From Stacy Irvin, Sammy battles Schatz, Mike Campbell photo
It was 1983 when Sammy Swindell won his only Knoxville Nationals championship, but he put himself in great position to get No. 2 by winning the second qualifying night of the 50th Annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. The win, on Thursday, August 12, at the Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, was worth $12,000.
The 25-lap main event was filled with drama at the beginning and the end. It took three tries to get it started, as the first attempt came back when Mark Shirsheken spun in turn four. The second attempt saw a red flag as Luke Hall flipped in turn one.
The third time was a charm and Swindell shot to the lead from third starting spot around front-row starters Skip Jackson and Dale Blaney. Fourth starter Donny Schatz had moved to second by the fourth lap and when Swindell came to traffic at lap eight, it seemed as though Schatz was poised to make his move.
Schatz pulled alongside Swindell at lap 10, but heavy traffic played a big role and Swindell was able to pull away. That was the only serious challenge Schatz gave until things got really dramatic at the end of the race.
On the white-flag lap, Schatz began to close on Swindell again, but a caution came out when Mike Moore slowed in turn four with a blown right-rear tire. That set up a green, white, checkered restart. Swindell got a great start and drove away from the field, but the yellow flag returned when Moore spun in turn three. As the cars circled around under caution, it was evident Schatz’s right-rear tire was down.
Under track rules, because the green, white, checkered restart did not go to the finish, the next attempt goes green, then checkered. Swindell again drove away when the green came out. The tire on the Schatz machine let him down and he was passed by second-place finisher Brian Brown, third-place finisher Skip Jackson and fourth-place finisher Stevie Smith. Schatz held on for fifth, and his tire exploded in turn two just after the flag.
Steve Kinser set the night’s quickest time trial of the 50 competitors with a 15.239 second lap. Heat races were won by Ricky Logan, Dale Blaney, Lance Dewease, Jac Haudenschild and Sammy Swindell. Danny Lasoski won the C-Main. The B-Main was won by Ian Madsen, but his car went up in smoke following the checkered flag and he was not able to start the A-Main.
The fourth heat race featured a couple of nasty crashes. Cars were bumping and banging at the start. Sam Hafertepe Jr. made contact with Paul Jeffrey, which sent Hafertepe spinning. He was collected by Greg Wilson, who flipped over. Later in that race, Paul McMahan was running in a transfer spot when his right-rear tire exploded and that sent him flipping hard in turn four. He was able to make repairs and finish second in the B-Main to transfer to the A-Main. He then charged all the way from 22nd starting spot to finish seventh. Dusty Zomer, who also transferred from the B and started 23rd, finished right behind him in eighth.
KNOXVILLE RACEWAY, Knoxville, IA
August 12, 2010
410 RESULTS
Time Trial , 1 laps, 1. Steve Kinser, Bloomington IN, 15.239; 2. Danny Lasoski, Dover MO, 15.391; 3. Greg Hodnett, Thomasville PA, 15.446; 4. Daryn Pittman, Owasso OK, 15.477; 5. Brian Brown, Grain Valley MO, 15.507; 6. Dusty Zomer, Sioux Falls SD, 15.545; 7. Donny Schatz, Fargo ND, 15.637; 8. Ian Madsen, (R) St. Marys, NSW, Aust. , 15.754; 9. Keith Bloom Jr., Anderson CA, 15.762; 10. Sammy Swindell, Germantown TN, 15.777; 11. Tim Kaeding, San Jose CA, 15.783; 12. Dale Blaney, Fowler OH, 15.814; 13. Skip Jackson, Sydney, NSW, Aust. , 15.822; 14. Paul McMahan, Nashville TN, 15.829; 15. Tyler Walker, Los Angeles CA, 15.863; 16. Scott Winters, Butterfield MN, 15.878; 17. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls SD, 15.964; 18. Kaley Gharst, Decatur IL, 16.021; 19. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX, 16.028; 20. Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington IA, 16.041; 21. Brent Antill, Ankeny IA, 16.095; 22. Toni Lutar, White Rock, BC, Can. , 16.099; 23. Mitchell Dumesny, Nelson, NSW, Aust. , 16.133; 24. Jac Haudenschild, Wooster OH, 16.151; 25. Austen Wheatley, Lake Stevens WA, 16.162; 26. Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow OK, 16.17; 27. Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust. , 16.197; 28. Lance Dewease, Fayetteville PA, 16.207; 29. Mike Moore, Des Moines IA, 16.216; 30. Seth Brahmer, Wisner NE, 16.24; 31. Ricky Logan, Little Rock AR, 16.248; 32. Dean Jacobs, Wooster OH, 16.264; 33. Robby Wolfgang, (R) Sioux Falls SD, 16.274; 34. Paul Jeffrey, Kellyville, NSW, Aust. , 16.294; 35. Bill Rose, Plainfield IN, 16.339; 36. Clint Garner, Sioux Falls SD, 16.367; 37. Jim Moughan Jr., Springfield IL, 16.38; 38. Rager Phillips, Pleasantville IA, 16.41; 39. Mark Shirshekan, Farmington MO, 16.411; 40. Luke Hall, Ludlow Falls OH, 16.415; 41. Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia MO, 16.478; 42. Chris Shirek, Thompson ND, 16.549; 43. Jared Ridge, Snohomish WA, 16.557; 44. Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge OH, 16.569; 45. Dustin Morgan, Tulsa OK, 16.612; 46. Matt Wasmund, Jackson MN, 16.755; 47. Greg Nikitenko, Minot ND, 16.791; 48. Lee Jacobs, Wooster OH, 16.82; 49. Todd King, Sheboygan Falls WI, 17.031; 50. Kim Mock, Kenosha WI, 17.69;
