360 Nationals Preview: Full Breakdown by Prelim Night

Every year, it seems like the Knoxville Raceway 360 Nationals gets bigger and bigger. As of today, the car count sits at 107 (just 1 less than the current 410 list). When you take a look at the entry list, it’s filled with some of the top 410 racers in the country, as well as the best 360 drivers. Admittedly, I do not follow the 360 scene as closely as the 410 stuff, but I have the resources to break it all down, so thats exactly what I will do here.

First, let’s give everyone a reminder of the 360 Nationals format.

Thursday and Friday

Order of Events: Hot laps, Qualifications, Last Chance Heats (if needed), 5 Heats, C feature, B feature, A feature.

Qualifications – 200 points are awarded for quick timer, 198 for second quick, 196 for third, etc.

Only the top 50 qualifiers make the heats, the rest are put in the last chance heats in which the first eight finishers will fill the back of that night’s C feature (starting in the sixth row).

Last Chance Heats (for drivers out of the top 50 in Qual.) – 50 points awarded to the winner, 47 for 2nd, etc.

Heats – 100 points are awarded for the heat winner, points go down by three: 97, 94, 91, 88, etc.

Heats have an invert of six. Top four finishers go to A, next four to B, last two to C.

C feature – Top four finishers go to back of the B. Fifth place is worth 92 pts., 6th is 90, etc.

B feature – The top four finishers transfer to the tail of the A. The B awards 142 points for fifth, 140 for sixth and so on by twos.

A feature – The A feature points are the same as time trials: 200, 198, 196 etc. This explains how a driver can not make the A, but if he timed well may have more points than someone who did make the A.

First tie breaker is finish position in respective main event. Next tie breaker is rank in time trial. Other tie breaking criteria may be implemented if needed.

A perfect score (quick time, heat win, feature win) is 500. Cars line up for Saturday’s championship straight up by points earned on their qualifying night.

Saturday:
Saturday Events: E feature, D feature, C feature, B feature, Knoxville Nationals Championship feature.

With the exception of the B feature which takes the top four finishers to the tail of the 360 Nationals Championship, all other features transfer the top two finishers to the tail of the next event (if there are scratches, there may be more taken for a particular event).

via Knoxville Raceway

Now, let’s take a look at the split-field qualifying nights.

Next, take a look at the most winningest 360 drivers in the country who are entered for the Nationals.

Sam Hafertepe Jr – 8
Aaron Reutzel – 7
Kelly Miller – 5
Seth Bergmann – 5
Kasey Jedrezek – 4
Ryan Bickett – 3
Tanner Holmes – 3
Austin McCarl – 2
Ben Brown – 2
Tasker Phillips – 2

Finally, before we get into the breakdown/predictions, take a look at who has been good at Knoxville in a 360 the last three seasons.

360 Wins Since 2022

Aaron Reutzel – 13
Chase Randall – 5
Terry McCarl – 5
Clint Garner – 4
Sam Hafertepe Jr – 2
Brian Brown – 2
Garet Williamson – 2
Parker Price-Miller – 1
Jamie Ball – 1
Tasker Phillips – 1
Sawyer Phillips – 1
Austin McCarl – 1
Nathan Mills – 1
Emerson Axsom – 1

Thursday Breakdown

The Locks

Chase Randall – This might be the year that we see Randall win the whole thing. He keeps getting better at Knoxville and he is very good in the 360. The 2KS will be fast and Randall will be one of the names at the top of the points heading into Saturday.

Aaron Reutzel – Reutzel comes into the 360 as the odds on favorite to win. He dominates the 360 class on a weekly basis and has more 360 wins than anyone at the track in recent years.

Austin McCarl – McCarl is just flat at good at Knoxville. He’s won in the 410 and he’s won in the 360. I expect A-MAC to be there when it matters most on Saturday night.

Garet Williamson – Williamson has primarily been racing in 410 action all season long. That doesn’t change things here, as he is one of the best young talents in the sport and one of the best at Knoxville.

Justin Peck – Peck enters the 360 Nationals in a lethal Heffner Racing no. 27 machine. That car, along with Peck’s talent and skill at Knoxville is going to be a potent combination. Don’t be surprised to see Peck battling for the lead on Saturday night.

Justin Henderson – Henderson comes into the 360 Nationals having a disappointing 2024 season. He junked his 410 car at the season opener, and we haven’t seen much of him since. Despite all of that, Henderson is one of the best and one of the most experienced drivers in the field. He’ll be competitive all weekend long.

