By T.J. Buffenbarger
(August 6, 2023) — The 360 Knoxville Nationals that completed last night at Knoxville Raceway not only provide a showcase for the 360 sprint car division at the Sprint Car Capital of the World, The event also provides more track time for drivers leading into the Knoxville Nationals for the 410 Sprint Cars. Last night it provided one of the most thrilling finishes of the season as Brian Brown picked up his second 360 Knoxville Nationals title by a nose over Aaron Reutzel.
When the 360 Nationals moved from its original date in June to August one week before the 410 Nationals in 2005, it gave race teams more August laps at the Marion County Fairgrounds and expanded Southern Iowa Speedweek to a 10-day festival celebrating the sport.
With everyone focused on the 410 sprint cars with the Capitani Classic, Front Row Challenge, and Knoxville Nationals ahead, here is how the previous 360 Nationals champions fared during the 410 Nationals.
If you are looking for a good pick in your “for entertainment purposes only” Knoxville Nationals pool the 360 Nationals champion is likely to appear in Saturday’s finale of the 410 Nationals. 19 of the 32 editions of the 360 Nationals the winner also earned a starting position in the Saturday Night A-Main at the Knoxville Nationals the same year.
Since the 360 Nationals moved to August in 2005 only Clint Garner in 2017 and Kerry Madsen in 2020 failed to make Saturday’s finale of the 410 Nationals A-Main on Saturday Night, or in Madsen’s case the “one and only” final.
Throughout the 33rd year run Danny Lasoski and Sammy Swindell are only drivers to have a 360 and 410 Nationals title to their name. Lasoski won the 360 nationals in 1995 before capturing the first of his four Knoxville Nationals titles in 1998. Sammy won the 360 Nationals in 2016 to go with his 410 Nationals title in 1983.
Shane Stewart and Brown hold the honor of being the highest finishing drivers in the Saturday night 410 Nationals A-Main the same year they won the 360 Nationals with a second-place finish. Stewart was one spot away from completing the double in 2011 while Brown was a Donny Schatz pass late in the feature away from doubling up in 2014.
Six times the driver that won the 360 Nationals has returned to victory lane during one of the two preliminary nights of the 410 Nationals. Terry McCarl is the only one to accomplish this twice in 1995 and 20 years later in 2005. Wayne Johnson (08), Lasoski (95), Stewart (10), and Brown (14) are the only other drivers to do this in the past 32 years.
Stewart had the most prolific run of all the 360 Nationals champions, winning the event six times in seven years between 2007 and 2013. Of those six years, three of them Stewart scored top five finishes in the 410 Nationals along with a 6th place finish in 2012.
Giovanni Scelzi backed up his 360 Nationals championship by winning the pole position for the 410 Nationals in 2021, finishing fifth in the finale.
Warrnambool, Australia’s James McFadden had a slugfest with Brian Brown to capture the title in 2019 and backed it up with a 8th place finish in the 410 Nationals.
During the 33 previous editions of 360 Nationals only David Hesmer did not compete at the 410 Nationals after winning 360 edition, which he did twice during his career during the inaugural event in 1991 and again in 1997.
Jesse Gianetto had a mechanical issue in 2006 after making his preliminary night feature at the 410 Nationals but did not compete for the remainder of the weekend.
Now we get to see how Brian Brown performs in the 2023 edition of the Knoxville Nationals following his victory on Saturday.
| Year | 360 Winner | 410 Prelim | 410 Friday | 410 Nationals Result |
| 1991 | David Hesmer | |||
| 1992 | Garry Lee Maier | 13th B-Main | DNS B-Main | DNS E-Main |
| 1993 | Garry Lee Maier | 6th B-Main | 12th C-Main | |
| 1994 | Lee Nelson | 15th B-Main | 22nd B-Main | DNS E-Main |
| 1995 | Danny Lasoski | 1st A-Main | 6th A-Scramble | 5th A-Main |
| 1996 | Terry McCarl | 1st A-Main | 11th A-Main | |
| 1997 | David Hesmer | |||
| 1998 | Gary Wright | 6th A-Main | 17th A-Main | |
| 1999 | Dennis Moore Jr. | 5th B-Main | 10th C-Scramble | 18th C-Main |
| 2000 | Wayne Johnson | 17th B-Main | 11th A-Main | 11th C-Main |
| 2001 | Terry McCarl | 4th A-Main | 7th A-Scramble, 6th World Challenge | 5th A-Main |
| 2002 | Jeff Swindell | 5th B-Main | 1st C-Scramble | 9th B-Main |
| 2003 | Dennis Moore Jr. | 21st A-Main | 3rd C-Scramble | 22nd C-Main |
| 2004 | Billy Alley | 5th B-Main | 5th B-Scramble, 14th World Challenge | 22nd B-main |
| 2005 | Billy Alley | 4th A-Main | 17th A-Main | |
| 2006 | Jesse Giannetto | 21st A-Main | DNS | |
| 2007 | Shane Stewart | 23rd A-Main | 1st B-Scramble | 23rd A-Main |
| 2008 | Wayne Johnson | 1st A-Main | 16th A-Main | |
| 2009 | Shane Stewart | 12th A-Main | 2nd World Challenge | 5th A-Main |
| 2010 | Shane Stewart | 1st A-Main | 3rd A-Main | |
| 2011 | Shane Stewart | 4th A-Main | 2nd RoC, 2nd World Challenge | 2nd A-Main |
| 2012 | Shane Stewart | 7th A-Main | 22nd World Challenge | 6th A-Main |
| 2013 | Shane Stewart | 6th A-Main | 8th World Challenge | 17th A-Main |
| 2014 | Brian Brown | 1st A-Main | 2nd A-Main | |
| 2015 | Terry McCarl | 1st A-Main | 11th World Challenge | 11th A-Main |
| 2016 | Sammy Swindell | 13th A-Main | 18th A-Main | |
| 2017 | Clint Garner | 9th B-Main | 14th B-Main | 10th D-Main |
| 2018 | Terry McCarl | 5th A-Main | 10th World Challenge | 23rd A-Main |
| 2019 | James McFadden | 2nd A-Main | 8th A-Main. | |
| 2020 | Kerry Madsen** | 16th B-Main | 5th B-Main | |
| 2021 | Giovanni Scelzi | 2nd A-Main | 4th A-Main | |
| 2022 | Aaron Reutzel | 6th A-Main | 14th A-Main | |
| 2023 |