For the first time since his Knoxville Nationals title in August, Kyle Larson will return to defend Knoxville Raceway – only this time, he’ll have some fenders on the car.
Larson will be racing in his regular Rumley No. 6 car for Night 1 – and Night 1 only – of the 2021 Knoxville Late Model Nationals before traveling to Bristol, Tennessee for his NASCAR Playoff race.
The jack of all trades will be joining the complete Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series roster, as well as some other big names, for three days of racing around the famous, Iowa half-mile.
Among the names are the winners of the last four Late Model Nationals in both Jimmy Owens and Mike Marlar. The pair of drivers each won two in a row in the years leading up to 2020.
Brandon Sheppard won on Monday night with the Castrol FloRacing Night in America series and will make the trek down to Knoxville along with a few other World of Outlaws Late Model names.
Maybe the guy with the most momentum coming in, however, is LOLMDS points leader Tim McCreadie.
He last won the Late Model Nationals in 2008 and is the series points leader on the national tour. He’ll try his hand at things again this weekend.
The format for the three night’s of action isn’t anything too complicated. Points will be awarded just like the Knoxville Nationals on qualifying nights – 200pts for P1 in qualifying, down by two / 100pts for P1 in Heat race (Invert of 6) down by three / 200pts for P1 in A-Main down by two.
Only the best night of each driver’s prelim totals is used, but drivers who do not choose to qualify on Thursday night will not be allowed to start higher than 15th in the main event on Saturday.
Saturday’s race will lock in the top 24 to the 100-lap big show, along with transfers from a pair of 15-lap B-Main’s.
The weekend begins tonight, and Larson won’t be around after Thursday, but fans can see him and the plethora of talent set to bang fenders at Knoxville this weekend. Hot laps for each night are scheduled for 6:45 p.m. CT.
Knoxville Late Model Nationals Pre-Entries
0 – Rick Eckert, York, PA
04 – Tad Pospisil, Norfolk, NE
1 – Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL
1S – Chad Simpson, Mt. Vernon, IA
1T – Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX
1X – Aaron Marrant, Orrick, MO
6H – Al Humphrey, Giltner, NE
7 – Ricky Weiss, Headingley, MB, Can.
8 – Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC
10 – Junior Coover, Norfolk, NE
10K – Shawn Kirwin, Morris, MN
11 – Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS
14 – Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV
16 – Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA
19R – Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA
20 – Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN
20RT – Ricky Thornton, Chandler, AZ
21B – Rich Bell, Sheffield, IL
21M – Luke Merfeld, Peosta, IA
22 – Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, IA
25 – Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA
25F – Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL
30 – Todd Cooney, Des Moines, IA
32 – Chris Simpson, Oxford, IA
33 – Nick Marolf, Moscow, IA
39 – Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY
40B – Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL
41 – Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque, IA
45 – Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL
46 – Earl Pearson, Jr., Jacksonville, FL
48 – Tim Lance, Brimfield, IL
49 – Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA
51 – Matt Furman, Iowa City, IA
53 – Andrew Kosiski, Omaha, NE
59 – Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, NM
66C – Matt Cosner, Ridgeley, WV
71 – Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN
93 – Mason Oberkramer, Brosely, MO
98 – Jason Rauen, Farley, IA
157 – Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN
