One of Shane Golobic’s goals for the 2020 season was to get better at Knoxville Raceway.
It’s one of the biggest events on the schedule every season, and the California native was making it a point to get to the track more frequently.
After a second place finish in Saturday’s 360 Nationals, it seems like its paying off.
Golobic had five starts at the track coming into the weekend before timing second overall on Thursday and securing a second-row starting spot in Saturday night’s main event.
“We come here, usually, each year after we do the majority of our racing out on the west coast in California,” Golobic said. “Our race tracks are just completely different out there. It really gets you into bad habits before you come out (to Knoxville). We tried to make it a point this year to get back here a little bit more often and try to get our program just a little better, whether it’s the car or me.”
Mission accomplished.
Golobic drove up from seventh to fourth in the main event from Thursday to improve his starting spot Saturday.
“It felt really good to have speed here,” Golobic said. “We timed in really well. Each time we hit the track we were always competitive. I feel like in the last few years where we’ve been here we’ve either been good to qualify or good to race and never both at the same time. We put ourselves in a good spot.”
It’s all coming together for the driver of the 17WX car, it seems.
He finished last in his first start at the track this season – due to a flat tire – and has basically improved his finishing position every time he hits the Knoxville dirt.
He’s peaking at the right time.
“For sure,” Golobic said. “I think it’s just a tribute to my team – they’ve just been working their tails off. We’ve been trying to get our program better each night and just get better every time we hit the track. It’s a whole different beast with the 410’s, but I really do feel like we’re starting to get that California shake out of me going into each corner. We’re getting better each lap – we’ve just got to keep going with it.”
Golobic’s second place finish on Saturday was the best Knoxville result he’s had in his career.
He views it as a sign of the work his team has put in.
“I’m proud of this team,” Golobic said. “We’ve had some struggles at this place in the past, but we’ve tried to get back here as much as we could and it’s begun to pay off. I just have a whole different comfort level and our car is really fast.”
That’s not saying just anything either.
The field of 360 cars was stacked with talented drivers, and if Kerry Madsen hadn’t been as good as he was, Golobic might have won the whole dang thing.
While they aren’t the usual 410 cars that these guys race every weekend, he’s still taking the result with confidence.
“Some guys would say that 360’s are so much different that it doesn’t apply at all, but for me just laps here at Knoxville are huge,” Golobic said. “This is a tough place. I’m going to use it as confidence anyways even if it doesn’t translate directly to a 410 – just getting to know the race track helps me out a ton.”
Now, the team turns their heads to the week to come.
It concludes with a three-day show that will look similar to the normal Knoxville Nationals on the track, but will still be different than what fans are used to.
Although, that didn’t change anything for the 17WX team.
They’re taking the second-place finish, and the momentum that comes with it, full steam ahead.
“We’re always looking ahead to Nationals,” Golobic said. “Everybody always does. That’s the big event and obviously this year it’s a little bit different, but it’s still going to have that same Nationals feel and we’re going to want to be at our best.
“We’re going to try and carry this momentum out through the week.”
