KNOXVILLE, Iowa — The most coveted event on the American Sprint Car Series schedule is here.
The 36th edition of Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank, takes shape Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 6-8, with more than 100 cars signed up to visit the Iowa half-mile dirt track.
The three-day event will feature two prelim nights to set the grid, then Saturday’s finale has the best drivers competing for 30 laps around the Sprint Car Capital of the World for a $20,000-to-win prize and $1,000-to-start.
How It Works
Knoxville tests the best in sprint cars with a unique format that spreads out through the three nights, awarding points in every session to accumulate a nightly total.
The field is split between Thursday and Friday for preliminary competition. The quick time award winner earns 200 points, with a two-point decrease for each position that follows. The top 50 drivers transfer to heats while the remainder of the field goes into a non-qualifier race, with the top eight filling the back of the C Main. Fifty points will be awarded to the winner, and a three-point drop-off will follow each spot.
Each of the heat races will have a six-car invert, as the winner will score 100 points and a three-point distance for positions will apply. The point totals determine where each driver will roll for the A, B, or C features.
The top four finishers in the C will transfer to the B, with the winner taking 92 points. The B Main will take the top four to the prelim’s Feature, with the night’s overall winner taking 200 points.
At the end of Friday’s program, Saturday’s feature lineups will be set directly by points, with the first tiebreaker being the finishing position in the prelim feature. The next tiebreaker will be determined by qualifying time. Saturday’s E, D, and C features will only take the top two to the next feature, while the Last Chance Showdown will lock in four drivers for the championship feature.
Special First
Kyler Johnson broke through a four-year wait for his first ASCS National Tour victory when he held off the likes of Seth Bergman, Austyn Gossel, and Matt Covington at Viking Speedway.
Along with being a triumphant moment, the victory was a much-needed boost for Johnson and his team. While they’ve had a fast No. 45X Maxim Chassis, mechanical issues have hindered several of their chances to put together a good run.
Heading into Knoxville, Johnson is sitting at the highest he’s ever been in ASCS points (fourth), and will be vying for his first feature start in both prelim nights and the Saturday finale.
Lemons Into Lemonade
Sam Hafertepe Jr. has faced tough competition throughout the 2026 season as he leads the standings by 23 markers over Matt Covington into the 360 Knoxville Nationals.
The Sunnyvale, Texas, driver’s resilience showed at Viking when his car shut down during the heat race, but solved the issue in time to roll back on track to finish the eight-lap chase. In the night’s feature, he hit a tractor tire and spun while attempting to pass Matt Covington for fourth, but came back at the end to pass him for fifth.
While Hafertepe owns three prelim night victories (2021-22, 2024), he has yet to win the Saturday finale. He’s finished runner-up in the championship feature twice (2014 and 2022), but he’s looking to make 2026 the year where he stands atop the car for a $20,000 payday.
Bounty Hunters
A star-studded roster of the best drivers in 410 and 360 sprint cars will clash under the lights for three nights, highlighted by former champions, rising threats, and “Hawkeye State” locals searching for their first Nationals victory.
Of the 114 cars that have pre-registered, 10 are former 360 Nationals champions, including Terry McCarl, Brian Brown, Sammy Swindell, Clint Garner, James McFadden, Kerry Madsen, Gio Scelzi, Aaron Reutzel, Tyler Courtney, and Rico Abreu.
Four are ASCS champions – Hafertepe, Seth Bergman, Blake Hahn, and Reutzel.
Ryan Timms and NASCAR champion Kyle Larson are the last two NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals pres. by Casey’s champions and will both be looking for their first 360 Nationals win.
Several Iowa natives will also be chasing their first 360 Nationals win, including the Martin brothers Chris and Cameron, the McCarl brothers Austin and Carson, and Tasker Phillips.
There will also be a stacked list of rookies, with 23 first-timers in the event. Among the rookies are ASCS Rookie of the Year contender Cole Schroeder, Whit Gastineau, Malvern Bank ASCS Midwest Region points leader Jack Thomas, and 2025 ASCS Rookie of the Year Garrett Benson.