Heat 1, 10 laps, No Time: 1. Ricky Logan, Little Rock AR; 2. Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow OK; 3. Steve Kinser, Bloomington IN; 4. Clint Garner, Sioux Falls SD; 5. Scott Winters, Butterfield MN; 6. Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia MO; 7. Brent Antill, Ankeny IA; 8. Dusty Zomer, Sioux Falls SD; 9. Matt Wasmund, Jackson MN; 10. Tim Kaeding, San Jose CA;
Heat 2, 10 laps, No Time: 1. Dale Blaney, Fowler OH; 2. Donny Schatz, Fargo ND; 3. Dean Jacobs, Wooster OH; 4. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls SD; 5. Jim Moughan Jr., Springfield IL; 6. Toni Lutar, White Rock, BC, Can. ; 7. Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust. ; 8. Greg Nikitenko, Minot ND; 9. Chris Shirek, Thompson ND; 10. Danny Lasoski, Dover MO;
Heat 3, 10 laps, No Time: 1. Lance Dewease, Fayetteville PA; 2. Greg Hodnett, Thomasville PA; 3. Rager Phillips, Pleasantville IA; 4. Skip Jackson, Sydney, NSW, Aust. ; 5. Robby Wolfgang, (R) Sioux Falls SD; 6. Ian Madsen, (R) St. Marys, NSW, Aust. ; 7. Kaley Gharst, Decatur IL; 8. Mitchell Dumesny, Nelson, NSW, Aust. ; 9. Lee Jacobs, Wooster OH; 10. Jared Ridge, Snohomish WA;
Heat 4, 10 laps, No Time: 1. Jac Haudenschild, Wooster OH; 2. Daryn Pittman, Owasso OK; 3. Mark Shirshekan, Farmington MO; 4. Mike Moore, Des Moines IA; 5. Keith Bloom Jr., Anderson CA; 6. Todd King, Sheboygan Falls WI; 7. Paul Jeffrey, Kellyville, NSW, Aust. ; 8. Paul McMahan, Nashville TN; 9. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX; 10. Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge OH;
Heat 5, 10 laps, No Time: 1. Sammy Swindell, Germantown TN; 2. Luke Hall, Ludlow Falls OH; 3. Brian Brown, Grain Valley MO; 4. Seth Brahmer, Wisner NE; 5. Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington IA; 6. Tyler Walker, Los Angeles CA; 7. Dustin Morgan, Tulsa OK; 8. Austen Wheatley, Lake Stevens WA; 9. Bill Rose, Plainfield IN; 10. Kim Mock, Kenosha WI;
C Feature, 10 laps, No Time: 1. Danny Lasoski, Dover MO; 2. Tim Kaeding, San Jose CA; 3. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX; 4. Lee Jacobs, Wooster OH; 5. Chris Shirek, Thompson ND; 6. Bill Rose, Plainfield IN; 7. Jared Ridge, Snohomish WA; 8. Matt Wasmund, Jackson MN; 9. Kim Mock, Kenosha WI;
B Feature , 12 laps, No Time: 1. Ian Madsen, (R) St. Marys, NSW, Aust. ; 2. Paul McMahan, Nashville TN; 3. Dusty Zomer, Sioux Falls SD; 4. Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington IA; 5. Tyler Walker, Los Angeles CA; 6. Tim Kaeding, San Jose CA; 7. Scott Winters, Butterfield MN; 8. Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust. ; 9. Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia MO; 10. Mitchell Dumesny, Nelson, NSW, Aust. ; 11. Keith Bloom Jr., Anderson CA; 12. Danny Lasoski, Dover MO; 13. Kaley Gharst, Decatur IL; 14. Toni Lutar, White Rock, BC, Can. ; 15. Brent Antill, Ankeny IA; 16. Dustin Morgan, Tulsa OK; 17. Austen Wheatley, Lake Stevens WA; 18. Todd King, Sheboygan Falls WI; 19. Robby Wolfgang, (R) Sioux Falls SD; 20. Jim Moughan Jr., Springfield IL; 21. Greg Nikitenko, Minot ND; 22. Paul Jeffrey, Kellyville, NSW, Aust. ;
A Feature , 25 laps, No Time: 1. Sammy Swindell, Germantown TN; 2. Brian Brown, Grain Valley MO; 3. Skip Jackson, Sydney, NSW, Aust. ; 4. Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow OK; 5. Donny Schatz, Fargo ND; 6. Dale Blaney, Fowler OH; 7. Paul McMahan, Nashville TN; 8. Dusty Zomer, Sioux Falls SD; 9. Greg Hodnett, Thomasville PA; 10. Daryn Pittman, Owasso OK; 11. Steve Kinser, Bloomington IN; 12. Jac Haudenschild, Wooster OH; 13. Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington IA; 14. Lance Dewease, Fayetteville PA; 15. Dean Jacobs, Wooster OH; 16. Ricky Logan, Little Rock AR; 17. Rager Phillips, Pleasantville IA; 18. Clint Garner, Sioux Falls SD; 19. Seth Brahmer, Wisner NE; 20. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls SD; 21. Mark Shirshekan, Farmington MO; 22. Mike Moore, Des Moines IA; 23. Luke Hall, Ludlow Falls OH; 24. Ian Madsen, (R) St. Marys, NSW, Aust. Lap Leader: Swindell 1-25