By T.J. Buffenbarger
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 7, 2019) — Trey Starks has traveled from his home in Poyallup, Washington to Knoxville, Iowa all summer to race at Knoxville Raceway without a victory. That winless streak ended in a big way for Starks on Wednesday after winning the BRANDT Professional Agriculture Qualifying Night preliminary feature. Straks passed Mark Dobmeier for the lead on lap five and held of James McFadden through lapped traffic in the closing laps for the victory.
For Starks the win seemed to be as much relief as joy after traveling to Iowa every week from the west coast along with one of his car owners, Jeff McCall that would travel every week to Knoxville from North Carolina.
“This hasn’t been the best year for us for a multitude of different reasons,” said Starks. “We’ve had a ton of rain and we didn’t get the laps we wanted to. We’ve learned something every week we’ve come here. It seems like the last couple of weeks or month nothing has gone our way after all. We’ve had problem after problem and at times haven’t been very fast. After all the bad luck this week. We ran out of fuel at Osky the first night, broke a motor last night, both running solidly. To say we were due for this one would be an understatement. These guys work so hard. I can’t thank Jeff McCall and Scott Gobrecht enough for believing in me and putting me in a car.”
Dobmeier and McFadden started on the front row for the 25-lap main event. Dobmeier took the lead on the opening lap as Starks made a bold move driving around the outside of Haudenschild into the second position. Starks quickly closed in on Dobmeier and dove to the inside in turn three to take the lead, crossing lanes, before Starks took the lead at the start finish line on lap five.
Dobmeier kept pace with Starks while Haudenschild had his hands full between turns one and two, getting sideways on the bottom and losing ground to Starks, Dobmeier, and McFadden.
McFadden came into the picture pressuring Dobmeier for third on lap 12 when the caution flag appeared for Scotty Thiel spinning getting into the wall between turns three and four with Haudenschild and Aaron Retuzel narrowly getting by.
After the restart Starks pulled away as McFadden and Dobmeier deiced for second. As they raced for second, they caught up to Starks. With eight laps to go Starks moved off the bottom in three and four to run the top to counter Dobmeier.
McFadden was able to get enough drive on the bottom of turn two to take second from Dobmeier down the backstretch with six laps to go. McFadden closed briefly but was unable to catch Starks for the victory. McFadden, Haudenschild, Dobmeier, and Reutzel rounded out the top five.
For Starks even 30 minutes after the feature he was still in disbelief.
“I just can’t believe it. I cannot believe it,” said Starks. “We needed this one, and tonight was the right time to do it.
59th Annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores
BRANDT Professional Agriculture Qualifying Night
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville, IA
Wednesday August 7, 2019
Qualifying:
1. 18-Ian Madsen, 15.165;
2. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 15.331;
3. 7S-Tim Kaeding, 15.418;
4. 48-Danny Dietrich, 15.476;
5. 99-Brady Bacon, 15.480;
6. 13X-Paul McMahan, 15.515;
7. 83-Lynton Jeffrey, 15.523;
8. 57-Kyle Larson, 15.548;
9. 71-Gio Scelzi, 15.548;
10. 15-Donny Schatz, 15.567;
11. 19-Brent Marks, 15.611;
12. 7X-Justin Henderson, 15.626;
13. 11-Hunter Schuerenberg, 15.638;
14. 19P-Paige Polyak, 15.674;
15. 44S-Trey Starks, 15.714;
16. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 15.760;
17. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 15.765;
18. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 15.780;
19. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 15.794;
20. 1-Travis Rilat, 15.800;
21. 68-Chase Johnson, 15.807;
22. 9-James McFadden, 15.838;
23. 13-Mark Dobmeier, 15.865;
24. 70X-Justin Peck, 15.871;
25. 88-Tanner Thorson, 15.880;
26. 5J-Jamie Ball, 15.910;
27. 39-Sammy Swindell, 15.925;
28. 11C-Roger Crockett, 15.945;
29. 18R-Ryan Roberts, 15.948;
30. 20-A.J. Moeller, 15.967;
31. 1X-Don Droud Jr., 15.971;
32. 3H-Jac Haudenschild, 16.017;
33. 7TAZ-Tasker Phillips, 16.025;
34. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 16.025;
35. 27-Carson McCarl, 16.026;
36. 2KS-Austin McCarl, 16.027;
37. 5H-Spencer Bayston, 16.028;
38. 64-Scotty Thiel, 16.034;
39. 7SW-Jeff Swindell, 16.061;
40. 99X-Skylar Gee, 16.068;
41. 85-Chase Wanner, 16.071;
42. 51-Freddie Rahmer, 16.122;
43. 19-Kevin Thomas Jr., 16.184;
44. 45-Rusty Hickman, 16.203;
45. 74-Brodie Tulloch, 16.210;
46. 73AF-Joey Moughan, 16.223;
47. J4-John Garvin, 16.228;
48. 56-Davey Heskin, 16.268;
49. 56-Joe Simbro, 16.324;
50. 9X-Jake Bubak, 16.334;
51. 2MM-Matt Moro, 16.340;
52. 35-Zach Hampton, 16.695;
53. 75-Glenn Saville, 99.000;
Heat Race #1 (10 Laps):
1. 5J – Jamie Ball
2. 2KS – Austin McCarl
3.19 – Brent Marks
4. 13X – Paul McMahan
5. 2M – Kerry Madsen
6. 18 – Ian Madsen
7. 68 – Chase Johnson
8. 85 – Chase Wanner
9. 1X – Don Droud Jr.
