Donny Schatz wins Knoxville Nationals again

[August 18, 2009]  KNOXVILLE, Iowa (AP) -- Donny Schatz has powered his way to a fourth straight victory in the rain-delayed Knoxville Nationals sprint car race.

Schatz passed Joey Saldana for the lead on the 35th lap Sunday night and held on through the final five laps to collect the $150,000 first prize in the richest, most prestigious race on the sprint car circuit.

Now, he's just one short of the record five straight Nationals titles that Steve Kinser won from 1991-95.

Saldana, the runner-up for the third time in four years, led for the first 34 laps in the longest race in the 49 years of the Knoxville Nationals. But he had to slow to work his way around lapped traffic and that gave Schatz a chance to close the gap and eventually pass Saldana.

Pole sitter Stevie Smith finished third, and Tim Kaeding took fourth.

[Associated Press]

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