KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Defending Knoxville Nationals winner Kyle Larson enters the 63rd running of the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals on a hot streak.
Larson drove Paul Silva’s No. 57 to a sweep of the Ironman 55 last weekend and followed it up by winning the Front Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway on Monday night. The NASCAR Cup Series point leader has won six sprint car features this season.
Larson, who has won two of the past three runnings of the Nationals, will be joined by High Limit Racing point leader Brad Sweet, who drives the familiar No. 49 Kasey Kahne Racing machine and who previously won the Nationals in 2018. Sweet is a seven-time feature winner this season.
World of Outlaws regulars Logan Schuchart and Carson Macedo will be among the top contenders to win this year’s Nationals. Schuchart drives the Shark Racing No. 1s, while Macedo guides the No. 41 fielded by Jason Johnson Racing, which won the Nationals with David Gravel in 2019 and its namesake Jason Johnson in 2016.
Other World of Outlaws drivers hitting the track Thursday night are Bill Balog and Landon Crawley.
Tyler Courtney, a winner of nine 410 winged sprint car features this season and last week’s 360 Knoxville Nationals, leads a contingent of High Limit Racing drivers that includes Spencer Bayston, Cory Eliason, Rico Abreu, Zeb Wise, James McFadden, Brenham Crouch and Tanner Thorson. Abreu has won seven features this season, including Sunday night’s Capitani Classic at Knoxville Raceway.
Other travelers in the field Thursday, include USAC midget point leader Daison Pursley, Midwestern winged racer Emerson Axsom, two-time World of Outlaws feature winner and six-time USAC sprint car champion Brady Bacon, and 2013 World of Outlaws champion Daryn Pittman, who will drive Don Kreitz Jr.’s familiar No. 69k machine.
Brian Brown, a winner of 66 features at Knoxville Raceway, leads the local contingent. Driving his own No. 21, Brown is still chasing an elusive Nationals victory despite finishing second three consecutive years in 2012-14.
Two-time track champion Austin McCarl, the polesitter for the Nationals in 2022, will drive his familiar No. 88 machine.
Other weekly Knoxville racers hitting the track on Thursday night include Tasker Phillips, Tim Kaeding, Dusty Zomer, Justin Henderson, Mark Dobmeier, Terry McCarl, Brooke Tatnell and Clint Garner.
Thursday Night Entries
1c Brenham Crouch Lubbock, TX
1d Tasker Phillips Pleasantville, IA
1k Kelby Watt Adel, IA
1s Logan Schuchart Hanover, PA
2m Ryan Giles Grimes, IA
3 Tim Kaeding San Jose, CA
3g Ayrton Gennetten Gravois Mills, MO
3j Dusty Zomer Sioux Falls, SD
3n Jake Neuman New Berlin, IL
5 Spencer Bayston Lebanon, IN
5x Justin Henderson Tea, SD
6 Robbie Price Cobble Hill, British Columbia
7bc Tyler Courtney, Indianapolis, IN
7s Landon Crawley Benton, AR
8 Cory Eliason Visalia, CA
9h Landon Hansen Newton, IA
13jt Mark Dobmeier Grand Forks, ND
14t Brooke Tatnell Sans Souci, Australia
17b Bill Balog Hartland, WI
19s Hunter Schuerenberg Sikeston, MO
21 Brian Brown Grain Valley, CA
21h Brady Bacon Broken Arrow, OK
22x J.J. Hickle Quilcene, WA
23r Ryan Roberts Aurora, NE
24 Terry McCarl Altoona, IA
24d Danny Sams III North Port, FL
24r Rico Abreu St. Helena, CA
25 Daison Pursley Locust Grove, OK
26 Zeb Wise Angola, IN
27a Emerson Axsom Franklin, IN
27b Jake Bubak Arvada, CO
27w Weston Olson Warren, MN
28 Joe Perry Billings, MT
33w Cap Henry Republic, OH
35 Zach Hampton Mooresville, IN
36 Jason Martin Liberal, KS
40 Clint Garner Sioux Falls, SD
41 Carson Macedo Lemoore, CA
42 Sye Lynch Apollo, PA
44x Scotty Johnson Melcher-Dallas, IA
49 Brad Sweet Grass Valley, CA
49j Josh Schneiderman West Burlington, IA
53 Jessie Attard Landilo, Australia
55c Chris Windom Canton, IL
57 Kyle Larson Elk Grove, CA
58 Kaleb Johnson Sioux Falls, SD
65 Jordan Goldeberry Springfield, IL
69k Daryn Pittman Owasso, OK
74 Xavier Doney Odessa, MO
83sr James McFadden Alice Springs, Australia
88 Austin McCarl Altoona, IA
88t Tanner Thorson Broken Arrow, OK
91 Kyle Reinhardt Neptune City, NJ
95 Tyler Drueke Eagle, NE
