Preview: 360 Knoxville Nationals – SPEED SPORT

KNOXVILLE, Iowa — The most important 360 dash automobile occasion on this planet is right here.

The thirty fifth annual Xtream Powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals introduced by Nice Southern Financial institution goes inexperienced this weekend with a loaded roster of expertise able to battle for a potential $35,000 payday at Knoxville Raceway.

The three-day program spans Thursday–Saturday, July 31– Aug. 2 and begins with back-to-back preliminary night time packages on Thursday–Friday.

All drivers have been break up into both Thursday or Friday’s preliminary program and can accumulate factors for finishes within the qualifying and Characteristic occasions all through the night time. On the conclusion of Friday’s program, the highest 20 drivers in occasion factors might be locked into Saturday’s principal occasion, whereas all different drivers will race the decrease mains and vie for one of many closing 4 switch spots into the 30-lap, $20,000-to-win principal occasion.

Every lap of Saturday night time’s principal occasion is price an additional $500 for the chief of that lap, making for a potential $35,000 payday ought to the race winner lead all 30 circuits across the historic half-mile oval.

TEAM ASCS

The celebs of the American Dash Automotive Collection are set to tackle an extra-large area of various contenders this weekend, starting from Knoxville’s weekly opponents, numerous nationwide 410 dash automobile standouts and a slew of previous champions.

Sam Hafertepe Jr. is the nationwide ASCS factors chief, at present driving one of many greatest scorching streaks of his profession with 5 wins within the final 5 collection occasions. The five-time collection champion from Sunnyvale, Texas, has received 4 instances in his profession at Knoxville, together with three 360 Nationals preliminary night time options in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

He has by no means received on Saturday night time within the marquee occasion, however was runner-up within the finale on two events, ending second to Brian Brown in 2014 and Aaron Reutzel in 2022.

Blake Hahn is second within the nationwide ASCS factors standings, coming off a runner-up end final Saturday at Missouri’s Benton Speedway. The 2-time collection champion from Sapulpa, Okla., has by no means been to victory lane at The Dash Automotive Capital of the World, however notched a top-five end in a 410 Knoxville Nationals preliminary night time characteristic in 2023. His greatest 360 Nationals end got here in 2021, when he completed sixteenth within the finale.

Matt Covington ranks third within the standings and is one in every of solely 5 drivers to win in nationwide ASCS competitors by the primary 14 races on the schedule.

The multi-time ASCS regional champion from Glenpool, Okla., has a greatest profession end of third on the iconic half-mile oval — twice — which got here in Midwest Energy Collection competitors in 2022 and weekly motion this previous Might. His greatest end within the 360 Nationals finale was an Eleventh-place end result one 12 months in the past.

Jason Martin has but to achieve victory lane with the collection by the primary 14 races of 2025 however has a second-best 5 podium finishes amongst all drivers (tied with Hahn). His greatest 360 Nationals preliminary characteristic end got here in 2023, when he ran sixth after beginning on the surface pole. He’s made the principle occasion on Saturday twice in his profession, with outcomes of twenty first (2017) and twenty second (2023).

KNOXVILLE’S FINEST

Knoxville Raceway hosts weekly 360 dash automobile opponents chasing one of the vital prestigious observe championships in your entire nation.

Tasker Phillips is the factors chief and has been the standout driver in weekly 360 competitors this 12 months, successful three options, together with the newest occasion final Saturday night time. The Pleasantville, Iowa-native has a greatest profession 360 Nationals end of sixth, which got here one 12 months in the past.

Clint Garner is second to virtually no person in accomplishments in 360 dash automobile racing at Knoxville. The nine-time observe champion from Sioux Falls, S.D., is second on the observe’s all-time 360 wins listing with 48 — the newest of which got here on Might 3 — and is the 2017 360 Nationals winner. He’s second in observe standings.

Tyler Groenendyk has the second-most characteristic wins (2) in weekly 360 competitors thus far this season and is third within the standings. The 2021 Knoxville Professional Sprints observe champion from Oskaloosa, Iowa, certified for the 360 Nationals principal occasion for the primary time one 12 months in the past however didn’t end.

Jamie Ball is a former 360 Nationals preliminary night time characteristic winner, taking the checkers on opening night time of the 2016 version of the occasion. The Knoxville native clinched his first Knoxville observe championship within the 360 division final 12 months and is ninth on the observe’s all-time 360 characteristic wins with 11. His greatest 360 Nationals principal occasion end got here in 2017, when he ran fifth.

410 INVADERS

A bunch of nationwide 410 dash automobile stars have pre-entered into 360 competitors this weekend within the effort to get extra laps turned on the observe earlier than the 410 Knoxville Nationals commences subsequent week.

Main these stars is none apart from the three-time and defending 410 Knoxville Nationals winner Kyle Larson. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Collection champion has dominated Knoxville’s signature occasion in every of the previous two years, main all 50 laps to win each the 2023 and 2024 editions of the grime crown jewel behind the wheel of automobile proprietor Paul Silva’s signature No. 57. Larson final raced the 360 Nationals in 2022 and completed Eleventh. His greatest end of third was within the 2013 version.

