Kade Higday beat all of the contenders on Saturday night to pocket $10,000 in the 360 Shootout at the Knoxville Raceway. Several contingencies were also on the line to raise the purse for the 360 show to over $73,000, and it showed as 52 360 sprint cars showed up. Higday led all 25 laps but he and the rest of the field never got into a racing rhythm as two reds and a yellow slowed the race early on.
One of the reds was when Higday and Jake Bubak rubbed wheels going into turn three and sent Bubak into the walk collecting Aaron Reutzel, who was running 3rd at the time. That put Austin McCarl in 2nd place, but he could not find a way around Higday as he held off McCarl. Higday told KNIA/KRLS Sports winning his first career 360 race at Knoxville in that fashion was something he never dreamed of.
Higday : “It’s huge. I honestly didn’t think we would get on a $10,000 to win show, but it’s a testament to our team we don’t’ give up and we dug ourselves a hole but got out of it in the heat race and was lucky enough to start on the pole and put 25 pretty good laps together.” In the 410s Reutzel had better luck as he took advantage of a long red to put new gearing in his car, and when the race restarted he got by Austin McCarl and led the final eight laps to win.
Next Saturday is the 410 Border Battle as Jackson Motorplex, Knoxville Raceway and Husets Speedway all pitch in for a 410 triple header weekend. 360 Shootout Results Time Trial Group one (Qualifying Order), 2 laps.