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Saldana wins second qualifying night of 48th Annual Knoxville Nationals
By Stacy Ervin

KNOXVILLE, IA (August 7) - It was a fitting tribute for Joey Saldana. The Brownsburg, Indiana, driver won the second qualifying night of the 48th Annual Super Clean Knoxville Nationals presented by Lucas Oil on Thursday, August 7, at the Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville Iowa. Thursday’s race night was courtesy of Weld Racing, and in victory lane Saldana credited Greg Weld, a former Nationals champion who passed away earlier in the week.

“Greg Weld got me where I’m at today,” an emotional Saldana said in victory lane as he collected his $12,000 payday. Weld won the 1963 Knoxville Nationals and Saldana’s father, Joe, won in 1970.

Saldana, who has finished second to Donny Schatz in the past two Knoxville Nationals, started sixth in the 20-lap qualifying event and took the lead after a lap four restart.

Outside front-row starter Tyler Walker got the jump on polesitter Billy Alley when the race went green, but by the second lap, Saldana was lurking close by. Saldana had just passed Walker for the lead on lap four when the yellow came out for Scott Winters, who had spun.

That yellow negated Saldana’s pass, so after the restart, he went to the high side and made it work to get the lead for good. Behind him, Walker and Alley were exchanging slide jobs in every corner and swapping the second spot.

By lap 10, Saldana had built a substantial lead, but he was coming to traffic. That allowed Alley, Walker and Jason Meyers to close. At the 15th lap, Alley pulled up beside Saldana and they raced side-by-side.

The yellow came back out at lap 16, however, when Terry McCarl’s right-rear tire exploded. When the race went green again, Meyers got around Alley and began chasing Saldana. The next time by, Gary Wright snuck into third around Alley.

As the white-flag was thrown, Brian Brown’s motor went up in a big puff of smoke, his car caught fire and he flipped over the inside berm in turn one. He had been in ninth at the time.

With a green, white, checkered restart, Saldana was able to hold his lead when Meyers missed his groove coming out of turn four and had to settle for second. Wright stayed in third. Alley was fourth. Craig Dollansky was fifth. The checkered and yellow flags actually came out together when Sam Hafertepe Jr. slowed at the finish.

In victory lane, Saldana noted his second-place Nationals finishes.

“The 15 car wasn’t running tonight. I always run second to that guy,” he said of Schatz. “I thought at the end I might have hurt my right-rear tire.”

Wright said his third-place finish was a surprise because he was running an eight-year old motor. He added this was the first 410 race he’s run all year.

Meyers noted he was happy to have a good point run with his second-place finish, as he had set the night’s fastest time trial at 14.990. He was the only driver on this night to turn a lap in the 14-second bracket.

Heat races were won by Brooke Tatnell, Brian Brown, Josh Schneiderman, Lynton Jeffrey and Rob Chaney.

Jeremy Campbell won the C-Main and transferred to the B along with Bob Weuve, Toni Lutar and Billy Balog. Sammy Swindell won the B-Main and transferred to the A along with Jack Dover, Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Stevie Smith.

Another multi-car accident plagued the night at the start of the B-Main. Chad Meyer, Billy Balog, Dean Jacobs, Jeff Shepard, Brian Leppo and Justin Zimmerman all took a nasty ride in turn one. Gregg Bakker and Brock Mayes suffered wing damage in the incident. Shepard took the worst of it and was taken to the local hospital.

