In what will go down as one of the closest finishes in Knoxville Raceway history…Brian Brown won the drag race with Aaron Reutzel out of four on the last lap to claim his second 360 Knoxville Nationals Saturday Night as heard live on KNIA. Reutzel looked to be headed to back-to-back Nationals wins as he kept a lead of two-to-three seconds for most of the race. But a late race red flag was brought out when Garet Williamson and Kaleb Johnson tangled in turn two on the white flag lap…bunched the field and gave Brown what he needed to steal the win. Brown said in victory lane…he thought he had shown his hand too early…but it worked out in the end.
Brown: “We went off turn 2 and I went down the backstretch, and I thought I showed him too much and then he slid me. I decided that I was coming back on the trailer or holding this trophy.”
Brown’s victory was .02 of the second. Rico Abreu nearly stole the win himself as he roared from 24th starting position to claim third. Today, weather pending, is the 12th Annual Capitani Classic which is one the toughest one-day 410 shows around. Live coverage starts with Live Track Side at 5:00 and Race Nights Live at 7:00 on the DeYarman Automotive Radio Racing Network on KNIA.
A main (started), 31 Laps, NT: 1. 21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO (2); 2. 8, Aaron Reutzel, Clute, TX (1); 3. Rico Abreu (24); 4. 9P, Parker Price-Miller, Kokomo, IN (3); 5. 5T, Ryan Timms, Oklahoma City, OK (6); 6. 26, Zeb Wise, Angola, IN (8); 7. 9, Chase Randall, Waco, TX (17); 8. 15H, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX (15); 9. 24, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA (9); 10. 55, Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Aust. (12); 11. 1K, Kelby Watt, Adel, IA (5); 12. 5, Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK (19); 13. Anthony Macri (21); 14. 2m, Davey Heskin, St. Michael, MN (18); 15. 4w, Jamie Ball, Knoxville, IA (13); 16. 9G, Ryan Giles, Grimes, IA (20); 17. 16A, Colby Copeland, Roseville, CA (16); 18. 22K, Kaleb Johnson, Sioux Falls, SD (7); 19. 24w, Garet Williamson, Columbia, MO (4); 20. 18T, Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR (10); 21. Justin Sanders (23); 22. 36, Jason Martin, Lincoln, NE (11); 23. Austin McCarl (22); 24. 2c, Wayne Johnson, Tuttle, OK (14). Lap Leaders: Reutzel 1-30, Brown 31. Hard-charger: Abreu.