KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Donny Schatz won his 31st career feature at Knoxville Raceway (10th all-time) in Saturday afternoon’s FVP 65th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals Presented by Casey’s 25-lap main event.
The event was postponed from Friday night, and the updated format will see the Fargo, North Dakota driver starting 11th in the C main, after the top 50 in points were locked into the A, B and C mains.
Carson McCarl led the feature early from his pole position, ahead of Steven Snyder Jr., Giovanni Scelzi, Chris Windom and Schatz. On lap two, Scelzi slid by Snyder for second, and Schatz moved by Windom for fourth.
Two laps in, problems for Will Armitage saw him stalled on the frontstretch. Schatz quickly grabbed third from Snyder with a slider in turn four. Another caution came with dual spins by Cap Henry and Derek Hagar.
On the restart, Schatz slid by both Scelzi and McCarl to take the lead in turn two. But in the process, Scelzi jumped McCarl’s right rear, sending him into the wall and upside down. Brenham Crouch was collected in the incident and got upside down as well. He was taken in for observation.
On the restart, Schatz tracked McCarl and slid by him in turn four to take the point, while Landon Crawley entered the top five. On lap six, Snyder shot by McCarl for second. On lap ten, Schatz entered traffic.
Rubber set in shortly, thereafter. Rees Moran grabbed a spot in the top five from Crawley on lap 14 as cars started to assume single-file formation. One last caution came out for Ashton Torgerson with four to go.
Schatz led from there to collect the $7,500 top prize in the CJB No.15. Snyder was second, ahead of McCarl, Windom and Moran.
Crawley, Matt Juhl, hard-charger JJ Hickle, Kelby Watt and Levi Hillier completed a top 10 who will all compete in tonight’s C main.
“My guys do a tremendous job and we’re making great strides here,” said Schatz. “The track kind of played our way. We were really good early, when the other guys weren’t. Obviously, the last half there was in the rubber. At that point, everybody could go good. Battling the weather, and out in the sun, that’s going to happen. We came out on the right end of it tonight.”
The finish:
A main (started), 25 Laps, NT: 1. 15, Donny Schatz (7); 2. 51, Steven Snyder Jr (2); 3. 27, Carson McCarl (1); 4. 7S, Chris Windom (6); 5. 45X, Rees Moran (4); 6. 12X, Landon Crawley (9); 7. 09, Matt Juhl (14); 8. 2M, JJ Hickle (24); 9. 1K, Kelby Watt (18); 10. 26R, Levi Hillier (20); 11. 11N, Darin Naida (10); 12. 33W, Cap Henry (19); 13. 17GP, Brock Zearfoss (3); 14. 40, Clint Garner (16); 15. 45D, Derek Hagar (15); 16. 6, Kasey Jedrzejek (8); 17. 0, Lynton Jeffrey (21); 18. 23L, Jimmy Light (22); 19. 87X, Ashton Torgerson (13); 20. 17A, Jack Anderson (17); 21. 95, Matt Covington (12); 22. 77, Giovanni Scelzi (5); 23. 5, Brenham Crouch (11); 24. 6DC, Will Armitage (23).
