Swenson is Awesome in Knoxville's Brodix Tournament
By Bob Wilson

KNOXVILLE, IA  (Aug. 6, 2006)  - Chuck Swenson of Watertown, South Dakota captured the 8th annual Brodix Tournament of Champions at Knoxville Raceway Sunday night besting a stellar field of 65 entrants from across America. The win paid the Sunshine State native $5,000.

Front row starter Gary Wright grabbed the immediate lead and wheeled his sprinter in the low groove around this historic half mile oval to lead the field of 30 starters. Just as he entered lap two the red flag was displayed for a wreck on the backstretch. That incident involved Randy Martin who had run up over a slowing Mike Brecht.

The restart saw one more lap in the books before the caution flew for a stopped Garry Lee Maier, the defending event champion. Maier's hood had broken loose from its fastenings. He was able to restart but the same problem would continue to plague him.

When the race resumed, Wright continued to lead with Swenson in second, Troy Meyer in third, Josh Higday in fourth, having just taken that position away from Sam Hafertepe, Jr. The rush to the front would quickly come to a halt again as the red flag once again waved, this time for Abe Sherwood who also had run up and over a tire of a car he chased.

At this early stage of this 15-mile race, the top ten looked like this: Wright, Swenson, Meyer, Higday, Hafertepe, Dustin Daggett, Tim Allison, Jake Martens, Nate Mosher and Jason Johnson.

The lap seven restart was a crucial point of this race as Swenson was able to pull along side Wright on the backstretch and as they flew into turn three, Swenson had the lead. The only question was if he could keep that spot through turn four and down the front stretch.

Wright stayed close but it would take a major error on the part of Swenson for him to make a pass. Those two cars separated and pulled away from Meyer and Higday. As they flew past the flagstand at the end of thirteen laps, they entered lap traffic. For the next five circuits both Swenson and Wright fought to get through the backmarkers with neither driver making a mistake.

It was lap 17 that Johnny Anderson stopped against the turn four fence bringing out the next caution. He could not restart due to mechanical problems.

On the restart, Swenson resumed the point and by lap 20 he could count a fifteen car-length advantage over Wright. Meyer and Higday were still in the mix but Jason Johnson had joined the fray and began to hound them. Lap 22 saw Higday pass Meyer but the Des Moines driver was never able to mount a challenge to the two front runners.

Two additional yellows were displayed on laps twenty-five and twenty-six. The latter was for Meyer who no doubt had finally lost an engine as he had been smoking in the previous laps. The South Dakota driver had run in the top three for most of the race.

In the final laps, Swenson, who competes in the ASCS Northern Plains Region was able to keep his self-owned Maxim in front of Wright and finish about fifteen car lengths ahead of him at the checkers. Wright, a member of Team American Sprint Cars on Tour (ASCoT) settled for second and a $3,000 check. Fellow ASCoT runner Jason Johnson passed Higday late in the race to take show honors and $2,000. Higday, driving under the KNOX (Knoxville) banner received $1,500 for fourth. Fifth place honors went to Dustin Lingquist (KNOX)(who started 19th) as well as a check for $1,000.

Rounding out the top ten finishers were Hafertepe, Jr., Danny Horner (starterd 28th), Curt Michael (started 22nd), Kevin Welsh and Joe Beaver.

KNOXVILLE RACEWAY, Knoxville, IA
August 6, 2006


360 RESULTS

Heat 1, 8 laps, 2:10.1: 1. Chuck Swenson, Watertown SD; 2. Tim Allison, Cridersville OH; 3. Mike Brecht, Leipsic OH; 4. Jason Johnson, Eunice LA; 5. Nick Smith, Broken Arrow OK; 6. Travis Rilat, Forney TX; 7. Jan Howard, Byhalia MS; 8. Ryan Jamison, Mediapolis IA; 9. Matt Tiffany, Daytona Beach FL;

Heat 2, 8 laps, No Time: 1. Gary Wright, Hooks TX; 2. Tom Lenz, Marion IA; 3. Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron KS; 4. Curt Michael, Ocean View DE; 5. Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa IA; 6. Danny Martin Jr., Sarasota FL; 7. Roger Crockett, Eugene OR; 8. Randy Martin, California MO;

Heat 3, 8 laps, No Time: 1. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX; 2. Abe Sherwood, Tulsa OK; 3. JD Johnson, Goddard KS; 4. Johnny Anderson, Indianola IA; 5. Chris Schmelzle, Victoria, BC, Can. ; 6. Sean McClelland, Collinsville OK; 7. Garry Chippindall, Warragul, VIC, Aust. ; 8. Josh Schneiderman, (R) West Burlington IA;

Heat 4, 8 laps, 2:13.8 (New Track Record, old track record 2:14.3 Josh Higday, June 13, 2003): 1. Dustin Daggett, Portland MI; 2. Kevin Welsh, Far Hills NJ; 3. Ray Allen Kulhanek, Danbury TX; 4. Jesse Hockett, Warsaw MO; 5. Frankie Heimbaugh, Des Moines IA; 6. Mike Trent, Rocheport MO; 7. Louie Carufel, Port Huron MI; 8. Tim Gee, Leduc, ALB, Can. ;

