History: Hell Tour at Knoxville Raceway
Saturday, September 8, 2018
by Lee Ackerman
The United Midwest Promoters (UMP) Summer Nationals or Hell Tour as it is commonly referred to made two stops at the legendary Knoxville Raceway. The first was in 1999 and the second one, in the following year, 2000.
On July 13, 1999, the Hell Tour invaded the legendary half mile and after the checkers waved in the 50 lap feature it was Fargo, North Dakota’s Rick Aukland taking home over $10,000 in prize money and contingencies.
Batesville, Arkansas’ Billy Moyer set fast time for the evening. Heat races went to Bill Frye of Greenbrier, Arkansas, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tennessee and Steve Francis of Ashland, Kentucky. St. John’s Michigan’s Kris Patterson took the B feature while Aukland won the dash.
At the drop of the green in the feature, Moyer grabbed the lead from his outside pole position and he battled Aukland side-by-side for several laps with Aukland taking the lead on lap six. The drivers continued their battle pulling away from the field and by lap twelve they were lapping traffic, but that did little to slow down the two cars that were in a league by themselves.
The races only caution flew on lap 36, and when the green waved again the pair once again pulled away from the field with Aukland holding off Moyer for the win and a big paycheck. Rounding out the top five were; Robbie Starnes of Starkville, Mississippi, Shannon Babb of Decatur, Illinois and Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kansas.
Other drivers in the feature were Bill Frye, Wendell Wallace, Bob Pierce, Scott Bloomquist, Brian Birkhofer, Lance Mathees, Rick Egersdorf, Ken Schrader, Jimmy Mars, Kris Patterson, Jerry Redetzke, Gary Webb, Tony Izzo, Jr., Everett Brodham, Joel Cryderman, Johnny Johnson, Steve Francis, Ed Dixon and some driver from Columbus, Indiana named Tony Stewart. Billy Moyer was crowned the 1999 Hell Tour Champion.
The Hell Tour made its second stop at the Knoxville Raceway on July 11, 2000 with Billy Moyer grabbed the pole by virtue of winning the dash over Lance Matthees, Billy Drake, Kevin Weaver, Shannon Babb, Ed Dixon, Dennis Erb, Kevin Kilpatrick and Don O’Neal.
Shannon Babb set fast time in qualifying. Lakefield, Minnesota’s Willy Kraft won heat one over Erb, Matt Miller and Kris Patterson. Heat two went to Fargo, North Dakota’s Rick Aukland followed by Brian Birkhofer, Al Purkey and Donnie Barnhart. Rob Toland of Hillsdale, Illinois took heat three over Gary Webb, Darren Miller and Johnny Stokes.
Consolation races went to Chris Smyser over Curt Martin and Bill Frye. The second consolation race saw Martinsville, Indiana’s Don O’Neal take the checkers followed by Johnny Johnson and Jeff French. It was not be the last heard from O’Neal during the evening.
This time there was no stopping Moyer as he blasted off from the pole and won the “Hell Tour” event in convincing fashion. The action behind Moyer was pretty intense as Bill Frye started dead last and was up to fourth before he broke on lap 44. Shannon Babb and Rick Aukland retired about that time as well leaving Moyer along on the lead lap.
Brian Birkhofer would finish second, Don O’Neal third (coming from the consy), Gary Webb finished fourth, Billy Drake fifth, Kevin Weaver sixth (Weaver would later be crowned the 2000 UMP Summer Nationals Champion), Rob Toland seventh, Kris Patterson eight with Lance Matthees fading from his front row starting spot to ninth and Chris Smyser rounding out the top ten.
In 2010, the driver (Billy Moyer) we have come to know as “Mr. Smooth” returned to the Knoxville Raceway for the Knoxville Late Models Nationals and accomplished something that no other driver has every accomplished and up until that point most fans thought impossible. He won all three nights of the Knoxville Late Model Nationals.
Billy Moyer is currently the winningest driver in Hell Tour history as they year he posted in his 100th Hell Tour win. Moyer also has won the Hell Tour Championship six times.
As can be seen by studying the list of drivers above, quit a few have been inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. Others listed above will eventually be inducted as well.
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