By T.J. Buffenbarger
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 12, 2023) – Justin Peck from Monrovia, Indiana recovered from a flip on his preliminary night to win the B-Main event Saturday during the 62nd NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s. After his Buch Motorsports team salvaged only the seat and the engine from the crash, Peck was able to wrestle the lead back from Brian Brown in the closing stages of the feature for the win.
Peck and James McFadden on the front row for the 22 lap B-Main with McFadden taking the lead. Peck, McCarl, and Kahne followed with Brian Brown in fifth spot. Kahne put pressure on McCarl for third but slipped and allowed Brown to take away fourth position on lap two off turn four.
Kahne continued to drop through the field as Williamson was able to take away the fifth spot on lap three, followed by Sheldon Haudenschild taking sixth one lap later. Haudenschild was able to pass Willimson and close in on Brown on lap eight.
Further up-front Peck was able to get alongside McFadden on lap eight for the lead, but McFadden moved down the racetrack to the bottom, taking away Peck’s line.
McFadden’s run ended when he flipped due to a blown left rear tire going into turn one with 10 laps complete. McFadden exited the car under his own power, handing the lead to Peck and moving Haudenschild up into the final transfer spot for the restart.
During the caution flag Austin McCarl went to the work area with a flat left rear tire.
Brian Brown was able to get a run during the restart and drove around Peck for the lead. Further back in the field Brent Marks moved up to sixth position around Kahne and started to pressure Parker Price-Miller for fifth. Marks slipped back and Price-Miller used his momentum to pass Williamson for the final transfer spot just as Tasker Phillips brought out the red flag, flipping in turn four. Phillips emerged from the car under his own power.
With five laps to go Haudenschild appeared to have a run-on Peck, but then suddenly dropped back and allowed Price-Miller to pass him for third as Haudenschild bounced off the front stretch wall.
Meanwhile Peck was able to catch Brown and made the pass for the lead with two laps to go in turn three. Parker-Price Miller also got by Brown coming to the white flag.
Peck was able to hold on during the final lap for the victory. Price-Miller, Brown and Haudenschild transferred to the 50-Lap Knoxville Nationals finale.
62nd NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s
Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville, Iowa
Saturday, August 12, 2023
B-Main (22 Laps)
B Main (22 Laps)
1. 13-Justin Peck[1]
2. 9P-Parker Price Miller[11]
3. 21-Brian Brown[5]
4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[10]
5. 19-Brent Marks[12]
6. 6G-Garet Williamson[7]
7. 9-Kasey Kahne[3]
8. 71-Shane Stewart[6]
9. 26-Zeb Wise[17]
10. 7W-Dustin Selvage[9]
11. 5T-Ryan Timms[14]
12. 11-Cory Eliason[16]
13. 3-Tim Kaeding[23]
14. 17B-Bill Balog[24]
15. 21H-Brady Bacon[19]
16. 88-Austin McCarl[4]
17. 39M-Justin Sanders[22]
18. 2K-Lynton Jeffrey[21]
19. 22K-Kaleb Johnson[18]
20. 4W-Jamie Ball[20]
21. 7TW-Brandon Wimmer[13]
22. 7TAZ-Tasker Phillips[8]
23. 83-James McFadden[2]
24. 1-Justin Henderson[15]
(First four finishers transferred to the A-Main)