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Mike Knight Racing
RIPLEY, N.Y. (May 7) - Mike Knight's racing fortunes are beginning to look up.
The rising young dirt Late Model star from Ripley, N.Y., saw his tough early-season luck turn around last weekend with a pair of strong runs.
Knight, 21, registered a solid sixth-place finish last Friday night (May 2) in the 50-lap Independent Racing Series (IRS) event at Elkins (W.Va.) Speedway, and on Sunday night (May 4) he backed up his morale-boosting performance with a come-from-behind fourth-place finish in the 25-lap Super Late Model season opener at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa.
"We kept it on all four wheels and didn't blow a motor," joked Knight, referring to a flip and engine malfunction that were among the lowlights of his recent string of misfortune. "It was a good weekend for us. Maybe we're finally getting rid of our bad luck."
A 2008 IRS Rookie of the Year contender, Knight showed he's a serious threat to win the award during his first-ever visit to Elkins Speedway. His time-trial lap of 14.642 seconds around the three-eighths-mile oval was the fastest of the night's 39 entries - giving him his first Integra Racing Shocks Fast Time Award of the IRS season - and a third-place finish in the first heat transferred him to the A-Main. Armed with the fourth starting spot for the feature, he ran steady throughout the distance in his family-owned Rocket No. 9K and settled for sixth place after veteran Mike Balzano slipped by him with just five laps remaining.
"I don't know if we picked the wrong tires or missed the setup, but we were just a little off in the feature," said Knight. "We're happy with the run, though. We needed a good finish to get back on track."
After Knight's plan to race at Stateline Speedway in Busti, N.Y., on Saturday night (May 3) was scuttled by rain that washed out the program, he entered Sunday's 2008 lidlifter at Eriez Speedway, the one-third-mile track where he won his first career Super Late Model points title last season.
Knight started 12th in the Eriez feature and cracked the top five in less than 10 laps, but then he spun to avoid a car that had slowed dramatically in front of him. He restarted at the rear of the field and proceeded to make an impressive charge forward over the remaining distance, ending up fourth to salvage his night.
"I felt like we had a car that could win the race," said Knight. "We got right up into the top five, but the track was pretty rough and a car in front of me must have hit a rut and gotten out of shape so I had to spin myself out or run over him.
"It was disappointing to have to go to the rear, but we felt pretty good about how the car let me get back up through the field."
Knight, who ranks fifth in the overall IRS points standings and second behind Tim Dohm in the Rookie of the Year race, will return to IRS competition this Saturday night (May 10) at 201 Speedway in Sitka, Ky. He also plans to make the eight-and-a-half-hour overnight trip back north to race Sunday night (May 11) at Eriez Speedway.
An up-and-coming dirt Late Model driver whose breakout 2007 season was highlighted by a points title at Eriez Speedway, Knight has an ambitious schedule of 70-plus races across the region planned with his family-owned team in 2008. His operation carries sponsorship from Arrowhead Wine Cellars, Mobilia Fruit Farm, Ottawaya's Auto Body, Knight Farms, RJB Construction, Chessa' Pizza, NYPenn Surveying, TeCulver Contracting, Genesis Shocks, Lehman Motorsports, Slavic Custom Racing Shirts and American Racing Tires.
For more information on Mike Knight, visit www.mikeknight9k.com.
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