(Bill W) Risking doom to whoever I predict to do well, I have decided to take a look at the 360 Nationals. To pick a winner would be foolhardy at best. With those expected to tow to the half-mile this weekend (and the unknown), it is the toughest race of the year to predict an outcome. I have hashed over who I expect to be present, knowing that names like Kevin Ramey, Brian Brown, Danny Wood, Billy Alley, Josh Higday and maybe even Dennis Moore Jr. with a broken leg might easily be pitside and hellbent on making me look silly. This is to be expected. With a draw for heat races, luck is involved a bit, but here goes.
Top Five Possibilities
Without guts to pick a winner, I’ll go with eight drivers I expect to crack the top five (there could be a dead heat for fifth!). Leading my list is Terry McCarl who is piloting Mark Burch’s 1m out of Nebraska. In seven starts in the 1m this year, McCarl has registered four wins, two seconds and a fourth. It’s tough to bet against the kind of performance put out by a man who won this race in 1996 and 2001.
Another guy we can count on is Travis Rilat from Forney, TX. Rilat scored his eighth and ninth wins of the year in dramatic fashion a couple of weeks ago with the 410 Sprint Bandits series in Missouri and Nebraska. He’s currently running second in the ASCS National Points Standings and the Sprint Bandits. He will be looking to improve on the runner-up finish he had last year. Shane Stewart is always a factor at Knoxville. He finished fourth in this race a year ago. He is leading the 410 Sprint Bandits point standings and if everything goes right, should be a lock for a podium finish in the Chilcutt 4m.
David Hesmer has come back to earth after starting the year with no peer, winning the first two features of the year in dominating fashion in the family’s familiar 1. With his machine running on all cylinders, he is determined on capturing his third win in this event. Though his last Nationals win was seven years ago, don’t count him out. Chasing his first Nationals victory will be veteran, John Kearney. The likeable Kansan leads the Knoxville points race in Brian Ridge’s 83. Though he has never cracked the top five, he is running too good to count out. Billy Alley stormed onto the Knoxville scene, winning a track championship in his first year of 360 competition. His road in the 410 class has been rockier, but he has continued to show a lot of potential.
A pair of Johnsons round out the top five (eight). Jason Johnson will compete for the first time since playing the bridesmaid to Jeff Swindell on a one groove track two years ago. Backed by Bruce and Debi Cox’s 50D, he will be a factor. Wayne Johnson won this race in 2000. He will be piloting the Cooper 01 car in which he has registered Little Rock success.
The Top Ten
Gary Wright is not in my top five, simply based on his luck here. If everything goes right for the smooth-talking Texan, he may be taking the trophy home. The 1998 champ has been known for his charges through the alphabet, but he would rather start up front after he blazed through Arkansas with a pair of wins last weekend. Randy Martin will be strong after winning several races in his native Missouri this year. Garry Lee Maier won this race in 1992 and 1993, and is running for the ASCS championship again.
Randi Miller has dominated the ASCS-Rocky Mountain region the last few years and runs well at Knoxville. Roger Crockett is showing his dominance again in the Pacific Northwest and is looking to go racing more in the Midwest this summer, starting this weekend. Jake Peters has run with Kearney and Hesmer all year and is still a factor in the championship race.
Darren Stewart, the brother of Shane, finished fifth a year ago. Joe Beaver has been through the B main most nights this year, but has been the hard-charger on more than one occasion. Jesse Giannetto has made the move to the 410s, but has grabbed a pair of victories with the 360 Sprint Invaders series this year.
John VanDenBerg cannot be counted out, despite racing solely in 410 competition this year. The same goes for Kerry Madsen, who will have a second 55 car to run double duty. Zach Chappell is always a factor, and is running third in ASCS National Points, and fourth in the 410 Sprint Bandits series.
Making the Field
Many drivers are factors to qualify for Saturday night’s A main including but not limited to: Jaymie Moyle, Chuck Swenson, Sean McClelland, Dusty Zomer, A.G. Rains, Johnny Anderson, Foster Landon, Mike Trent, Eric Vanderploeg, Marshall Skinner, Larry Neighbors, Jason Martin, Danny Jennings, Doug Wilson, Aaron Berryhill, Stacey Alexander, Larry Ball Jr. and others.
Also, look out for 16 year old sensation, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. He could turn some heads. With two complete shows running on Friday night, some fans may miss the best racing action of the season. Don’t be one of them!!!