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Knuckles Makes Turn Four, Last Lap Pass for Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series Firecracker 40 Victory

TAZEWELL, TENNESSEE (July 3, 2021)– The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series continued its 2021 Fourth of July weekend of racing with the Firecracker 40 at Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN and Dakotah Knuckles of Ewing, VA would make a turn four, last lap pass of race leader Jensen Ford to claim the $5,000 victory. (Michael Moats photo)

The win by the 27-year old Knuckles would be second career Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series victory, as Knuckles drives a Rocket Chassis powered by a Vic Hill Race Engines and has sponsorship from Florida Chiropractic, Marcum Oil Company, Timberline Barns, Hickory Star Resort and Marina, Western Building Supply, Hill’s Truck Repair, Alaco, Estes Brothers Construction, and Jovida Enterprises.

Jensen Ford would snag the lead at the start of the Firecracker 40 main event, followed by Dakotah Knuckles, Vic Hill, Pierce McCarter, and Jason Trammell. The action would be slowed immediately on lap two for a spin in turn four on lap two. The restart would see Ford and Knuckles remain first and second, with McCarter taking third from Hill, while McIntosh go to the fifth spot. Hill would slow with a flat left-rear tire on lap three to draw another caution. This restart would see Ford and Knuckles continue to the top two spots, while McCarter and McIntosh would run third and fourth, while Jamison McBride take fifth. Jonathan Rowan would take fifth from McBride on lap four, while Ford would pull away a bit from Knuckles and would enter lapped traffic on lap ten, but the caution would appear again one circuit later on lap eleven when Lynn Leach would stop on the track at the top of turn two. Ford would maintain the lead on the start, with Knuckles and McCarter second and third, while Rowan would scoot past McIntosh for fourth and this pair would continue to battle for the fourth spot until the final caution of the race flew on lap eighteen when Matt Tharp would slow in turn four. The restart would see the front three of Ford, Knuckles, and McCarter hold the podium positions, with McIntosh taking fourth and 12th place starting Ryan King taking fifth. Ford and Knuckles would pull away a bit while McIntosh would battle with McCarter for third and as the lead pair started working traffic, McIntosh would take third from McCarter. Knuckles would close the gap between himself and Ford and by lap thirty-five, Knuckles would close in Ford, while McIntosh and McCarter would close in on the front duo as well. This quartet would work through slower traffic and Ford would have the lead as the field started the final lap of the race. Knuckles would make his move entering turn three and would slide up in front of Ford and take the lead exiting turn four and win the drag race to the checkered. McIntosh would get by Ford for runner-up honors, with Ford finishing third. McCarter and King would complete the top five. The remainder of the top ten finishers would be Jonathan Rowan, John Llewellyn, Vic Hill, Ryan Winchester, and Jeff Neubert.

The next event for the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series will be at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, KY on Sunday July 4 for the Hall of Fame 40, paying $5,000 to win. This will be a points event for the Northern and Southern division of the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series.

For more information about the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series, please contact Chris Tilley at (828) 361-5981 or visit the tour’s webpage at www.IMDIRT.net or visit the tour page Iron-Man Racing Series on Facebook and Iron-Man Series (@CTPROMOTE) on Twitter.

The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series would like to thank the following sponsors and marketing partners for their support of the 2021 racing season: Valvoline, Zerex by Valvoline, Brucebilt Performance, Hoosier Racing Tire, E-Z-GO, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, DirtonDirt.com, FloRacing, XS Power Batteries, Vic Hill Racing Engines, Earnhardt Technologies Group, Swafford Signs, MSR Mafia, Envy Suspension, Knowles Race Parts and Bodies, Cruise with the Champions, KND Safety, Impact RaceGear, Race Clean, American Racer, and Denby’s J&J Construction.

About Valvoline™

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the company’s heritage spans more than 150 years, during which time it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume. It operates and franchises approximately 1,400 quick-lube locations, and it is the No. 2 chain by number of stores in the United States under the Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeSM brand and the No. 3 chain by number of stores in Canada under the Valvoline Great Canadian Oil Change brand. It also markets Valvoline lubricants and automotive chemicals, including the Valvoline High Mileage with MaxLife technology motor oil for engines over 75,000 miles; Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic motor oil; Valvoline Premium Blue™ heavy-duty motor oil; Valvoline Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid; and Zerex™ antifreeze. To learn more, visit www.valvoline.com.

Official Summary of Results

Feature Results for Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series Firecracker 40 at Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN on Saturday July 3, 2021

1. Dakotah Knuckles-Ewing, Va.
2. Donald McIntosh-Dawsonville, Ga.
3. Jensen Ford-Johnson City, Tenn.
4. Pierce McCarter-Gatlinburg, Tenn.
5. Ryan King-Seymour, Tenn.
6. Jonathan Rowan-Jackson, Tenn.
7. John Llewellyn-Knoxville, Tenn.
8. Vic Hill-Mosheim, Tenn.
9. Ryan Winchester-Palmersville, Tenn.
10. Jeff Neubert-Rockford, Tenn.
11. Mitchell Burke-Tazewell, Tenn.
12. Troy Eads-Tazewell, Tenn.
13. Brian Shockley-Thornhill, Tenn.
14. Phil Helton-Clinton, Tenn.
15. Jamison McBride-Danbury, N.C.
16. Matt Tharp-Luttrell, Tenn.
17. Lynn Leach-Andersonville, Tenn.
18. Jason Trammell-Mascot, Tenn.

Time of Race: N/A
Margin of Victory: N/A
Yellow Flags: Four (lap 2, 3, 11, 18)
Red Flags: None
Lap Leaders: Jensen Ford 1-39, Dakotah Knuckles 40
Entries: 18
E-Z-GO Time Trials Top Qualifier: Jensen Ford (Group B) 11.262 seconds
Provisional Starters: None

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