Brad Sweet has sent a message to everyone at the Knoxville Nationals, he is here to win it. Sweet dominated the A-Main of Thursday’s second night of the 58th Annual 5 Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals leading all 25 laps to win going away. With the win and his solid qualifying night that will put him on the pole for Saturday’s finale. While Sweet was never challenged in the feature race, a good battle developed between Rico Abreu and David Gravel for second and third ultimately claimed by Abreu, his career best finish at Knoxville with Gravel completing the podium. Tim Kaeding crossed the line in fourth and Terry McCarl came home fifth. Sweet said after the race using last Sunday’s Capitani Classic, which he also dominated, as a test session is paying off. The top 26 cars are now locked into their respective races with the top 16 in the A-Main and 17th-26th locked into the first five rows of Saturday’s B-Main. 27th on down to 96th must come back to race tonight in a last chance qualifying night with the top four of the A-Main filling spots 17th-20th in Saturday’s A-Main, plus the World Challenge finals with the winner getting a golden ticket starting spot in Saturday final race if they have not already locked in. Our coverage begins with Live Track Side at five, Winged Nation at six, and Race Nights Live at seven on AM 1320 and 95.3 KNIA and kniakrls.com.
A main (started), 25 Laps, NT:
1. Brad Sweet (6)
2. Rico Abreu (2)
3. David Gravel (13)
4. Tim Kaeding (5)
5. Terry McCarl (4)
6. Chad Kemenah (8)
7. Cory Eliason (10)
8. Shane Stewart (23)
9. Carson Macedo (21)
10. Kraig Kinser (11)
11. Mark Dobmeier (1)
12. Jacob Allen (7)
13. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (15)
14. Parker Price-Miller (22)
15. Spencer Bayston (9)
16. Wayne Johnson (18)
17. Jamie Veal (24)
18. Sammy Swindell (17)
19. John Carney II (3)
20. Chris Martin (19)
21. Gary Taylor (20)
22. Dave Blaney (16)
23. Harli White (12)
24. Josh Schneiderman (14)
Lap Leader: Sweet 1-25. Hard-charger: S. Stewart.
Final Combined Points
A main
1 49 Brad Sweet 491
2 10H Chad Kemenah 479
3 57 Kyle Larson 475
4 15 Donny Schatz 474
5 87 Aaron Reutzel 473
6 2M Kerry Madsen 473
7 49X Tim Shaffer 471
8 41 Carson Macedo 469
9 71 Gio Scelzi 468
10 3 Tim Kaeding 467
11 18 Ian Madsen 467
12 1A Jacob Allen 465
13 24R Rico Abreu 463
14 27 Greg Hodnett 462
15 2 Shane Stewart 458
16 24 Terry McCarl 455
B main
17 71P Parker Price-Miller 454
18 24W Lucas Wolfe 453
19 9 Daryn Pittman 452
20 4 Brock Zearfoss 444
21 83 Cory Eliason 440
22 13 Mark Dobmeier 437
23 5 David Gravel 431
24 5H Sammy Walsh 431
25 2KS Austin McCarl 429
26 11K Kraig Kinser 426
Friday Competitors
27 7C John Carney II 425
28 39 Spencer Bayston 424
29 09 Matt Juhl 423
30 11 Roger Crockett 421
31 28 Scott Bogucki 420
32 15H Sam Hafertepe Jr. 416
33 41S Dominic Scelzi 416
34 35 Jamie Veal 415
35 29 Willie Croft 411
36 13X Paul McMahan 405
37 99 Brady Bacon 404
38 0 Lynton Jeffrey 404
39 40 Clint Garner 403
40 4K Kasey Kahne 401
41 1 Sammy Swindell 400
42 3H James McFadden 400
43 1S Logan Schuchart 400
44 2C Wayne Johnson 399
45 71X Kevin Thomas Jr. 398
46 17W Harli White 396
47 91T Cale Thomas 395
48 70 Dave Blaney 394
49 5J Jamie Ball 392
50 44M Chris Martin 390
51 10 Clyde Knipp 390
52 49J Josh Schneiderman 390
53 17X Josh Baughman 390
54 1X Don Droud Jr. 389
55 85 Chase Wanner 388
56 99G Skylar Gee 384
57 48 Danny Dietrich 383
58 19P Paige Polyak 383
59 44 Trey Starks 383
60 15M Bobby Mincer 382
61 17 Sheldon Haudenschild 382
62 G1 Gary Taylor 378
63 7 Carson McCarl 376
64 56N Davey Heskin 371
65 7S Jason Sides 368
66 19 Brent Marks 367
67 55 Brooke Tatnell 367
68 17B Bill Balog 362
69 12N Cole Duncan 361
70 9R Rager Phillips 352
71 3P Sawyer Phillips 351
72 21AU Jordyn Brazier 348
73 97G Hunter Schuerenberg 347
74 26 Joey Saldana 344
75 17WX Shane Golobic 342
76 W20 Greg Wilson 333
77 28P Brian Paulus 319
78 95 Matt Covington 316
79 9X Jake Bubak 314
80 28AU Allan Woods 313
81 68 Chase Johnson 312
82 81 Lee Jacobs 310
83 71A RJ Johnson 310
84 25 Bobby McMahan 304
85 2K Kevin Ingle 302
86 3X Jac Haudenschild 301
87 70S Jeff Swindell 298
88 20 AJ Moeller 294
89 35P Skylar Prochaska 286
90 21 Brian Brown 283
91 21K Thomas Kennedy 281
92 7W Tasker Phillips 280
93 91 Kyle Reinhardt 268
94 84 Tom Harris 265
95 18J Jenna Frazier 259
96 2MM Matt Moro 230
Friday Speed Sport World Challenge Lineup (20 laps)
1. James McFadden
2. Lynton Jeffrey
3. Jamie Veal
4. Dominic Scelzi
5. Scott Bogucki
6. Austin McCarl
7. Sammy Walsh
8. Cory Eliason
9. Parker Price-Miller
10. Terry McCarl
11. Tim Kaeding
12. Ian Madsen
13. Carson Macedo
14. Kerry Madsen
15. Skylar Gee
16. Brooke Tatnell
17. Jordyn Brazier
18. Allan Woods
19. Thomas Kennedy
20. Tom Harris
