October 14, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 
After Strong Thursday-Night Run, Mike Knight Falls Short Of
Challenger Raceway’s ‘Ultimate’ Feature Field

RIPLEY, NY – Mike Knight wasn’t smiling when he left Challenger Raceway in Indiana, Pa., on Saturday night.

After starting the one-third-mile track’s three-day UFO-sanctioned program with a solid fifth-place finish in Thursday night’s 41-lap ‘Mega Blitz 2008’ preliminary feature, Knight failed to crack the starting field for Saturday night’s 91-lap ‘Ultimate’ main event that paid $22,000 to win.

“I’m very disappointed I didn’t make the feature,” said Knight, a rising 21-year-old driver from Ripley, N.Y. “I felt like we had a good car, but it was a real tough field and we didn’t draw (for position) well so we had our work cut out for us.”

Knight had his family-owned Rocket No. 9K running strong on Thursday night. He advanced from the seventh starting spot to finish second in his heat race and charged from the 15th starting position in the 41-lap feature to place fifth, right behind veteran Chub Frank at the checkered flag.

But Knight didn’t fare as well when heat races for the ‘Ultimate’ were contested on Friday night. He missed transferring by one position after moving from the seventh starting to fourth in the qualified.

Then, on Saturday night, Knight had a short stint in his B-Main. He started third in the last-chance event, but a busted fuel pump on the opening 20 lap forced him to the pit area and ended his weekend short of the feature.

Knight arrived at Challenger after spending the previous Saturday night (Oct. 4) driving Jim Clinger’s E-Mod in a special event at Mercer (Pa.) Raceway Park. He qualified through a B-Main and moved from 23rd to sixth in the 30-lap feature before developing a flat tire, leaving him 15th in the official rundown.

The final dirt Late Model event tentatively listed on Knight’s 2008 schedule is the Vault Outlaws World Finals for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

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, Ottaway’s Auto Parts, Ottaway’s Auto Body, Knight Farms, NYPenn Surveying, TeCulver Contracting, Ripley Machine & Tool, Genesis Shocks, Slavic Custom Racing Shirts, Farr MotorSports, MWB Web Designs and American Racing Tires.

For more information on Mike Knight, visit www.mikeknight9k.com.

MKR PR.