The 2026 NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey's heads into a weather-impacted Championship Saturday at Knoxville Raceway, with the rescheduled Hard Knox program leading into Saturday night's $200,000-to-win finale.
Throughout the day, we'll have the latest weather and schedule updates, along with lineups, results and other developments posted in this blog-style notebook. Watch the Knoxville Nationals live on DIRTVision.
- Knoxville Nationals Alters Format, Lineups For Saturday
- Kyle Larson's Knoxville Nationals: The Debate, The Wins & What-Ifs
- 2026 Knoxville Nationals Saturday A-Main, B-Main Lock-Ins
- Breaking Down Knoxville Nationals Thursday: Takeaways, Interviews & More
- Breaking Down Knoxville Nationals Wednesday: Takeaways, Interviews & More
- Inside Sheldon Haudenschild's Soaring Confidence At The Knoxville Nationals
- Brad Sweet Explains Why He's Stepping Away From the Driver's Seat
**Knoxville Nationals Schedule Update: Hot Laps At 6:30**
4:08 p.m. CT: Knoxville Raceway officials have announced the latest schedule for Saturday evening. Grandstands will open at 5 p.m., with E- and D-main cars scheduled to hot lap at 6:30 p.m.
**2026 Knoxville Nationals Starting Lineups: A-Main, B-Main, C-Main & Hard Knox
The updated starting lineups for Saturday’s Knoxville Nationals program following the weather-related format changes are listed below, including the A-main, B-main, C-main and revised Hard Knox portion.
**Schatz, Timms Face Daunting Path To Knoxville A-Main
The weather-altered format has created a daunting path to Saturday night’s Knoxville Nationals A-main for several notable contenders, including Donny Schatz, defending champion Ryan Timms, Justin Peck and Giovanni Scelzi.
Timms and Peck will start first and third, respectively, in the C-main and must transfer through both the C- and B-mains to reach the $200,000-to-win finale. The road is even longer for Schatz, who starts 11th in the C-main following his Hard Knox program victory.
Schatz’s streak of 27 consecutive Knoxville Nationals A-main appearances is now in serious jeopardy. Peck, meanwhile, has qualified for five consecutive Nationals A-mains, a streak that’s also on the line Saturday.
(8:05 p.m.) Opening Ceremonies Complete, But Rain Coming Down Hard
8:05 p.m. update: The good news is opening ceremonies are complete. The bad news: the rain keeps coming down at Knoxville Raceway. Even once the rain lets up, expect a lengthy wait as track crews will need time to run the track back in before racing can begin.
(7:45 p.m.) Rain Shower Delays Start Of Hot Laps
7:45 p.m. update: Still trying to get hot laps underway at Knoxville Raceway, with the program now running more than an hour behind schedule. A light but persistent rain shower has put on-track activity in a holding pattern, though opening ceremonies are underway.
(5 p.m.) Weather Update At Knoxville Raceway
5:05 p.m. CT: The three major forecasts offer a mixed picture for Saturday evening at Knoxville Raceway, with the National Weather Service currently the most pessimistic.
Google Weather shows rain chances around 35 percent through roughly 7 p.m., dropping to 20 percent around 8 p.m. and 10 percent later in the evening.
The Weather Channel is considerably more optimistic through the heart of the program, showing just a 15 percent chance of rain from 5-9 p.m. Chances increase later, however, to 39 percent at 10 p.m. and 44 percent at 11 p.m.
The National Weather Service calls for a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m., with showers and storms becoming likely tonight, mainly before 9 p.m. The NWS puts the overall chance of precipitation tonight at 70 percent and says some storms could produce heavy rainfall.
For reference, Ryan Timms pulled into Knoxville Nationals victory lane at approximately 9:22 p.m. last year. If tonight’s program runs on a similar timetable, that would put the checkered flag before the later increase in rain chances shown by Google and The Weather Channel — though the National Weather Service suggests storms could arrive earlier.
Recapping Schatz's Saturday After Prelim Victory
Donny Schatz won Saturday afternoon’s revised Hard Knox program, but the format change leaves his streak of 27 consecutive Knoxville Nationals A-main appearances in serious jeopardy. Read more on Schatz’s disappointment with the format change and the daunting road ahead from 11th in the C-main below.
