By: Joe Burrage
Chad Kemenah has always looked forward to racing at the Knoxville Raceway but the Knoxville Nationals only come around once a year and the four time All Star champion always looks forward to the Knoxville Nationals.
The 2010 season has been full of ups and downs for the CKR Team, and what better place to get back on track then at the 50th Annual Knoxville Nationals. Kemenah kicked off his Nationals on Wednesday night by timing in 23rd quick out of 50 cars. From there the CKR Team went to work looking for any advantage they could find, and the hard work paid off in the third heat race. Starting in the fourth position Kemenah split the entire front row and drove off to a very convincing victory earning the maximum number of points possible.
After the heat races were completed Kemenah kept a very close eye on the track and when the Knoxville Raceway officials listed the A-Main line up Kemenah saw his Golden Flavor Sesame Sticks, Hampshire Racing Engines, MS Motorsports, Maxim, No.63 on the pole position. The intensity level picked up with a front row starting position on the line and Kemenah was eager to race.
Looking for his first ever Knoxville Raceway feature win Kemenah knew he was going to have his hands full for the entire 25-Lap, A-Main with some of the best competition behind him. Getting a good start was first priority and Kemenah did just that and was able to pass race leader Brandon Wimmer on the second lap and immediately pull away from the rest of the field. Kemenah continued to run both the high line and the bottom of the speedway to perfection until he encountered traffic around lap ten.
Kemenah was driving a flawless race getting through traffic with ease allowing him to keep his distance from second place running Shane Stewart for the time being. With the bottom of the speedway getting faster and faster as the race went on Kemenah decided he would continue to run down there to pass most of the traffic. Everything was working until Lap-23 when Shane Stewart caught Kemenah and passed him on the cushion in turns one and two. Kemenah then would try to hold off a hard charging Craig Dollansky but the white Big Game Tree Stands No.7 was having nothing of it and Dollansky was able to get by Kemenah for second place. Kemenah would hold on to finish in the third position and gather enough points to lock the Golden Flavor Sesame Sticks No.63 sprinter in the A-Main on Saturday night.
“I really wanted to win that race,” expressed Kemenah. “I got in lapped traffic late in the race and it cost me a win. Shane Stewart drove a very smart and patient race and I have won races where running in second place in traffic is sometimes the better spot. I can’t complain about the finish tonight, we came here to Knoxville to with one task to accomplish and that was to get locked in to the A-Main on Saturday night. I have to thank everyone that has helped support this team this year, Tom and Fran Chiapelli, Mark Stockinger, Bob Hampshire, Maxim Chassis, and my wife Tracy. Adam and I have worked really hard all year and hopefully this No.63 car can find it’s way to the front on Saturday night.”
