FASTRAKPR
09-08-2016, 03:04 PM
KNIGHT WEARS THE FASTRAK EAST COAST RUMBLE CHAMPIONSHIP BELT “WYTHE” WIN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
RURAL RETREAT, VA – Labor Day Weekend of 2016 may very well be known as the Cla Knight Coming Out on Top Party. The young 20-year-old driver from North Augusta, SC capped off a successful weekend by winning the third and final race of the Fastrak Racing Series East Coast Rumble on Sunday night at Wythe Raceway.
Knight led all 40 laps of the caution-free race in the Augusta Aquatics Longhorn. Knight bookended the three-race series for the Fastrak Racing Series dirt late models, as he won the opener for the East Coast Rumble on Friday night at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, TN for his first-ever Fastrak National Touring win.
On Saturday night, Knight, the 2015 Fastrak Racing Series National Rookie of the Year, finished ninth amongst a stout field of 48 Fastrak dirt late models at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, WV. Those three finishes led Knight to the overall East Coast Rumble Points Title and the right to hoist the Fastrak East Coast Rumble Championship Belt in Victory Lane on Sunday night at Wythe Raceway.
Knight did have to work hard for the win on Sunday night, as Brent Hilton of Rural Retreat, VA came on strong at the end of the race, catching the leader in lapped traffic. Knight was up to the challenge, however, and after clearing the lapped traffic in his only trip to the high side of the track, pulled away in the last two laps of the race to visit the Winner’s Circle for the second time in three nights.
“We went soft on tires, so we wanted to get the lead and then just pace ourselves,” Knight said. “I saw the lapped traffic coming late in the race, so I slowed down a little bit thinking maybe we would catch a yellow, but it never came. I had enough confidence to go to the outside to lap a car, and they told me I pulled away after that.”
Knight said it was a great weekend of racing for his team, and it was the right time of the season to peak with several big races coming up and the Fastrak Racing Series National Championship on the line.
“When we started the weekend, we thought we could forget about the points because David Smith would have to have a couple of bad races, and we would have to win a couple of race,” Knight said. “I don’t wish any bad luck on anybody, but David had a couple of bad races, we won a couple of races, and now we’re the point leader. We’ve got the $15,000-to-win World Championship Race coming up and final points race at Lavonia, GA, so we’ve got some momentum going for us to get our name on some more big checks.”
While celebrating his two wins in three races, the East Coast Rumble Championship, and taking over the Fastrak National point lead, Knight did pause in the Winner’s Circle at Wythe Raceway to remember a friend and fellow driver Chesley Dixon of Augusta, GA, who was seriously burned in a racing accident on Saturday night in Swainsboro, GA.
“I just want everyone to keep their thoughts and prayers with my friend Chesley Dixon, who was burned in a crash last night in Swainsboro, GA,” Knight said. “I hear he has a long road to recover with several surgeries ahead of him, and I just wanted him and his family to know we are thinking about them.”
Hilton finished second and third went to Matt Long of Concord, NC. Second-generation driver Travis Pennington of Stapleton, GA took the fourth spot and David Watts of Rural Retreat, VA charged from the 15th starting spot to capture fifth-place honors. Justin Williams of Concord, VA finished sixth and Brandon Umberger of Rural Retreat, VA was seventh.
Tyler Arrington of Honaker, VA finished eighth and Chase Washington of Houlka, MS took the ninth spot, while Kenny Peeples Jr. of Rural Retreat, VA rounding out the top ten. In preliminary action, Benji Hicks of Mt. Airy, NC was the Fast Qualifier among the 31 entrants with a lap around the ˝-mile high-banked clay oval in 17.699 seconds. The three ten-lap Heat Races were won by Hilton, Knight, and Arrington. The 12-lap B-Main Race was won by Chris Steele of York, SC.
Knight took the East Coast Rumble points title with a 14-point margin over Matt Henderson of Loudon, TN. With two wins and a ninth-place finish in the three races, Knight tallied 96 points to Henderson’s 82. Pierce McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN was third in the East Coast Rumble points with 80, and Washington finished fourth with 77 points. Another Mississippi driver, Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS rounded out the top five with 70 points.
Knight also takes over the Fastrak Southeast Region points lead with his weekend success. Knight now has 295 points and David Smith of Inman, SC is second with 275 points. Steele is third with 262 points, Matthew Nance of Ronda, NC is fourth with 205 points, and Hicks is fifth with 203 points.
