Dubbed the “Granddaddy Of Them All,” the 59th Knoxville Nationals will host more than 100 sprint cars at Knoxville Raceway on Aug. 7-10.
The Knoxville Raceway half-mile clay oval in Knoxville, Iowa, is the home of the most prestigious race of the year for the sprint car world. The four-day showdown includes a pair of qualifying nights held on Wednesday and Thursday, along with last-chance qualifiers on Friday and Saturday prior to the 50-lap feature event that caps off the festivities. Saturday night’s 24-car A-Main event will have a total purse of nearly $1 million, with the winner taking home a $150,000 grand prize.
Among the long list of entries is Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The 27-year-old from Elk Grove, California, will chase his first Knoxville Nationals crown in the No. 57 Silva Motorsports car.
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Larson has a busy travel schedule for the upcoming weekend, jetting from Michigan International Speedway after Monster Energy Series practice and qualifying on Friday and Saturday to Iowa and arriving at Knoxville for sprint car racing. His hectic weekend concludes with Sunday’s Monster Energy Series race (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
While Larson serves as the lone Cup Series regular taking part in the four-day classic, his ownership role also extends to the No. 2 full-time World of Outlaws entry driven by Carson Macedo.
Roush Fenway Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also has a shot at winning as a team owner as World of Outlaws full-time driver Sheldon Haudenschild will pilot the No. 17 Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing entry.
Ten-time and defending World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz will be vying for his 11th career Knoxville Nationals title in the No. 15 car owned by three-time Monster Energy Series champion and 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Tony Stewart.
Additionally, former Monster Energy Series driver Kasey Kahne will field a pair of sprint cars, including the defending Knoxville Nationals champion Brad Sweet in the No. 49 entry and the No. 9 car driven by James McFadden.
Diving into primary sponsorship for the first time in the Knoxville Nationals per the direction of four-time Monster Energy Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Jeff Gordon, Axalta Racing will team up with Jason Johnson Racing and the No. 41 ride driven by David Gravel.
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Click here for more information about this year’s Knoxville Nationals, including full entry lists, detailed race format and complete purse breakdown.