Knowles Takes Fifth Durrence Layne Win In NAS King Of The Crate Tune-Up

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TUSCUMBIA, AL – Jake Knowles of Rome, GA drove the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Longhorn to his fifth Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win of the season on Friday night at North Alabama Speedway. Knowles took the lead on lap 24 and then held off a late-race challenge from Wil Herrington of Hawkinsville, GA to score the $2,000 victory in the 40-lap event.

“This race track was race friendly tonight, just like it is every time we come here,” Knowles said. “I could run just about anywhere I wanted to, and I think we learned some things tonight that will help us tomorrow night. We’re got a good string of wins and a second-place thrown in there at this track, which is one of my favorite places to race.”

Knowles is the defending champion of the King of the Crates, which is a $5,000-to-win race to be contested on Saturday night for the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at North Alabama Speedway.

Herington came from the tenth starting spot to finish second in the Middle Georgia Roofing CVR, and he was also the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race. Christian Hanger of Winchester, TN raced in the top five all race long, and took third by a bumper in the Hanger Racing CVR.

Josh Putnam of Florence, AL put on a show at North Alabama Speedway with a spectacular fourth-place finish in the Putnam Racing Special. Putnam came from outside the top ten on a lap 11 restart and moved up to the fifth spot. That earned Putnam the VP Racing Lubricants Slick Move of the Race Award. His run from 15th to fourth earned Putnam the Knowles Race Parts Hard Charger Award.

Polesitter Tyler Wood of Hohenwald, TN led the first 23 laps of the race and ended up fifth in the Johns Farms Special. Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL drove the Skinner’s Body Shop Special to a sixth-place finish, and Seth McCormack of Muscle Shoals, AL was seventh in the McCormack Marine Construction Rocket to earn the Fullmoon Graphics “Lucky 7” Award.

Grant Garrison of Walton, KY took the eighth spot in the Darrell Lanigan Racing Special, and ninth went to Mitchell Holloway of Muscle Shoals, AL in the 4-M Services Special. Matt Cooper of McKenzie, TN rounded out the top ten in the Cooper Trucking Rocket.

In preliminary action, Wood out-timed the 34-car field in Boyd Built Fabrication Group Qualifying with a lap around North Alabama Speedway in 14.283 seconds. The two 12-lap KRC Power Steering B-Main Races were won by Garrison and Herrington.

Hanger took the lead at the drop of the green flag from his outside front row starting spot followed by Wood, Knowles, Holloway, and Brock Hall of Etheridge, TN in the Hall Insurance Rocket. A caution flag for debris on the first lap slowed the field, as they realigned for a complete restart.

The second green flag saw Wood take the lead followed by Hanger, Knowles, Holloway and Hall. The defending Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Model Weekly Racing Series National Champion Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS parked his Ellis Welding Special in the infield on lap three to earn the Keyser Manufacturing Hard Luck Award.

The second caution flag of the race came out on lap 11 when T.J. Brittain of Centre, AL in the Brittain Hauling Warrior and Steve Russell of Pontotoc, MS in the Steele’s Dive Special tangled in turn two. Wood had Hanger, Knowles, Holloway, Hall, Herrington, McCormack, Cooper, Oakley Johns of Hohenwald, TN in the Johns Farms Special and Garrison doubled up behind him in second through tenth respectively for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart.

The action was fast and furious on the restart with wholesale position changes. Knowles sailed around the outside of Hanger to take over the second spot, Herrington came from sixth to fourth, and Putnam came from out of nowhere and into fifth. Knowles kept chipping away at Wood’s lead for the next dozen laps.

On lap 22, the lead duo exchanged slide jobs in turns three and four, with Wood keeping the lead at the start-finish line. On lap 24, Knowles charged ahead coming off turn four to take the lead. Once he was on the point, Knowles started to pull away from the field.