2026 Knoxville Nationals C-Main Lineup
(Top four transfer to spots 21-24 in the B-main)
| Start | # | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Ryan Timms |
| 2 | 55 | Kerry Madsen |
| 3 | 26 | Justin Peck |
| 4 | 15H | Sam Hafertepe Jr. |
| 5 | 9R | Chase Randall |
| 6 | 9P | Daison Pursley |
| 7 | 22 | Riley Goodno |
| 8 | 21H | Brady Bacon |
| 9 | 53 | Jack Dover |
| 10 | 49 | Josh Schneiderman |
| 11 | 15 | Donny Schatz |
| 12 | 51 | Steven Snyder Jr. |
| 13 | 27 | Carson McCarl |
| 14 | 7S | Chris Windom |
| 15 | 45X | Rees Moran |
| 16 | 12X | Landon Crawley |
| 17 | 09 | Matt Juhl |
| 18 | 2M | J.J. Hickle |
| 19 | 1K | Kelby Watt |
| 20 | 26R | Levi Hillier |
| 21 | 11N | Darin Naida |
| 22 | 33W | Cap Henry |
| 23 | 17GP | Brock Zearfoss |
| 24 | 40 | Clint Garner |
Hard Knox Program Complete
2:40 p.m. CT: The checkered flag fell on the rescheduled Hard Knox program around 2:40 p.m., completing the first half of Saturday’s Knoxville Nationals doubleheader.
Knoxville Raceway will provide further updates on when C-main hot laps and the Championship Saturday program will begin. As of now, hot laps are scheduled for 6:45 p.m. CT.
Scelzi’s Nationals A-Main Streak Likely Ends
A lap-four crash while running second in Saturday’s revised Hard Knox feature likely ended Giovanni Scelzi’s bid for an eighth consecutive Knoxville Nationals A-main appearance in as many starts.
Scelzi’s Spire Motorsports entry flipped hard off turn two while he was trying to challenge for the lead. He finished 22nd and would unofficially start 12th in Saturday evening’s D-main, should he continue and the D-main run as scheduled.
Hard Knox A-Main Results At Knoxville
Eleven-time Knoxville Nationals champ Donny Schatz powered from the seventh-starting spot to win the 25-lap altered Hard Knox feature on Saturday afternoon at Knoxville Raceway. He led the final 21 circuits and topped Steven Snyder Jr. by 2.265 seconds to earn the 11th-starting spot in the 15-lap C-main later this evening.
| Finish | Start | # | Competitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 15 | Donny Schatz |
| 2 | 2 | 51 | Steven Snyder Jr |
| 3 | 1 | 27 | Carson McCarl |
| 4 | 6 | 7S | Chris Windom |
| 5 | 4 | 45X | Rees Moran |
| 6 | 9 | 12X | Landon Crawley |
| 7 | 14 | 09 | Matt Juhl |
| 8 | 24 | 2M | J.J. Hickle |
| 9 | 18 | 1K | Kelby Watt |
| 10 | 20 | 26R | Levi Hillier |
| 11 | 10 | 11N | Darin Naida |
| 12 | 19 | 33W | Cap Henry |
| 13 | 3 | 17GP | Brock Zearfoss |
| 14 | 16 | 40 | Clint Garner |
| 15 | 15 | 45D | Derek Hagar |
| 16 | 8 | 6 | Kasey Jedrzejek |
| 17 | 21 | 0 | Lynton Jeffrey |
| 18 | 22 | 23L | Jimmy Light |
| 19 | 13 | 87X | Ashton Torgerson |
| 20 | 17 | 17A | Jack Anderson |
| 21 | 12 | 95 | Matt Covington |
| 22 | 5 | 77 | Giovanni Scelzi |
| 23 | 11 | 5 | Brenham Crouch |
| 24 | 23 | 6DC | Will Armitage |
Hard Knox A-Main Lineup At Knoxville
| Row | Inside | Outside |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 Carson McCarl | 51 Steven Snyder Jr. |
| 2 | 17GP Brock Zearfoss | 45X Rees Moran |
| 3 | 77 Giovanni Scelzi | 7S Chris Windom |
| 4 | 15 Donny Schatz | 6 Kasey Jedrzejek |
| 5 | 12X Landon Crawley | 11N Darin Naida |
| 6 | 5 Brenham Crouch | 95 Matt Covington |
| 7 | 87X Ashton Torgerson | 09 Matt Juhl |
| 8 | 45D Derek Hagar | 40 Clint Garner |
| 9 | 17A Jack Anderson | 1K Kelby Watt |
| 10 | 33W Cap Henry | 26R Levi Hillier |
| 11 | 0 Lynton Jeffrey | 23L Jimmy Light |
| 12 | 6DC Will Armitage | 2M J.J. Hickle |
Complete Sellout At Knoxville Nationals
1:54 p.m. CT: Knoxville Raceway announced that the infield is sold out for Saturday night’s Knoxville Nationals Championship program, joining the grandstands in reaching capacity.
