KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Sheldon Haudenschild stole the show on Wednesday’s Brandt Qualifying Night of the 65th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals Presented by Casey’s.
A last corner drive-by of Jace Park and James McFadden netted the Wooster, Ohio, native the checkered flag by six-thousandths of a second and propelled him to the high point driver of the night.
The victory was worth $12,000 and came aboard the KCP Racing No. 18.
A mechanical issue made defending Knoxville Nationals champion, Ryan Timms, late to staging, and he made an early exit, after being scheduled for a starting spot in row five.
Jace Park shot out from the pole to lead early in the 25-lap main event ahead of Cole Macedo, Sye Lynch, Chase Dietz and McFadden. McFadden was making a strong move on the bottom, and was into third by lap three.
Dietz moved by Lynch to take fourth on lap five, and a circuit later, Haudenschild followed him into the top five. Park was strong on the cushion and began hitting traffic on lap 12, while McFadden bested Macedo for second.
On lap 14, Emerson Axsom, who had gone from 22nd to 13th, stopped in turn two to bring the only caution. Park Led McFadden, Macedo, Dietz and Haudenschild back to green.
McFadden used the low side of turn four to take the point. Meanwhile, on lap 17, Haudenschild disposed of Dietz for the fourth spot. Park did not go away in second, and kept the heat on McFadden.
Haudenschild’s climb continued when he gained third from Macedo with five to go. Up front, Park battled to get the lead back from McFadden on lap 21. Three laps later, McFadden roared by, coming for the white flag.
With traffic again a factor, Park looked to get a run on McFadden on the backstretch. As the pair moved through three and four, they drifted high with a lapped car in front of them.
Haudenschild pounced on the opportunity, sticking the bottom of three and four and drag racing with McFadden to the checkers to win by the narrow margin.
Haudenschild, McFadden and Park were followed by Macedo and Dietz.
Kahne set quick time over the 47-car field.
Sammy Swindell got upside down and tumbled several times during his heat race. He walked away.
“I never count myself out, that’s for sure,” said Haudenschild. “(Park) and (McFadden)…they got to playing a couple games on the white flag. I saw (McFadden) cut down really hard and I knew he probably lost some momentum. They he slid across the track…and I was thinking, ‘Man, if I can get my right rear where I’ve been putting it, we’ll have a shot as long as they don’t close that gap too soon.’
“I feel like I’ve won a lot of races on the bottom. This place is just a different beast on the bottom. I felt like I was able to move around. I ripped the cushion in one and two, and I rolled the bottom and was patient. That’s just a testament to these guys (the team). We have just a great group of guys.”
“The lapped car hit the bottom every lap and then he missed it,” said McFadden. “I chose the wrong lane, and that just allowed Sheldon to get there. I’m disappointed in myself. I should have just run the bottom and followed the lap car, I guess. It was a great night for us. It was good for points. Congratulations to Sheldon and the team. If I was going to get beaten, I’d like to get beaten by Sheldon. We’re locked into the A and that’s the end goal. It was a fun race. We just ended up on the wrong end. I’m still happy.”
“It was a lot of fun,” said Park. “I knew starting up front would be good. Our car is really good in clean air. I knew if I stuck with it and hit my marks…even if I got passed I’d stay with it and stay hungry. Man, we had a fast race car. I can’t thank Brian Brown enough for the opportunity. We stuck with it and ran a good race. It was good being able to race for the lead and be competitive.”
Haudenschild scored 481 of a possible 500 points, with McFadden second with 478 markers.
