AUSSIES SET FOR KNOXVILLE FINAL

Ian Madsen leads the Aussie contingent at the Knoxville Nationals – Photo: Richard Hathaway

THE GREATEST four days in world Sprintcar racing hits it’s crescendo today.

By GEOFF ROUNDS

Since 1961, drivers, teams and fans from many countries including Australia have flocked to the famed half-mile oval at the Marion County Fairgrounds in Iowa hoping of winning the prestigious Knoxville Nationals and having their name etched into history.

In all that time no Australian has won this prestigious race.

The final night of the 2019 Knoxville Nationals is likely to feature at least three Australians in the $150,000-to-win feature set for around 1pm (AEST) this afternoon.

Ian Madsen is the highest Australian qualifier for the 59th running of the world’s greatest Sprintcar race and he will start from grid position 14 with his brother Kerry to start from 21st in a field of 24.

“(I’m) just going to push hard the whole way. We’re going to have to race hard for fifty (laps). There’s going to be no kind of strategy, patience or pace yourself. It’s going to be go hard,” Kerry Madsen said.

In the last-chance B-Main, James McFadden will start from pole position looks an excellent chance to grab one of the four transfers into the 50-lap feature long with South Australia’s Scott Bogucki who will start from sixth. The top four finishers will fill grid positions 17-20.

10-time Knoxville Nationals champion Donny Schatz will have to progress from the B Main to triumph again – Photo: Richard Hathaway

Also in the B is 10-time Knoxville Nationals champion Donny Schatz. Barring bad luck the world’s best driver will again transfer from down in the field. It’s something he’s done before and won to take home the huge prize.

“The way we did it in 2013 when we had to come through the B and then from 21st was probably our best performance. I know if I can win this year, I’m probably going to feel the same way. Hopefully, we can have that happen,” Schatz said.

The C,D and E Mains are littered with Aussies in the lineups; Lynton Jeffrey (C9) Marcus Dumesny (C16), Rusty Hickman (D1), Brooke Tatnell (D10), Glen Saville (E4), Brodie Tulloch (E6), Andrew Scheuerle (E23).

Today’s Knoxville Nationals lineups:

A MAIN (50 Laps)

1. 87 Aaron Reutzel (Clute, TX) 41 David Gravel (Watertown, CT)
2. 12N Joey Saldana (Brownsburg, IN) 49X Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA)
3. 71P Parker Price-Miller (Kokomo, IN) 49 Brad Sweet (Grass Valley, CA)
4. 7S Tim Kaeding (San Jose, CA) 13X Paul McMahan (Nashville, TN)
5. 19 Brent Marks (Myerstown, PA) 83 Daryn Pittman (Owasso, OK)
6. 44S Trey Starks (Puyallup, WA) 09 Matt Juhl (Tea, SD)
7. 26 Cory Eliason (Visalia, CA) 18 Ian Madsen (St. Marys, NSW, AU)
8. 17 Sheldon Haudenschild (Wooster, OH) 69K Lance Dewease (Fayetteville, PA)
9. B Main Transfer 1 B Main Transfer 2
10. B Main Transfer 3 B Main Transfer 4
11. 2M Kerry Madsen (St. Marys, NSW, AU) 1S Logan Schuchart (Hanover, PA)
12. 5 Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) 41S Dominic Scelzi (Fresno, CA)

B MAIN (22 Laps, Top Four to A)

1. 9 James McFadden (Warrnambool, VIC, AU) 71 Gio Scelzi (Fresno, CA)
2. 24 Rico Abreu (St. Helena, CA) 15 Donny Schatz (Fargo, ND)
3. 13 Mark Dobmeier (Grand Forks, ND) 28 Scott Bogucki (McLaren Vale, SA, AU)
4. 88 Tanner Thorson (Minden, NV) 2 Carson Macedo (Lemoore, CA)
5. 70 Brock Zearfoss (Jonestown, PA) 1A Jacob Allen (Hanover, PA)
6. 2KS Austin McCarl (Altoona, IA) 5H Spencer Bayston (Lebanon, IN)
7. 17B Josh Baughman (Odessa, TX) 39 Sammy Swindell (Lakeland, TN)
8. 11K Kraig Kinser (Bloomington, IN) 17BX Bill Balog (Hartland, WI)
9. 11 Hunter Schuerenberg (Sikeston, MO) 4 Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA)
10. K4 Chad Kemenah (Alvada, OH) 7TAZ Tasker Phillips (Pleasantville, IA)