KNOXVILLE RACEWAY, Knoxville, IA
August 7, 2008


410 RESULTS

Time Trial, 1. Jason Meyers, Clovis CA, 14.99; 2. Sammy Swindell, Germantown TN, 15.114; 3. Dusty Zomer, Brandon SD, 15.256; 4. Jack Dover, Springfield NE, 15.401; 5. Sean Michael, Allentown PA, 15.436; 6. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX, 15.446; 7. Joey Saldana, Brownsburg IN, 15.468; 8. Craig Dollansky, Elk River MN, 15.476; 9. Jason Sides, Bartlett TN, 15.485; 10. Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow OK, 15.494; 11. Roger Crockett, Medford OR, 15.517; 12. Brian Leppo, New Oxford PA, 15.534; 13. Terry McCarl, Altoona IA, 15.569; 14. Mike Moore, Des Moines IA, 15.581; 15. Jeff Shepard, Upperco MD, 15.613; 16. Bob Weuve, Newton IA, 15.653; 17. Toni Lutar, White Rock, BC, Can. , 15.695; 18. Jeremy Campbell, Monroe MI, 15.707; 19. Tyler Walker, Encino CA, 15.711; 20. Billy Alley, Lincoln NE, 15.73; 21. Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust. , 15.755; 22. Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron KS, 15.777; 23. Ricky Logan, Little Rock AR, 15.795; 24. Bill Rose, Plainfield IN, 15.8; 25. Tim Kaeding, San Jose CA, 15.805; 26. Justin Zimmerman, Royce City TX, 15.806; 27. Bill Balog, Eau Claire WI, 15.838; 28. Calvin Landis, Knoxville IA, 15.839; 29. Dean Jacobs, Wooster OH, 15.842; 30. Marlon Jones, Harrisburg SD, 15.847; 31. Lance Dewease, Fayetteville PA, 15.859; 32. Gary Wright, Hooks TX, 15.861; 33. Jake Peters, Sioux Falls SD, 15.861; 34. Travis Whitney, Coon Rapids MN, 15.878; 35. Kraig Kinser, Bloomington IN, 15.879; 36. Lee Jacobs, Wooster OH, 15.887; 37. Brock Mayes, Bucyrus OH, 15.903; 38. Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge OH, 15.917; 39. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls SD, 15.935; 40. Brian Ellenberger, Butler PA, 15.942; 41. Jesse Hockett, Warsaw MO, 15.944; 42. Brian Brown, Grain Valley MO, 16.018; 43. Gregg Bakker, Sioux Falls SD, 16.026; 44. Lynton Jeffrey, Prairie City IA, 16.08; 45. Rob Chaney, Millersburg OH, 16.089; 46. Eric Baldaccini, Keller TX, 16.112; 47. Scott Winters, Butterfield MN, 16.139; 48. Josh Schneiderman, (R) West Burlington IA, 16.401; 49. Scott Uttech, New Berlin WI, 16.426; 50. Caleb Griffith, Sandusky OH, 16.448; 51. Ryan Anderson, Charter Oak IA, 16.466; 52. Greg Nikitenko, Minot ND, 16.638; 53. Todd King, Sheboygan Falls WI, 16.643; 54. Kim Mock, Pleasant Prairie WI, 16.654; 55. Ricky Montgomery, Lakewood CO, 16.958; 56. Mark Amenda, Streator IL, 22.201;
 

Heat 1, 10 laps, No Time: 1. Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust. ; 2. Jason Meyers, Clovis CA; 3. Jesse Hockett, Warsaw MO; 4. Lee Jacobs, Wooster OH; 5. Lance Dewease, Fayetteville PA; 6. Roger Crockett, Medford OR; 7. Justin Zimmerman, Royce City TX; 8. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX; 9. Bob Weuve, Newton IA; 10. Eric Baldaccini, Keller TX;
 

Heat 2, 10 laps, 241.4: 1. Brian Brown, Grain Valley MO; 2. Gary Wright, Hooks TX; 3. Scott Winters, Butterfield MN; 4. Joey Saldana, Brownsburg IN; 5. Sammy Swindell, Germantown TN; 6. Brock Mayes, Bucyrus OH; 7. Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron KS; 8. Brian Leppo, New Oxford PA; 9. Bill Balog, Eau Claire WI; 10. Toni Lutar, White Rock, BC, Can. ;
 

Heat 3, 10 laps, No Time: 1. Josh Schneiderman, (R) West Burlington IA; 2. Craig Dollansky, Elk River MN; 3. Terry McCarl, Altoona IA; 4. Dusty Zomer, Brandon SD; 5. Gregg Bakker, Sioux Falls SD; 6. Jake Peters, Sioux Falls SD; 7. Calvin Landis, Knoxville IA; 8. Ricky Logan, Little Rock AR; 9. Jeremy Campbell, Monroe MI; 10. Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge OH;
 