The infield sellout comes with previously purchased Friday-Saturday two-day and four-day pit passes being honored for Saturday’s program.
Hard Knox B-Main Results At Knoxville
| Finish | Start | # | Competitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 0 | Lynton Jeffrey |
| 2 | 1 | 23L | Jimmy Light |
| 3 | 4 | 6DC | Will Armitage |
| 4 | 3 | 2M | J.J. Hickle |
| Top 4 transfer | |||
| 5 | 5 | 27B | Garrett Benson |
| 6 | 6 | 15J | Kade Higday |
| 7 | 9 | 4C | Cameron Martin |
| 8 | 8 | 14T | Brooke Tatnell |
| 9 | 7 | G5 | Gage Pulkrabek |
| 10 | 11 | 15JR | Cole Mincer |
| 11 | 13 | 3 | Ayrton Gennetten |
| 12 | 10 | 44X | Scotty Johnson |
| 13 | 15 | 121 | R.J. Johnson |
| 14 | 16 | 7B | Ben Brown |
| 15 | 12 | 85J | Logan Julien |
| 16 | 14 | 28M | Conner Morrell |
| 17 | 17 | 56 | Joe Simbro |
Hard Knox Heat Results At Knoxville
Heat 4
| Finish | Start | # | Competitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 45X | Rees Moran |
| 2 | 2 | 6 | Kasey Jedrzejek |
| 3 | 6 | 95 | Matt Covington |
| 4 | 3 | 40 | Clint Garner |
| 5 | 5 | 26R | Levi Hillier |
| Top 5 transfer | |||
| 6 | 7 | 6DC | Will Armitage |
| 7 | 9 | 14T | Brooke Tatnell |
| 8 | 4 | 85J | Logan Julien |
| 9 | 8 | 7B | Ben Brown |
Heat 3
| Finish | Start | # | Competitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 17GP | Brock Zearfoss |
| 2 | 2 | 15 | Donny Schatz |
| 3 | 3 | 5 | Brenham Crouch |
| 4 | 4 | 45D | Derek Hagar |
| 5 | 5 | 33W | Cap Henry |
| Top 5 transfer | |||
| 6 | 8 | 2M | J.J. Hickle |
| 7 | 9 | G5 | Gage Pulkrabek |
| 8 | 7 | 15JR | Cole Mincer |
| 9 | 6 | 121 | R.J. Johnson |
Heat 2
| Finish | Start | # | Competitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 51 | Steven Snyder Jr |
| 2 | 4 | 7S | Chris Windom |
| 3 | 2 | 11N | Darin Naida |
| 4 | 3 | 09 | Matt Juhl |
| 5 | 7 | 1K | Kelby Watt |
| Top 5 transfer | |||
| 6 | 5 | 0 | Lynton Jeffrey |
| 7 | 8 | 15J | Kade Higday |
| 8 | 9 | 44X | Scotty Johnson |
| 9 | 6 | 28M | Conner Morrell |
Heat 1
| Finish | Start | # | Competitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 27 | Carson McCarl |
| 2 | 3 | 77 | Giovanni Scelzi |
| 3 | 4 | 12X | Landon Crawley |
| 4 | 6 | 87X | Ashton Torgerson |
| 5 | 5 | 17A | Jack Anderson |
| Top 5 transfer | |||
| 6 | 8 | 23L | Jimmy Light |
| 7 | 9 | 27B | Garrett Benson |
| 8 | 7 | 4C | Cameron Martin |
| 9 | 2 | 3 | Ayrton Gennetten |
| 10 | 10 | 56 | Joe Simbro |
Hard Knox Racing Underway At Knoxville
1:07 p.m. CT: The first Hard Knox heat race is underway at Knoxville Raceway, officially beginning Saturday’s on-track competition after a series of weather delays.
