KNOXVILLE, IA – Brad Sweet scored the win in Saturday night’s Knoxville Nationals, edged 10-time winner Donny Schatz by 0.133 seconds in the second-closest finish in the 58-year history of the event at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway.
A Green-White-Checkered finish saw Sweet hug to the bottom line around the speedway while and Schatz ran high, with Sweet coming home with the victory. Kyle Larson finished in third to reach the podium for the second consecutive year in the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event.
Sweet started from the pole and dominated the first 25 laps of the event while Schatz and Larson waged war for the runner-up position. At the mandatory caution on lap 25, Larson had secured second from Schatz and would get the first crack at Sweet.
Sweet made a rare error on the bottom on lap 27, allowing Larson to get a run on the cushion to lead down the backstretch and officially take the lead on the 28th lap. Sweet, determined as ever, went back to work on the bottom of the racing surface and took the lead back on lap 30.
“I knew I messed up bad, so I wasn’t surprised to see someone roll by. I wanted to get that lead back,” Sweet said.
With 10 laps to go, Schatz charged past Larson, and began closing on Sweet. Sweet continued to hug the inside line, but saw his advantage disappear when a crash by Kerry Madsen brought out the red flag with two laps to go. Madsen was uninjured, but the shunt set up a green-white-checkered finish.
Back under green, Sweet held the inside line, with Schatz running the higher groove.
At the line, Sweet edged Schatz to score the win and a $150,000 payday.
“This is surreal,” said Sweet. “I’ve been dreaming about this, working at this, my entire life,” Sweet said. “I am forever etched into the Knoxville Nationals history books.”
When asked about the finish, Sweet didn’t hold back.
“I think I held my breath,” he said. “I really had to buckle down and hit the bottom the best I can. I couldn’t see (Schatz), but I could hear him, I could hear a pitch of the engine on the outside of me. It doesn’t matter how much you win by as long as you win.”
Aaron Reutzel finished in fourth, followed by Tim Kaeding in fifth.
Carson Macedo, Chad Kemenah, Logan Schuchart, Shane Stewart and David Gravel rounded out the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series is back in action next weekend with a pair of dates in North Dakota, starting at River Cities on Friday, August 18 before heading to Red River Valley Speedway on Saturday, August 19.
For more information, visit WoOSprint.com.
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series
Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, Iowa
Knoxville Nationals – August 11, 2018
1. Brad Sweet
2. Donny Schatz
3. Kyle Larson
4. Aaron Reutzel
5. Tim Kaeding
6. Carson Macedo
7. Chad Kemenah
8. Logan Schuchart
9. Shane Stewart
10. David Gravel
11. Ian Madsen
12. Tim Shaffer
13. Jacob Allen
14. Gio Scelzi
15. Greg Hodnett
16. Dominic Scelzi
17. Daryn Pittman
18. Parker Price-Miller
19. Brock Zearfoss
20. Matt Juhl
21. Paul McMahan
22. Kerry Madsen
23. Terry McCarl
24. Rico Abreu
25. Brian Brown
