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Ian Madsen Caps 410 Championship with Win at Knoxville!

Ian Madsen nailed down his second career Lucas Oil Knoxville Championship Cup Series 410 sprint car title on Town Crier Season Championship Night at Knoxville Raceway Saturday. The St. Mary’s, New South Wales, Australia native not only won the championship, but nailed down the 25-lap, $5,000 to win finale. Sawyer Phillips cruised to his third 360 win of the year, as Matt Moro claimed his second title in that class. Mike Mayberry became the first Knoxville winner from Fremont, Iowa since Dick Santee in 1955, as he claimed the 305-main event. Rookie Eric Bridger salted away the track championship in that class.

Tasker Phillips wrestled the early lead away from pole-sitter, Josh Schneiderman as the two raced side by side in the 410 feature. Ian Madsen settled into third. Schneiderman was strong on the low side and raced by Phillips to the point on lap eight.

The leaders entered lapped traffic around the tenth circuit. Slicing and dicing through the back-markers, Schneiderman kept his lead. On lap 14, disaster struck for Phillips when he blew a left rear tire. Meanwhile, eighth place runner Brooke Tatnell was sidelined with an issue on the right front of the car.

Schneiderman led Ian Madsen, Kerry Madsen, Terry McCarl and Brian Brown back to green flag racing. Ian Madsen sized up Schneiderman and used the cushion to squeeze by and take the point on lap 16. Kerry Madsen followed suit, moving into second with five to go.

Ian would lead the rest of the way for his fifth win of the year here, and the twelfth in his career. The championship was also sealed for Ian’s car owner, Bret Nehring. Kerry would chase Ian to the checkers, ahead of Brown, who passed Schneiderman late for third, and McCarl. Davey Heskin, hard-charger Bill Balog, Lynton Jeffrey, Matt Juhl and Justin Henderson rounded out the top ten. Brown set quick time, while Kerry Madsen, Schneiderman and Tatnell won heats. Dakota Hendrickson claimed the B main.

“It was an amazing car to drive tonight in the feature race,” said Ian in Victory Lane. “I can’t thank our crew enough for that. They’ve been working super-hard lately. I’m glad we could bring home a championship and a win for them tonight. That’s pretty cool. We decided after running well in California early this year with the Outlaws that we would bring that to Knoxville and go for another championship. I’m just very thankful we could pull it off. I just can’t thank everyone who is involved with KCP Racing enough.”

The 360 class brought the most drama coming in as far as the point race. Matt Moro led Clint Garner by just 67 points heading into the feature. Sawyer Phillips would stick his family #3P to the bottom in the 20-lapper. With one eye on the leader, fans were also watching Garner and Moro. Garner moved into third behind Jamie Ball by lap two. A caution flew for Troy Manteufel who made contact with the turn two wall three laps in.

At that point, Phillips led Ball, Garner, Christian Bowman and Ryan Giles, while Moro sat in seventh. Phillips shot away and entered lapped traffic on lap eight. Garner followed him into second on that circuit. Meanwhile, Moro was languishing, and found himself ninth when Mike Dapra slowed at the halfway point, bringing out the final caution.

The difference between Garner and Moro was enough to make a difference. But while Phillips was pulling away from the field, Moro would jump from ninth to sixth, sealing his championship.

Phillips was back in lapped traffic with five to go, and got over the turn one cushion. Turning the car sideways, he was able to recover and pull away to win. Garner followed in second, ahead of Ball, Giles and Tyler Groenendyk. Moro, Calvin Landis, Chris Martin, Nate Van Haaften and Bowman completed the top ten. Giles set quick time, while McKenna Haase, Joe Beaver and Chris Morgan won the heats.

“Let’s just say, I was so far sideways, that I looked back to see how close Clint was,” Phillips said about his near spin late in the race. “I got caught behind that lapped car, and luckily got around him. This sport can be awfully humbling, so this is nice.”

As for moving up to the 410 class next year, he said, “We’ll have to see. It depends on how those corn prices go!”

“We were just way too tight,” said Moro of his feature run. This was his second championship. His first came in 2008. “I was trying to be too smooth at first, and too cautious. I had to manhandle it and throw it in, and once I did, it was so much better. It was a wreckers or checkers kind of thing for me on the restart, and it stuck. It paid off to do it. This is awesome. I can’t thank my crew enough…my wife and family for putting up with me. I couldn’t do it without them. We’re just really proud of everything, and winning a championship at Knoxville Raceway.”

Mike Mayberry, who lent a back-up car to competitor Kevin Hetrick, proved that good guys can finish first. The Fremont, Iowa native led from green to checker to claim his first ever feature win in the 18-lap 305 feature.

Matthew Stelzer would prove game early on, as he and Mayberry battled side by side for the first ten laps. Mayberry maintained his advantage by as little as .04 of a second on lap six. Eventually he would pull away with a popular win in the non-stop event that clocked in record time.

Behind Mayberry at the checkers were Stelzer, Ryan Leavitt, Eric Bridger and Kade Higday. Evan Epperson, Kelby Watt, hard-charger Tyler Glass, Joe Simbro and Chris Walraven rounded out the top ten. Bridger set quick time, sealing his 305 championship. Simbro and Epperson won heats.

“We were running good enough,” said Mayberry beside an overheating engine. “We’ve had engine problems and everything else. It’s been pretty miserable, and I told my daughter all I cared about was winning tonight. I was going to blow it up or win. Karma is kind of funny, so maybe this is my reward (for lending his back-up car to Hetrick). He’s been racing a long time, and he took a good hit. Everything worked out.”

“We started off on a bad note,” said Bridger of his winning season. “We just kept on building and building until we got faster and faster. We broke through with a win and capped that off on the final night of the 360 Nationals. I’d like to thank everyone for sticking with us through the years. I’d like to thank Pace Performance for sticking by us with our motor as well.”

The 14th Annual Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores commences September 14 through 16! For more information, visit www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com!

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