KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Justin Henderson held off Brian Brown to win Saturday night’s 410 sprint car feature at Knoxville Raceway.
It was Henderson’s 10th victory at the historic half-mile oval.
Aussie Scott Bogucki lost a lead late in the 360 main event, but made a last lap pass to reclaim it. Russ Hall won for the second time this year, and for the fourth time in his career in the Pro Sprints presented by Pace Performance.
Henderson led Kasey Kahne and Austin McCarl from the pole early in the 20-lap 410 feature. Brian Brown entered the top five on the second lap and two laps later got by Trey Starks for fourth.
Henderson entered lapped traffic on lap seven. McCarl worked by Kahne on lap eight, and Brown followed him into third in heavy lapped traffic at the halfway point. As Henderson worked through traffic, Brown was bottled up in traffic and Kahne got back by him into the third spot.
With four laps to go, Starks was running sixth, when he got upside down in turn two. At the time, McCarl was seriously pressuring Henderson for the lead in traffic in three and four. The stoppage gave Henderson a bit of a reprieve, as he led McCarl, Kahne, Brown and Lynton Jeffrey back to green.
Henderson maintained his lead, while Brown went to work on Kahne for third, passing him with two to go. McCarl was putting pressure on the leader again and slid in front of Henderson in one and two. Henderson was able to duck back under his challenger and maintain the lead.
Brown had something left as well. He grabbed second from McCarl in one and two on the last lap, and was gaining on Henderson entering three and four. As Henderson cruised on the high side, Brown hit the low side of four. A drag race ensued, with Henderson just edging Brown by sixty-six thousandths of a second for his tenth career 410 win here and a $4,000 payday.
Brown was second, ahead of Austin McCarl, Kahne and Terry McCarl.
“We had a heck of a competitor there champing at the bit,” said Henderson in Victory Lane. “It was a little hairy after the restart. The wing would come back on the straightaway, and come back ahead. I’m so excited! It’s been so long since I’ve been here. I can’t explain how happy I am. I’m sure they were all over me with the way the wing was handling. It was a pivotal moment to have that red. It really helped us win.”
Joe Beaver was the early leader in the 20-lap 360 feature. Scott Bogucki and Harli White trailed him early. Brian Brown was vying for a $2,000 bonus for sweeping the class for the weekend, but that fell by the wayside on lap three when he exited with apparent rear-end problems on his car.
Beaver led Bogucki, White, Jamie Ball and Josh Higday back to green. Bogucki reeled Beaver in, and slid in front of him to lead lap five. A Clint Garner spin added to a frustrating night for the former track champ, and brought the caution flag. On lap seven, Washington state visitor JJ Hickle brought a red flag with a flip in turn two.
Bogucki led Beaver, White, Ball and Kaleb Johnson back to the green flag. Ball quickly took third, and then got by Beaver on lap eight. White followed him into third as Beaver had gotten over the turn two cushion and into the wall, losing ground.
On lap 16, Ball really gained on the leader in traffic, and with two laps to go, took the point in heavy lapped traffic. Ball led coming for the white flag, but Bogucki was battling back and got the lead back heading into turn one. He held on for the $2,000 score, his first here at Knoxville.
Bogucki’s won over Ball, White, Jack Dover and Davey Heskin.
Hall led the distance in the 15-lap Pro Sprints presented by Pace Performance feature.