6/17/2017
Tom Knippenberg
Tommy Knippenberg goes fast, happy to be home again at Grundy Speedway
Tommy Knippenberg made his 2017 Mid-American debut a strong, albeit short one Friday at Grundy County Speedway.
The 32-year-old Channahon native had the second-quickest qualifying time. He was running among the contenders in the feature when his No. 01 overheated and he pulled off.
Two weeks prior, Knippenberg drove a late-model owned by his older brother, Billy, in the Frank Welch Memorial race. He was fast then, too.
It's a return to the family, of sorts, for the two-time Mid-Am champion. A dispute with track management following a tumultuous 2015 season resulted in Knippenberg missing the entire 2016 campaign.
"We went through a lot of trouble, as everybody knows," Knippenberg said. "It was just time, I guess. They've got some different people here now, and I think it's a better show.
"I don't come here for trouble. I come here for the fun and the hobby."
Knippenberg raced on dirt in 2016, in a late-model previously driven by Li'l John Provenzano. He had a handful of second-place finishes, and ended up second in points at Kankakee Speedway.
His mentor hit close to home, too. Bill Knippenberg raced for 30 years on the dirt and was a track champion at Santa Fe Speedway.
"My dad... he's the master," Tommy said. "He knows dirt, asphalt, everything. He helped make it easy for me. Between taking notes and listening to my dad, it was an easy transition."
Now, Tommy Knippenberg is home again and liking it.
"I liked the dirt, but I've been at Grundy for 17 years," Knippenberg said. "It was a little strange not being here. To come back and have two decent runs in the past few weeks is pretty cool."
Article Credit: Tony Baranek