It is quite an impressive feat to win the Capitani Classic at the Knoxville Raceway, an event that draws perhaps the largest and strongest field of 410 Winged Sprint Cars that you will find anywhere for a one night show. But for Sunday night's winner Ian Madsen, his victory just might be the crowning touch on what could be his first track championship at the world famous speedway. In its third year of honoring the long-time promoter here at Knoxville, the Capitani Classic not only serves as the final tune up for the annual Knoxville Nationals, but it is also one of the final point races for the track's Lucas Oil Championship Cup Series and so it was no surprise that four of the top five drivers in the current standings were battling up front for the entire twenty-five lap distance.
Ian Madsen would be joined on the front row by his brother Kerry Madsen for the start of the main event and when Ian moved up the track to shut the door on Kerry entering turn one that allowed Justin Henderson to drive under both of them to take the lead down the back straightaway. Henderson drove to the middle groove into turn three and as he drifted toward the cushion in four Ian had just enough room to squeeze by him on the outside to take the lead as the first lap was scored. The chase was on now as Ian began to stretch it out and on lap twelve Davey Heskin powered past Henderson to take second.
As Heskin gradually closed the gap on the leader he brought other challengers along with him as well including Henderson, Kerry Madsen and Brian Brown, but at mid-race it was now Kevin Swindell who was coming fast working the absolute bottom groove on both ends of the wide half-mile. The lapped car of Randy Hannagan slowed Swindell's momentum for a lap or two, but once he dispatched the evening's quick-qualifier Swindell was up to fourth and closing. That was until disaster struck with just five laps remaining when the power steering let go on "The Bulldog's" #71 and he smacked the wall in turn one to bring out the only caution of the event.
On the restart Brown, fresh off of his 360 Nationals championship the night before, was able to move into the second spot, but he was not able to reel in Ian Madsen who would take the win and tighten his grip on the lead of the track's 410 point standings. Brown would settle for the runner-up title on this night while Kerry Madsen came back to finish third. Heskin and Henderson both faded a bit at the end to finish fourth and fifth while World of Outlaws regular Brad Sweet was sixth. Danny Lasoski drove Mark Burch's #1M to seventh, eighth went to Daryn Pittman, Shane Stewart was ninth and Jason Johnson completed the top ten.
Cappy Notes
Seventy-one cars signed in and qualifying was run off in a very efficient fashion by pushing off three cars at a time to run their two timed laps. Randy Hannagan was one of those first three to hit the track and his lap of 15.866 would hold up as the fastest. "Mr. Qualifying" Joey Saldana who has set quick time an amazing nineteen times with the World of Outlaws this season was second quick tonight as the 32nd car to hit the track.
Looking to maintain your position in the Owner's Point Standings? Check with Wayne Johnson as the driver has taped on the #10 for Steve Wares at a couple of Sprint Invader shows this year and tonight he ran a wing with a #5J on it for Jamie Ball who was not in attendance. Johnson timed in fifth quick and then missed the top three transfer positions in both his heat and the second B-Main.
Oklahoma phenom Christopher Bell's inaugural appearance at the Knoxville Raceway got off to a bad start when his qualifying time was thrown out due to an illegal tire. Bell's lap of 16.752 would have ranked him 47th and outside of the all important top 36 that made the invert for the six heat races.
Davey Heskin and the winner of the first Capitani classic in 2012, Bronson Maeschen, had an entertaining battle for the lead in the first heat that saw Heskin prevail. Pittsburgh's Danny Holtgraver took the third and final transfer.
"Paul's To The Wall" Paul McMahan cruised to the win in the second heat ahead of Shane Stewart and Danny Lasoski. Christopher Bell started twelfth and quickly moved to eighth, but mechanical problems would end his night before the checkers waved.
Justin Henderson drove past Bryan Clauson and Mark Dobmeier to take an impressive win in heat number three. Dobmeier held on for second while Daryn Pittman passed Clauson's #82 Buffalo Wild Wings entry with two laps remaining to finish third.
Native Australian Lynton Jeffrey ran off with the win in the fourth heat, but there was plenty of action behind him. Kerry Madsen threw an aggressive slider on Don Droud Jr. for second mid-race that seemed to rattle the veteran driver a bit as Droud would fade to fifth at the checkers. Brian Brown would finish third after starting fifth and, by doing so, would be the fastest driver in qualifying (10th) to transfer out of the heats. And, with an eight car invert for the feature, Brown would later line up on the outside of row four for the feature.
A pair of cars carrying the number 18 thrilled the fans in heat five as Ian Madsen and Tony Bruce Jr. swapped the lead back and forth several times before TBJ pulled away on the final lap to take the checkers. Brad Sweet would transfer in third.
The top three starters would finish in the top three of the sixth heat as Jason Johnson took the win over Jason Meyers and Kevin Swindell.
The two B-Mains were loaded with drivers who qualified well, but could not move forward in the heats and only the top three finishers in each would move on to the main event. In the first B the race was red-flagged on the opening lap when Tasker Phillips went for a tumble in turn four. Once back to racing Randy Hannagan and Tim Shaffer pulled away as the battle for third heated up with Dale Blaney fighting off Sammy Swindell during the early laps. Then, late in the race, the newly crowned Belleville Midget Nationals champion Rico Abreu made his run at Blaney pulling even with the current All Star Circuit of Champions point leader before Blaney closed the door on Abreu's inside line.
In the second B-Main R.J. Johnson made a big move on the opening lap to go from fifth to third, but there would be no holding back Terry McCarl who needed to regain that spot in order to keep his hopes for yet another track championship alive. Craig Dollansky would take the win ahead of Joey Saldana and McCarl.
Shane Stewart showed that he can still come to the front after starting near the back at Knoxville as he came from sixteenth to finish ninth in the main event. And that was after he had to regain a few positions that he gave back on the restart with five laps to go.
Having qualified 23rd, Ian Madsen was pleasantly surprised to learn that he had landed on the pole position of the main event and said so during his victory lane interview with Mike Roberts. When Roberts then went to talk to the runner-up, Brian Brown commented that he could win 'em all if he started on the front row all the time as well. The night before Brown started from the pole and led all twenty-five laps of the 360 Nationals championship event.
Even though Madsen gave up the lead to Justin Henderson for a portion of the opening lap, he was officially scored as the lap leader for the entire race, the same as the first two winners of the Capitani Classic Bronson Maeschen and Kevin Swindell.
The 54th Annual FVP Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey's General Stores gets underway Wednesday night weather permitting.
Tonight (Monday) driver/promoter Terry McCarl presents the Front Row Challenge featuring the Lucas Oil ASCS National Series sprint cars and while I am unable to attend, I do hope that you can be there for this unique event where you go to a party and a race breaks out!
On Tuesday night I look forward to being at the West Liberty Raceway for the Coors Light Open Late Model Shootout featuring the IMCA Late Models as a support class. Hope to see you there and then it will be back up to Knoxville for the remainder of the week. Look for us on the Back Stretch!
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