Heat 5, 8 laps, No Time: 1. Jake Martens, Fairview OK; 2. Troy Meyer, Sioux Falls SD; 3. Lee Grosz, Harwood ND; 4. Joe Beaver, Knoxville IA; 5. Danny Horner, Cottage Grove OR; 6. Luke Cranston, Ness City KS; 7. Lee Sowell, Nesbit MS; 8. Cory Seeling, Beaverdam OH;

Heat 6, 8 laps, No Time: 1. Jon Corbin, (R) Carrollton MO; 2. Josh Higday, Des Moines IA; 3. Rick Ideus, (R) Silver City IA; 4. Lance Yonge, Penn Yan NY; 5. Jessica Zemken, Sprakers NY; 6. David Hall, Des Moines IA; 7. Matthew Fox, Sedalia MO; 8. Eric Lutz, Sioux Falls SD;

Heat 7, 8 laps, No Time: 1. Nate Mosher, Prairie City IA; 2. Brook Weibley, York Springs PA; 3. Dustin Lindquist, (R) Floodwood MN; 4. John Kearney, Valley Falls KS; 5. Stacey Alexander, Lacona IA; 6. Steve King, Jetmore KS; 7. Eric Baldaccini, Keller TX; 8. Jimmy Martin III, Felton DE;

Heat 8, 8 laps, No Time: 1. Brandon Harkness, Sedro Woolley WA; 2. Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal KS; 3. Darren Stewart, Bixby OK; 4. Rager Phillips, Pleasantville IA; 5. Gary Fast, Kalkaska MI; 6. Bryan Howland, Auburn NY; 7. Brett Mather, Ames IA; 8. Dave Anderson, Burlington IA;


B Feature 1, 15 laps, No Time: 1. Dustin Lindquist, (R) Floodwood MN; 2. Curt Michael, Ocean View DE; 3. Ray Allen Kulhanek, Danbury TX; 4. Rager Phillips, Pleasantville IA; 5. Lance Yonge, Penn Yan NY; 6. Randy Martin, California MO; 7. Danny Horner, Cottage Grove OR; 8. Frankie Heimbaugh, Des Moines IA; 9. Cory Seeling, Beaverdam OH; 10. Louie Carufel, Port Huron MI; 11. Danny Martin Jr., Sarasota FL; 12. Eric Baldaccini, Keller TX; 13. Gary Fast, Kalkaska MI; 14. Jan Howard, Byhalia MS; 15. Luke Cranston, Ness City KS; 16. Eric Lutz, Sioux Falls SD;


B Feature 2, 15 laps, 4:23.8: 1. Mike Brecht, Leipsic OH; 2. JD Johnson, Goddard KS; 3. John Kearney, Valley Falls KS; 4. Jesse Hockett, Warsaw MO; 5. Lee Grosz, Harwood ND; 6. Lee Sowell, Nesbit MS; 7. Jessica Zemken, Sprakers NY; 8. Chris Schmelzle, Victoria, BC, Can. ; 9. Josh Schneiderman, (R) West Burlington IA; 10. Matt Tiffany, Daytona Beach FL; 11. Brett Mather, Ames IA; 12. Jimmy Martin III, Felton DE; 13. Mike Trent, Rocheport MO; 14. Roger Crockett, Eugene OR; 15. Nick Smith, Broken Arrow OK; 16. David Hall, Des Moines IA;


B Feature 3, 15 laps, No Time: 1. Johnny Anderson, Indianola IA; 2. Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron KS; 3. Darren Stewart, Bixby OK; 4. Travis Rilat, Forney TX; 5. Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa IA; 6. Rick Ideus, (R) Silver City IA; 7. Steve King, Jetmore KS; 8. Sean McClelland, Collinsville OK; 9. Ryan Jamison, Mediapolis IA; 10. Bryan Howland, Auburn NY; 11. Garry Chippindall, Warragul, VIC, Aust. ; 12. Matthew Fox, Sedalia MO; 13. Dave Anderson, Burlington IA; 14. Stacey Alexander, Lacona IA; 15. Tim Gee, Leduc, ALB, Can. ;


A Feature 1, No Time: 1. Chuck Swenson, Watertown SD; 2. Gary Wright, Hooks TX; 3. Jason Johnson, Eunice LA; 4. Josh Higday, Des Moines IA; 5. Dustin Lindquist, (R) Floodwood MN; 6. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX; 7. Danny Horner, Cottage Grove OR; 8. Curt Michael, Ocean View DE; 9. Kevin Welsh, Far Hills NJ; 10. Joe Beaver, Knoxville IA; 11. Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal KS; 12. Rick Ideus, (R) Silver City IA; 13. Brandon Harkness, Sedro Woolley WA; 14. Dustin Daggett, Portland MI; 15. JD Johnson, Goddard KS; 16. Tom Lenz, Marion IA; 17. Jessica Zemken, Sprakers NY; 18. Garry Chippindall, Warragul, VIC, Aust. ; 19. Tim Allison, Cridersville OH; 20. Troy Meyer, Sioux Falls SD; 21. Jake Martens, Fairview OK; 22. Jon Corbin, (R) Carrollton MO; 23. Nate Mosher, Prairie City IA; 24. Johnny Anderson, Indianola IA; 25. Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron KS; 26. Bryan Howland, Auburn NY; 27. Abe Sherwood, Tulsa OK; 28. Mike Brecht, Leipsic OH; 29. Randy Martin, California MO; 30. Brook Weibley, York Springs PA. Lap Leaders: Wright 1-6; Swenson 7-30