by Bill Wright 
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (June 9, 2017) – Grass Valley, California’s Brad Sweet kept his Kasey Kahne Racing #49 up front all night long in the first night of the Brownells Big Guns Bash Friday with the World of Outlaws at Knoxville Raceway. Brad led all 25 laps to capture his second career feature win here, as well as the $10,000 top prize. Kade Higday scored his second win of the season in the 305 sprint car class. It was his fourth career victory here.
Sweet put himself in position to win by claiming both his heat race and the Dash. And win he did! He shot out at the outset of an event that would go non-stop, ahead of David Gravel, Shane Stewart and Brian Brown. Brown and Stewart would have the crowd on the edge of their seat, as they exchanged slide jobs for the third position.
By lap four, Donny Schatz entered the battle and shot by Brown for fourth. The leaders started entering lapped traffic on the sixth circuit. A blanket could be thrown over Stewart, Schatz and Brown at that point, as the best battle on the track was for third fourth and fifth. Schatz would eventually grab it.
Meanwhile, Sweet was cruising out front. Gravel would reel him in a bit with ten to go, when rubber started appearing in both turns one and three. Soon the leader would find the groove and march on to the win ahead of Gravel, Schatz, Stewart and Kerry Madsen. Brown, Ian Madsen, Jason Johnson, Dominic Scelzi and Terry McCarl rounded out the top ten.
Two groups in qualifying were led by Kerry Madsen and Joey Saldana. Kerry Madsen, Stewart, Brown and Sweet were heat winners. Sweet also won the Dash, while Logan Schuchart took the C main and Sheldon Haudenschild claimed the B main.
“Sometimes I hate to be the leader, but it was also awesome to be there when the rubber went down,” said Sweet in Victory Lane. “I made a lot of mistakes there, and we have a lot of work to do, because the car wasn’t exactly as good as it was earlier in the night. It was good enough to hold off David Gravel and Donny, so we must have been pretty good. Hats off to my guys. We’ve been on a roll lately. You try to keep your tires under you. I’ve learned a lot of lessons from Donny Schatz. I still made some mistakes out there, and got in trouble. All that matters is we got the checkered flag.”
The non-stop World of Outlaws event went smoothly. The same could not be said for the 15-lap 305 feature, which saw several cautions. Veteran Chris Walraven set the pace early over rookie Eric Bridger and Kade Higday. A restart occurred five laps in after Cliff Jones contacted the turn three wall. He was uninjured. Matthew Stelzer used the opportunity to move by Higday into third, but Higday would charge back by on the cushion on lap seven.
A spin by Joe Simbro on the backstretch, allowed Higday to hit the cushion when the green flew again and shoot around Bridger for second. A lap nine spin by Dan Henning set up another opportunity, and Higday pounced. He again used the cushion to get momentum on Walraven and take the point. He survived one more restart (for another spin by Henning) to get his second win in three features here. Walraven would finish second, ahead of Bridger, Kevin Hetrick and Ryan Leavitt. Mike Mayberry, Tyler Glass, Brad Comegys, Evan Epperson and Jeff Wilke completed the top ten. Stelzer had a strong run going before going up in smoke on the final circuit.
Stelzer set quick time over the field, while Bridger and Comegys were heat race winners. Dallas Mendenhall crashed in practice on the front stretch, and Jon Hughes stuck the infield wall while pulling into the pits after qualifying. Neither was injured.
Be here Saturday night, June 10 for the finale of the Brownells “Big Gun Bash” featuring the Craftsman World of Outlaws taking on the Knoxville regulars! The 360 sprint car class will also be running. For more information, visit www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com!
410 Results
Time Trials Group one (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 2M, Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Aust. (8), 15.387; 2. 19, Brent Marks, Myerstown, PA (4), 15.508; 3. 41S, Dominic Scelzi, Fresno, CA (3), 15.519; 4. 2, Shane Stewart, Bixby, OK (11), 15.523; 5. 18, Ian Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Aust. (7), 15.526; 6. 20, AJ Moeller, Rockwell City, IA (6), 15.592; 7. 5, David Gravel, Watertown, CT (17), 15.618; 8. 15, Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND (13), 15.633; 9. 4, Paul McMahan, Nashville, TN (5), 15.642; 10. 9, Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK (20), 15.709; 11. 93, Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, OH (12), 15.778; 12. 12, Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust. (21), 15.808; 13. 82, Cap Henry, Bellevue, OH (1), 15.809; 14. 44, Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (14), 15.877; 15. 49J, Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington, IA (18), 15.904; 16. 71A, RJ Johnson, Tampa, FL (9), 15.955; 17. 1A, Jacob Allen, Hanover, PA (16), 16.060; 18. W20, Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge, OH (10), 16.075; 19. 1S, Logan Schuchart, Hanover, PA (15), 16.110; 20. 9Z, Jared Goerges, Brainerd, MN (19), 16.286; 21. 7W, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (2), 16.444.