Rico Abreu has been one in every of nationwide dash automobile racing’s most dominant drivers in 2025 with 10 characteristic wins. The 33-year-old from St. Helena, Calif., has been robust at Knoxville this season as effectively, successful three of his 5 principal occasion begins. His lone 360 Nationals begin got here in 2023, when he climbed from final place (twenty fourth) on the beginning grid to a third-place end.

Brad Candy has not entered the 360 Nationals in over a decade however will return to the roster in 2025. The 39-year-old from Grass Valley, Calif., received the 410 Knoxville Nationals in 2018. The five-time World of Outlaws champion has made three begins at Knoxville with the Outlaws this season, leading to finishes of ninth, Tenth and fifth.

Earlier than February, Justin Peck had by no means made a begin with the American Dash Automotive Collection other than his first two profession 360 Nationals appearances in 2023 and 2024. However after a three-race sweep of the 2025 nationwide ASCS season opener at Volusia Speedway Park, Peck will return to the 360 dash automobile circuit this weekend, driving the Rudeen Racing No. 26, attempting to higher a career-best Thirteenth-place end within the 360 Nationals final 12 months.

PAST CHAMPIONS

A number of previous 360 Nationals champions have pre-entered for the occasion.

Terry McCarl has received the 360 Nationals principal occasion a report 5 instances — an accolade he shares with 2009 American Dash Automotive Collection champion Shane Stewart.

The 60-year-old from Altoona, Iowa, has lengthy been one in every of Knoxville’s biggest drivers, capturing seven 410 observe championships, one 360 observe championship, 59 characteristic wins in a 410 and 13 in a 360.

He has not received on the observe thus far this season however sits seventh in factors with three top-five finishes. He completed Tenth in final 12 months’s 360 Nationals finale.

Gio Scelzi leads storylines in a number of classes coming into the weekend as each a 410 invader and a previous 360 Nationals champion. The 23-year-old from Fresno, Calif., two weeks in the past ended his five-year tenure with Iowa-based KCP Racing and has joined Clauson Marshall Racing because the pilot of their flagship No. 7bc. It’s the identical automobile and group that received final 12 months’s 360 Nationals with Tyler Courtney, who at present injured, on the wheel.

Scelzi, a winner of the 360 Nationals himself in 2021, enters the 360 Nationals this weekend for the primary time since a Tenth-place end driving the KCP No. 18 in 2022.

Brian Brown is one other of Knoxville’s best exports with 69 profession 410 characteristic wins (second on the all-time observe wins listing), 18 wins in a 360, 5 410 observe championships and the 2002 360 observe championship. The 2-time 360 Nationals champion has been to victory lane on the observe thrice already this season. He completed fourth in final 12 months’s 360 Nationals.

Kerry Madsen and James McFadden are two of essentially the most established Australian 410 dash automobile names within the area this weekend. Madsen, 53, a resident of Knoxville, is the 2005 Knoxville 410 observe champion. He received the 360 Nationals in 2020. McFadden, 36, captured his lone 360 Nationals title in 2019. He’ll pilot the California-based Tarlton Racing No. 21t.

NEW FACES

A number of new faces to the 360 Nationals are within the area this weekend, attempting to say the $500 bonus as JETCO Rookie of the Race.

Kaylee Bryson made her first profession begin at Knoxville on Might 30, driving a 3rd entry for Clint Garner Racing. The 24-year-old from Muskogee, Okla., has spent the final a number of seasons bouncing round in a number of completely different motorsports disciplines since her departure from the full-time nationwide Midget ranks following the 2022 season. She’ll return to the seat of the Clint Garner Racing No. 11b at Knoxville this weekend.

Chase Dietz is becoming a member of the occasion and representing the Pennsylvania Posse in Knoxville this weekend for the primary time in his profession. The 25-year-old from York, Pa., will return to the observe for the primary time since his debut on the 410 Nationals in 2023. Dietz has six checkered flags this season.

Brandon Spithaler has raced Knoxville earlier than, however by no means in August. The 33-year-old from Butler, Pa., made his debut on the observe in July 2018 with the All Star Circuit of Champions and spent seven years away earlier than making his return this previous April with the World of Outlaws. His 2025 season has been comprised of largely Ohio and Western Pennsylvania occasions, scoring a pair of victories.

Ryder Laplante is one in every of 4 teenage racers competing for the nationwide ASCS Rookie of the Yr title and this weekend makes his first go to to Knoxville. The 18-year-old from Calera, Okla., sits third within the ROTY factors standings with 4 top-10 finishes by the primary 14 races.

Daison Pursley has received at Knoxville in non-winged dash competitors earlier than and can strive for his first with the wing on this weekend. The 20-year-old from Locust Grove, Okla., will pilot the Buch Motorsports No. 13.