KNOXVILLE, Iowa — After two nights of the 63rd NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals, the top 26 in points have been locked into Saturday night’s $190,000-to-win main event, the remainder of the 106 drivers will participate in Friday night’s Hard Knox qualifying program at Knoxville Raceway.
It’s a star-studded field.
The field is headlined by 11-time Nationals winner Donny Schatz, who was 47th in points, and includes three other drivers — Tim Shaffer, Kraig Kinser and Sammy Swindell — who have won sprint car racing’s biggest race.
The program gives Schatz and the rest of the field new life as the top four finishers in Friday’s 25-lap main event will earn starting positions 21 through 24 in Saturday’s main event. Sixteen positions are already set and spots 17 through 20 will transfer through Saturday’s B main.
The competition for Friday’s four qualifying positions may be stronger than any year since the Hard Knox format was introduced in 2019.
Buddy Kofoid and Logan Schuchart, who rank fifth and sixth, respectively in World of Outlaws points, will each be in action on Friday night, while High Limit Racing regulars Zeb Wise, Kasey Kahne, Spencer Bayston and Parker Price-Miller will also be among the participants.
Knoxville Raceway regulars Aaron Reutzel, who wound up 27th in points and missed being locked in by one spot, Kerry Madsen, Austin McCarl and Mark Dobmeier will be contenders as will traveling racers Danny Dietrich, Ryan Timms, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Cole Macedo and Emerson Axsom.
Friday’s program begins with split group qualifying and includes six heat races, a C main, two B mains and the 25-lap feature, which transfers four to Saturday’s main event.
The remaining cars and drivers from Friday’s Hard Knox program will complete the B main and fill the C, D and E mains on Saturday night.
Friday Hard Knox Night
27. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 430
28. 26-Zeb Wise, 427
29. 9-Kasey Kahne, 424
30. 55-Kerry Madsen, 424
31. 18T-Tanner Holmes, 418
32. 27-Carson McCarl, 417
33. 19S-Hunter Schuerenberg, 416
34. 9P-Parker Price Miller, 413
35. 24D-Danny Sams III, 409
36. 58-Kaleb Johnson, 408
37. 48-Danny Dietrich, 407
38. 14J-Jack Dover, 401
39. 35-Zach Hampton, 400
40. 83JR-Michael Kofoid, 400
41. 36-Jason Martin, 399
42. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 398
43. 1K-Kelby Watt, 398
44. 5T-Ryan Timms, 397
45. 22-Riley Goodno, 397
46. 1D-Tasker Phillips, 396
47. 15-Donny Schatz, 392
48. 52-Blake Hahn, 390
49. 7S-Landon Crawley, 389
50. 4W-Jamie Ball, 388
51. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 388
52. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 387
53. 5-Spencer Bayston, 386
54. 88-Austin McCarl, 385
55. 2X-Lynton Jeffrey, 385
56. 6B-Brandon Wimmer, 383
57. 3G-Ayrton Gennetten, 382
58. 3P-Sawyer Phillips, 382
59. 1C-Brenham Crouch, 380
60. J2-John Carney II, 377
61. 5X-Justin Henderson, 377
62. 1M-Don Droud Jr, 376
63. 21T-Cole Macedo, 376
64. 25-Daison Pursley, 375
65. 27A-Emerson Axsom, 368
66. 55C-Chris Windom, 359
67. 42-Sye Lynch, 359
68. 24T-Christopher Thram, 358
69. 74-Xavier Doney, 357
70. 88T-Tanner Thorson, 355
71. 49J-Josh Schneiderman, 354
72. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 346
73. 23L-Jimmy Light, 344
74. 55T-McKenna Haase, 343
75. 40-Clint Garner, 340
76. 70-Kraig Kinser, 337
77. 101-Kalib Henry, 332
78. 6-Robbie Price, 326
79. 27B-Jake Bubak, 325
80. 45X-Jace Park, 313
81. 22X-J.J. Hickle, 313
82. 3-Tim Kaeding, 310
83. 44-Chris Martin, 310
84. 6W-Dustin Selvage, 307
85. 99-Skylar Gee, 301
86. 17GP-Cale Thomas, 297
87. 19H-Joel Myers, 290
88. 27W-Weston Olson, 289
89. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, 289
90. 2M-Ryan Giles, 287
91. 24-Terry McCarl, 283
92. 15JR-Cole Mincer, 278
93. 23M-Lance Moss, 275
94. 10V-Brian Paulus, 268
95. 3N-Jake Neuman, 268
96. G5-Gage Pulkrabek, 267
97. 91-Kyle Reinhardt, 265
98. 53-Jessie Attard, 264
99. 18R-Ryan Roberts, 259
100. 11N-Kasey Jedrzejek, 255
101. 95-Tyler Drueke, 238
102. 2K-Kevin Ingle, 236
103. 14T-Brooke Tatnell, 235
104. 1-Sammy Swindell, 229
105. 28-Joe Perry, 222
106. 9H-Landon Hansen, 209