Kaleb Johnson – I am really high on Johnson for the 410 Nationals and I feel the same way for the 360. He will be driving a Dennis Gainey machine, and the combination will be fast. Johnson has steadily been improving and I think he locks into the 360 Nationals for the second straight year.

Cole Macedo – Cole is one of the few 410 regulars who has some 360 starts under his belt this season. We know the Tarlton no. 21 will be set up for success and I think Macedo will get the job done and lock in.

Emerson Axsom – If Axsom didn’t win the most recent 360 A-Main at Knoxville, I’m not sure I would be as high on him. He doesn’t have many winged 360 starts, but he’s been very good in the 410 over the last two months. That success includes some solid results at Knoxville and Eldora. I think he’s comfortable enough at Knoxville to compete with the best.

JJ Hickle – This might be a surprise to some, but Hickle is a gasser who has had a ton of bad luck and a lack of opportunity in the 410 ranks. He pulled the 360 out and was really fast before junking the car two weeks ago. I’m not sure if he will be in the same car, but Hickle knows his way around Knoxville and has qualified for the 410 Nationals in the past.

To The B-Main

Jamie Ball – Ball is a 360 Knoxville standout who could easily be one of the high point men after preliminary action. He knows how to find victory lane and his experience could carry him all the way to the A-Main.

Danny Dietrich – It will be a rare DD appearance in the 360. He’s more than capable of locking in and running well, I just don’t know how he will perform in the 360 on a Knoxville surface that he hasn’t seen in quite some time.

Tanner Holmes – Holmes locked into the 360 Nationals one year ago. He could very well do so again, especially with the extra laps he has gotten at Knoxville this season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Holmes in the A-Main on Saturday.

Seth Bergmann – Bergmann is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career on the ASCS National Tour. He’s consistently battling with Sam Hafertepe Jr for wins. The only concern I have for Bergmann is his lack of experience at Knoxville and on 1/2 miles in general.

Blake Hahn – Hahn is another guy who has dominated the 360 ranks in the past. He’s since moved up to racing 410s more consistently, but he will certainly be good come Nationals time. He’s one of the guys who wouldn’t surprise me to be near the top of the points, or somewhere mid-pack.

Don’t Count These Guys Out

Chase Johnson – The California driver has been solid in NARC competition this year. He recently picked up a win and I really think he could be a sleeper at the 360 Nationals. Johnson is super talented, but he flies under the radar a lot because we do not get to see him much outside of California.

Ben Brown – Ben Brown is a gasser. He’s a local racer who is not afraid to push the car to the limit. I expect Brown to have a solid showing at Nationals.

Terry McCarl – Despite not racing as much as he used to, can you really count out T-MAC at Knoxville? He still runs a 360 a couple times a year and he might know his way around the track more than anyone in the field.

Hunter Schuerenberg – Schuerenberg enters the 360 Nationals in a car that I know nothing about. I might know something about it but I am not familiar with the number. Anyway, he’s good at Knoxville and he has plenty of laps around the track. You simply cannot count him out.

Kade Higday – Coming off the biggest win of his career that ended up not being a win at all, Higday has been solid at Knoxville this year. He’s improving each year, and he definitely has the potential to be toward the front of the B-Main.

It Could Happen, But I Doubt It

Matt Juhl – Juhl is having a mediocre season in the 410 ranks. He’s someone with a ton of experience at Knoxville and that alone could benefit him. I’m not sure about his 360 program, but he’s certainly talented enough to lock in.

Ryan Bickett – Bickett enters the 360 nationals having won three races this season. However, all of those wins have come at Black Hills, SD and he only has one start at Knoxville this season. The lack of laps will ultimately be what prevents him from locking in.

Kelly Miller – With five wins this season in ASCS Regional action, Miller looks to carry that momentum into Knoxville. Miller was a D-Main exit during the 2023 Nationals, but I think we could see a slightly better result this year.

The Ones Who Can Prove Me Wrong

Matt Covington – Covington has established himself as one of the best 360 racers in the country in recent years. He has been racing the 410 a bit more this year. He was a B-Main exit during the 2022 360 Nationals and I expect a similar result in 2024.

Jason Martin – Another 360 standout, Martin has since moved on to 410 racing. The veteran has plenty of laps around Knoxville, but has failed to find success at the track like he has at others.

Cam Martin – Cam Martin managed to get himself to the B-Main during the 2022 360 Nationals. He’s someone who can randomly put together a good night, but lacks overall consistency.

Tony Rost – Out of shear will and determination to prove the Drunk Dingus’ tiers wrong, Rost could work his way into a 360 Nationals A-Main.