10. 73AF – Joey Moughan
(First Four finishers transferred to the A-Main)
Heat Race #2 (10 Laps):
1. 3H – Jac Haudenschild
2. 87 – Aaron Reutzel
3. 9 – James McFadden
4. 5H – Spencer Bayston
5. 1S – Logan Schuchart
6. 39 – Sammy Swindell
7. 7X – Justin Henderson
8. 83J – Lynton Jeffrey
9. 51 – Freddie Rahmer
10. J4 – John Garvin
(First Four finishers transferred to the A-Main)
Heat Race #3 (10 Laps):
1. 2C – Wayne Johnson
2. 64 – Scotty Thiel
3. 13 – Mark Dobmeier
4. 17 – Sheldon Haudenschild
5. 7S – Tim Kaeding
6. 71 – Gio Scelzi
7. 19T – Kevin Thomas Jr.
8. 11C – Roger Crockett
9. 56N – Davey Heskin
10. 11 – Hunter Schuerenberg
(First Four finishers transferred to the A-Main)
Heat Race #4 (10 Laps):
1. 7TAZ – Tasker Phillips
2. 7SW – Jeff Swindell
3. 70X – Justin Peck
4. 19P – Paige Polyak
5. 41S – Dominic Scelzi
6. 48 – Danny Dietrich
7. 57 – Kyle Larson
8. 18R – Ryan Roberts
9. 56 – Joe Simbro
10. 45 – Rusty Hickman
(First Four finishers transferred to the A-Main)
Heat Race #5 (10 Laps):
1. 88 – Tanner Thorson
2. 27 – Carson McCarl
3. 99X – Skylar Gee
4. 44S – Trey Starks
5. 99 – Brady Bacon
6. 15 – Donny Schatz
7. 1 – Travis Rilat
8. 20 – A.J. Moeller
9. 9X – Jake Bubak
10. 74 – Brodie Tulloch
(First Four finishers transferred to the A-Main)
C-Main (10 Laps):
1. 51 – Freddie Rahmer
2. 9X – Jake Bubak
3. 45 – Rusty Hickman
4. 2MM – Matt Moro
5. 74 – Brodie Tulloch
6. 56 – Joe Simbro
7. J4 – John Garvin
8. 75 – Glenn Saville
9. 73AF – Glen Saville
10. 35 – Zach Hampton
DNS: 11 – Hunter Schuerenberg
DNS: 1X – Don Droud Jr.
DNS: 56N – Davey Heskin
B-Main (12 Laps):
1. 7S – Tim Kaeding
2. 71 – Gio Scelzi
3. 18 – Ian Madsen
4. 15 – Donny Schatz
5. 48 – Danny Dietrich
6. 57 – Kyle Larson
7. 2M – Kerry Madsen
8. 99 – Brady Bacon
9. 83J – Lynton Jeffrey
10. 41S – Dominic Scelzi
11. 7X – Justin Henderson
12. 1S – Logan Schuchart
13. 39 – Sammy Swindell
14. 19T – Kevin Thomas Jr.
15. 68 – Chase Johnson
16. 20 – A.J Moeller
17. 45 – Rusty Hickman
18. 9X – Jake Bubak
19. 18R – Ryan Roberts
20. 1 – Travis Rilat
21. 85 – Chase Wanner
22. 51 – Freddie Rahmer
23. 2MM – Matt Moro
24. 11C – Roger Crockett
(First four finishers transferred to the A-Main)
A-Main (25 Laps):
1. 44S – Trey Starks
2. 9 – James McFadden
3. 17 – Sheldon Haudenschild
4. 13 – Mark Dobmeier
5. 87 – Aaron Reutzel
6. 19 – Brent Marks
7. 88 – Tanner Thorson
8. 3H – Jac Haudenschild
9. 13X – Paul McMahan
10. 7S – Tim Kaeding
11. 15 – Donny Schatz
12. 71 – Gio Scelzi
13. 7TAZ – Tasker Philips
14. 2C – Wayne Johnson
15. 2KS – Austin McCarl
16. 18 – Ian Madsen
17. 27 – Carson McCarl
18. 5H – Spencer Bayston
19. 99X – Skylar Gee
20. 70X – Justin Peck
21. 5J – Jamie Ball
22. 19P – Paige Polyak
23. 7SW – Jeff Swindell
24. 64 – Scotty Thiel