The Grandaddy of Them All will take place with multiple American Sprint Car Series drivers hunting a $200,000 payday in Iowa.
The 65th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s will see more than 100 of the best Sprint Car drivers compete at Knoxville Raceway tonight through Saturday. Among the faces with ASCS connections who will compete at the Sprint Car Capital of the World are former champions, 2026 winners, and past racers who have made a footprint in the world of dirt racing through ASCS competition.
Take a look at who will compete at Knoxville:
Sam Hafertepe Jr. (Sunnyvale, TX)
Team: Hill’s Racing Team
Feature Starts: 3
Best Finish: 14th (2011)
The current Series points leader will chase his first Feature start since 2014 aboard his familiar Hill’s Racing Team No. 15H Sprint Car.
Hafertepe earned Quick Time honors on Friday for the Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank en route to a 15th-place finish in Saturday’s finale. Overall in 2026, he’s bagged three wins with ASCS and two 410 Sprint Car victories at Lake Ozark Speedway and Creek County Speedway.
Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK)
Team: Matt Covington Racing
Feature Starts: 0
Covington will make his first appearance for the Knoxville Nationals since 2023 amid a busy week across the Hawkeye State in August.
He’s earned two wins with the National Tour in 2026 as he goes after his first Saturday Feature start at the 1/2-mile facility. In ASCS competition, he sits 23 points behind Hafertepe for the overall points lead.
Austyn Gossel (Fort Collins, CO)
Team: Gossel Racing
Feature Starts: 0
Gossel has made strides in his journey with the Series in 2026 by earning two consecutive podiums at Dodge City Raceway Park and Viking Speedway, respectively.
Before Gossel rejoins ASCS for the visit to Riverside International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 22, he’ll look to bring the No. 16G BG Automotive Triple X Chassis to a first career finale Feature start.
Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, IN)
Team: Clauson Marshall Racing
Feature Starts: 3
Best Finish: 4th (2022)
“Sunshine” has evolved into one of the biggest threats to win a first Knoxville Nationals as he prepares to drive the NOS Energy Drink No. 7BC in a tribute design to the late Bryan Clauson.
Courtney has multiple wins at the track in USAC Sprint Cars and is the 2024 360 Nationals champion. He finished third in the 2026 edition and owns the ASCS Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator title from February.
Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK)
Team: Aberlein Motorsports
Feature Starts: 1
Best Finish: 15th (2024)
The “Macho Man” showed his muscle during the 360 Nationals by leading the first half of Friday’s Feature en route to a second-place finish on the night.
Bacon won with the Series at Volusia Speedway Park on the final night of DIRTcar Nationals and has won at Knoxville six times in USAC competition, with the latest coming in May for the Corn Belt Clash.
Justin Peck (Monrovia, IN)
Team: Rudeen Racing
Feature Starts: 5
Best Finish: 12th (2022)
Peck has suited up for the Saturday finale at Knoxville Nationals each year since 2021, and he’ll attempt to keep the streak going in his second year as a driver for Kevin Rudeen.
In ASCS competition, he won twice in the Sonoran Clash at Central Arizona Raceway. While he’s yet to see victory at Knoxville, he’s finished on the podium in his prelim night showings from the last two runnings of the high-stakes event.
Levi Hillier (Burlington, WA)
Team: Rudeen Racing
Feature Starts: 0
16-year-old Levi Hillier will race aboard the second Rudeen Racing machine in his debut appearance at the “Grandaddy of Them All.”
Hillier became the second-youngest National Tour winner when he took victory at Central Arizona and owns four additional victories in Sprint Car racing since May 30. If he wins on Saturday, he’ll take the title of the youngest winner in the event’s history.
Gio Scelzi (Fresno, CA)
Team: Spire Motorsports
Feature Starts: 7
Best Finish: 2nd (2024)
Scelzi began a new journey in 2026 when Spire Motorsports tapped him to pilot the Chili’s-sponsored No. 77 for their flagship Sprint Car program.
His first win of the year was a $100,000 payday in the Bob Weikert Memorial at Port Royal Speedway, then he followed up by winning the 360 Nationals opening night with the ASCS National Tour. “Hot Sauce” has three top-five finishes in the Saturday finale, including a runner-up finish to Kyle Larson in the 2024 edition.
Honorable Mention:
Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK)
Team: Two-C Racing
Feature Starts: 8
Best Finish: 8th (2006)
The 2000 ASCS National Tour champion returns to Knoxville in his role as crew chief for World of Outlaws full-timer Cole Macedo.
The Oklahoma native won the 360 Nationals twice in 2000 and 2008, and earned two top-10 finishes in the finale. Johnson’s expertise helped Macedo earn a spot into his first Saturday Feature start in 2025 as they look to repeat the feat for a second consecutive year.
For more information about the Knoxville Nationals, click here.
Where can you watch every lap of the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision.
