From Bill Wright
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (June 12, 2021) – Carson Macedo’s first 410 win at the Knoxville Raceway was a big one as he took the $10,000 win on the first night of the Brownell’s Big Guns Bash featuring the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Friday night. The Lemoore, Calfornia native’s win came aboard the Jason Johnson Racing #41. Devin Kline scored his fourteenth career win by leading flag to flag in the main event for the Pace Performance Pro Sprints.
Kerry Madsen, who had won his heat and the Dash, was looking good early in the 25-lap WoO feature. Macedo chased him in second, ahead of Donny Schatz, Brad Sweet and Logan Schuchart. Macedo challenged on lap three, but Madsen maintained his advantage until entering lapped traffic on the seventh circuit.
With Madsen in heavy lapped traffic, Macedo tried a daring move that fell short on lap eleven. Madsen was able to stretch his advantage aboard the Tony Stewart Racing #14. Schuchart put plenty of pressure on Sweet for fourth and made a pass on lap 16 before Scott Bogucki contacted McKenna Haase in turn three with five laps to go, bringing the races only caution.
Madsen led the charge back to green, ahead of Macedo, Schatz, Schuchart and Sweet. After trailing Madsen for a full lap, Macedo shot to the bottom of turn one on the 22nd circuit and slid into the lead. Schuchart passed Schatz for third as well and coming for the white flag flew by Madsen for second. Following Macedo, Schuchart and Madsen at the checkers, were Schatz and Gio Scelzi who claimed fifth on the last lap. Sweet, David Gravel, Brian Brown, Aaron Reutzel and Ayrton Gennetten rounded out the top ten. Kasey Kahne and Schuchart set quick time over their respective groups, while Schatz, Brown, Schuchart and Madsen won heat races. Madsen took the Dash, and Matt Juhl claimed the B main.
“It was just a hard race,” said Macedo in Victory Lane. “Kerry was doing a good job of maneuvering in and out of traffic. A couple times, I thought I’d have a run on him, and lapped cars would zig or zag the wrong way. It just wouldn’t work out for me. When I saw the caution, I thought it was going to be tough to get a good start. I was able to get a good start and hit the bottom. I’m excited! It’s so hard to win here…it’s so technical. You have to hit your marks, and it’s really easy to make mistakes. My car was so good…when I did make a mistake it recovered for me.”
“I could tell (Macedo) didn’t feel comfortable in three and four,” said the late closing Schuchart. “(The bottom) was a place I really thought I could gain some ground on some guys. I just felt some other cars’ tails were wagging in and out there at the end. When they start dancing that way, it’s a sign their tires might be going away. It’s always fun when you can race around this place, Knoxville Raceway. It’s the best in the business. A run like that…passing some heavy hitters like we did…it means a lot. Hopefully, we can build on it, and get a little bit better.”
“This car is fast,” said Madsen of his third place run. “I was feeling really comfortable. We had a yellow, and I thought that would actually help us. I just didn’t make the right adjustments. I feel like I let the boys down, but this is a great racecar. Things change on the yellow, and you have to make the right adjustments, but I learned a lot, and I’m enjoying this car a lot. We’re still glad to get a podium…on to tomorrow night.”
Devin Kline shot out from his pole position in the 15-lap Pace Performance Pro Sprints feature, ahead of Brandon Worthington, Matthew Stelzer, Mike Mayberry and Tyler Barrick. With the track yielding two and three good grooves, the top five did not change until Barrick slowed and exited, ending his top five run with thee laps to go.
Kline held his advantage the last three laps, with Stelzer capturing second on the restart, ahead of Worthington. Tyler Groenendyk shot from seventh to gain fourth at the line after starting eleventh, and Mike Mayberry was fifth. Chase Young, Alex Vande Voort, Cam Martin, Jeff Wilke and Matt Allen completed the top ten. Kline and Barrick won the heat races. Devin Wignall flipped hard down the backstretch in his heat race after contact with another car. When the red light came out, Ryan Navratil rode over the rear of Groenendyk’s car and flipped as well. Both drivers walked away under their own power, but were done for the night.
“That was hands down, the best car we’ve had all year,” said Kline in Victory Lane. “We have to thank Wayne Johnson. We had his shocks on tonight. We want to get a mid-season stride going, and we can’t thank everyone enough.”
Tomorrow, Saturday, June 12, the Brownell’s Big Gun Bash featuring the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws concludes! The Knoxville Raceway 360 class will also be on the card! For more information, visit www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com or check Knoxville Raceway’s Facebook and Twitter.