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ASCS Knoxville Nationals This Weekend! by: Lonnie Wheatley KNOXVILLE, IA (July 29) - A stellar field of well over 100 entries is set to converge upon Iowa's Knoxville Raceway for this weekend's running of the 18th Annual ASCS Knoxville Nationals, with a $10,000 payday awaiting the winner of Saturday night's championship main event. The three-night O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National event, including full preliminary cards on Thursday and Friday followed by Saturday night's championship feature events, has already attracted 123 entries from 25 different states as well as Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Among those entries is just one from the state of Louisiana. But that lone Louisiana representative will be among the odds-on favorites for Saturday night's championship honors, as current O'Reilly ASCoT National points leader Jason Johnson enters the event riding a wave of momentum. "The Ragin' Cajun" picked off a pair of wins during the recent Toyota Tundra ASCS Speedweek to secure his second Speedweek title. In the process, he took over the ASCS National points lead by extending his win total to nine in National action on the year and is in the driver's seat for the series $50,000 championship. Johnson also won the second leg of the Ollie's Challenge at Eldora recently, setting himself up for a potential $50,000 bonus if he can win the final leg of the Challenge in Pennsylvania in August. The Eunice, LA, driver opened the 2008 campaign with a $10,000 victory in the opening leg of 360 Sprint Car racing's Triple Crown at East Bay Raceway Park's Winter Nationals. Johnson will have his hands full with this weekend's second leg, with the final leg of the Triple in October with I-30 Speedway's $15,000 to win Short Track Nationals in Little Rock, AR. Johnson is joined by the balance of the current top ten In O'Reilly ASCoT National points, including four-time and defending series champion Gary Wright (Hooks, TX), 2000 series champion Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK), 2001 champion Zach Chappell (Talala, OK), 1992 champion Garry Lee Maier (Cimarron, KS), leading Rookie of the Year contender Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX), Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK), Kenneth Walker (Sapulpa, OK), Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) and Gary Taylor (Sapulpa, OK). A multitude of ASCS Regional contenders will be in action as well, including current point leaders Don Young (Coastal), Jack Dover (Midwest), Lee Grosz (Northern Plains), Jared Ridge (Northwest), Bryan Howland (Patriots), Kenny Adams (Rebel) and Ben Gregg (Southwest). A half dozen past ASCS Knoxville National champions are among the current 123 entries, including Gary Wright, Garry Lee Maier, Terry McCarl, Billy Alley, Wayne Johnson and Jesse Giannetto. Oklahoma's Shane Stewart topped last year's edition of the ASCS Knoxville Nationals, besting a field of 112 entries. Approximately half the field will compete in Thursday night's preliminary feature, with the other half in action on Friday night. Points earned in qualifying night action will determine Saturday night's championship feature lineups. The Series: O’Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour (ASCoT) When & Where: 18th Annual ASCS Knoxville Nationals: Thursday, July 31 at 7:15 p.m. – Qualifying Night #1 Friday, August 1 at 7:15 p.m. – Qualifying Night #2 Saturday, August 2 at 7:15 p.m. – ASCS Knoxville Nationals Championship Features