Tulsa, OK | December 27, 2017 – Another Sweet Springs, Missouri based team making the trip to Oklahoma, the Donald Knipmeyer Motorsports group is slated for six entries between three drivers at this week’s 33rd annual Lucas Oil Tulsa Shootout. Bringing a trio of competitors, DKM has enlisted the talent of Quinn Jones, Quinton Benson and Braden Knipmeyer to pilot their Driven Midwest, Outlaw Wings, CSI Shocks entries. With six opportunities for a Golden Driller on the line, their lineup will feature Quinn Jones in A-Class and Stock Non-Wing, Quinton Benson in the Stock Non-Wing, Outlaw Non-Wing and Winged Outlaw classes, and young Braden Knipmeyer in the Restricted division.
A stout squad of competitors in the weekly ranks at the Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex, DKM turned in a phenomenal season of racing at their home track. Scoring 11 top-five finishes and three victories, Braden Knipemeyer broke through for a second-place finish in the point standings, a mere 57-markers out of the championship. A noted A-Class veteran, Quinn Jones guided his No. 17 to three victories, nine top-five finishes and a seventh-place run at the Show-Me Showdown. A wingless ace in his own right, Quinton Benson snagged nine top-five finishes in limited action at Sweet Springs, including a top five at both the Show-Me Showdown and John Hinck Championship.
With eight appearances at the Tulsa Shootout, Jones has been notoriously unlucky at the Oklahoma event, but looks to flip the script this year. Earning his first feature start at last year’s 32nd annual race, Jones suffered a 23rd-place DNF early in the Stock Non-Wing feature. Planning to carry his momentum from a strong 2017 season into this week, Jones will enter as a true dark horse in the A-Class and Stock Non-Wing divisions.
Making his 11th attempt at the Tulsa Shootout this week, Quinton Benson has secured five feature starts, two top-five results and his own piece of history during his time in Tulsa. Scoring a third-place finish in Stock Non-Wing and fifth-place run in Outlaw Non-Wing in 2016, Benson became one of only five drivers to finish in the top five of both non-wing features in the same year. Outside of that strong showing at the 31st annual race, Benson’s Shootout adventures have been relatively troubling with three DNF’s haunting his record. The veteran nearly snagged another top-five finish in 2015, but a last-lap incident with Frank Flud ended with a DNF for both drivers and the culmination of an on-track brawl after the checkered flag.
For the young gun of the bunch, Braden Knipmeyer will be competing in his third Tulsa Shootout. Making his debut in 2016, the up and comer went home with 20th-place result in the main event. After missing out on last year’s feature, the Sweet Springs native returns with his sights set on a career-best run in Tulsa this week.
Beginning on Thursday, December 28th with practice and heat races, the 33rd edition of the Lucas Oil Tulsa Shootout will run through Sunday, December 31st when a new batch of Golden Driller winners are crowned. Walkapedia will continue our Tulsa Shootout coverage all week long with countless previews leading up to the race as we highlight this year’s contenders.
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