It’s Friday night of the Knoxville Nationals – it’s the night where 76 drivers will battle for the four remaining spots in the 61st running of the race.
It’s the night where the most destruction occurs, where the last-minute additions are made, and where drivers will go to any lengths to punch their tickets into the big show.
“Blitz everybody,” Justin Henderson said on his mindset going into Night 3 of the 61st Knoxville Nationals. “These guys better watch out. It’s Friday night. It’s on – everybody knows that. That’s probably why there’s the most wrecked cars on Friday night. It’s do or die and that’s the mindset that we’re going to have from right now until Saturday.”
Henderson is one of the drivers that wasn’t able to race his way into a locked-in starting spot for Saturday’s championship night, which is no easy feat.
The pair of qualifying nights set the top 16 starters in the A-Main, as well as the top 10 racers that will attempt to race their way in with favorable starting spots in the B-Main the same night.
Saturday’s B-Main transfers will start in positions 17-20 in the A-Main, while the top four finishers from Friday night will start behind them.
That’s where the Hard Knox term comes into play.
Hard Knox Night Format
The Friday night format for the Knoxville Nationals closely resembles a regular night of racing in the sprint car world.
The 75-car field will be split into two groups in qualifying by random draw. Following qualifying, the six heat race lineups will be inverted by four, meaning qualifiers that run P10-P12 in their respective groups will start on the pole of their heat race.
From there, it’s a normal night. Each heat takes its top three finishers to the A-Main where the top four drivers on the night will qualify for the 61st Nationals.
Oh, and these drivers will be doing everything in their power to put there car into the $10,000-to-start main event.
2022 Knoxville Nationals Hard Knox Night Entry List
1AU – Marcus Dumesny, Sydney, NSW, AU
1M – Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, NE
1X – Jake Bubak, Arvada, CO
2C – Wayne Johnson, Tuttle, OK
2KK – Kevin Ingle, Huron, SD
2M – Davey Heskin, St. Michael, MN
3 – Ayrton Gennetten, Gravois Mills, MO
3P – Sawyer Phillips, Pleasantville, IA
3Z – Brock Zearfoss, Jonestown, PA
6B – Brandon Wimmer, Fairmount, IN
7 – Justin Henderson, Tea, SD
7s – Robbie Price, Cobble Hill, BC, CA
7W – Dustin Selvage, Indianola, IA
9JR – Derek Hagar, Marion, AR
10 – Skylar Prochaska, Lakefield, MN
11 – Roger Crockett, Broken Arrow, OK
13JT – Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks, ND
14 – Corey Day, Clovis, CA (R)
16A – Colby Copeland, Roseville, CA
17 – Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, OH
17C – Carson Short, Marion IL (R)
17W – Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA
20 – AJ Moeller, Rockwell City, IA
21H – Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK
22 – Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA
24 – Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA
24W-Garet Williamson, Kingdom City, MO(R)
40 – Clint Garner, Sioux Falls, SD
45-Rusty Hickman Bendigo,VIC,AU
47X – Dylan Westbrook,Scotland,ON,CAN(R)
49J – Josh Schneiderman, W.Burlington, IA
52 – Blake Hahn,Sapulpa, OK (R)
55 – Hunter Schuerenberg, Sikeston, MO
55T – McKenna Haase, Des Moines, IA
55W – Mike Wagner, Harrisonville, PA
65 – Jordan Goldesberry, Springfield, IL
71 – Cory Eliason, Visalia, CA
73 – Scotty Thiel, Sheboygan, WI
83 – James McFadden,Warrnambool,VIC,AU
84 – Scott Bogucki, McLaren Vale,SA,AU
91 – Kyle Reinhardt, Abbottstown,PA
101 – Lachlan McHugh, Gold Coast, QLD (R)
1 – Logan Wagner, Harrisonville, PA
4W – Matt Wasmund, Jackson, MN
5 – Spencer Bayston, Lebanon, IN
5C – Dylan Cisney, Port Royal, PA
6 – Bill Rose, Plainfield, IN
6A – Adam Cruea, Troy, OH
09 – Matt Juhl, Tea, SD
11K – Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, IN
11N – Harli White, Lindsay, OK
11T – TJ Stutts, Liverpool, PA
12 – Tyler Drueke, Eagle, NE (R)
14H – Josh Higday, Des Moines, IA
15H – Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX
15M – Bobby Mincer, Burlington, IA
16 – Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci,NSW,AU
17B – Bill Balog, Hartland, WI
17s – Sammy Swindell, Lakeland, TN
18R – Ryan Roberts, Aurora, NE
19W – Chris Windom, Canton, IL (R)
20G – Noah Gass, Mounds, OK
21 – Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO
21K – Thomas Kennedy, Winnipeg, MB
24R – Rico Abreu, St. Helena, CA
27 – Carson McCarl, Altoona, IA
28 – Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA
35 – Zach Hampton, Plainfield, IN
35K – Chad Kemenah, Alvada, OH
39M – Anthony Macri, Dillsburg, PA
42 – Sye Lynch, Apollo, PA
44 – Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA
49X – Cale Thomas, Fairland IN
83JR – Kerry Madsen, St. Marys,NSW,AU
83T – Tanner Carrick, Lincoln, CA
97 – Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge, OH
97G – Alan Gilbertson, Kasson, MN (R)
99 – Skylar Gee, Leduc, ALB, CA
Locked into the 61st Knoxville Nationals A-Main
1. Austin McCarl | Altoona, IA (477)
2. Tyler Courtney | Indianapolis, IN (473)
3. Donny Schatz | Fargo, ND (469)
4. David Gravel | Watertown, CT (469)
5. Carson Macedo | Lemoore, CA (467)
6. Kyle Larson | Elk Grove, CA (462)
7. Brent Marks | Myerstown, PA (462)
8. Daryn Pittman | Owasso, OK (459)
9. Brad Sweet | Grass Valley, CA (458)
10. J.J. Hickle | Quilcene, WA (458)
11. Jacob Allen | Hanover, PA (457)
12. Parker Price-Miller | Kokomo, IN (457)
13. Justin Sanders | Aromas, CA (456)
14. Buddy Kofoid | Penngrove, CA (453)
15. Tasker Phillips | Pleasantville, IA (451)
16. Aaron Reutzel | Clute, TX (447)
Locked into 61st Knoxville Nationals B-Main
1. Gio Scelzi | Fresno, CA (445)
2. Logan Schuchart | Hanover, PA (444)
3. Lynton Jeffrey | Sydney, NSW, Aus. (443)
4. Zeb Wise | Angola, IN (442)
5. James McFadden | Warrnambool, VIC, Aus. (441)
6. Justin Peck | Monrovia, IN (441)
7. Cole Macedo | Lemoore, CA (435)
8. Ian Madsen | St. Marys, NSW, Aus. (434)
9. Kasey Kahne | Enumclaw, WA (431)
10. Tim Kaeding | San Jose, CA (431)
