July 3
Tazewell Speedway,
Tazewell, TN
Sanction: Valvoline Iron-Man Southern Series (Firecracker 40) - $5,000
Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated July 4, 11:12 am)
Knuckles edges Ford in thriller at Tazewell
Firecracker 40
- Dakotah Knuckles
- Donald McIntosh
- Jensen Ford
- Pierce McCarter
- Ryan King
- Jonathan Rowan
- John Llewellyn
- Vic Hill
- Ryan Winchester
- Jeff Neubert
- Mitchell Burke
- Troy Eads
- Brian Shockley
- Phil Helton
- Jamison McBride
- Matt Tharp
- Lynn Leach
- Jason Trammell
presented by
Michael Moats/mrmracing.net
Dakotah Knuckles climbs atop his car in victory lane.
What won the race: Overtaking race-leader Jensen Ford with a dramatic slider through turns three and four on the final lap, polesitter Dakotah Knuckles of Ewing, Va., stole the $5,000 Valvoline Iron-Man Southern Series victory in Saturday night’s Firecracker 40 at Tazewell Speedway. He recorded his second career win on the regional tour.
Quotable: “I know them last few laps got pretty interesting,” Knuckles said of the race’s dramatic finish. “I seen a small window right there and I said, ‘I’m gonna have to take it if we’re gonna win this.’ We may have slid up in front of (Ford), but that’s good racing.”
Key notes: Knuckles's winning last-lap move through turns three and four carried him underneath both Donald McIntosh and Ford, the leader of the race's first 39 circuits. ... With Ford limping across the finish line in third place due to a flat tire, McIntosh claimed the runner-up spot. ... Knuckles's only previous Iron-Man triumph came on Sept. 1, 2019, also at Tazewell. ... Four caution flags slowed the race. ... The Iron-Man Southern Series concludes its holiday tripleheader on Sunday at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, Ky. A points fund between the three events offers a $500 bonus to the best performing driver with $300 for second and $200 for third. … The Iron-Man tour made its second of three planned visits to Tazewell this season.
On the move: Donald McIntosh of Dawsonville, Ga., started eighth and finished second.
Winner's sponsors: Knuckles’s DK Motorsports Rocket was powered by a Vic Hill Race Engine and carries sponsorship from Hickory Star Resort & Marina, TimberLine Barns, Florida Veterinary, Western Building Supply, CRE Trucking, Diamond Diesel, MBS Diesel, Hill’s Truck Repair, ML Performance and Hoosier Tires.
Points chase: After Tazewell, Jensen Ford (497 points) led Donald McIntosh (327) and Pierce McCarter (230).
Current weather: Scattered Clouds, 59°F
Car count: 18
Fast qualifier: Jensen Ford
Time: 11.262 seconds
Polesitter: Dakotah Knuckles
Next series race: July 4, Lake Cumberland Speedway (Burnside, KY) $5,000
Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.
