Danny Lasoski picked up the win Saturday at Knoxville (Dave Hill Photo)
KNOXVILLE RACEWAY, Knoxville, IA, May 26, 2012 – Danny Lasoski drew one win closer to 100 at this famous half-mile oval on Saturday night on Marion County Cattlemen, Corn and Soybean Growers Night. The Dover, Missouri native registered his 97th win after passing leader, Bronson Maeschen, on a lap thirteen restart. A pair of Van Haaften's won in the 360 and 305 classes on Saturday, and both did it in record time. Nate Van Haaften registered his second career feature win in the 360 main event, as did his cousin, Matt Van Haaften in the 305 class.
Maeschen shot out to a lead from his starting spot outside of row one in the 20-lap feature for the 410's. Contact on lap three between Aussies Lynton Jeffrey and Ian Madsen resulted in the latter flattening a right front tire and bending a wheel. He would restart.
Maeschen led Dusty Zomer, Lasoski, Davey Heskin, who would hit the cone and be penalized two spots, and Dustin Selvage back to green. Lasoski worked by Zomer for second on lap seven, while a surging Selvage moved by Zomer for third a lap later.
At the halfway point, Maeschen led Lasoski, Selvage Zomer and Heskin. Travis Whitney had a top ten run come to a halt when he stopped with 13 laps in the books. At the time, Maeschen had a nice lead ahead of Lasoski, who was being pressured in traffic by Selvage. The restart gave Lasoski the opportunity he needed to snatch the lead and pull away.
Selvage's great run was ended with two laps to go, when he blew a right rear tire. The final restart saw Lasoski ahead of Maeschen, Heskin, Zomer and quick-timer, Robby Wolfgang. Heskin suffered a damaged nose wing and would lose two spots before the checkers.
Lasoski found his car running well in an unfamiliar place…the cushion on top of the track. "It's just as tough here as it is in Pennsylvania where I've been the last couple weeks," he said in Victory Lane. "I was getting a nosebleed up high, but that was where we needed to be."
Maeschen finished second, ahead of Zomer, Mark Dobmeier and Heskin. Terry McCarl, Wolfgang, Brian Brown, Rager Phillips and Don Droud Jr. rounded out the top ten. McCarl, Tasker Phillips and Droud won heat races.
The non-stop 18-lap 360 feature belonged to Nate Van Haaften. He would lead wire to wire from the pole, winning in a track record time of 5:13.8. That bested a time set by David Hesmer in 2003. There was plenty of action behind Van Haaften, however. Casey Friedrichsen rode second for the distance.
Jamie Ball would end up third after starting in row five. He moved into fifth by lap six, and four by lap 11. Clint Garner followed him through the field for fourth, and RJ Johnson was fifth. Jon Agan, Matt Moro, Josh Higday, Russ Hall and Tyler Groenendyk rounded out the top ten. Garner, Tom Lenz and Ball were the heat winners. Garner also set quick time.
"The track threw a curveball at us in that it had a good bottom," said Nate in Victory Lane. We took advantage of it. My heart goes out to my Mom and Dad and the crew."
Mike Van Haaften did what Nate did. He led from start to finish in the non-stop 15-lap 305 feature event. Van Haaften set a torrid pace on the bottom of the track and took almost a full minute off the 2007 track record set by Stacey Alexander. Van Haaften's winning time was 4:29.0.
Mitchell Alexander would finish second after moving up from row three. He moved into third by lap six, and grabbed second from Alan Ambers with two laps to go. Ambers would finish third, ahead of Matthew Stelzer and Larry Ball Jr. Bart Friedrichsen, Matt Stephenson, Steve Palmer, Dakota Hendrickson and Steve Breazeale rounded out the top ten. Van Haaften and Breazeale were heat winners, and J Kinder set quick time.
"It was a blast out there," said Van Haaften in Victory Lane. Running here has taught me to run the bottom, and I used that tonight."
Next week, all three divisions of sprint cars will be back in action on Pella Corp & JDRF are Racing to a Cure for Diabetes Night! Also, it is National Hall of Fame & Induction Weekend. On Sunday, the 1st Annual Knoxville Shootout for Modifieds, Sport Mods, Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks will take to the Knoxville Raceway. For more information, visit www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com or www.SprintCarHOF.com!
