Brown stayed out front to claim the Thursday night win, with runner-up Larson unable to close.
Brent Marks, Brad Sweet, Rico Abreu, Kasey Kahne, Austin McCarl, Ian Madsen, Kraig Kinser, and Sye Lynch rounded out the top 10.
After the two regular nights of qualifying, Gio Scelzi topped the points from qualifying, heats, and prelim feature finishes to claim the pole, with Brad Sweet second to sit alongside him on the front row for Saturday. Larson and Marks were locked in for row two on Saturday, and the rest of the top-16 in points locked into the remaining top 16 starting positions.
The top-four finishers in the Friday Hard Knox night preliminary feature earn the 21st through 24th starting positions in the Saturday night finale, offering a second chance to make the field for drivers who were unable to lock in on their regular prelim night. Transfers from Saturday night‘s B-Main take starting positions 17 through 20.
Daryn Pittman earned quick time in the Swindell Speedlabs No. 39 with a lap of 15.583.
Jac Haudenschild has competed in a partial season in 2021, driving a car owned by Rico Abreu featuring his popular throwback Pennzoil yellow No. 22 graphic scheme. Jac has touted the season as his final year of driving sprint cars, and on Friday night Haud turned a lap of 15.686 to qualify second.
Haudenschild and his teammate/car owner Abreu led the field to the green to start the Friday night prelim, with “The Wild Child” taking the early lead.
Abreu took over the lead on lap six and stayed out front to claim the win. Anthony Macri (who started third) took the runner-up spot. Shane Stewart earned the hard-charger award, coming from 11th to third, and Brock Zearfoss claimed the fourth spot, with all four earning their starting positions in Saturday night‘s big show.
Haudenschild was in a transfer position, running fourth, until the final three laps, when he was passed by Zearfoss and Scott Bogucki to end his night in sixth.
When the green flag dropped on Saturday night, Gio Scelzi jumped out to the early lead, but behind him it was Schatz and Larson battling for position, setting up the battle of the race, with Schatz settling into second.
KNOXVILLE NATIONALS (50 laps)
1 – Kyle Larson
2 – Donny Schatz
3 – Brad Sweet
4 – Gio Scelzi
5 – Logan Schuchart
6 – Brent Marks
7 – James McFadden
8 – Kasey Kahne
9 – Carson Macedo
10 – Sheldon Haudenschild
11 – Kerry Madsen
12 – Brooke Tatnell
13 – Justin Peck
14 – Shane Stewart
15 – Brock Zearfoss
16 – Ian Madsen
17 – Anthony Macri
18 – David Gravel
19 – Justin Henderson
20 – Brian Brown
21 – Tyler Courtney
22 – Cory Eliason
23 – Rico Abreu
24 – Danny Dietrich
Scelzi would lead the first 10 circuits before Schatz used the low-line to take the point in turn two on lap 11. Larson would hunt down and pass Scelzi before setting sights on Schatz.
On lap 24, Larson pounced, leading Schatz across the line. Schatz fought back on the top and the two were side-by-side in turn two when the caution flag flew for the halfway fuel stop.
Larson, Schatz, Scelzi, David Gravel, Brent Marks, Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne, Carson Macedo, James McFadden, and Brooke Tatnell were the top 10 for the restart.
Danny Dietrich dropped out with mechanical difficulties shortly thereafter. Three laps later, just as David Gravel had passed Scelzi for third exiting turn two, Brian Brown got into the fence, collecting Tyler Courtney and Brock Zearfoss. Cory Eliason was collected as Courtney flipped. Brown, Courtney, and Eliason sustained heavy damage and were done for the night. Sheldon Haudenschild also headed to the work area with a flat right rear.
Larson, Schatz, Scelzi, Gravel, Sweet, Kahne, Marks, Macedo, McFadden, and Schuchart were the top 10 for the restart.
Gravel would pass Scelzi for third, then Sweet also made a pass on Scelzi before Gravel came to a stop with 19-to-go, ending his night.
Larson remained out front as the laps ticked down, taking advantage of the lane that had taken rubber during the event, while Schatz struggled to close. Schatz got a run down the backstretch on the final lap, pulling alongside to the outside of Larson as the two came through turn four, before Larson pulled away down the frontstretch to claim the win. Brad Sweet earned the final spot on the podium.