Thompson Holds Off Knill and Wins at Irwindale

Pole-sitter Kevin Thompson held off a challenge from Van Knill on Saturday night to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the featured super-late model class race at Irwindale Speedway.

Knill started fourth in the 29-car field, moved into second on the 22nd lap, but was unable to pass Thompson, finishing 0.314 of a second behind in the season’s first race in the class.

“I was trying and trying and trying to work the bottom as much as I could,” Knill said. “The car kept sliding up. We didn’t have the rubber left.”

There were four yellow flags during the 50-lap race on the half-mile track, the last on the 47th lap, giving Knill a chance to catch Thompson off a restart.

The race was the first in the super-late model class run under Irwindale Speedway’s new format of having eight-lap heat races determine the starting grid and shortening the race from 75 laps.

Thompson benefited under the format, posting the seventh-fastest qualifying time, which under the track’s inversion system, made him start second in his heat race, which he won, giving him the pole for the feature race.

Ron Peterson won the super truck race and Bryan Harrell the super stock race on the half-mile track. Dennis Croasmun won the mini stock race and Tom Landreth the legend car race on the one-third-mile track.