Knoxville, IA – For the second time in two races, Dakota Hendrickson has started the 305 Sprint Car Feature at the back and worked his way to the front. A oil breather leak in qualifying kept the Omaha teen from recording a complete qualifying lap here Saturday evening. After starting in the rear of the second heat race, Hendrickson brought the Dead Down Wind #4 home fourth.
Without a qualifying time the Omaha youngster started at the tail of the 21 car field. By the end of the first lap the 16-year-old passed six cars and was working his way forward. After a few laps Hendrickson was stuck in a pack of cars that included Alan Ambers of Knoxville, Oskaloosa’s Nick Ross, Indianola’s Chris Horton, Fremont’s Mike Mayberry, and J. Kinder from Holt’s Summit, MO. Ambers, Mayberry, Ross, and Hendrickson traded positions for nearly ten laps and through multiple cautions. Each restart allowed another driver to get a run on the others. Finally, the Omaha teen worked his way past the pack and pulled away to a comfortable lead on the group.
By lap 13 Hendrickson worked his way past Lacona, IA’s Andrew Shelton for seventh and was closing hard on Mark Widmar from Ottumwa, IA at the checkered flag. “Steve Fitzpatrick (Hendrickson’s Crew Chief) had the car set up perfect. I could run high or low really well. Unfortunately, traffic kept me from getting to the front. I think Alan Ambers and I passed each other five or six times each and I remember going by the zero car (Mike Mayberry) three times, due to the yellow flags. I just wish we could have started up front, because I think we had something for them tonight. I was really flying once I got by some traffic”, remarked Hendrickson.