Coming up next is the biggest event of the year for the Fastrak Racing Series dirt late models at Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, VA. On Friday night, September 16 it’s the $5,000-to-win $300-to-win Fastrak World Challenge Race open only to Fastrak Members. Then on Saturday night, September 17 any and all drivers will be eligible to compete in the $15,000-to-win $500-to-start 13th Annual Fastrak World Championship Race at Virginia Motor Speedway.
Check out the official website for the FASTRAK Racing Series at www.fastrakracing.com and continue to follow our social media networks for the FASTRAK Racing Series. Like and Follow our Fan Page on Facebook plus follow @FASTRAK_SE and/or @FASTRAK_MOV on Twitter to get up to the minute news and details as they become available.
OFFICIAL FINISH OF ROUND 3 OF THE FASTRAK EAST COAST RUMBLE AT WYTHE RACEWAY IN RURAL RETREAT, VA ON 9/4/16:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS
1. 2 42 Cla Knight North Augusta, SC 40
2. 1 33 Brent Hilton Rural Retreat, VA 40
3. 4 55 Matt Long Concord, NC 40
4. 7 01 Travis Pennington Stapleton, GA 40
5. 15 04 David Watts Rural Retreat, VA 40
6. 18 2 Justin Williams Concord, VA 40
7. 5 12u Brandon Umberger Rural Retreat, VA 40
8. 3 002 Tyler Arrington Honaker, VA 40
9. 8 38 Chase Washington Houlka, MS 40
10. 12 17c Kenny Peeples Jr. Rural Retreat, VA 40
11. 11 55 Benji Hicks Mt. Airy, NC 40
12. 6 83 Jensen Ford Piney Flats, TN 40
13. 10 17 Matt Henderson Loudon, TN 40
14. 9 51 Pierce McCarter Gatlinburg, TN 40
15. 14 11 David Smith Inman, SC 40
16. 19 222 Chris Steele York, SC 40
17. 13 1c Terry Cregger Crockett, VA 40
18. 24 88 Vic Chandler Cherokee, NC 39
19. 23 24n Matthew Nance Ronda, NC 39
20. 22 99 Teddy Tate Rural Retreat, VA 39
21. 18 24t Phillip Thompson Knoxville, TN 27
22. 17 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 23
23. 21 11 Trevor Cregger Christiansburg, VA 11
24. 20 101 Forrest Trent Talbott, TN 3
DID NOT TRANSFER TO MAIN EVENT:
#46 Stephen Martin
#54 Jason Johnson
#7 Corey Almond
#1 Josh Lilly
#9 Ryan Atkins
#00c Chuck McMurray
#00s Dennis Stiles
ENTRIES: 31
FAST QUALIFIER: Hicks, 17.699 seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Knight, 1-40
CAUTIONS: None
TIME OF THE RACE: 13 Minutes and 09.489 Seconds
NEXT EVENT: Virginia Motor Speedway, Jamaica, VA
September 16, $5,000-to-win $300-to-start
Members Only Fastrak World Challenge Race
Virginia Motor Speedway, Jamaica, VA
September 17, $15,000-to-win $500-to-start
13th Annual World Championship Race
GROUP QUALIFYING:
GROUP 1: 1. Hilton, 17.708; 2. Pennington, 17.917; 3. Long, 17.945; 4. Te. Cregger, 18.051; 5. Chandler, 18.097; 6, Henderson, 18.173; 7. Thompson, 18.233; 8. Nance, 18.472; 9. Lilly, 19.454.
GROUP 2: 1. Hicks, 17.699; 2. Adkins, 17.794; 3. Tr. Cregger, 17.876; 4. Umberger, 17.926; 5. Washington, 17.932; 6. Knight, 18.023; 7. Smith, 18.237; 8. Minga, 18.301; 9. Trent, 18.375; 10. Martin, 18.823.
GROUP 3: 1. Arrington, 17.827; 2. Ford, 17.849; 3. McCarter, 17.914; 4. Peeples, 18.089; 5. Steele, 18.160; 6. Watts, 18.166; 7. Williams, 18.169; 8. Tate, 18.418; 9. Almond, 18.637; 10. McMurray, 19.454; 11. Johnson, NT; 12. Stiles, NT.
HEAT RACES (10 Laps – Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):
1ST HEAT: 1. Hilton; 2. Long; 3. Pennington; 4. Henderson; 5. Te. Cregger; 6. Thompson; 7. Nance; 8. Chandler; 9. Johnson; 10. Lilly.
2ND HEAT: 1. Knight; 2. Umberger; 3. Washington; 4. Hicks; 5. Smith; 6. Minga; 7. Trent; 8. Martin; 9. Tr. Cregger; 10. Atkins.