410 Results
Time Trials (Qualifying Order), 1 lap: 1. 7K, Robby Wolfgang, Sioux Falls, SD (5) 15.327; 2. 21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO (21) 15.329; 3. 56, Davey Heskin, St. Michael, MN (11) 15.430; 4. 33, Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO (13) 15.554; 5. 96, Bronson Maeschen, Pleasantville, IA (23) 15.556; 6. 91, Dusty Zomer, Sioux Falls, SD (7) 15.568; 7. 16, Travis Whitney, Blaine, MN (18) 15.578; 8. 7, Dustin Selvage, Indianola, IA (8) 15.582; 9. 6R, Ryan Bunton, Morton, IL (1) 15.653; 10. 13, Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks, ND (4) 15.689; 11. 20, AJ Moeller, Rockwell City, IA (14) 15.762; 12. 10, Randy Anderson, Clarion, IA (2) 15.810; 13. 24, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA (22) 15.840; 14. 12, Lynton Jeffrey, Prairie City, IA (12) 15.884; 15. 47, Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, NE (9) 15.888; 16. 88, Jarrod Schneiderman, West Burlington, IA (6) 16.103; 17. 7TAZ, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (3) 16.170; 18. 75, Glen Saville, Razorback, NSW, Aust. (16) 16.187; 19. 55, Ian Madsen, St. Marys, NSW, Aust. (20) 16.208; 20. 49, Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington, IA (17) 16.342; 21. 9, Rager Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (15) 16.385; 22. 23K, Rob Kubli, Milo, IA (19) 16.513; 23. 12P, TJ Peterson, Des Moines, IA (10) NT.
Heat one (started), 8 laps, 2:07.4: 1. Terry McCarl (2) 2. Travis Whitney (4) 3. Mark Dobmeier (3) 4. Danny Lasoski (5) 5. Robby Wolfgang (6) 6. Jarrod Schneiderman (1) 7. Ian Madsen (7) 8. Rob Kubli (8)
Heat two (started), 8 laps, 2:07.2: 1. Tasker Phillips (1) 2. Brian Brown (6) 3. Lynton Jeffrey (2) 4. Bronson Maeschen (5) 5. Dustin Selvage (4) 6. AJ Moeller (3) 7. Josh Schneiderman (7) DNS – TJ Peterson
Heat three (started), 8 laps, 2:09.2: 1. Don Droud Jr. (2) 2. Ryan Bunton (4) 3. Davey Heskin (6) 4. Dusty Zomer (5) 5. Rager Phillips (7) 6. Glen Saville (1) 7. Randy Anderson (3)
A main (started), 20 laps, NT: 1. Danny Lasoski (3) 2. Bronson Maeschen (2) 3. Dusty Zomer (1) 4. Mark Dobmeier (10) 5. Davey Heskin (4) 6. Terry McCarl (12) 7. Robby Wolfgang (6) 8. Brian Brown (5) 9. Rager Phillips (18) 10. Don Droud Jr. (14) 11. Lynton Jeffrey (13) 12. Rob Kubli (22) 13. Ryan Bunton (9) 14. Josh Schneiderman (21) 15. Jarrod Schneiderman (15) 16. Tasker Phillips (16) 17. Glen Saville (17) 18. Ian Madsen (20) 19. AJ Moeller (11) 20. Dustin Selvage (8) 21. Travis Whitney (7) 22. Randy Anderson (19) 23. TJ Peterson (23). Lap Leaders: Maeschen 1-13, Lasoski 14-20. Hard Charger: Kubli.
360 Results
Time Trials (Group Qualifying): 1. 40, Clint Garner, Sioux Falls, SD, 16.162; 2. 2m, Matt Moro, Polk City, IA, 16.224; 3. 10, Tyler Groenendyk, Oskaloosa, IA, 16.292; 4. 71, RJ Johnson, Tampa, FL, 16.316; 5. 54, Casey Friedrichsen, Arthur, IA, 16.319; 6. 3, Nate Van Haaften, Otley, IA, 16.330; 7. 24, Josh Higday, Des Moines, IA, 16.435; 8. 53, Joe Beaver, Knoxville, IA, 16.447; 9. 5J, Jamie Ball, Knoxville, IA, 16.448; 10. 4, Jon Agan, Knoxville, IA, 16.449; 11. 35, Skyler Prochaska, Lakefield, MN, 16.560; 12. 45c, Russ Hall, Pleasant Hill, IA, 16.570; 13. 47T, Tony Shilling, Knoxville, IA, 16.668; 14. 04, Chad Heimbaugh, Pleasant Hill, IA, 16.684; 15. 51, David Hall, Des Moines, IA, 16.704; 16. 14J, Josh Riggins, Newton, IA, 16.750; 17. 8L, Tom Lenz, Marion, IA, 16.833; 18. 33, Alan Zoutte, Knoxville, IA, 17.076; 19. 22N, Nate Mosher, Prairie City, IA, 17.137; 20. 97, Carson McCarl, Altoona, IA, NT.
