Kevin Thomas Jr. won the $15,000 Avanti Windows & Doors Corn Belt Clash Over Ryan Bernal (L) and Kyle Cummins (R)
Kevin Thomas Jr.
Ryan Timms is on Fire, Wins Again in 410 Class
by Bill Wright
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (May 31, 2025) – Kevin Thomas Jr. broke through for his first career feature win at Knoxville Raceway Saturday, and it was a big one! The Cullman, Alabama native drove to a $15,000 payday in the Avanti Windows & Doors Corn Belt Clash aboard the Rock Steady Racing #3R. It was his 45th career win in the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. On the winged sprint car side of things, Oklahoma City’s Ryan Timms swept the weekend, following up his Friday win in the Randall Roofing 360 class with his third win of the season in the 410 class. The win was worth $6,000 and came aboard the Liebig Racing #10.
The 30-lap Corn Belt Clash got off to a tough start. AJ Johnson and Jadon Rogers were flip victims in turn two when the green fell. Both drivers were uninjured. Once green, Jake Swanson led CJ Leary, Brady Bacon, Justin Grant and Thomas to green. Grant quickly moved from fourth to second.
Two laps in, disaster struck for two drivers. When Bacon tried to surge under Leary in turn three, the two contacted wheels, and flipped wildly. Thankfully, both drivers were o.k., but done for the night. Swanson led the field back to green, ahead of Grant, Thomas, Ryan Bernal and Gunnar Setser. The lead five remained unchanged when an incident involving Kale Drake and Robert Ballou slowed things seven laps in. It would prove to be the last caution.
Thomas Jr. restarted third, but used a good run on the bottom to surge into the lead ahead of Swanson, Bernal, Grant and Setser. Bernal and Grant made quick work of Swanson to try and chase the leader on lap nine, but Thomas was too strong up front. Bernal and Grant exchanged the runner-up spot twice before Bernal cinched it for good on lap 13.
Meanwhile, Kyle Cummins, who started eighteenth, made his presence known, entering the top five at the halfway point. He gained fourth from Setser on lap 17, and used the low side to best Grant for third with ten to go.
Up front, Thomas maintained a two-second lead to the checkers ahead of Bernal, hard-charger Cummins, Grant and Setser. Chase Stockon, Logan Seavey, Robert Ballou, Briggs Danner and Mitchel Moles rounded out the top ten. Moles set quick time over the 31-car field, while Leary, Bernal, Drake and Swanson won heats. Stockon claimed the B main.
“Hat’s off to my team,” said Thomas in Victory Lane. “There’s a lot of people that have to put up with stuff about what I like to feel in a racecar. We’ve tried and tried. There was something that was staring at us in the face that we changed. It was so much better. This was the first time we’ve been in the invert and gave us a chance to win. We’ve been through some stuff and God help my wife. She’s put up with me a lot. It was a big day for us. To be able to win here at Knoxville is historic.”
“I am extremely happy,” said Bernal. “I’m thankful to be here and be put in this equipment here. I was able to get to him. If I was able to get the left sides up on the berm and the right rear in the stick. I could get closer and closer and then there was nothing I could do. I’m super happy to put this thing on the podium.”
“We were more out to lunch at the start of the night and even in the heat race,” said Cummins after his hard-charger run. “We kind of tore things back apart and put our standard baseline on it. It had to be better than where we were and at least made it drive-able. From 18th to third on this kind of track was pretty tough. I was running the bottom at the beginning, and I felt faster. I had to move up to the middle, and once I hit that middle groove I was making some hay.”
In the 20-lap 410 feature, Emerson Axsom worked his way to lead lap one. Carson McCarl took the point on the second lap, chased by Axsom, Austin McCarl, Scott Bogucki and Ryan Timms. Bogucki and Austin McCarl exchanged third before the latter surged from fourth to second. Four laps in, Tasker Phillips got sideways in turn one, collecting Anthony Macri. Both drivers were done.
Austin McCarl used the low side to surge past his brother into the lead on the restart, while Timms rocketed from fifth to third. Bogucki went under Axsom to take fourth on lap six.
Timms was a missile on the cushion and swallowed up Carson McCarl for second on lap seven, quickly reeled in the low riding Austin McCarl on lap nine, and began pulling away. A spin by Jack Anderson with 11 laps to go proved to be the last caution.
Timms led Austin McCarl, Carson McCarl, Axsom and Bogucki back to green. Austin changed his line to the high side and tried to keep Timms within his reach, while Bogucki moved into fourth on lap 11 and third on lap 14. Timms entered traffic with three laps to go. Behind him, Kerry Madsen was a late mover, entering the top five on lap 18, and passing Carson McCarl for fourth on the white flag lap.
