OXFORD — While he might have been away from the controls of a Super Late Model for two months, it sure didn’t take him long to get back up to speed.

When Shawn Knight took over the reins of his own car in the premier class at Oxford on June 20 after Justin Gibbons elected to step aside, it looked as if he’d been driving it every week.

“That was only the second time I’ve driven the car this year,” Knight said. “It was the first time I’ve run a weekly race in it, and it definitely felt nice.”

His first outing with the new Dale Shaw-built chassis with T.J. Brackett updates wasn’t anything to write home about. 

“I ran the PASS North opener with it back in April, but didn’t get the results we wanted. I led several laps and was on pace to have a good finish, but contact with Scott Mulkern bent an upper ball joint and quickly spoiled our day.”

Last week, no contact with another racer or mechanical gremlin stood in the way of success.

“I guess more than anything for me, that win last week proved a point that the car is strong. I’ve had some really good runs in some big races and some really fast cars. My challenge is that I don’t have a lot of time. I own my own business, so there are times when my race car doesn’t get the proper maintenance. That is my downfall in the bigger races.”

Between mid-April and late June while Gibbons was running his Super Late Model, Knight built a few cars for the entry-level Bandit class. He jumped behind the wheel of one for two races, and speaks highly of the concept behind the relatively new division.

“I actually ran the Enduro event with one of them and finished second,” Knight said. “That car wasn’t quite fast enough, so we built another one. This latest car is pretty good; I built it to drive myself and just have a little fun. Now that it’s going good, I’ll give somebody else a chance to race it.”

Knight says the entry-level class is growing weekly and serves as the ideal place to learn.

“Somebody can build a car for that class without spending a ton of money. I think I have maybe $500 to $600 in mine, but that was without a roll cage. I’m installing a cage now, because with somebody else behind the wheel, I have to make safety my top priority.”

In a 15-year career behind the wheel, Knight has earned 10 victories, piloting everything from a Street Stock, to a Limited Sportsman and ACT-style Late Model. Before June 20, his most recent win came at the controls of an ACT type machine in 2012.

“I bought my first Late Model from Mitch and Judy at Crazy Horse Racing in 2008,” Knight said. “I won Rookie-of-the-Year honors that year, and won my first feature in 2009. I ran three full seasons in that ACT Late Model, finishing inside the top five in points each year.”

With all of the horsepower and grip his Super Late Model provides, you’d expect that to be his favorite machine to drive. Yet Knight says the ACT machines bring out the best in a driver.

“As much as I enjoy driving my Super Late Model, the ACT cars just suited my driving style. Those cars are often three-wide around Oxford, and I don’t mind running the middle or far outside line. I think it helped my skills and taught me some things I can use today. It takes finesse and momentum to be good in an ACT car, but the Super Late Model is more forgiving.”

No matter what type of car, level of competition or length of race, Knight is always up for the challenge. Last Saturday night, he ventured down to the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway to compete in the Pro Series 125. He finished a solid third to represent the Oxford contingent in impressive fashion. 

“I tell everybody I’m not a great race car driver,” Knight added. “I go to the track to have fun and be competitive. I like to know that when I do go there, I have a shot to win. I’m not there to ride around at the back.

“I just love to compete and try to get the best possible finish each time out. I’ve come up through the classes and learned the hard way, but that’s how it supposed to go. I will be running some more races at Oxford; I’d love to win a couple more SLM features this summer and have a solid run in the 250. If we can do that, 2015 will have been a fantastic season.”

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