Time Trials Group two (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 17, Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, IN (19), 15.682; 2. 49, Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA (2), 15.685; 3. 24, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA (1), 15.729; 4. 2KS, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA (17), 15.803; 5. 21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO (5), 15.852; 6. 55, Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust. (6), 15.923; 7. 11K, Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, IN (10), 16.040; 8. 41, Jason Johnson, Eunice, LA (16), 16.101; 9. 1M, Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO (14), 16.109; 10. 09, Matt Juhl, Sioux Falls, SD (11), 16.182; 11. 4X, Dakota Hendrickson, Omaha, NE (12), 16.195; 12. 7S, Jason Sides, Bartlett, TN (21), 16.239; 13. 1B, Dustin Selvage, Indianola, IA (20), 16.244; 14. 56N, Davey Heskin, St. Michael, MN (8), 16.278; 15. 22, Rager Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (15), 16.381; 16. 3, Tim Kaeding, San Jose, CA (9), 16.550; 17. 19P, Paige Polyak, Tiffin, OH (18), 16.588; 18. 15X, Bobby Mincer, Burlington, IA (13), 16.773; 19. 19W, Bob Weuve, Newton, IA (3), 16.910; 20. 13, Clyde Knipp, California, MO (7), 16.987; 21. 85, Chase Wanner, Agency, IA (4), NT.
Heat one (started), 8 Laps, 2:11.0: 1. Kerry Madsen (1); 2. David Gravel (4); 3. Dominic Scelzi (2); 4. Ian Madsen (3); 5. Paul McMahan (5) / 6. Sheldon Haudenschild (6); 7. Logan Schuchart (10); 8. Josh Schneiderman (8); 9. Tasker Phillips (11); 10. Cap Henry (7); 11. Jacob Allen (9)
Heat two (started), 8 Laps, 2:11.0: 1. Shane Stewart (2); 2. Donny Schatz (4); 3. Brent Marks (1); 4. Daryn Pittman (5); 5. Lynton Jeffrey (6) / 6. Greg Wilson (9); 7. Chris Martin (7); 8. AJ Moeller (3); 9. RJ Johnson (8); 10. Jared Goerges (10)
Heat three (started), 8 Laps, 2:10.9: 1. Brian Brown (3); 2. Joey Saldana (1); 3. Terry McCarl (2); 4. Danny Lasoski (5); 5. Kraig Kinser (4) / 6. Dakota Hendrickson (6); 7. Dustin Selvage (7); 8. Rager Phillips (8); 9. Bob Weuve (10); 10. Paige Polyak (9) DNS – Chase Wanner
Heat four (started), 8 Laps, 2:10.1: 1. Brad Sweet (1); 2. Jason Johnson (4); 3. Austin McCarl (2); 4. Tim Kaeding (8); 5. Matt Juhl (5); 6. Jason Sides (6); 7. Brooke Tatnell (3); 8. Davey Heskin (7); 9. Bobby Mincer (9) DNS – Clyde Knipp
C main (started), 10 Laps, 2:53.7: 1. Logan Schuchart (5); 2. Jacob Allen (1) / 3. Greg Wilson (3); 4. Tasker Phillips (8); 5. Bobby Mincer (4); 6. Bob Weuve (6); 7. Paige Polyak (2); 8. Jared Goerges (7) DNS – Chase Wanner, Clyde Knipp
Dash (started), 6 Laps, 1:40.5: 1. Brad Sweet (1); 2. Brian Brown (3); 3. David Gravel (5); 4. Donny Schatz (7); 5. Shane Stewart (2); 6. Kerry Madsen (4); 7. Joey Saldana (6); 8. Jason Johnson (8)
B main (started), 12 Laps, NT: 1. Sheldon Haudenschild (3); 2. Brooke Tatnell (2); 3. Jason Sides (6); 4. Josh Schneiderman (9) / 5. Logan Schuchart (13); 6. Dustin Selvage (8); 7. RJ Johnson (11); 8. Rager Phillips (12); 9. Cap Henry (5); 10. Davey Heskin (10); 11. AJ Moeller (1); 12. Jacob Allen (14); 13. Chris Martin (7); 14. Dakota Hendrickson (4)
A main (started), 25 Laps, 7:37.9: 1. Brad Sweet (1); 2. David Gravel (3); 3. Donny Schatz (4); 4. Shane Stewart (5); 5. Kerry Madsen (6); 6. Brian Brown (2); 7. Ian Madsen (13); 8. Jason Johnson (8); 9. Dominic Scelzi (9); 10. Terry McCarl (10); 11. Brent Marks (11); 12. Joey Saldana (7); 13. Daryn Pittman (15); 14. Paul McMahan (17); 15. Tim Kaeding (16); 16. Brooke Tatnell (22); 17. Austin McCarl (12); 18. Sheldon Haudenschild (21); 19. Kraig Kinser (18); 20. Jason Sides (23); 21. Josh Schneiderman (24); 22. Matt Juhl (20); 23. Lynton Jeffrey (19); 24. Danny Lasoski (14). Lap Leader: Sweet 1-25. Hard-charger: I. Madsen.