65th NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Presented by Casey’s Brandt Professional Agriculture Qualifying Night #1 Results
Time Trials (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 4, Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, WA, 15.478 (1); 2. 14TSR, Rico Abreu, St. Helena, CA, 15.489 (15); 3. 27A, Emerson Axsom, Franklin, IN, 15.509 (22); 4. 2, David Gravel, Watertown, CT, 15.544 (6); 5. 14, Corey Day, Clovis, CA, 15.562 (2); 6. 13, Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR, 15.590 (25); 7. 48, Danny Dietrich, Gettysburg, PA, 15.660 (4); 8. 15H, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Sunnyvale, TX, 15.677 (16); 9. 18, Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, OH, 15.699 (37); 10. 21H, Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK, 15.711 (13); 11. 21T, James McFadden, Alice Springs, NT, Aust., 15.730 (38); 12. 26, Justin Peck, Monrovia, IN, 15.734 (28); 13. 11, Justin Henderson, Tea, SD, 15.751 (39); 14. 23D, Chase Dietz, York, PA, 15.763 (47); 15. 2C, Cole Macedo, Lemoore, CA, 15.776 (9); 16. 6, Kasey Jedrzejek, Lagrange, OH, 15.791 (18); 17. 4W, Jamie Ball, Knoxville, IA, 15.796 (8); 18. 15, Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND, 15.809 (7); 19. 85J, Logan Julien, Oconomowoc, WI, 15.810 (19); 20. 77, Giovanni Scelzi, Fresno, CA, 15.819 (40); 21. 1, Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN, 15.850 (20); 22. 42, Sye Lynch, Apollo, PA, 15.861 (35); 23. 28, Jace Park, Overland Park, KS, 15.868 (45); 24. 2KS, Hank Davis, Sand Springs, OK, 15.881 (27); 25. 10, Ryan Timms, Oklahoma City, OK, 15.899 (29); 26. 6T, Zach Hampton, Plainfield, IN, 15.908 (41); 27. 25, Jy Corbet, Gympie, QLD, Aust., 15.943 (24); 28. 121, RJ Johnson, Tampa, FL, 15.949 (3); 29. 7S, Chris Windom, Canton, IL, 15.950 (21); 30. 95, Matt Covington, Glenpool, OK, 15.955 (42); 31. 0, Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust., 15.974 (44); 32. 3P, Sawyer Phillips, Pleasantville, IA, 15.989 (14); 33. 24D, Danny Sams III, North Port, FL, 16.018 (43); 34. 45X, Rees Moran, Tulsa, OK, 16.022 (23); 35. 11N, Darin Naida, Adrian MI, 16.036 (5); 36. 51, Steven Snyder Jr, Rising Sun, MD, 16.037 (46); 37. 22, Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA, 16.041 (11); 38. 24T, Christopher Thram, Sanborn, MN, 16.059 (17); 39. 17GP, Brock Zearfoss, Jonestown, PA, 16.077 (33); 40. 53, Jack Dover, Springfield, NE, 16.081 (10); 41. 15JR, Cole Mincer, Burlington, IA, 16.096 (30); 42. 19H, Joel Myers Jr, Santa Rosa, CA, 16.124 (32); 43. 1K, Kelby Watt, Adel, IA, 16.270 (36); 44. 15J, Kade Higday, Knoxville, IA, 16.323 (34); 45. 7B, Ben Brown, Marshall, MO, 16.327 (12); 46. 44X, Scotty Johnson, Melcher, Dallas, IA, 16.373 (31); 47. 11R, Rodney Huband, Wimberley, TX, 16.942 (26)