Timms third 410 win of the year and in his career at Knoxville came ahead of Austin McCarl, Bogucki, Madsen and Carson McCarl. Brian Brown, Kaleb Johnson, Axsom, Terry McCarl and Kelby Watt completed the top ten. Axsom and Austin McCarl set quick time over their respective flights, and Johnson, Don Droud Jr., Chris Martin and Macri won the heats. Lynton Jeffrey won the B main.
“There at the beginning, I felt really good,” said Timms. “I was just kind of staying the same pace as everyone else, and we had the (yellow) and I was wondering to myself why we were the same speed as everyone else. I came to the conclusion I just wasn’t running it hard enough. After that restart, luckily the two guys in front of me went to the bottom, and I was able to go around there and into third. I was very happy to see both the McCarl’s move down, and I was just able to get my momentum built up and get comfortable up there. We were able to get it done. It’s pretty unreal, I never thought I’d be standing here with four wins. I think it just says how fast this car is every night. It’s awesome.”
Join us Saturday, June 7 for Vermeer Night! The 410 class, the Randall Roofing 360 class and the Pro Sprints will all be in action! For more information on the Knoxville Raceway, visit us online at www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com!
Avanti Windows and Doors Corn Belt Clash Night #1 Results
Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Results
Time Trials (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 19AZ-Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, CA, 00:18.868(2); 2. 4-Justin Grant, Ione, CA, 00:18.994(28); 3. 20-Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK, 00:19.010(16); 4. 3R-Kevin Thomas Jr, Cullman, AL, 00:19.019(4); 5. 21AZ-CJ Leary, Greenfield, IN, 00:19.050(11); 6. 5T-Jake Swanson, Anaheim, CA, 00:19.178(25); 7. 12-Robert Ballou, Rocklin, CA, 00:19.186(15); 8. 92-Chase Stockon, Fort Branch, IN, 00:19.189(19); 9. 39-Briggs Danner, Allentown, PA, 00:19.227(5); 10. 6-Logan Calderwood, Goodyear, AZ, 00:19.351(8); 11. 19-Hayden Reinbold, Gilbert, AZ, 00:19.363(20); 12. 57-Logan Seavey, Sutter, CA, 00:19.373(27); 13. 47-Charles Davis Jr, Buckeye, AZ, 00:19.376(6); 14. 17X-Ryan Bernal, Hollister, CA, 00:19.377(9); 15. 93-AJ Johnson, Oskaloosa, IA, 00:19.384(1); 16. 3P-Kyle Cummins, Princeton, IN, 00:19.439(21); 17. 33P-RJ Johnson, Laveen, AZ, 00:19.581(26); 18. 21K-Kobe Simpson, Bonham, TX, 00:19.599(3); 19. 2B-Kale Drake, Collinsville, OK, 00:19.691(22); 20. 5G-Gunnar Setser, Columbus, IN, 00:19.783(12); 21. 2-Stevie Sussex III, Tempe, AZ, 00:19.792(30); 22. 4X-Braydon Cromwell, Lone Jack, MO, 00:19.961(31); 23. 44-Wesley Smith, Nixa, MO, 00:20.026(23); 24. 15-Carson Garrett, Littleton, CO, 00:20.029(18); 25. 11W-Wyatt Burks, Topeka, KS, 00:20.100(14); 26. 11B-Ben Woods, Newton, IA, 00:20.142(10); 27. 66-Jadon Rogers, Worthington, IN, 00:20.193(17); 28. 4K-Kayla Roell, Dillsboro, IN, 00:20.437(7); 29. T4-Tyler Graves, Chariton, IA, 00:20.543(24); 30. 75-Glen Saville, Razorback, NSW, Aust., 00:20.874(13); 31. 15E-Dakota Earls, Independence, MO, 00:21.342(29)
Heat one (started), 8 Laps, NT: 1. 21AZ-CJ Leary(5); 2. 33P-RJ Johnson(2); 3. 11W-Wyatt Burks(7); 4. 19AZ-Mitchel Moles(6); 5. 39-Briggs Danner(4) / 6. 2-Stevie Sussex III(1); 7. 47-Charles Davis Jr(3); 8. T4-Tyler Graves(8)