Track Information: Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA) – ˝-mile, semi-banked dirt oval located at the north edge of Knoxville, IA on SR 14 at the Marion County Fairgrounds. Track phone: 641-842-5431. Past ASCS Knoxville Nationals Champions: 2007 Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) 2006 Jesse Giannetto (Palo, IA) 2005 Billy Alley (Lincoln, NE) 2004 Billy Alley (Lincoln, NE) 2003 Dennis Moore, Jr. (Grinnell, IA) 2002 Jeff Swindell (Bartlett, TN) 2001 Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA) 2000 Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK) 1999 Dennis Moore, Jr. (Grinnell, IA) 1998 Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 1997 David Hesmer (Marshalltown, IA) 1996 Terry McCarll (Altoona, IA) 1995 Danny Lasoski (Dover, MO) 1994 Lee Nelson (Ames, IA) 1993 Garry Lee Maier (Cimarron, KS) 1992 Garry Lee Maier (Cimarron, KS) 1991 David Hesmer (Marshalltown, IA) Pre-Entries: As of Tuesday afternoon, there are currently 123 Pre-Entries for the 18th Annual ASCS Knoxville entries according to www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Entries have been received from 25 different states as well as Australia, Canada and New Zealand. States represented include Iowa (25), South Dakota (10), Missouri (9), Washington (9), Oklahoma (8), Kansas (7), Texas (7), Florida (6), Minnesota (6), Ohio (5), Nebraska (4), Mississippi (3), North Dakota (3), California (2), Tennessee (2), Arizona (1), Arkansas (1), Colorado (1), Illinois (1), Louisiana (1), Michigan (1), Montana (1), New Mexico (1), New York (1) and Oregon (1). B4 Eric Baldaccini - Keller, TX D1 Jesse Giannetto - Cedar Rapids, IA K9 Tim Sernett - Burnsville, MN X Chuck Swenson - Watertown, SD Y2 Mike Houseman Jr. - Des Moines, IA Z Sheldon Leesekamp - Bethany, OK 0 Jonathan Allard - Chico, CA 00 Brad Foster, Melbourne, VIC, Aust. 00m Danny Martin Jr. - Sarasota, FL 1 Pete Crall - DeSoto, KS 1M Terry McCarl - Altoona, IA 1P Curtis Evans - Norborne, MO 1s Trey Robb - Newcastle, OK 2 Luke Dollansky - Elk River, MN 2D Dallas Hewitt - Fletcher, OH 2H Jason Eckard - Okoboji, IA 2K Kevin Ingle - Huron, SD 2M Matt Moro - Ankeny, IA 2MX Dustin Daggett - Portland, MI 2W Kenneth Walker - Sapulpa, OK 03 Joe Wood Jr. - Oklahoma City, OK 3 Nate Van Haaften - Otley, IA 4 Jon Agan - Knoxville, IA 4A Kenny Adams - Malabar, FL 4B Bryn Gohn - Malabar, FL 4J Lee Grosz - Harwood, ND 4L Brock Lemley - Bellingham, WA 5* Gary Taylor - Sapulpa, OK 5D Keith Dempster - Alton, ONT, Can. 5J Justin Henderson - Sioux Falls, SD 5K Kyle McCutcheon - Alamogordo, NM 5L Eric Lutz - Sioux Falls, SD 5MA Mallory Armfield - St. Joseph, MO 5x Dave Glennon - Casselton, ND 6 Danny Heskin - St. Michael, MN 6B Brock Mayes - Bucyrus, OH 7 Dustin Selvage - Indianola, IA 7J JJ Hickle - Quilcene, WA 7K Justin Zimmerman - Royse City, TX 7L Darren Long - Elida, OH 7m Chad Meyer - Sioux Falls, SD 7N Roger Crockett - Medford, OR 8K Butch Hanssen - Sioux Falls, SD 9 Gary Wright - Hooks, TX 9A Steve Dyer - Vancouver, BC, CAN 9B Brian Parker - Midlothian, TX 9J Jayme Barnes - Everett, WA 9M Ricky Montgomery - Liberal, KS 9P Jared Peterson - Stanwood, WA 9R Rager Phillips - Knoxville, IA 9s Scott Lehman - Hutchinson, KS 10 Jeff Mitrisin - Oskaloosa, IA 11 Chad Corken - Highland Ranch, CO 11T TJ Winegardner Jr. - Pierson, FL 11X Gregg Bakker - Sioux Falls, SD 11xx Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron, KS 12 Rod Richards - Runnells, IA 12J Jared Ridge - Snohomish, WA 13 Kathryne Minter - Bedford, TX 13x Jordan Martens - Harrisburg, SD 14 Randy Martin - California, MO 15 Jack Potter - Pleasant Hill, MO 15B Brad Bowden - Hernando, MS 15s Nick Smith - Broken Arrow, OK 16P Cody Petersen - Dubuque, IA 17 Samantha Taylor - Bonney Lake, WA 18 Ryan Roberts - Aurora, NE 19T Matt Tiffany - Daytona Beach, FL 20AU Troy Little - Vineyard, NSW, AUS 21 Brian Brown - Grain Valley, MO 22 Billy Alley - Lincoln, NE 22B Ben Gregg - Phoenix, AZ 22N Nate Mosher - Prairie City, IA 22x Dustin Barks - Farmington, MO 23 Steven Lines - Mt. Gambier, SA, Aust. 23w Scott Winters - Butterfield, MN 24 Josh Higday - Des Moines, IA 24J Justin Carver - Millington, TN 24T Tyler Walker - Encino, CA 26 Travis Rutz - Langley, BC, Can. 26J Jon Corbin - Kansas City, MO 27 Don Droud Jr. - Lincoln, NE 28 Jonathan Cornell - Sedalia, MO 29 Russ Hall - Des Moines, IA 29T Travis Rilat - Forney, TX 31P Travis Porter - Rock Island, IL 33 Alan Zoutte - Knoxville, IA 34 Josh Padellford - Pleasantville, IA 34H Luke Hall - Ludlow Falls, OH 35 Ron Blair - Troy, OH 39c Jason Solwold - Burlington, WA 40 Clint Garner - Sioux Falls, SD 41 Jason Johnson - Eunice, LA 43 AJ Selenke - Wichita, KS 44 Larry Pinegar II - Des Moines, IA 45NZ Corey Haigh - Auckland, NZ 48 Tyler Thompson - Des Moines, IA 50z Zach Chappell - Talala, OK 51 Dave Hall - Des Moines, IA 51H Bryan Howland - Auburn, NY 51s Lee Sowell - Nesbit, MS 53 Joe Beaver - Knoxville, IA 53D Jack Dover - Springfield, NE 54 Brett Mather - Ames, IA 56 Davey Heskin - St. Michael , MN 57X Jake Peters - Sioux Falls, SD 71 RJ Johnson - Land O Lakes, FL 71R Ryan Anderson - Charter Oak, IA 72 Glenn Borden - Raymond, WA 75 Don Young - Bartlett, TN 75J Jesse Hockett - Warsaw, MO 85 Jerry Bell - Garland, TX 86 John Kearney - Valley Falls, KS 88 Tim Crawley - Benton, AR 91 Derek Ingalls - Snohomish, WA 94 Wayne Johnson - Knoxville, IA 94s Natalie Sather - Fargo, ND 95 Matt Covington - Glenpool, OK 96 Bronson Maeschen - Knoxville, IA 98 JD Johnson - Goddard, KS 98R Joe Ramaker - Choteau, MT 99 Jan Howard - Byhalia, MS 99V Gordy Vogelaar - Worthington, MN Current O’Reilly ASCoT Points (After 24 Nights): Top Fifteen: 1. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 3,109, 2. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 3,018, 3. Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK) 2,969, 4. Zach Chappell (Talala, OK) 2,939, 5. Garry Lee Maier (Cimarron, KS) 2,738, 6. Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX) 2,555, 7. Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK) 2,444, 8. Kenneth Walker (Sapulpa, OK) 2,243, 9. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 2,125, 10. Gary Taylor (Sapulpa, OK) 2,002, 11. Kathryne Minter (Bedford, TX) 1,910, 12. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 1,648, 13. Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) 1,343, 14. Aaron Berryhill (Broken Arrow, OK) 1,174, 15. Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN) 1,130. 2008 O’Reilly ASCoT Feature Winners: Jason Johnson 9, Gary Wright 3, Tony Bruce, Jr., 2, Gary Taylor 2, Kenny Adams 1, Aaron Berryhill 1, Jack Dover 1, Wayne Johnson 1, Danny Lasoski 1, Terry McCarl 1, Nick Smith 1, Skip Wilson 1. The nation's most prominent Sprint Car sanctioning body with a dozen different Regions throughout the United States in addition to the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series, the American Sprint Car Series' (ASCS) 17th year of activity will include approximately 250 nights of racing at more than 100 different race tracks throughout 28 different states and Canada. Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com . |