Heat one (started), 10 Laps, 2:57.8: 1. 21T, James McFadden (6); 2. 6T, Zach Hampton (3); 3. 51, Steven Snyder Jr (1); 4. 4, Kasey Kahne (8) / 5. 13, Tanner Holmes (7); 6. 6, Kasey Jedrzejek (5); 7. 0, Lynton Jeffrey (2); 8. 15JR, Cole Mincer (9) / 9. 44X, Scotty Johnson (10); 10. 1, Sammy Swindell (4)
Heat two (started), 10 Laps, 3:09.3: 1. 22, Riley Goodno (1); 2. 42, Sye Lynch (4); 3. 3P, Sawyer Phillips (2); 4. 25, Jy Corbet (3) / 5. 14TSR, Rico Abreu (8); 6. 26, Justin Peck (6); 7. 48, Danny Dietrich (7); 8. 19H, Joel Myers Jr (9) / 9. 11R, Rodney Huband (10); 10. 4W, Jamie Ball (5)
Heat three (started), 10 Laps, 3:15.3: 1. 24D, Danny Sams III (2); 2. 11, Justin Henderson (6); 3. 24T, Christopher Thram (1); 4. 28, Jace Park (4) / 5. 27A, Emerson Axsom (8); 6. 15, Donny Schatz (5); 7. 15H, Sam Hafertepe Jr (7); 8. 1K, Kelby Watt (9) / 9. 121, RJ Johnson (3)
Heat four (started), 10 Laps, 2:43.7: 1. 17GP, Brock Zearfoss (1); 2. 18, Sheldon Haudenschild (7); 3. 23D, Chase Dietz (6); 4. 45X, Rees Moran (2) / 5. 2, David Gravel (8); 6. 7S, Chris Windom (3); 7. 2KS, Hank Davis (4); 8. 15J, Kade Higday (9) / 9. 85J, Logan Julien (5)
Heat five (started), 10 Laps, 2:45.1: 1. 10, Ryan Timms (4); 2. 53, Jack Dover (1); 3. 11N, Darin Naida (2); 4. 2C, Cole Macedo (6) / 5. 77, Giovanni Scelzi (5); 6. 14, Corey Day (8); 7. 21H, Brady Bacon (7); 8. 95, Matt Covington (3) / 9. 7B, Ben Brown (9)
B main (started), 12 Laps, 3:34.9: 1. 14TSR, Rico Abreu (1); 2. 27A, Emerson Axsom (2); 3. 2, David Gravel (3); 4. 14, Corey Day (4) / 5. 48, Danny Dietrich (6); 6. 26, Justin Peck (9); 7. 13, Tanner Holmes (5); 8. 21H, Brady Bacon (8); 9. 15H, Sam Hafertepe Jr (7); 10. 7S, Chris Windom (14); 11. 15, Donny Schatz (11); 12. 77, Giovanni Scelzi (12); 13. 0, Lynton Jeffrey (15); 14. 6, Kasey Jedrzejek (10); 15. 1K, Kelby Watt (17); 16. 2KS, Hank Davis (13); 17. 15JR, Cole Mincer (16); 18. 15J, Kade Higday (18); 19. 85J, Logan Julien (19); 20. 7B, Ben Brown (21); 21. 11R, Rodney Huband (22); 22. 121, RJ Johnson (20); DNS – 95, Matt Covington; 19H, Joel Myers Jr.; 4w, Jamie Ball; 1, Sammy Swindell; 44x, Scotty Johnson
A main (started), 25 Laps, NT: 1. 18, Sheldon Haudenschild (7); 2. 21T, James McFadden (6); 3. 28, Jace Park (1); 4. 2C, Cole Macedo (3); 5. 23D, Chase Dietz (4); 6. 11, Justin Henderson (5); 7. 42, Sye Lynch (2); 8. 4, Kasey Kahne (8); 9. 3P, Sawyer Phillips (12); 10. 25, Jy Corbet (11); 11. 14, Corey Day (24); 12. 2, David Gravel (23); 13. 53, Jack Dover (20); 14. 14TSR, Rico Abreu (21); 15. 22, Riley Goodno (17); 16. 24D, Danny Sams III (13); 17. 24T, Christopher Thram (18); 18. 6T, Zach Hampton (10); 19. 51, Steven Snyder Jr (16); 20. 17GP, Brock Zearfoss (19); 21. 45X, Rees Moran (14); 22. 11N, Darin Naida (15); 23. 27A, Emerson Axsom (22); 24. 10, Ryan Timms (9).