Friday Breakdown

The Locks

Tyler Courtney – Sunshine is going to be fast. He might be the fastest car on the track this weekend. He’s one of the favorites.

Sam Hafertepe Jr – One of the best 360 racers in the country and maybe of all time. If I had to predict a winner, it would be Hafertepe.

Brian Brown – Last year’s winner and one of the most successful drivers in Knoxville history. Brown will certainly lock in, but will he defend his title?

Daryn Pittman – Another guy who is hard to beat at Knoxville. Pittman and the 69k team seem like they have things figured out.

Parker Price-Miller – PPM is another guy I could see winning the whole thing. He’s very good at Knoxville and he’s very good in a 360.

Scott Bogucki – Bogucki won a prelim feature at the 360 Nationals last season before getting disqualified. I think he brings that speed back again in 2024 (legally).

Clint Garner – The Knoxville 360 veteran owns a bunch of wins at the track. He might not be as fast as he once was, but he will still be hard to knock out of the A-Main.

Kerry Madsen – Kerry is just flat out good at Knoxville. It doesn’t matter if its a 360 or a 410, Madsen will be in contention.

Sawyer Phillips – Sawyer Phillips has been improving every single year in the 360. He’s a winner at Knoxville and I think this is the best he has looked headed into Nationals.

Tasker Phillips – Sawyer’s brother has two 360 wins in 2024. He can rip the cushion at Knoxville with the best of them and I think that will be enough to get him into the A-Main.

To The B-Main

Zeb Wise – I’m pretty low on confidence for Wise and the Rudeen team right now in the 410, but I think Wise makes the A-Main for the 360 Nationals this year. He’s been getting better on the big tracks and has plenty of experience that he did not have in previous years.

Jake Bubak – Bubak is another guy who I am a big fan of. I think he can easily lock into the 360 Nationals and surprise a lot of people in the 410 this year.

Kasey Kahne – Kahne surprised me last season at the 410 Nationals when he nearly locked into the A-Main. He can’t seem to find any consistency, but has random nights where he looks very competitive. I think he brings his best effort to Knoxville this year.

Cory Eliason – With help from RSR teammate, Aaron Reutzel, Eliason could be one of the best cars at the 360 Nationals this year. I think Friday is definitely the toughest night in terms of competition, and that could push Eliason down a little in the points.

Dusty Zomer – Zomer is a guy who I have sneaking into the 410 A-Main, but I’m not so sure about the 360. He can roll the bottom really well, but that doesn’t always work out with a 360 under the hood.

Don’t Count These Guys Out

Tim Shaffer – The veteran was a late entry with the 49x team. He has a ton of laps and a ton of success at Knoxville, but not much of that has come recently.

Carson McCarl – Carson has always been solid in the 360 at Knoxville. He has shifted his attention to the 410, but he certainly has not forgotten how to get around the track in the 360. I think we see him lock in through the B-Main.

Tanner Thorson – Thorson doesn’t have many laps around Knoxville in a winged car. He’s extremely talented and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him have success. I just think his lack of experience could hurt him.

Dustin Selvage – A Knoxville regular who is quite entertaining on Twitter. Selvage proved me wrong last year when he put up a solid effort at the 410 Nationals. He’s got the experience to be a sleeper at the 360 Nationals.

Ryan Giles – We don’t get to see Ryan Giles turn a bunch of laps very often, but he’s definitely good in the 360 at Knoxville. He’s a name I will be keeping my eye on this weekend.

Brooke Tatnell – The veteran still has some gas left in the tank. Tatnell is still capable of putting a car up front, and this year is no different.

The Ones Who Can Prove Me Wrong

Hank Davis – The Chili Bowl legend has been impressive this season on the ASCS National Tour. The 2C is fast, but Davis doesn’t have the Knoxville experience to go with it.

Brenham Crouch – Crouch could turn some heads due to the speed he has in qualifying. A solid lap could set him up for a good weekend.

Brendan Mullen – Mullen is a young driver who primarily competes in the 410 ranks in and around South Dakota. He’s been steadily improving but I haven’t seen the speed out of him that makes me believe he can sneak into the A-Main this year.

Kasey Jedrezek – Another young driver who has multiple 360 wins this season. He has a good group of supporters behind him and he actually showed a little bit of speed during King’s Royal weekend. He could be the one who surprises the most this weekend.

Nathan Mills – A Knoxville winner this season in 360 action. Mills could use the laps he has this season to work his way up the points standings, but ultimately fall short.