3RD HEAT: 1. Arrington; 2. Ford; 3. McCarter; 4. Peeples; 5. Watts; 6. Williams; 7. Tate; 8. Steele; 9. Almond; 10. McMurray; 11. Stiles DNS.
B-MAIN (12 Laps – Top 6 Transfer To Main Event): 1. Steele; 2. Trent; 3. Tr. Cregger; 4. Tate; 5. Nance; 6. Chandler; 7. Almond; 8. Johnson; 9. Lilly; 10. Martin DNS; 11. Atkins DNS; 12. McMurray DNS; 13. Stiles DNS.
FINAL FASTRAK EAST COAST RUMBLE POINT STANDINGS:
1. 42 Cla Knight – North Augusta, SC - 96
2. 17 Matt Henderson – Loudon, TN - 82
3. 71 Pierce McCarter – Gatlinburg, TN - 80
4. 38 Chase Washington – Houlka, MS - 77
5. 19 Marcus Minga – Shannon, MS - 70
6. 222 Chris Steele – York, SC - 68
7. 83 Jensen Ford – Piney Flats, TN - 66
8. 55 Benji Hicks – Mt. Airy, NC – 58
9. 11 David Smith – Inman, SC – 53
10. 24n Matthew Nance – Ronda, NC – 51
FASTRAK SOUTHEAST REGION POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 9/4/16:
1. 42 Cla Knight – North Augusta, SC – 295
2. 11 David Smith – Inman, SC – 275
3. 222 Chris Steele – York, SC – 262
4. 24n Matthew Nance – Ronda, NC – 205
5. 55 Benji Hicks – Mt. Airy, NC – 203
6. 2 Colby Cannon – Greenwood, SC - 172
7. 23 Jimmy Mac – Mooresville, NC - 171
7. 8 Ron Parker – Belwood, NC - 171
9. 12m Ryan Montgomery – Fairmont, WV – 166
10. 87 Walker Arthur – Forest, VA - 139
THE 2016 MARKETING PARTNERS FOR THE FASTRAK RACING SERIES ARE CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE, HOOSIER RACING TIRE, VP RACING FUEL, BEYEA HEADERS, ROCKET CHASSIS, TNT RACE CARS, ARIZONA SPORT SHIRTS, ROCK AUTO.COM, AND THOMAS CLARKE PERFORMANCE.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
RURAL RETREAT, VA – Labor Day Weekend of 2016 may very well be known as the Cla Knight Coming Out on Top Party. The young 20-year-old driver from North Augusta, SC capped off a successful weekend by winning the third and final race of the Fastrak Racing Series East Coast Rumble on Sunday night at Wythe Raceway.
Knight led all 40 laps of the caution-free race in the Augusta Aquatics Longhorn. Knight bookended the three-race series for the Fastrak Racing Series dirt late models, as he won the opener for the East Coast Rumble on Friday night at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, TN for his first-ever Fastrak National Touring win.
On Saturday night, Knight, the 2015 Fastrak Racing Series National Rookie of the Year, finished ninth amongst a stout field of 48 Fastrak dirt late models at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, WV. Those three finishes led Knight to the overall East Coast Rumble Points Title and the right to hoist the Fastrak East Coast Rumble Championship Belt in Victory Lane on Sunday night at Wythe Raceway.
Knight did have to work hard for the win on Sunday night, as Brent Hilton of Rural Retreat, VA came on strong at the end of the race, catching the leader in lapped traffic. Knight was up to the challenge, however, and after clearing the lapped traffic in his only trip to the high side of the track, pulled away in the last two laps of the race to visit the Winner’s Circle for the second time in three nights.
“We went soft on tires, so we wanted to get the lead and then just pace ourselves,” Knight said. “I saw the lapped traffic coming late in the race, so I slowed down a little bit thinking maybe we would catch a yellow, but it never came. I had enough confidence to go to the outside to lap a car, and they told me I pulled away after that.”
Knight said it was a great weekend of racing for his team, and it was the right time of the season to peak with several big races coming up and the Fastrak Racing Series National Championship on the line.
“When we started the weekend, we thought we could forget about the points because David Smith would have to have a couple of bad races, and we would have to win a couple of race,” Knight said. “I don’t wish any bad luck on anybody, but David had a couple of bad races, we won a couple of races, and now we’re the point leader. We’ve got the $15,000-to-win World Championship Race coming up and final points race at Lavonia, GA, so we’ve got some momentum going for us to get our name on some more big checks.”
