KNOXVILLE, Iowa — The time has come. NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s week is here.
More than 100 of the world’s best sprint car drivers are making their way to a small town in Iowa, and more than 20,000 fans are following them to fill Knoxville Raceway.
A sea of campers will spread across town. Race car haulers will populate grocery store parking lots. T-shirt trailers will line Lincoln St. It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
The 64th running of “The Granddaddy of ‘Em All” is ready to showcase four nights (Aug. 6-9) of elite sprint car racing. Split-field prelims on Wednesday, Aug. 6, and Thursday, Aug. 7, will line up the first eight rows for the finale.
Hard Knox Night on Friday, Aug. 8, offers a clean slate for those who had troubles during the prelims and will send four more to the main event. Saturday begins with the alphabet soup of mains to decide the last four cars to make the show. Then, all that’s left is the 50-lap finale for $195,000 and sprint car immortality.
ROYALTY
Many of Steve Kinser’s records are viewed as untouchable and with good reason, but one of “The King’s” most coveted marks is very much within reach this week.
Kinser won the sport’s most prestigious event a record 12 times during his illustrious career. At the time when he made it a dozen in 2002, no other competitor had more than five. The record looked out of reach. But just a little more than two decades later, Donny Schatz is knocking on the door.
After four runner-ups, the Fargo, ND driver finally broke through with his first Knoxville Nationals title in 2006. And once the door fell, Schatz refused to leave the room. He won the next three before finishing runner-up in 2010. Then, he proceeded to win five in a row with Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, equaling Kinser for the most consecutive triumphs.
Schatz collected two more in 2017 and 2022 to bring his total to 11. He was third in 2023 before slipping to 13th last year. Even with the recent dip in performance, it should come as no surprise if the 10-time World of Outlaws champion is in the hunt to tie Kinser’s record on Saturday.
THREE-PEAT
Schatz isn’t the only driver with a chance to make history this week.
Kyle Larson has his own opportunity standing ahead. The last two runnings have belonged to the Elk Grove, Calif., native as he led all 50 laps of the finale in 2023 and 2024. Only two men can say they’ve won the sport’s most prestigious race at least three times in a row, and it’s a pair of legends in Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz. Both are tied for the record with the longest streak, with five straight. Kinser was undefeated from 1991 through 1995, while Schatz proved unstoppable from 2011 through 2015.
There’s no reason to think “Yung Money” won’t be in contention aboard the Silva Motorsports No. 57 when the laps are fading on Saturday night. The only time he’s missed the podium at Knoxville in his last seven tries is when engine troubles while leading dealt him a DNF. He’s won nine of his last 19 races at the iconic half mile.
BACK FOR MORE
Schatz and Larson will be joined by four more former champions aiming to return to the sport’s pinnacle.
Sammy Swindell won the 1983 running, and the Germantown, Tenn., legend is set for his 49th Nationals. “Slammin’ Sammy” may only have the one victory, but he’s been on the podium seven more times, including three runner-ups.
Tim Shaffer topped a wild 50th running in 2010 when he bested Donny Schatz in the closing laps. The “Steel City Outlaw” will be aboard the Michael Dutcher Motorsports No. 17GP for the 64th edition.
Brad Sweet took the Kasey Kahne Racing No. 49 to Knoxville Nationals glory in 2018. The Grass Valley, Calif., native has been in the top 10 in eight of his dozen Feature starts at the sport’s biggest race.
David Gravel got his first Knoxville Nationals title a year after Sweet. The defending World of Outlaws champion was piloting the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 in 2019. He’s been a runner-up twice since then, finishing second in back-to-back years (2022 and 2023) with his current Big Game Motorsports team.
NEW CHAMPION?
While there are several returning champions aiming to add to their legacy, the entry list also features a stout group of competitors hoping to immortalize their name as a Knoxville Nationals winner.
Carson Macedo is among the favorites looking to secure their first triumph at “The Granddaddy of ‘Em All.” Jason Johnson’s victory lane words from his epic 2016 title still echo through the Marion County Fairground, and Macedo would love to get the “Ragin’ Cajun’s” team back to those hallowed grounds.
The Lemoore, Calif., native has won four times at Knoxville with the JJR crew, including a Knoxville Nationals prelim in 2023. His best finish in the finale is fourth last year.
Fellow Californian Rico Abreu has been one of the best sprint car drivers in the country this year. Five of his 13 wins have come at “The Sprint Car Capital of the World,” including one with the World of Outlaws in April. He’s fresh off winning the Knoxville 360 Nationals. Abreu’s best outing in the sport’s most prestigious event was seventh in 2023.