Heat 4, 10 laps, 246.1: 1. Lynton Jeffrey, Prairie City IA; 2. Travis Whitney, Coon Rapids MN; 3. Tyler Walker, Encino CA; 4. Jason Sides, Bartlett TN; 5. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls SD; 6. Jack Dover, Springfield NE; 7. Dean Jacobs, Wooster OH; 8. Mike Moore, Des Moines IA; 9. Bill Rose, Plainfield IN; 10. Scott Uttech, New Berlin WI;
 

Heat 5, 10 laps, 244.3: 1. Rob Chaney, Millersburg OH; 2. Tim Kaeding, San Jose CA; 3. Kraig Kinser, Bloomington IN; 4. Billy Alley, Lincoln NE; 5. Jeff Shepard, Upperco MD; 6. Brian Ellenberger, Butler PA; 7. Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow OK; 8. Sean Michael, Allentown PA; 9. Caleb Griffith, Sandusky OH; 10. Marlon Jones, Harrisburg SD;
 

C Feature, 10 laps, No Time: 1. Jeremy Campbell, Monroe MI; 2. Bob Weuve, Newton IA; 3. Toni Lutar, White Rock, BC, Can. ; 4. Bill Balog, Eau Claire WI; 5. Bill Rose, Plainfield IN; 6. Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge OH; 7. Scott Uttech, New Berlin WI; 8. Greg Nikitenko, Minot ND; 9. Marlon Jones, Harrisburg SD; 10. Caleb Griffith, Sandusky OH; 11. Kim Mock, Pleasant Prairie WI; 12. Mark Amenda, Streator IL; 13. Eric Baldaccini, Keller TX; 14. Ryan Anderson, Charter Oak IA; 15. Ricky Montgomery, Lakewood CO;
 

B Feature, 12 laps, 326.3: 1. Sammy Swindell, Germantown TN; 2. Jack Dover, Springfield NE; 3. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX; 4. Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow OK; 5. Roger Crockett, Medford OR; 6. Mike Moore, Des Moines IA; 7. Brock Mayes, Bucyrus OH; 8. Lance Dewease, Fayetteville PA; 9. Jeremy Campbell, Monroe MI; 10. Ricky Logan, Little Rock AR; 11. Sean Michael, Allentown PA; 12. Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron KS; 13. Calvin Landis, Knoxville IA; 14. Dean Jacobs, Wooster OH; 15. Justin Zimmerman, Royce City TX; 16. Toni Lutar, White Rock, BC, Can. ; 17. Bob Weuve, Newton IA; 18. Brian Ellenberger, Butler PA; 19. Gregg Bakker, Sioux Falls SD; 20. Brian Leppo, New Oxford PA; 21. Jeff Shepard, Upperco MD; 22. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls SD; 23. Bill Balog, Eau Claire WI; 24. Jake Peters, Sioux Falls SD;
 

A Feature, 20 laps, No Time: 1. Joey Saldana, Brownsburg IN; 2. Jason Meyers, Clovis CA; 3. Gary Wright, Hooks TX; 4. Billy Alley, Lincoln NE; 5. Craig Dollansky, Elk River MN; 6. Jason Sides, Bartlett TN; 7. Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust. ; 8. Tyler Walker, Encino CA; 9. Sammy Swindell, Germantown TN; 10. Dusty Zomer, Brandon SD; 11. Kraig Kinser, Bloomington IN; 12. Tim Kaeding, San Jose CA; 13. Lynton Jeffrey, Prairie City IA; 14. Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow OK; 15. Jesse Hockett, Warsaw MO; 16. Lee Jacobs, Wooster OH; 17. Scott Winters, Butterfield MN; 18. Travis Whitney, Coon Rapids MN; 19. Jack Dover, Springfield NE; 20. Terry McCarl, Altoona IA; 21. Josh Schneiderman, (R) West Burlington IA; 22. Rob Chaney, Millersburg OH; 23. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX; 24. Brian Brown, Grain Valley MO;

Lap Leaders: Walker 1-4; Saldana 5-20.