KNOXVILLE, Iowa — As has become tradition, Friday’s Hard Knox qualifying night for the 65th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals will be stacked with heavy hitters who struggled during the opening two nights of qualifying.
Those who wound up 27th (Tasker Phillips) through 96th in points (Joe Simbro) will take part in a full program of qualifying, heats and features with the top four finishers earning starting positions 21-24 for Saturday night’s $200,000-to-win main event.
Headlining the field is reigning Knoxville Nationals champion Ryan Timms, who won last week’s 360 Knoxville Nationals. Timms’ Liebig Motorsports No. 10 had mechanical issues on Wednesday night, and as a result will have to try again on Friday.
Eleven-time Knoxville Nationals winner Donny Schatz will be back on the track in the CJB Motorsports No. 5 on Friday night, looking to make his 25th Nationals main event.
Schatz will be accompanied by fellow World of Outlaws drivers Spencer Bayston, Chris Windom, Skylar Gee, Steven Snyder Jr. and Kase Jedrzejek in the Hard Knox program.
Giovanni Scelzi, driving the Spire Motorsports No. 77, also struggled on his qualifying night, and will have to give it another go Friday.
In addition to Scelzi, High Limit Racing drivers in Friday’s field will be Tanner Holmes, Kerry Madsen, Chase Randall, Justin Peck, Daison Pursley, Brock Zearfoss, Brenham Crouch, and Danny Sams III.
Danny Dietrich, Brady Bacon and Sam Hafertepe Jr. are among others in the field on Friday.
Friday “Hard Knox” Drivers (Point Totals)
27 Tasker Phillips 426
28 Spencer Bayston 422
29 Jy Corbet 421
30 Sawyer Phillips 416
31 Tanner Holmes 416
32 Scott Bogucki 415
33 Xavier Doney 414
34 Zach Hampton 413
35 Danny Dietrich 412
36 Skylar Gee 411
37 Chris Martin 410
38 Creed Kemenah 407
39 Kaleb Johnson 407
40 Danny Sams III 406
41 Ryan Timms 406
42 Kerry Madsen 404
43 Justin Peck 403
44 Sam Hafertepe Jr 402
45 Chase Randall 402
46 Daison Pursley 401
47 Riley Goodno 400
48 Brady Bacon 400
49 Jack Dover 395
50 Josh Schneiderman 390
51 Carson McCarl 389
52 Christopher Thram 388
53 Steven Snyder Jr 388
54 Brock Zearfoss 386
55 Rees Moran 385
56 Ayrton Gennetten 384
57 Darin Naida 384
58 Donny Schatz 381
59 Kasey Jedrzejek 379
60 Giovanni Scelzi 378
61 Matt Juhl 372
62 Brenham Crouch 370
63 Clint Garner 370
64 Landon Crawley 370
65 Cale Thomas 367
66 Chris Windom 361
67 Derek Hagar 358
68 Hank Davis 356
69 Logan Julien 354
70 Jack Anderson 349
71 Lynton Jeffrey 348
72 Cap Henry 344
73 Levi Hillier 344
74 Ashton Torgerson 344
75 Conner Morrell 341
76 Jamie Ball 333
77 R.J. Johnson 330
78 Matt Covington 327
79 Sammy Swindell 323
80 Cameron Martin 318
81 Kelby Watt 317
82 Cole Mincer 317
83 Will Armitage 315
84 Jimmy Light 310
85 Kade Higday 309
86 John Carney II 307
87 J.J. Hickle 302
88 Joel Myers Jr 301
89 Ben Brown 300
90 Rodney Huband 294
91 Garrett Benson 285
92 Austyn Gossel 280
93 Scotty Johnson 274
94 Gage Pulkrabek 269
95 Brooke Tatnell 267
96 Joe Simbro 263