C MAIN (15 Laps, Top Four to B)

1. 71BC Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, IN) 27 Carson McCarl (Altoona, IA)
2. 15H Sam Hafertepe Jr. (Sunnyvale, TX) 91 Cale Thomas (Fairland, IN)
3. 1 Travis Rilat (Heath, TX) 35P Skylar Prochaska (Lakefield, MN)
4. 21K Thomas Kennedy (Winnipeg, MB, CAN) 21 Brian Brown (Grain Valley, MO)
5. 83J Lynton Jeffrey (Sydney, NSW, AU) 7X Justin Henderson (Tea, SD)
6. 49J Josh Schneiderman (West Burlington, IA) 99 Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK)
7. 39M Anthony Macri (Dillsburg, PA) 7SW Jeff Swindell (Bartlett, TN)
8. 18S Jason Solwold (Mount Vernon, WA) 14M Marcus Dumesny (Sydney, NSW, AU)
9. 92 Sye Lynch (Apollo, PA) 10 RJ Johnson (Tampa, FL)
10. 70X Justin Peck (Monrovia, IN) 1X Don Droud Jr. (Lincoln, NE)

D MAIN (12 Laps, Top Four to C)

1. 45 Rusty Hickman (Bendigo, VIC, AU) 56N Davey Heskin (St. Michael, MN)
2. 7 Craig Dollansky (Elk River, MN) 17W Shane Golobic (Fremont, CA)
3. 44 Chris Martin (Ankeny, IA) 3P Sawyer Phillips (Pleasantville, IA)
4. W20 Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH) 68 Chase Johnson (Penngrove, CA)
5. 99X Skylar Gee (Leduc, ALB, CAN) 55 Brooke Tatnell (Sans Souci, NSW, AU)
6. 3C Cale Conley (Vienna, WV) 2C Wayne Johnson (Tuttle, OK)
7. 28P Brian Paulus (Mooresville, IN) 20 AJ Moeller (Rockwell City, IA)
8. 18R Ryan Roberts (Aurora, NE) 9JR Derek Hagar (Marion, AR)
9. 9X Jake Bubak (Arvada, CO) 29 Willie Croft (Roseville, CA)
10. 51 Freddie Rahmer (Salfordville, PA) 21P Robbie Price (Cobble Hill, BC, CAN)

E MAIN (10 Laps, Top Four to D)

1. 7JS Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN) 73AF Joey Moughan (Springfield, IL)
2. 33M Mason Daniel (Springville, CA) 75 Glen Saville (Razorback, NSW, AU)
3. 19T Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, AL) 74 Brodie Tulloch (Upper Caboolture, QL)
4. 5J Jamie Ball (Knoxville, IA) 17WX Harli White (Lindsay, OK)
5. 64 Scotty Thiel (Sheboygan, WI) 17XL Caleb Helms (Findlay, OH)
6. 84 Tom Harris (Banbury, OXFD, UK) 56 Joe Simbro (Pleasantville, IA)
7. 15M Bobby Mincer (Burlington, IA) 2K Kevin Ingle (Huron, SD)
8. J4 John Garvin (Sarver, PA) 85 Chase Wanner (Batavia, IA)
9. 83C Adam Cruea (Troy, OH) 11C Roger Crockett (Broken Arrow, OK)
10. 48 Danny Dietrich (Gettysburg, PA) 40 Clint Garner (Sioux Falls, SD)
11. 3H Jac Haudenschild (Wooster, OH) 19P Paige Polyak (Tiffin, OH)
12. 2AU Andrew Scheuerle (Toowoomba, QLD, AU) 2MM Matt Moro (Polk City, IA

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