305 Results
Time Trials (Qualifying Order): 1. 99, Matthew Stelzer, Papillion, NE (17), 16.998; 2. 56W, Chris Walraven, Knoxville, IA (6), 17.012; 3. 35, Kevin Hetrick, Gladstone, IL (12), 17.028; 4. 1B, Ryan Leavitt, Knoxville, IA (16), 17.036; 5. 24, Kade Higday, Pleasant Hill, IA (11), 17.037; 6. 76, Brad Comegys, Bondurant, IA (18), 17.055; 7. 81E, Eric Bridger, Winterset, IA (3), 17.076; 8. 0, Mike Mayberry, Fremont, IA (4), 17.279; 9. 56, Joe Simbro, Pleasantville, IA (1), 17.284; 10. 55X, Matt Stephenson, Altoona, IA (2), 17.408; 11. 23T, Travis Rewerts, Des Moines, IA (15), 17.434; 12. 71, Brandon Worthington, Indianola, IA (21), 17.622; 13. 21, Evan Epperson, Muscatine, IA (19), 17.648; 14. 1K, Kelby Watt, Adel, IA (9), 17.671; 15. 12T, Tyler Glass, Cedar Rapids, IA (10), 17.683; 16. 1, Clifford Jones, Pleasant Hill, IA (8), 17.821; 17. 41, Jeff Wilke, Genoa, IL (13), 17.829; 18. 41D, Dan Henning, Columbia, IA (7), 17.870; 19. 64, Casey Greubel, Lacona, IA (5), 17.955; 20. 67, Jon Hughes, Knoxville, IA (20), 18.100; 21. 48D, Dallas Mendenhall, Unionville, MO (14), NT
Heat one (started), 6 Laps, NT: 1. Eric Bridger (3); 2. Kade Higday (4); 3. Matthew Stelzer (6); 4. Joe Simbro (2); 5. Kevin Hetrick (5); 6. Jeff Wilke (9); 7. Evan Epperson (7); 8. Tyler Glass (8); 9. Casey Greubel (10); 10. Travis Rewerts (1) DNS – Dallas Mendenhall
Heat two (started), 6 Laps, 1:51.1: 1. Brad Comegys (4); 2. Ryan Leavitt (5); 3. Brandon Worthington (1); 4. Mike Mayberry (3); 5. Chris Walraven (6); 6. Clifford Jones (8); 7. Kelby Watt (7); 8. Dan Henning (9); 9. Matt Stephenson (2) DNS – Jon Hughes
A main (started), 15 Laps, NT: 1. Kade Higday (3); 2. Chris Walraven (1); 3. Eric Bridger (2); 4. Kevin Hetrick (7); 5. Ryan Leavitt (5); 6. Mike Mayberry (8); 7. Tyler Glass (16); 8. Brad Comegys (4); 9. Evan Epperson (12); 10. Jeff Wilke (13); 11. Joe Simbro (9); 12. Casey Greubel (19); 13. Brandon Worthington (10); 14. Matthew Stelzer (6); 15. Dan Henning (18); 16. Kelby Watt (14); 17. Travis Rewerts (17); 18. Clifford Jones (11) DNS – Matt Stephenson, Jon Hughes, Dallas Mendenhall. Lap Leaders: Walraven 1-9, Higday 10-15. Hard-charger: Glass.