While celebrating his two wins in three races, the East Coast Rumble Championship, and taking over the Fastrak National point lead, Knight did pause in the Winner’s Circle at Wythe Raceway to remember a friend and fellow driver Chesley Dixon of Augusta, GA, who was seriously burned in a racing accident on Saturday night in Swainsboro, GA.
“I just want everyone to keep their thoughts and prayers with my friend Chesley Dixon, who was burned in a crash last night in Swainsboro, GA,” Knight said. “I hear he has a long road to recover with several surgeries ahead of him, and I just wanted him and his family to know we are thinking about them.”
Hilton finished second and third went to Matt Long of Concord, NC. Second-generation driver Travis Pennington of Stapleton, GA took the fourth spot and David Watts of Rural Retreat, VA charged from the 15th starting spot to capture fifth-place honors. Justin Williams of Concord, VA finished sixth and Brandon Umberger of Rural Retreat, VA was seventh.
Tyler Arrington of Honaker, VA finished eighth and Chase Washington of Houlka, MS took the ninth spot, while Kenny Peeples Jr. of Rural Retreat, VA rounding out the top ten. In preliminary action, Benji Hicks of Mt. Airy, NC was the Fast Qualifier among the 31 entrants with a lap around the ˝-mile high-banked clay oval in 17.699 seconds. The three ten-lap Heat Races were won by Hilton, Knight, and Arrington. The 12-lap B-Main Race was won by Chris Steele of York, SC.
Knight took the East Coast Rumble points title with a 14-point margin over Matt Henderson of Loudon, TN. With two wins and a ninth-place finish in the three races, Knight tallied 96 points to Henderson’s 82. Pierce McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN was third in the East Coast Rumble points with 80, and Washington finished fourth with 77 points. Another Mississippi driver, Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS rounded out the top five with 70 points.
Knight also takes over the Fastrak Southeast Region points lead with his weekend success. Knight now has 295 points and David Smith of Inman, SC is second with 275 points. Steele is third with 262 points, Matthew Nance of Ronda, NC is fourth with 205 points, and Hicks is fifth with 203 points.
Coming up next is the biggest event of the year for the Fastrak Racing Series dirt late models at Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, VA. On Friday night, September 16 it’s the $5,000-to-win $300-to-win Fastrak World Challenge Race open only to Fastrak Members. Then on Saturday night, September 17 any and all drivers will be eligible to compete in the $15,000-to-win $500-to-start 13th Annual Fastrak World Championship Race at Virginia Motor Speedway.
Check out the official website for the FASTRAK Racing Series at www.fastrakracing.com and continue to follow our social media networks for the FASTRAK Racing Series. Like and Follow our Fan Page on Facebook plus follow @FASTRAK_SE and/or @FASTRAK_MOV on Twitter to get up to the minute news and details as they become available.
OFFICIAL FINISH OF ROUND 3 OF THE FASTRAK EAST COAST RUMBLE AT WYTHE RACEWAY IN RURAL RETREAT, VA ON 9/4/16:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS
1. 2 42 Cla Knight North Augusta, SC 40
2. 1 33 Brent Hilton Rural Retreat, VA 40
3. 4 55 Matt Long Concord, NC 40
4. 7 01 Travis Pennington Stapleton, GA 40
5. 15 04 David Watts Rural Retreat, VA 40
6. 18 2 Justin Williams Concord, VA 40
7. 5 12u Brandon Umberger Rural Retreat, VA 40
8. 3 002 Tyler Arrington Honaker, VA 40
9. 8 38 Chase Washington Houlka, MS 40
10. 12 17c Kenny Peeples Jr. Rural Retreat, VA 40
11. 11 55 Benji Hicks Mt. Airy, NC 40
12. 6 83 Jensen Ford Piney Flats, TN 40
13. 10 17 Matt Henderson Loudon, TN 40
14. 9 51 Pierce McCarter Gatlinburg, TN 40
15. 14 11 David Smith Inman, SC 40
16. 19 222 Chris Steele York, SC 40
17. 13 1c Terry Cregger Crockett, VA 40
18. 24 88 Vic Chandler Cherokee, NC 39
19. 23 24n Matthew Nance Ronda, NC 39
20. 22 99 Teddy Tate Rural Retreat, VA 39
21. 18 24t Phillip Thompson Knoxville, TN 27
22. 17 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 23
23. 21 11 Trevor Cregger Christiansburg, VA 11
24. 20 101 Forrest Trent Talbott, TN 3
DID NOT TRANSFER TO MAIN EVENT:
#46 Stephen Martin
#54 Jason Johnson
#7 Corey Almond
#1 Josh Lilly
#9 Ryan Atkins
#00c Chuck McMurray
#00s Dennis Stiles
ENTRIES: 31
FAST QUALIFIER: Hicks, 17.699 seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Knight, 1-40
CAUTIONS: None
TIME OF THE RACE: 13 Minutes and 09.489 Seconds
NEXT EVENT: Virginia Motor Speedway, Jamaica, VA
September 16, $5,000-to-win $300-to-start
Members Only Fastrak World Challenge Race
Virginia Motor Speedway, Jamaica, VA
September 17, $15,000-to-win $500-to-start
13th Annual World Championship Race
GROUP QUALIFYING:
GROUP 1: 1. Hilton, 17.708; 2. Pennington, 17.917; 3. Long, 17.945; 4. Te. Cregger, 18.051; 5. Chandler, 18.097; 6, Henderson, 18.173; 7. Thompson, 18.233; 8. Nance, 18.472; 9. Lilly, 19.454.
