For the first time in over 40 years, Knoxville Raceway has a champion that didn’t win a feature event all season.
Davey Heskin stood, facing victory lane, ready to take in his first career Knoxville Cup championship trophy. He hugged Brian Brown, the night’s race winner and 2020 champion, before accepting his trophy in victory lane.
Overjoyed and overcome by the accomplishment, Heskin gave his victory lane interview.
“It’s all about the people that get me up the road. It’s about the people that get me here. You grow up going in carts and going to banquets, and you dream about standing up there. I don’t even know what to say. I have no words.”
Heskin made the race winning move in the last number of laps, charging from P10 to P5 around Sam Hafertepe Jr. before approaching on the other drivers in at the top of the field.
He managed to take Matt Juhl and Terry McCarl before the race was over to seal his points championship and round out the season with just his second podium finish of the year.
“I thought we were goners after the time trial,” Heskin said. “I really thought I cut a good lap. When I got up to fifth and got past Sam, I thought ‘Alright, let’s get the wing back and let’s go!’ I can’t thank my family and friends enough. I still don’t know what to say, it’s so special. I just can’t believe it. This is why we travel five hours to race here. We earned that one.”
It was consistency and dedication that drove Heskin to the top spot. He didn’t get a win all season, but kept grinding and knocking down top 10 finishes week after week.
Now he’s a track champion.
Clint Garner and Tyler Groenendyk took home the championships for the 360 Class and Pace Pro Sprints respectively.
For Garner, who came in 80 points out of first place, it becomes his ninth career 360 title at Knoxville.
“The older I get, the more I understand you are just along for the ride,” Garner said. “Coming in 80 points behind, I told everybody there’s no way. We’ll just do our best and see how it plays out. Ryan had it under control if his engine wouldn’t have let loose on him. I think we’d have ran second to him. We just got lucky, I guess. My age helps. I make sure I don’t put myself in predicaments that take me out of races. You’ve got to finish the race. It takes a lot of stuff to make it all happen.”