Heat one (started), 7 laps, 1:55.9: 1. Clint Garner (4) 2. Josh Higday (2) 3. RJ Johnson (5) 4. Josh Riggins (1) 5. Nate Mosher (6) 6. Jon Agan (3) DNS – Tony Shilling
Heat two (started), 7 laps, 1:58.3: 1. Tom Lenz (1) 2. Casey Friedrichsen (5) 3. Chad Heimbaugh (2) 4. Joe Beaver (4) 5. Matt Moro (6) 6. Skyler Prochaska (3) DNS – Carson McCarl
Heat three (started), 7 laps, NT: 1. Jamie Ball (4) 2. Tyler Groenendyk (6) 3. Alan Zoutte (1) 4. Russ Hall (3) 5. Nate Van Haaften (5) 6. David Hall (2)
A main (started), 18 laps, 5:13.8 (NTR): 1. Nate Van Haaften (1) 2. Casey Friedrichsen (2) 3. Jamie Ball (9) 4. Clint Garner (6) 5. RJ Johnson (3) 6. Jon Agan (13) 7. Matt Moro (5) 8. Josh Higday (7) 9. Russ Hall (11) 10. Tyler Groenendyk (4) 11. Skyler Prochaska (10) 12. Joe Beaver (8) 13. Carson McCarl (19) 14. Chad Heimbaugh (12) 15. Josh Riggins (15) 16. Tom Lenz (16) 17. Nate Mosher (18) 18. Alan Zoutte (17) 19. David Hall (14) DNS – Tony Shilling. Lap Leader: Van Haaften 1-18. Hard Charger: Agan.
305 Results
Time Trials (Group Qualifying): 1. 88, J Kinder, Holt's Summit, MO, 17.334; 2. 99, Matthew Stelzer, Omaha, NE, 17.415; 3. 6, Mitchell Alexander, Knoxville, IA, 17.473; 4. 5J, Larry Ball Jr., Knoxville, IA, 17.506; 5. 93A, Alan Ambers, Knoxville, IA, 17.750; 6. 57, Steve Breazeale, Trenton, MO, 17.755; 7. 33, Mike Van Haaften, Pella, IA, 17.794; 8. 29, Bart Friedrichsen, Arthur, IA, 17.992; 9. 55, Matt Stephenson, Altoona, IA, 18.187; 10. 4, Dakota Hendrickson, Omaha, NE, 18.365; 11. 28, Eddie Evans, Marysville, WA, 18.411; 12. 4c, Chris Horton, Indianola, IA, 18.521; 13. 2, Steve Palmer, Des Moines, IA, 18.633; 14. 92c, Cody Ambers, Knoxville, IA, 18.648; 15. 9H, Ben Woods, Newton IA, NT; 16. 59KB, Mike Philben, Grimes, IA, NT; DQ (scales) - 19K, Sarena Paul, Monroe, IA; 18. 02s, Josh Jones, Knoxville, IA, NT; 19. 82, Lee Patterson, Des Moines, IA, NT.
Heat one (started), 6 laps, 1:43.7: 1. Mike Van Haaften (1) 2. Alan Ambers (2) 3. Matt Stephenson (5) 4. Mitchell Alexander (3) 5. J Kinder (4) 6. Chris Horton (6) DNS – Cody Ambers, Eddie Evans, Lee Patterson, Mike Philben
Heat two (started), 6 laps, 1:45.8: 1. Steve Breazeale (2) 2. Matthew Stelzer (4) 3. Bart Friedrichsen (1) 4. Larry Ball Jr. (3) 5. Dakota Hendrickson (5) 6. Steve Palmer (6) DNS – Sarena Paul, Josh Jones, Ben Woods
A main (started), 15 laps, 4:29.0 (NTR): 1. Mike Van Haaften (2) 2. Mitchell Alexander (6) 3. Alan Ambers (4) 4. Matthew Stelzer (7) 5. Larry Ball Jr. (5) 6. Bart Friedrichsen (1) 7. Matt Stephenson (9) 8. Steve Palmer (12) 9. Dakota Hendrickson (10) 10. Steve Breazeale (3) 11. J Kinder (8) 12. Cody Ambers (11) 13. Eddie Evans (13) 14. Lee Patterson (14) DNS – Chris Horton, Josh Jones, Sarena Paul, Mike Philben, Ben Woods. Lap Leader: Van Haaften. Hard Charger: Alexander.