Column: Star-Studded Field Of Drivers Set For Historic WoO Sprint Weekend At Knoxville
Column By: NICK GRAZIANO / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – KNOXVILLE, IA – Seventy drivers from 16 states and three countries will come together at Knoxville Raceway for “The One and Only” to make history with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Aug. 13-15.
Among them include reigning Series champion Brad Sweet, 10-time Series champion Donny Schatz, 2019 Knoxville Nationals winner David Gravel, motorsports-star Kyle Larson, reigning Knoxville Raceway track champion Brian Brown and rising-star Sheldon Haudenschild – most of whom will first compete for the Ironman 55 title Aug. 7-8.
While they won’t be competing for a Knoxville Nationals win this year, due to restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the star-studded field will still compete for the largest Sprint Car purse of the year. More than $400,000 in purse winnings is on the line between the three days. Thursday and Friday’s events will pay $10,000-to-win, while Saturday’s Brownells Capitani Classic presented by Great Southern Bank will pay $50,000-to-win and $3,000-to-start.
“In today’s times, with the way things are, every race is a blessing,” said 10-time Knoxville Nationals winner Donny Schatz. “It’s what keeps these teams going. Keeps our partners excited. It’s a great week for us to be in one spot. Everybody is going to come and have a great time.”
All three nights will also see an exciting new format with Thursday and Friday’s events holding valuable importance to secure a prime starting position for Saturday’s race.
(RELATED: ‘The One and Only’ Format: Knoxville Set To Make History Aug. 13-15)
Tickets for “The One and Only” are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can still watch all three nights of racing live on DIRTVision.
Below are some of the notable drivers who will be in attendance:
KNOXVILLE NATIONALS WINNERS:
David Gravel, of Watertown, CT, thrives when the pressure is on at Knoxville Raceway. He won his first Knoxville Nationals title last year with corporate sponsor Axalta on board and mentor Jeff Gordon in attendance – it was also Jason Johnson Racing’s second Nationals win. Then, when the Series returned to the track in May after a long hiatus, he visited Victory Lane at the half-mile for the third time in his career with the World of Outlaws. He also won the Capitani Classic last year.
Brad Sweet, of Grass Valley, CA, is the reigning World of Outlaws champion and the 2018 Knoxville Nationals champion. He and his Kasey Kahne Racing team have been the class of the field again this year with seven wins, so far. He finished second to Kyle Larson at the last Knoxville World of Outlaws race this year in June and is poised to win big at the track again.
Donny Schatz, of Fargo, ND, holds 10 World of Outlaws titles and 10 Knoxville Nationals titles. He also has 11 World of Outlaws wins at the Knoxville – his last coming in 2018. He and his Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing team are having what some may consider an “off-year” with just three wins, so far, as they continue to work on the development of the Ford FPS 410 engine. However, Schatz has been fast on half-miles this year and earned a runner-up finish at Knoxville in June.
Sammy Swindell, of Bartlett, TN, is not slowing down at 64 years old. The three-time World of Outlaws champion and 1983 Knoxville Nationals champion has teamed with his son Kevin Swindell to drive the Swindell Speedlab #39 machine this year. In their first two races together with the World of Outlaws this year at Knoxville in June, Swindell earned a top-10 in both races. He has 50 career wins at the raceway.
Kraig Kinser, of Bloomington, IN, won the Knoxville Nationals in 2005. He has four Feature wins at the track – one being a World of Outlaws event in 2005. He and his Kinser Racing team have struggled at Knoxville this year, unable to crack the top-20 and will be on the hunt to turn their fortunes around during “The One and Only.”
Tim Shaffer, of Aliquippa, PA, is a 27-time World of Outlaws winner and the 2010 Knoxville Nationals champion. While he has four Feature wins at Knoxville, none have come with the World of Outlaws, yet. He’ll be back behind the wheel of the Demyan-Rudzik Racing #49X for “The One and Only” event.
ADDITIONAL CHAMPIONS AND WINNERS:
Kyle Larson, of Elk Grove, CA, has already put together a historic season of his own in 2020. He’s won 33 races – among Sprint Cars and Midgets – in 63 events since November of 2019. Four of those wins were with the World of Outlaws, and of them two were his sweep of the Knoxville races in June. He also beat the All Star Circuit of Champions at Knoxville at the beginning of August.
Logan Schuchart, of Hanover, PA, is having a career year in 2020 with five wins, so far, and still in contention for the Series championship. He had an incredible run at the Knoxville Nationals last year, charging from 22nd to second and backed that up with two podium finishes at the track this year.
Daryn Pittman, of Owasso, OK, is the 2013 World of Outlaws champion and finished third at the Knoxville Nationals last year. He’s never won a World of Outlaws event at the track but has been speed there for the last year and a half with his Roth Motorsports team. He’s had four top-fives in his last six starts at the track – three of them podium finishes. He led laps early at the last race there in June but got involved in an accident.
Rico Abreu, of St. Helena, CA, recently won a thrilling track event at Knoxville Raceway in July, earning his second career win at the track. He has eight wins with the World of Outlaws, but none, yet, at Knoxville. In his two starts at the track with the Series this year, his best finish was eighth.