Brian Brown will continue to chase what’s been an elusive Knoxville Nationals victory. “Blackjack” finished second in three consecutive years from 2012 through 2014. The Higginsville, Mo., resident is Knoxville’s second winningest driver ever with 69 feature wins.
Logan Schuchart has come close to making the right turn into Knoxville Nationals Victory Lane multiple times in the past. The Hanover, Pa., native drove from 22nd to second in 2019 and 17th to third in 2022. Among Schuchart’s three Knoxville triumphs is a 2022 Knoxville Nationals prelim.
Michael “Buddy” Kofoid has never won at Knoxville, but his season to date says he absolutely cannot be counted out. He’s won nine races, including a pair of six-figure scores at Huset’s Speedway. The Roth Motorsports team has raked in north of $600,000 this season, adding $25,000 at the Ironman 55 this past weekend. The 23-year-old’s best Knoxville finish is a 2023 runner-up with the All Star Circuit of Champions.
Ryan Timms can’t be overlooked, considering the success he’s had at Knoxville this year with the Liebig Motorsports team. They’ve won five times, including four in 410 competition. Scott Bogucki wheeled the Liebig No. 10 to an eighth-place finish last year in the event.
Anthony Macri notched the first piece of sprint car racing’s Triple Crown when he was crowned at Eldora Speedway’s Kings Royal last month, and Knoxville presents the second leg with October’s J&S Classics National Open at Williams Grove Speedway being the final.
Only two men – Doug Wolfgang (1985) and Donny Schatz (2007) – have ever won all three in the same year. The Dillsburg, Pa., native has five Knoxville top-five finishes on the résumé.
He may be on the path to NASCAR stardom now, but Corey Day still budgets plenty of time for sprint cars, and he’ll be chasing a Knoxville Nationals title with Jason Meyers Racing. The Clovis, Calif., phenom drove from 11th to third last year. Two of Day’s three career World of Outlaws victories have come at Knoxville.
NEW PLACES
In recent weeks, an early start to sprint car silly season and injuries have moved some prominent names in the sport to new seats ahead of Knoxville.
Plenty of eyes will be on Giovanni Scelzi as he goes for his first Knoxville Nationals title. He finished second last year with KCP Racing but recently parted ways with the Iowa-based team and will be filling in for the injured Tyler Courtney aboard the Clauson Marshall Racing No. 7bc. Scelzi is an eight-time Knoxville feature winner, including the 2021 360 Nationals.
Scelzi’s departure opened the KCP ride, which was quickly filled by Emerson Axsom as the team still intends to complete the 2025 World of Outlaws campaign. Axsom was last year’s Knoxville Nationals JETCO Rookie of the Year, and he’s won twice at the half-mile.
Aaron Reutzel was sidelined due to a foot injury after an incident at Eldora last month, and Californian Justin Sanders got the call to fill in aboard the Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87. He’s won a dozen races out on the west coast so far this year. Sanders made the Knoxville Nationals feature in 2022, driving for Swindell Speedlab.
IOWA’S TIME?
It’s hard to believe, but through 63 runnings, no driver from the state of Iowa has ever won the Knoxville Nationals. Could this finally be the year?
There’s one driver that stands out as a favorite in that effort, and his name is Austin McCarl. The Altoona, Iowa, native is a three-time 410 track champion, including the last two titles with the Country Builders Racing team. “The Big Unit” earned the Knoxville Nationals pole in 2022 and led a lap. Overall, he’s won at Knoxville on 11 occasions.
McCarl may be the favorite, but he’ll be joined by many more Hawkeyes looking to make history. There are currently 15 Iowa natives pre-entered. Also among them is Austin’s father Terry, who has made 22 feature starts in the finale, highlighted by a 2007 podium finish.
ROOKIES
Every year is another opportunity to win the Knoxville Nationals, but an honor every single competitor only has one shot at is the JETCO Rookie of the Year. Fifteen drivers have pre-entered to battle to cement their name as the top rookie.
Among them is World of Outlaws rookie Conner Morrell, as the Bradenton, Fla., native is set for his first attempt at “The Granddaddy of ‘Em All” driving for Bill Rose Racing.
Oklahoman Daison Pursley will be among the favorites for Rookie of the Year aboard the Buch Motorsports No. 13. He’s won at Knoxville before without wings, topping a USAC race last year.
Ashton Torgerson will be making not only his Knoxville Nationals debut, but also his Knoxville Raceway debut. He’ll pilot the Shark Racing No. 1a.
This trio will be competing with several others for Rookie of the Year honors, including Hank Davis, Thomas Meseraull, Joel Myers Jr., Matt VanderVere and more.
