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, ILÂ
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, ARÂ
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, FLÂ
24r       Rico Abreu      St. Helena, CA
25        Daison Pursley Locust Grove, OKÂ
26        Zeb Wise         Angola, IN
27a      Emerson Axsom          Franklin, INÂ
27b      Jake Bubak      Arvada, CO
27w     Weston Olson Warren, MNÂ
28        Joe Perry         Billings, MTÂ
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, IAÂ
49        Brad Sweet     Grass Valley, CAÂ
49j       Josh Schneiderman     West Burlington, IA
53        Jessie Attard   Landilo, Australia
55c      Chris Windom Canton, IL
57        Kyle Larson      Elk Grove, CAÂ
58        Kaleb Johnson Sioux Falls, SD
65        Jordan Goldeberry      Springfield, IL
69k      Daryn Pittman Owasso, OK
74        Xavier Doney   Odessa, MOÂ
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