Heat two (started), 8 Laps, 2:46.1: 1. 17X-Ryan Bernal(3); 2. 5T-Jake Swanson(5); 3. 4-Justin Grant(6); 4. 4X-Braydon Cromwell(1); 5. 6-Logan Calderwood(4) / 6. 21K-Kobe Simpson(2); 7. 11B-Ben Woods(7); DNS – 75-Glen Saville
Heat three (started), 8 Laps, 2:46.0: 1. 2B-Kale Drake(2); 2. 12-Robert Ballou(5); 3. 20-Brady Bacon(6); 4. 66-Jadon Rogers(7); 5. 93-AJ Johnson(3); 6. 44-Wesley Smith(1); 7. 19-Hayden Reinbold(4); 8. 15E-Dakota Earls(8)
Heat four (started), 8 Laps, 2:48.8: 1. 5G-Gunnar Setser(2); 2. 57-Logan Seavey(4); 3. 3R-Kevin Thomas Jr(6); 4. 15-Carson Garrett(1); 5. 3P-Kyle Cummins(3); 6. 92-Chase Stockon(5); 7. 4K-Kayla Roell(7)
B main (started), 10 Laps, 3:39.0: 1. 92-Chase Stockon(1); 2. 21K-Kobe Simpson(3); 3. 19-Hayden Reinbold(2); 4. 47-Charles Davis Jr(6); 5. 11B-Ben Woods(7); 6. 44-Wesley Smith(5); 7. 2-Stevie Sussex III(4); 8. 4K-Kayla Roell(8); 9. 15E-Dakota Earls(10); 10. T4-Tyler Graves(9) DNS – 75-Glen Saville
A main (started), 30 Laps, NT: 1. 3R-Kevin Thomas Jr(3); 2. 17X-Ryan Bernal(7); 3. 3P-Kyle Cummins(18); 4. 4-Justin Grant(5); 5. 5G-Gunnar Setser(9); 6. 92-Chase Stockon(11); 7. 57-Logan Seavey(15); 8. 12-Robert Ballou(10); 9. 39-Briggs Danner(12); 10. 19AZ-Mitchel Moles(6); 11. 5T-Jake Swanson(1); 12. 6-Logan Calderwood(13); 13. 33P-RJ Johnson(19); 14. 11W-Wyatt Burks(23); 15. 47-Charles Davis Jr(16); 16. 15-Carson Garrett(22); 17. 19-Hayden Reinbold(14); 18. 21K-Kobe Simpson(20); 19. 4X-Braydon Cromwell(21); 20. 2B-Kale Drake(8); 21. 21AZ-CJ Leary(2); 22. 20-Brady Bacon(4); 23. 93-AJ Johnson (17) 24. 66-Jadon Rogers (24). Lap Leaders: Swanson 1-7, Thomas Jr. 8-30. Hard-charger: Cummins.
410 Sprints
Time Trials Group One (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 27W-Emerson Axsom, Franklin, IN, 00:15.406 (17) ($100 from OpenWheel101.com); 2. 27-Carson McCarl, Altoona, IA, 00:15.544(16); 3. 71X-Parker Price Miller, Kokomo, IN, 00:15.615(13); 4. 4-Cameron Martin, Ankeny, IA, 00:15.710(9); 5. 24-Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA, 00:15.711(1); 6. 22-Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA, 00:15.759(8); 7. 3P-Sawyer Phillips, Pleasantville, IA, 00:15.766(12); 8. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr, Cullman, AL, 00:15.817(14); 9. 1TAZ-Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA, 00:15.836(11); 10. 1K-Kelby Watt, Adel, IA, 00:15.844(18); 11. 6K-Kaleb Johnson, Sioux Falls, SD, 00:15.856(6); 12. 1M-Don Droud Jr, Lincoln, NE, 00:15.860(5); 13. 09-Matt Juhl, Tea, SD, 00:15.917(4); 14. 45X-Landon Crawley, Benton, AR, 00:15.923(7); 15. 121-RJ Johnson, Tampa, FL, 00:16.110(3); 16. 11T-TJ Stutts, Liverpool, PA, 00:16.155(10); 17. 44X-Scotty Johnson, Melcher-Dallas, IA, 00:16.301(2); 18. 53-Alex Attard, Mangrove Mountain, NSW, Aust., 00:16.405(19); 19. 7B-Ben Brown, Marshall, MO, 00:17.043(15)
