Benji Knight and Mattison Hoots collided during the second lap of the 25-lap feature. Despite that, Knight rallied from the back of a 17-car field to win the Monster Thunder Bomber race at Sumter Speedway in South Carolina.
“It was mostly my fault,” said Knight, 36, of Heath Springs, South Carolina. “I overdrove the corner and collected him.”
Knight is no rookie back marker. Since he started driving for car owner David Laney in 2018, Knight estimated he has won roughly 50% of the races he has entered. In fact, of the 18 events he has raced this year, he’s visited victory lane 15 times. However, even winning veteran racers make mistakes.
“It happens,” Knight said of making mistakes. “You really want to minimize your mistakes, but when you do make them, you have to be hard on yourself. If you don’t, you can’t get better.”
The crash fortunately only damaged the sheet metal. Knight’s team pulled out a fender to fix a tire rub and he went to the back out to start at the tail of the 17-car field.
With 25-lap feature, Knight couldn’t focus too much on his error. He had work to do.
“I knew they still had a lot of laps left,” said Knight. “We qualified on the pole, so I knew we had a good race car. I knew we was capable of winning. I tried to get my head back on straight. Your mindset is huge. If you think about all the negative stuff, there’s no way you can be successful, because you’re not focused on being successful.”
After a mental reset, the 36-year-old from Heath Springs, South Carolina, went to work. Benji Knight picked off car after car until he found himself in first and on his way to yet another victory.
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