GROUP 2: 1. Hicks, 17.699; 2. Adkins, 17.794; 3. Tr. Cregger, 17.876; 4. Umberger, 17.926; 5. Washington, 17.932; 6. Knight, 18.023; 7. Smith, 18.237; 8. Minga, 18.301; 9. Trent, 18.375; 10. Martin, 18.823.
GROUP 3: 1. Arrington, 17.827; 2. Ford, 17.849; 3. McCarter, 17.914; 4. Peeples, 18.089; 5. Steele, 18.160; 6. Watts, 18.166; 7. Williams, 18.169; 8. Tate, 18.418; 9. Almond, 18.637; 10. McMurray, 19.454; 11. Johnson, NT; 12. Stiles, NT.
HEAT RACES (10 Laps – Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):
1ST HEAT: 1. Hilton; 2. Long; 3. Pennington; 4. Henderson; 5. Te. Cregger; 6. Thompson; 7. Nance; 8. Chandler; 9. Johnson; 10. Lilly.
2ND HEAT: 1. Knight; 2. Umberger; 3. Washington; 4. Hicks; 5. Smith; 6. Minga; 7. Trent; 8. Martin; 9. Tr. Cregger; 10. Atkins.
3RD HEAT: 1. Arrington; 2. Ford; 3. McCarter; 4. Peeples; 5. Watts; 6. Williams; 7. Tate; 8. Steele; 9. Almond; 10. McMurray; 11. Stiles DNS.
B-MAIN (12 Laps – Top 6 Transfer To Main Event): 1. Steele; 2. Trent; 3. Tr. Cregger; 4. Tate; 5. Nance; 6. Chandler; 7. Almond; 8. Johnson; 9. Lilly; 10. Martin DNS; 11. Atkins DNS; 12. McMurray DNS; 13. Stiles DNS.
FINAL FASTRAK EAST COAST RUMBLE POINT STANDINGS:
1. 42 Cla Knight – North Augusta, SC - 96
2. 17 Matt Henderson – Loudon, TN - 82
3. 71 Pierce McCarter – Gatlinburg, TN - 80
4. 38 Chase Washington – Houlka, MS - 77
5. 19 Marcus Minga – Shannon, MS - 70
6. 222 Chris Steele – York, SC - 68
7. 83 Jensen Ford – Piney Flats, TN - 66
8. 55 Benji Hicks – Mt. Airy, NC – 58
9. 11 David Smith – Inman, SC – 53
10. 24n Matthew Nance – Ronda, NC – 51
FASTRAK SOUTHEAST REGION POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 9/4/16:
1. 42 Cla Knight – North Augusta, SC – 295
2. 11 David Smith – Inman, SC – 275
3. 222 Chris Steele – York, SC – 262
4. 24n Matthew Nance – Ronda, NC – 205
5. 55 Benji Hicks – Mt. Airy, NC – 203
6. 2 Colby Cannon – Greenwood, SC - 172
7. 23 Jimmy Mac – Mooresville, NC - 171
7. 8 Ron Parker – Belwood, NC - 171
9. 12m Ryan Montgomery – Fairmont, WV – 166
10. 87 Walker Arthur – Forest, VA - 139
THE 2016 MARKETING PARTNERS FOR THE FASTRAK RACING SERIES ARE CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE, HOOSIER RACING TIRE, VP RACING FUEL, BEYEA HEADERS, ROCKET CHASSIS, TNT RACE CARS, ARIZONA SPORT SHIRTS, ROCK AUTO.COM, AND THOMAS CLARKE PERFORMANCE.