Clanton Scores First Career Knoxville Win To Kick Off ’19 Late Model Knoxville Nationals

Story By: JAMES ESSEX / LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – KNOXVILLE, IA – Shane Clanton came from the seventh starting spot to win Thursday night’s preliminary event at Knoxville Raceway.

For the 44-year-old Georgia native, it was his first-ever win at the historic venue. He also became the sixteenth different winner this season on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour.

Clanton was the fourth different leader of the 25-lap race. The A-Main was slowed by only one caution flag for Jonathan Davenport on lap four. Ricky Thornton Jr. led the first lap in the Chad Stapleton-owned Club 29 Race Car. His place atop the leader board was short-lived as outside front-row starter Devin Moran took the lead on lap number two.

Moran led until Tyler Erb took the lead away from him on lap five. Clanton charged from the inside of row number four and grabbed the lead away from Erb on lap fourteen.

Clanton pulled away from Erb and went on to pick up the preliminary night victory. Erb crossed the finish line in second, followed by a close finish between Darrell Lanigan and Ricky Weiss for third and fourth. Thornton was fifth.

Clanton; in Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the first time in 2019; thanked his chassis builder Marshall Green for his set-up advice over the phone before the start of the race. “Our car has been good all night long. We just made the right adjustments. I was biding my time behind Terbo [Erb], and it looked like he was hurting his tires. I went to the middle and the car stuck, and we went by him, then that was all she wrote.”

“To win here at Knoxville is a dream come true,” Clanton added. “I have seen Donny Schatz win here so many times and I would like to start my own legacy here. This is a team effort, all the way to everybody with Marshall back at the shop. Penske Shocks and Keith Berner from Accu-Force tested with us earlier in the year and it has made a difference in our program. Thanks to Greg Bruening for letting me drive his race car. This is a big win for him as well because he’s from Iowa. It’s hard to beat what we had here tonight for a track. Hats off to all of the Knoxville crew for a great job.”

Erb led nine laps but came home in the runner-up spot. “There wasn’t a whole lot I could do in the last ten or fifteen laps, he [Clanton] had a better car. He could maneuver through a lot better than I could. My car felt really good. It’s the same kind of issue we have been having. The longer we go, the tires just get hot. We are going to work on it. It was a good run. This is my favorite racetrack that we come to.”

Lanigan edged out Weiss at the finish line to round out the podium. “The car got really good through the middle and the bottom. I would have liked to have seen a caution to see if we could have made a late-race charge. It’s just awesome to come out here and run well.”
The winner’s fourth career Lucas Oil victory came in the Greg Bruening-owned Capital Race Cars entry powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by: Bruening Rock Products, Skyline Materials, LTD, Bennett Explosives, Super K Express, Olson Explosives, Freeman Plumbing, M&S Concrete, and Truck Country.

Completing the top ten were Tyler Bruening, Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Bobby Pierce, and Chris Simpson.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, Iowa

Miller Welders Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Shane Clanton / 17.932 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Jimmy Owens / 18.087 seconds

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Shanon Buckingham, Brian Birkhofer, Shane Clanton, Jimmy Mars, Stormy Scott, Mike Mataragas, Jason Feger, Cody Laney, Reid Millard, Jared Landers-DNS

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Bobby Pierce, Jeremiah Hurst, Chris Simpson, Earl Pearson, Jr., Billy Moyer, Jr., Dave Eckrich, Corey Zeitner, JC Wyman, Tim Simpson

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Ricky Thornton Jr., Frank Heckenast, Jr., Darrell Lanigan, Spencer Diercks, Charlie McKenna, Scott Bloomquist, Dustin Nobbe, Jake Neal, Chase Junghans

Lucas Oil Products Penetrating Oil Heat Race #4 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Shannon Babb, Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Erb ®, Hudson O’Neal, Jimmy Owens, Billy Moyer, Jeremy Grady, Brian Harris, Jonathan Brauns

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #5 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Josh Richards, Tyler Bruening, Devin Moran ®, Chris Madden, Chad Simpson, Johnny Scott, Brent Larson, Mike Fryer, Junior Coover

Lucas Oil Products Penetrating Oil Heat Race #6 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Brandon Sheppard, Dennis Erb, Jr., Ricky Weiss, Don O’Neal, Kyle Bronson, Chad White, Nick Marolf, David Webster, Tim McCreadie-DNS

Lucas Oil Products Red “N” Tacky Spray Grease B-Main #1 Finish (15 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Stormy Scott, Earl Pearson, Jr., Billy Moyer, Jr., Jimmy Mars, Scott Bloomquist, Mike Mataragas, Spencer Diercks, Charlie McKenna, Jason Feger, Corey Zeitner, Cody Laney, Dave Eckrich, JC Wyman, Reid Millard, Jake Neal, Dustin Nobbe, Tim Simpson-DNS, Chase Junghans-DNS, Jared Landers-DNS

FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (15 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Jimmy Owens, Chad Simpson, Kyle Bronson, Hudson O’Neal, Don O’Neal, Chris Madden, Johnny Scott, Brent Larson, Brian Harris, Jeremy Grady, Nick Marolf, Jonathan Brauns, Mike Fryer, Chad White, David Webster, Billy Moyer, Junior Coover, Tim McCreadie-DNS

Lucas Oil Feature Finish (25 Laps):

