yesterday, Kevin Montgomery, promoter at USA Raceway, was delighted: “The Western World Championships is shaping up to be one of the premier events of 2009. We are excited to have Roush Yates, an auto racing icon, as part of this Championship Race. Their involvement speaks volumes about the prestige of the 42nd Annual Western World Championships.”

Roush Yates supply their new 360 Sprint Car engines as custom-built and as complete as the customer wishes—including turn-key ready-to-race installations, from air cleaner to oil pan even with the correct oil and radiator supplied if necessary.

For further information contact:
Roush Yates Engines
Attn: Jeremy Anderson (704) 658-1540 Ext 220 or JAnderson@RoushYates.com
www.RoushYates.com
Editors’ Contact: Vic Moore (706) 531-0058

To retrieve high-resolution images, go to www.mooregoodink.com, select Media Center, enter media007 as your password, and click on Roush Yates Engines in the Media Center Folders.