KNOXVILLE, IA: It’s about the four-abreast parade lap, the fireworks, the jam-packed grandstands, the pageantry, and the Victory Lane celebration.
Those are the pictures we remember of the Knoxville Nationals. But the process of becoming the champion of this prestigious event starts on Wednesday with Night 1 qualifying action at the Marion County Fairgrounds.
SprintCarUnlimited.com has you covered every step of the way. Here are storylines to follow for Wednesday’s Preliminary Night of the 61st annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals.
Backing up history: Twice in the last three years — there was no Knoxville Nationals in 2020 — the winner of the Capitani Classic went on to score the victory in the Knoxville Nationals. Brad Sweet accomplished the feat in 2018, with David Gravel doing the same one year later. Logan Schuchart has a chance to join the duo Saturday night after capturing Sunday’s version of the Cappy. The Shark Racing ace has been fast during the finale before, but he started too far back to take advantage of it. A good qualifying night, and Schuchart takes the first step toward the biggest win of his career.
Returning to form: A lot has been made of Donny Schatz’s struggles since switching over to the Ford powerplant a few years ago. It certainly hasn’t helped his Nationals cause, as the Tony Stewart Racing ace hasn’t visited Victory Lane in the August extravaganza since 2017. Still, Schatz has registered two runner-up finishes during that stretch and seems to be competing for more wins, of late. I liked what I saw Sunday in the Capitani, with Schatz being able to run through the middle and low like he did when he was winning Knoxville Nationals titles in bunches. Look for Schatz to be in winning form starting Wednesday night.
Reutzel looking for more success: Aaron Reutzel’s had a pretty good year at Knoxville Raceway. Not only does he have four wins in the 410 Sprint Car division, he is leading the points and is one good week away from winning the track championship. Throw in a 360 Nationals victory on Saturday and a third-place run in the Capitani Classic, and Reutzel is a strong contender to have a good Nationals run. It should be noted that Reutzel sat on the pole for the 2019 event and had two top-five finishes in back-to-back years (2018-2019). I like the speed, I like the experience, and he has a good crew chief in Tyler Swank turning the wrenches.
Another pole run: A year ago, Gio Scelzi put together a solid preliminary night that was good enough to earn the pole for Saturday’s A-Main. It’s been an up-and-down season for the KCP Racing ace after a strong start that featured a pair of World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series wins on the West Coast. Scelzi did manage a 410 Sprint Car win at Knoxville on July 9 and has been good at the Marion Fairgrounds oval on multiple occasions during the 2022 season. Don’t be surprised if he is in contention to win Wednesday night, which would lead to a good point’s night.
Taking time off: Brent Marks got people talking over the weekend when he bypassed racing action at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 and didn’t compete during the 360 Nationals, Capitani Classic, or Front Row Challenge. Instead, Marks and his crew sat back and took some much-needed time off to prepare for the biggest Sprint Car race of the season. Considering how good Marks has been on half-mile ovals and his success overall this season, I can’t really argue with his thinking. We will see how that strategy pays off Wednesday night, when Marks kicks off his pursuit of a third crown-jewel win of 2022.
Rookie flavor: There are plenty of rookies going Wednesday night, and it’s a group that consists of drivers across the country. California drivers Corey Day and Justin Sanders are the most anticipated of the bunch. Day, who is only 16, already has two podiums with the World of Outlaws, while Sanders is piloting the well-known Swindell SpeedLab machine. Lucas Oil ASCS standouts Blake Hahn and Garet Williamson are also in the field, with Illinois’ Carson Short representing the Clayton Snow team. Cole Macedo is in a second Philip Dietz Motorsports entry, with Dylan Westbrook, and Australian Lachlan McHugh also slated to compete. Look for Day and Sanders to lead the charge.
Showing speed: Parker Price-Miller doesn’t get the pub that some of the other All Star Circuit of Champions regulars do, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t quick. The McGhee Motorsports entry has been sneaky good over the last week, charging from 22nd to 13th in the 360 Nationals and ripping off a fifth-place finish in Sunday’s Capitani Classic. It didn’t go unnoticed in this corner, and with Price-Miller’s ability to lay down good qualifying laps, he could be a sneaky pick to win Wednesday’s preliminary A-Main and earn enough points to lock himself into Saturday night’s finale.
Looking to break out of the slump: There is no denying that Sheldon Haudenschild is talented and can win races in clusters. His consistency is better, as well, but there are still valleys. Haudenschild has eight wins with the World of Outlaws, but he hasn’t won in his last 15 starts with the series, and noow, he heads into the Knoxville Nationals after failing to qualify in Sunday’s Capitani Classic. Don’t worry, Haudenschild makes the A-Main Wednesday night, and I think he accumulates enough points to lock himself into Saturday night’s $175,000-to-win Knoxville Nationals finale.