As Knowles approached the cars on the tail end of the lead lap on the 30th circuit, Herrington was on the move. Herrington got by Hanger for third on lap 30. With five to go, Herrington moved up to the second spot by passing Wood. As Knowles was about to receive the white flag signaling one lap to go, Brittain stalled on the front straightway to bring out the caution.

That completely changed the complexion of the race. Knowles would restart in the lead with Herrington, Wood, Hanger, Putnam, Holloway, McCormack, Garrison, Skinner, and Johns doubled up behind him in the top ten. It would be a green, white, checkered finish.

The most serious accident of the race occurred on the restart when Hall sailed off the outside of the race track in turn one. Hall hit an SUV pack car and a tree before his race car came to a stop. Hall exited his race car under his own power and walked to the ambulance for evaluation. The VP Race Fuels Young Guns Challenge Series point leader was released uninjured.

Knowles was able to pull away on the restart while Herrington and Wood battled for second. Herrington cleared Wood, then Hanger and Putnam moved up to challenge for the third spot. Knowles took the checkered flag followed by Herrington. Hanger just edged Putnam for the third spot, and Wood rounded out the top five.

The Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series returns to North Alabama Speedway on Saturday night for the $5,000-to-win 60-lap 3rd Annual King of the Crates. King Jake II is ready, willing, and able to defend his crown.

For more information and rules about the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.durrencelayneracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at Durrence Layne Racing. You can follow us on Twitter @DurrenceLayneRacing.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 13 AT NORTH ALABAMA SPEEDWAY IN TUSCUMBIA, AL ON 10/4/19:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN $ WON
1. 4 66 Jake Knowles Rome, GA $2,000
2. 10 14 Wil Herrington (R) Hawkinsville, GA $1,000
3. 2 29 Christian Hanger Winchester, TN $700
4. 15 212 Josh Putnam Florence, AL $550
5. 1 17jr Tyler Wood Hohenwald, TN $500
6. 13 11 Cruz Skinner (R) Oxford, AL $425
7. 5 s4 Seth McCormack Muscle Shoals, AL $375
8. 9 1 Grant Garrison Walton, KY $350
9. 3 4m Mitchell Holloway Muscle Shoals, AL $325
10. 7 18 Matt Cooper McKenzie, TN $300
11. 11 94 Jordan Hedger Crittenden, KY $275
12. 12 C6 Oakley Johns Hohenwald, TN $250
13. 14 713 Ben Brocato Muscle Shoals, AL $225
14. 23 87 Jake Rainey (R/YG) Hiram, GA $200
15. 21 69 Mike Henn Muscle Shoals, AL $200
16. 24 C66 Donald Johns Summertown, TN $200
17. 22 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS $200
18. 18 05 T.J. Brittain Centre, AL $200
19. 6 B87 Brock Hall Ethridge, TN $200
20. 20 72 Steve Russell Pontotoc, MS $200
21. 16 B44 Grayson Brewer Lawrenceburg, TN $200
22. 17 R1 Riley Hickman Cleveland, TN $200
23. 19 28 Justin Maxwell Spring Hill, TN $200
24. 8 73 Evan Ellis Plantersville, MS $200

ENTRIES: 34
BOYD BILT FAST QUALIFIER: Wood, 14.283 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Rainey and D. Johns
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: 1-23, Wood; 24-40, Knowles
LAPS LED: Wood, 23; Knowles, 17
KNOWLES RACE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Putnam (started 15th and finished 4th)
VP RACING LUBRICANTS SLICK MOVE OF THE RACE: Putnam
FULLMOON GRAPHICS LUCKY 7 AWARD: McCormack
KEYSER MANUFACTURING HARD LUCK AWARD: Ellis
CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Herrington
KRC HEAT RACE WINNER AWARDS: Garrison and Herrington
CAUTIONS: 4
NEXT EVENT: October 5, $5,000-to-win, 60 Laps, North Alabama Speedway, Tuscumbia, AL

[james white]

I thought they raced for more money than that,most raced for $200 bucks ?