Knoxville news 2004-07-10

KNOXVILLE, IOWA (July 10, 2004) - Four-time Kele World Challenge 'bridesmaid' Brooke Tatnell of San Souci, New South Wales, Australia, leads the latest list of entrants for the $10,000-to-win Kele World Challenge to be held on Friday, August 13, at the Knoxville Raceway. Tatnell, the 'Down Under' star who finished second in the fully-inverted international classic in 1994, '95, '97 and '99, is ready to make the commitment to win the 2004 edition aboard Court Grandstaff's Phillips 66 TropArtic-sponsored, Gaerte-powered Eagle sprint car number 66. He has recently been joined on the entry list by fellow Aussies Kerry Madsen and Lynton Jeffrey, and Americans Ricky Logan, Daryn Pittman, and Joey Saldana. Logan was also a 'bridesmaid' last year, behind winner Travis Rilat, in his Kele World Challenge debut.

Saldana, third in 1996 and '99, will wheel the Larry Woodward-owned Volcano Joe's Coffee Co./ Champion Rescue Tools number 2 Fisher-powered Maxim chassis sprinter. Jeffrey will drive his own Vortex Racing Products/McCroskey Chevrolet-sponsored machine. Madsen pilots the TK Concrete/Slideways Karting Center machine owned by Ver Meer Motorsports. Pittman steers the Sherdon Motorsports-owned CMC/Mopar-Gaerte sprinter. The best Kele World Challenge finishes to date by Lynton Jeffrey and Kerry Madsen are both 6th place finishes, while Pittman's best was a 7th last year.

Entries for the KWC invitational are due into the offices of the National Sprint Car Museum by July 15th. Amongst the eligible drivers that have still not submitted entries are Americans Brent Antill, Travis Rilat, P.J. Chesson, Jayme Barnes, and Billy Alley, Canadian Jimmy Carter, New Zealander Kerry Jones, and Australians Max Dumesny, Garry Brazier, Trevor Green, Marty Perovich, and Jaymie Moyle.

The Knoxville Nationals, presented by the Midwest Ford Dealers, week annually kicks-off with the free-to-the-public Kele World Challenge international picnic on Tuesday, August 10, from 1 until 3 p.m. in the pavilion off turn number four of the half-mile dirt-track. The 2003/2004 Australian Sprintcar Poll awards, honoring the sport's current highest achievers in Australia, will be presented on Friday, August 13, which is the Nationals night sponsored by the Stacker2 Xtreme DirtCar Series this year.

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