6/7/2021
KCP Racing
Gio Scelzi Scintillating at Knoxville!
Saturday, June 5, 2021
Gio Scelzi Scintillating at Knoxville!
Clint Garner Makes Hodnett/Swindell Tribute Pay Off in 360’s; Matthew Stelzer Scores Again in Pro Sprints
by Bill Wright
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (June 5, 2021) – Gio Scelzi led wire to wire to garner his third career win at the Knoxville Raceway Saturday night. The Fresno, California native earned $5,000 for his win aboard the KCP Racing #18. Clint Garner whose car fashioned a tribute to 1990’s Two Winners teammates Jeff Swindell and Greg Hodnett (who were both inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Saturday), won for the 42nd time in the 360 class. Matthew Stelzer scored his third win of the season in the Pace Performance Pro Sprints feature.
Scelzi and Anthony Macri battled for the lead going into turns one and two to begin the 20-lap 410 feature, but it was Scelzi who took command. Kerry Madsen was quickly in the equation and after a good battle with Macri, took the runner-up spot on lap four. Brian Brown also shot by Macri for third on lap five.
Scelzi was in lapped traffic by the sixth circuit, extending his lead over Madsen. Madsen reeled in the leader a bit, but never seriously challenged the quick cushion riding Californian. Brown maintained third, but it was not easy. At the halfway point, Austin McCarl began advancing through the field at a good pace. He challenged Brown in a drag race for the checkers, but settled for fourth. Macri, Lynton Jeffrey, hard-charger Shane Golobic, Davey Heskin, Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Ayrton Gennetten rounded out the top ten.
Madsen set quick time over the 29-car field that saw several visitors, including some paying tribute to Greg Hodnett’s induction into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, including Chase Dietz aboard the John Trone #39 (Hodnett’s former ride), the Heffner #27 (another Hodnett ride) driven by Tim Shaffer, who was inducted as well on Saturday, and Macri. Madsen, Brown and Jeffrey won heats, while Shaffer took the B.
“I feel like I haven’t been here in years,” said Scelzi in Victory Lane. “My car was awesome. I knew Macri was going to go to the bottom of one and two and slide me. He slid me and cleared me (on lap one), but I knew I had to get going on the top. I tried to put a whole race together…that’s definitely what I’ve been struggling with this year. Wins like this get you motivated to win more.”
410 Results
Time Trials (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 14, Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Aust. (10), 15.945; 2. 21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO (17), 15.949; 3. 56N, Davey Heskin, St. Michael, MN (4), 15.987; 4. 18, Gio Scelzi, Fresno, CA (27), 16.023; 5. 39M, Anthony Macri, Dillsburg, PA (14), 16.128; 6. 15H, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX (7), 16.189; 7. 17A, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA (3), 16.216; 8. 7TAZ, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (12), 16.238; 9. 83, Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust. (23), 16.250; 10. 21BP, Brinton Marvel, Pittsboro, IN (6), 16.295; 11. 17W, Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA (26), 16.302; 12. 20, AJ Moeller, Rockwell City, IA (20), 16.314; 13. 24, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA (29), 16.355; 14. 25, Scott Bogucki, McLaren Vale, SA, Aust. (1), 16.364; 15. 7, Justin Henderson, Tea, SD (16), 16.410; 16. 27, Carson McCarl, Altoona, IA (28), 16.428; 17. 2KS, Matt Juhl, Tea, SD (21), 16.467; 18. 44, Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (9), 16.482; 19. 27H, Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA (24), 16.485; 20. 3, Ayrton Gennetten, Gravois Mills, MO (18), 16.529; 21. 3P, Sawyer Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (15), 16.581; 22. 84, Brandon Hanks, Burlison, TN (22), 16.616; 23. 39, Chase Dietz, York, PA (19), 16.661; 24. 22, Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA (2), 16.715; 25. 20G, Noah Gass, Mounds, OK (5), 16.733; 26. 5, Presley Truedson, Kennedy, MN (25), 16.929; 27. 15, Bobby Mincer, Burlington, IA (8), 17.064; 28. 56, Joe Simbro, Pleasantville, IA (11), 17.16; 29. 83A, Austin Miller, Lacona, IA (13), 17.281
Heat one (started), 8 Laps, NT: 1. Kerry Madsen (6); 2. Carson McCarl (1); 3. Gio Scelzi (5); 4. Terry McCarl (2); 5. Austin McCarl (4); 6. Tim Shaffer (7); 7. Noah Gass (9); 8. Brandon Hanks (8); 9. Joe Simbro (10); 10. Brinton Marvel (3)
Heat two (started), 8 Laps, NT: 1. Brian Brown (6); 2. Scott Bogucki (2); 3. Anthony Macri (5); 4. Tasker Phillips (4); 5. Ayrton Gennetten (7); 6. Matt Juhl (1); 7. Shane Golobic (3); 8. Presley Truedson (9); 9. Chase Dietz (8); 10. Austin Miller (10)
Heat three (started), 8 Laps, 2:22.3: 1. Lynton Jeffrey (4); 2. Justin Henderson (2); 3. Chris Martin (1); 4. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5); 5. Sawyer Phillips (7); 6. Davey Heskin (6); 7. AJ Moeller (3); 8. Riley Goodno (8); 9. Bobby Mincer (9)
B main (started), 10 Laps, 3:03.2: 1. Tim Shaffer (1); 2. Chase Dietz (3); 3. Riley Goodno (4); 4. Noah Gass (5) / 5. Brandon Hanks (2); 6. Bobby Mincer (7); 7. Joe Simbro (8); 8. Presley Truedson (6); 9. Austin Miller (9)
A main (started), 20 Laps, 6:20.1: 1. Gio Scelzi (2); 2. Kerry Madsen (4); 3. Brian Brown (3); 4. Austin McCarl (9); 5. Anthony Macri (1); 6. Lynton Jeffrey (5); 7. Shane Golobic (15); 8. Davey Heskin (6); 9. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (7); 10. Ayrton Gennetten (18); 11. Carson McCarl (12); 12. Terry McCarl (13); 13. Scott Bogucki (10); 14. Justin Henderson (11); 15. Sawyer Phillips (19); 16. Chris Martin (14); 17. Matt Juhl (17); 18. Chase Dietz (22); 19. Riley Goodno (23); 20. AJ Moeller (16); 21. Brinton Marvel (20); 22. Tasker Phillips (8); 23. Noah Gass (24); 24. Tim Shaffer (21). Lap Leader: G. Scelzi 1-20. Hard-charger: Golobic.
Submitted By: Natalie Sather