Brian Brown, of Grain Valley, MO, is the three-time and defending 410 track champion at Knoxville Raceway. He currently sits fifth on the all-time wins list at the track with 52 trips to Victory Lane at the “Sprint Car Capital of the World.” One of those Knoxville wins came against the World of Outlaws last year.
Aaron Reutzel, of Clute, TX, is the two-time and defending All Star Circuit of Champions title holder. He earned the pole for the Knoxville Nationals last year and ended up fifth. He’s picked up two wins at the track this year but has yet to win there against the World of Outlaws.
Terry McCarl, of Altoona, IA, is a seven-time 410 track champion at Knoxville Raceway and holds the most Feature wins at Knoxville Raceway among all of the drivers entered for “The One and Only” event with 59. Three of those wins were against the World of Outlaws – the last coming in 2016.
FULL ROSTER:
| Car # | First Name | Last name | Hometown |
| 1A | Jacob | Allen | Hanover, PA |
| 1S | Logan | Schuchart | Hanover, PA |
| 2 | Carson | Macedo | Lemoore, CA |
| 2C | Wayne | Johnson | Oklahoma City, OK |
| 2K | Kevin | Ingle | Huron, SD |
| 2KS | Brooke | Tatnell | Sans Souci, NSW, AU |
| 2M | Kerry | Madsen | St. Mary’s, NSW, AU |
| 3 | Ayrton | Gennetten | Gravois Mills, MO |
| 3P | Sawyer | Phillips | Pleasantville, IA |
| 3Z | Brock | Zearfoss | Jonestown, PA |
| 4 | Terry | McCarl | Altoona, IA |
| 5 | Ian | Madsen | St. Mary’s, NSW, AU |
| 5C | Colby | Copeland | Roseville, CA |
| 6 | Bill | Rose | Plainfield, IN |
| 7 | Tim | Kaeding | San Jose, CA |
| 7BC | Tyler | Courtney | Tea, SD |
| 7S | Jason | Sides | Indianapolis, IN |
| 7TAZ | Tasker | Phillips | Bartlett, TN |
| 7X | Justin | Henderson | Pleasantville, IA |
| O9 | Matt | Juhl | Tea, SD |
| 9 | James | McFadden | Warrnombool, VIC, AU |
| 9W | Ryan | Giles | Grimes, IA |
| 11 | Zeb | Wise | Angola, IN |
| 11K | Kraig | Kinser | Bloomington, IN |
| 12N | Joey | Saldana | Brownsburg, IN |
| 13 | Paul | McMahan | Nashville, TN |
| 14 | Parker | Price-Miller | Kokomo, IN |
| 14K | Tori | Knutson | Monticello, MN |
| 15 | Donny | Schatz | Fargo, ND |
| 15H | Sam | Hafertepe Jr | Sunnyvale, TX |
| 17 | Sheldon | Haudenschild | Wooster, OH |
| 17A | Austin | McCarl | Altoona, IA |
| 17B | Josh | Baughman | Odessa, TX |
| 17W | Shane | Golobic | Fremont, CA |
| 18 | Gio | Scelzi | Fresno, CA |
| 19 | Shane | Stewart | Bixby, Ok |
| 19P | Paige | Polyak | Tiffin, OH |
| 20 | AJ | Moeller | Rockwell City, IA |
| 21 | Brian | Brown | Grain Valley, MO |
| 24 | Rico | Abreu | St. Helena, CA |
| 26 | Cory | Eliason | Visalia, CA |
| 27 | Tucker | Klaasmeyer | Paolo, KS |
| 27C | Carson | McCarl | Altoona, IA |
| 28 | Scott | Bogucki | McLaren Vale, SA, AU |
| 33M | Mason | Daniel | Springville, CA |
| 35 | Zach | Hampton | Indianapolis, IN |
| 39 | Sammy | Swindell | Germantown, TN |
| 39M | Anthony | Macri | Dillsburg, PA |
| 41 | David | Gravel | Watertown, CT |
| 41S | Dominic | Scelzi | Fresno, CA |
| 42 | Sye | Lynch | Apollo, PA |
| 44 | Chris | Martin | Ankeny, IA |
| 44S | Trey | Starks | Puyullap, WA |
| R44 | Jeff | Swindell | Bartlett, TN |
| 48 | Danny | Dietrich | Gettysburg, PA |
| 49 | Brad | Sweet | Grass Valley, CA |
| 49J | Josh | Schneiderman | West Burlington, IA |
| 49X | Tim | Shaffer | Aliquippa, PA |
| 55 | Hunter | Schuerenburg | Sikeston, MO |
| 56 | Joe | Simbro | Swan, IA |
| 56N | Davey | Heskin | St. Michael, MN |
| 57 | Kyle | Larson | Elk Grove, CA |
| 64 | Scotty | Thiel | Sheyboygan, WI |
| 70 | Cale | Thomas | Fairland, IN |
| 71 | Spencer | Bayston | Lebanon, IN |
| 83 | Daryn | Pittman | Owasso, OK |
| 83R | Lynton | Jeffery | Sydney, NSW, AU |
| 87 | Aaron | Ruetzel | Clute, TX |
| 88 | Kyle | Offill | Tracy, CA |
| 99 | Skylar | Gee | Leduc, AB, CAN |