Time Trials Group Two (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 88-Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA, 00:15.499(5); 2. 78-Scott Bogucki, McLaren Vale, SA, Aust., 00:15.516(1); 3. 21-Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO, 00:15.638(8); 4. 55-Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Aust., 00:15.652(15); 5. 10-Ryan Timms, Oklahoma City, OK, 00:15.654(6); 6. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, PA, 00:15.728(2); 7. 39-Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust., 00:15.784(4); 8. 2M-JJ Hickle, Quilcene, WA, 00:15.860(3); 9. 17A-Jack Anderson, Newton, IA, 00:15.943(13); 10. 3-Ayrton Gennetten, Gravois Mills, MO, 00:15.994(18); 11. 44-Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA, 00:16.060(11); 12. 39M-Anthony Macri, Dillsburg, PA, 00:16.082(12); 13. 4W-Jamie Ball, Knoxville, IA, 00:16.107(7); 14. 21H-Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK, 00:16.292(14); 15. 31-Kyle Bellm, Nixa, MO, 00:16.427(9); 16. 15JR-Cole Mincer, Burlington, IA, 00:16.614(16); 17. 8H-Jacob Hughes, Hartford, SD, 00:16.646(10); 18. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, Springfield, IL, 00:16.673(19); 19. 71-Brandon Worthington, Indianola, IA, 00:16.823(17)
Heat one (started, *qualified for feature), 8 Laps, 2:15.1: 1. 6K-Kaleb Johnson(1*); 2. 1TZ-Tasker Phillips(2*); 3. 3P-Sawyer Phillips(3*); 4. 24-Terry McCarl(4*); 5. 27W-Emerson Axsom(6*); 6. 09-Matt Juhl(5); 7. 7B-Ben Brown(9); 8. 44X-Scotty Johnson(7); 9. 121-RJ Johnson(8); DNS – 71X-Parker Price Miller
Heat two (started, *qualified for feature), 8 Laps, 2:17.8: 1. 1M-Don Droud Jr(1*); 2. 22-Riley Goodno(4*); 3. 1K-Kelby Watt(2*); 4. 27-Carson McCarl(6*); 5. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr(3); 6. 4-Cameron Martin(5*); 7. 45X-Landon Crawley(7); 8. 11T-TJ Stutts(8); 9. 53-Alex Attard(9)
Heat three (started, *qualified for feature), 8 Laps, 2:18.3: 1. 44-Chris Martin(1*); 2. 10-Ryan Timms(4*); 3. 17A-Jack Anderson(2*); 4. 21-Brian Brown(5*); 5. 88-Austin McCarl(6*); 6. 39-Lynton Jeffrey(3); 7. 31-Kyle Bellm(8); 8. 8H-Jacob Hughes(9); 9. 4W-Jamie Ball(7); DNS – 71-Brandon Worthington
Heat four (started, *qualified for feature), 8 Laps, NT: 1. 39M-Anthony Macri(1*); 2. 2M-JJ Hickle(3*); 3. 78-Scott Bogucki(6*); 4. 21H-Brady Bacon(7); 5. 55-Kerry Madsen(5*); 6. 5W-Lucas Wolfe(4*); 7. 3-Ayrton Gennetten(2); 8. 15JR-Cole Mincer(8); 9. 65-Jordan Goldesberry(9)
B main (started), 12 Laps, 3:38.1: 1. 39-Lynton Jeffrey(2); 2. 21H-Brady Bacon(4); 3. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr(1); 4. 3-Ayrton Gennetten(6) / 5. 45X-Landon Crawley(5); 6. 09-Matt Juhl(3); 7. 31-Kyle Bellm(8); 8. 7B-Ben Brown(9); 9. 4W-Jamie Ball(10); 10. 15JR-Cole Mincer(12); 11. 8H-Jacob Hughes(14); 12. 53-Alex Attard(15); 13. 44X-Scotty Johnson(11); 14. 11T-TJ Stutts(7); 15. 121-RJ Johnson(13); 16. 65-Jordan Goldesberry(16); DNS – 71X-Parker Price Miller, 71-Brandon Worthington
A main (started), 20 Laps, NT: 1. 10-Ryan Timms(4); 2. 88-Austin McCarl(6); 3. 78-Scott Bogucki(2); 4. 55-Kerry Madsen(12); 5. 27-Carson McCarl(1); 6. 21-Brian Brown(8); 7. 6K-Kaleb Johnson(13); 8. 27W-Emerson Axsom(3); 9. 24-Terry McCarl(7); 10. 1K-Kelby Watt(19); 11. 2M-JJ Hickle(10); 12. 3-Ayrton Gennetten(24); 13. 22-Riley Goodno(5); 14. 21H-Brady Bacon(22); 15. 4-Cameron Martin(15); 16. 44-Chris Martin(14); 17. 17A-Jack Anderson(16); 18. 39-Lynton Jeffrey(21); 19. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr(23); 20. 5W-Lucas Wolfe(20); 21. 3P-Sawyer Phillips(9); 22. 1M-Don Droud Jr(17); 23. 1TZ-Tasker Phillips(11); 24. 39M-Anthony Macri(18). Lap Leaders: Axsom 1, C. McCarl 2-4, A. McCarl 5-8, Timms 9-20. Hard-charger: Gennetten.
Category: Iowa, Knoxville Raceway