Hot Laps Underway At Knoxville
12:45 p.m. CT: Hot laps are officially underway at Knoxville Raceway as the rescheduled Hard Knox program gets rolling following Saturday morning’s weather delays.
Engines Fire At Knoxville For Hard Knox Program
12:07 p.m. CT: Engine heat is underway at Knoxville Raceway as officials continue preparations for Saturday’s rescheduled Hard Knox program.
The latest schedule calls for the Hard Knox portion of the Championship Saturday doubleheader to begin at 1 p.m. Central.
Knoxville Issues Severe Weather Advisory
11:59 a.m. CT: Knoxville Raceway issued a weather advisory at 11:59 a.m. Central, warning of the possibility of pop-up storms Saturday evening, some of which could produce severe weather, strong winds and lightning.
At the recommendation of the National Weather Service and Marion County Emergency Management, race teams will be allowed to keep their haulers in the infield for protection and safety.
Fans are being advised that if severe weather approaches and the grandstands need to be cleared, they should exit calmly and take shelter underneath the grandstands. Any approaching severe weather will be communicated over the track’s PA system.
The advisory comes as Knoxville works through continued weather challenges ahead of Saturday night’s Knoxville Nationals finale.
Hard Knox Start Pushed Back Again
11:44 a.m. CT: The start of Saturday’s rescheduled Hard Knox program has been pushed back another hour because of weather.
Officials announced the program is now scheduled to begin at noon Central (1 p.m. Eastern). Hard Knox was originally scheduled for an 11 a.m. CT start before Saturday morning rainfall delayed the program.
Rain Forces Knoxville Nationals Format Change
8:39 a.m. CT: Saturday morning rain has forced Knoxville Raceway officials to revise the Knoxville Nationals format, expanding the number of drivers locked into Saturday night’s program and shortening the rescheduled Hard Knox portion.
The top 20 in preliminary points are now locked into the A-main, adding Austin McCarl, Brent Marks, Tanner Thorson and Jace Park. Drivers ranked 21st through 40th are locked into the B-main, while those ranked 41st through 50th will start in the first five rows of the C-main.
That puts Sye Lynch on the B-main pole, while defending Knoxville Nationals champion Ryan Timms will start from the C-main pole.
Drivers ranked 51st and lower — including Donny Schatz and Giovanni Scelzi — will compete in a shortened Hard Knox program to determine starting spots 11th through 24th in the C-main. Schatz’s streak of 27 consecutive Nationals A-main appearances is now in serious jeopardy.
Hard Knox will not include time trials, with preliminary points setting the heat lineups. Hot laps are now scheduled for noon Central.
Hard Knox Postponed, Sets Up Saturday Doubleheader
Friday’s FVP Hard Knox program has been postponed to Saturday morning because of weather, setting up a Knoxville Nationals Championship Saturday doubleheader.
Heavy rain Friday morning and continued showers prevented Knoxville Raceway from drying the track and infield. Saturday’s Hard Knox program is scheduled to begin with hot laps at 11 a.m. Central, with the top four finishers in the feature advancing to Saturday night’s 50-lap Knoxville Nationals finale.
According to High Limit Racing publicist Brian Walker, it’s the first rainout during Knoxville Nationals week since Aug. 6, 2014, ending a streak of 45 consecutive completed programs.
A break will follow the Hard Knox program before Championship Saturday festivities resume. Saturday night hot laps remain scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Central.