FINISH
START
CAR #
DRIVER NAME
HOMETOWN
EARNINGS
1
7
25
Shane Clanton
Zebulon, GA
$7,000
2
4
1T
Tyler Erb ®
New Waverly, TX
$4,000
3
5
29
Darrell Lanigan
Union, KY
$3,000
4
6
7w
Ricky Weiss
Headingley, MB
$2,000
5
1
20RT
Ricky Thornton Jr.
Sedgwick, KS
$1,500
6
10
16T
Tyler Bruening
Decorah, IA
$1,000
7
12
1S
Brandon Sheppard
New Berlin, IL
$900
8
2
1d
Devin Moran ®
Dresden, OH
$800
9
11
32P
Bobby Pierce
Oakwood, IL
$700
10
3
32s
Chris Simpson
Oxford, IA
$600
11
18
28
Dennis Erb, Jr.
Carpentersville, IL
$580
12
13
99JR
Frank Heckenast, Jr.
Frankfort, IL
$560
13
16
14
Josh Richards
Shinnston, WV
$540
14
19
2s
Stormy Scott
Las Cruses, NM
$620
15
21
1
Earl Pearson, Jr.
Jacksonville, FL
$500
16
20
20
Jimmy Owens
Newport, TN
$490
17
9
50
Shanon Buckingham
Morristown, TN
$480
18
24
40B
Kyle Bronson
Brandon, FL
$470
19
14
18
Shannon Babb
Mowequa, IL
$460
20
15
15B
Brian Birkhofer
Muscatine, IA
$450
21
22
1c
Chad Simpson
Mt. Vernon, IA
$440
22
23
21JR
Billy Moyer, Jr.
Batesville, AR
$530
23
17
58
Jeremiah Hurst
Dubuque, IA
$410
24
8
49
Jonathan Davenport
Blairsville, GA
$400
Race Statistics
Entrants
: 55
Lap Leaders: Ricky Thornton Jr. (Lap 1); Devin Moran (Laps 2 – 4); Tyler Erb (Laps 5 – 13); Shane Clanton (Laps 14 – 25)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Shane Clanton
Margin of Victory: 3.627 seconds
Cautions: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 4)
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Dennis Erb Jr. (Advanced 7 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jonathan Davenport
Allstar Performance Power Move of the Race: Ricky Weiss
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Tyler Erb
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: Tyler Erb
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Capital Race Cars
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Randall Edwards (Tyler Erb)
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Shane Clanton (Lap #4 – 19.4930 seconds)
Hot Rod Processing Tough Break of the Race: Jonathan Davenport
STEEL-IT Most Laps Led
: Shane Clanton (12 Laps)
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Ricky Thornton Jr.
Time of Race: 10 minutes 37 seconds

Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Night One Point Standings:

Overall Pos
CAR #
DRIVER NAME
HOMETOWN
Night #1 POINTS
1
25
Shane Clanton
Zebulon, GA
494
2
29
Darrell Lanigan
Union, KY
486
3
20RT
Ricky Thornton Jr.
Sedgwick, KS
482
4
1T
Tyler Erb ®
New Waverly, TX
474
5
7w
Ricky Weiss
Headingley, MB
472
6
32s
Chris Simpson
Oxford, IA
468
7
16T
Tyler Bruening
Decorah, IA
461
7
1
Earl Pearson, Jr.
Jacksonville, FL
461
9
1S
Brandon Sheppard
New Berlin, IL
460
9
1d
Devin Moran ®
Dresden, OH
460
11
32P
Bobby Pierce
Oakwood, IL
458
11
20
Jimmy Owens
Newport, TN
458
13
2s
Stormy Scott
Las Cruses, NM
456
13
50
Shanon Buckingham
Morristown, TN
456
15
40B
Kyle Bronson
Brandon, FL
450
16
99JR
Frank Heckenast, Jr.
Frankfort, IL
447
17
1c
Chad Simpson
Mt. Vernon, IA
446
18
14
Josh Richards
Shinnston, WV
444
19
28
Dennis Erb, Jr.
Carpentersville, IL
443
20
49
Jonathan Davenport
Blairsville, GA
439
21
18
Shannon Babb
Mowequa, IL
434
22
21JR
Billy Moyer, Jr.
Batesville, AR
432
23
15B
Brian Birkhofer
Muscatine, IA
429
23
71
Hudson O’Neal
Martinsville, IN
429
25
5
Don O’Neal
Martinsville, IN
423
26
58
Jeremiah Hurst
Dubuque, IA
421
27
0m
Chris Madden
Gray Court, SC
417
28
1st
Johnny Scott
Las Cruces, NM
415
29
28m
Jimmy Mars
Menomonie, WI
411
30
1m
Mike Mataragas
DeKalb, IL
407
31
58E
Dave Eckrich
Oxford, IA
393
32
43
Jeremy Grady
Story City, IA
390
33
29d
Spencer Diercks
Davenport, IA
389
34
14J
Jake Neal
Omaha, NE
385
35
B1
Brent Larson
Lake Elmo, MN
380
36
22C
Charlie McKenna
Ames, IA
378
37
99
Brian Harris
Davenport, IA
377
38
0
Scott Bloomquist
Mooresburg, TN
375
39
25F
Jason Feger
Bloomington, IL
374
40
32B
Cody Laney
Torrance, CA
373
41
6z
Corey Zeitner
Omaha, NE
370
41
18J
Chase Junghans
Manhattan, KS
370
41
39
Tim McCreadie
Watertown, NY
370
44
20w
Chad White
Benton Harbor, MI
369
45
5N
Dustin Nobbe
Batesville, IN
368
46
33
Nick Marolf
Moscow, IA
366
47
21
Billy Moyer
Batesville, AR
363
48
54
Mike Fryer
Freeport, IL
361
49
17
Tim Simpson
Iowa City, IA
356
49
22B
Jonathan Brauns
Muscatine, IA
356
51
4W
JC Wyman
Griswold, IA
355
52
14m
Reid Millard
Jefferson City, MO
352
53
44w
David Webster
Monroe, WI
349
54
10C
Junior Coover
Norfolk, NE
344
55
777
Jared Landers
Batesville, AR
333