Schatz Capitalizes on Second Opportunity to Win Hard Knox Feature

Donny Schatz in victory lane at Knoxville Raceway. (Serena Dalhamer Photo)
Donny Schatz in victory lane at Knoxville Raceway. (Serena Dalhamer Photo)

By T.J. Buffenbarger

KNOXVILLE, IA (August 9, 2024) – Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, and Friday night Donny Schatz managed to be both in route to the feature victory during the FVP Hard Knox preliminary program as part of the 63rd NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s at Knoxville Raceway with the World of Outlaws.

After setting quick time Schatz finished one position out of a transfer position in his heat race, which made the possibility of Schatz missing the Saturday A-Main at the Knoxville Nationals for the first time since 1997. Then by a stroke of luck Jack Dover missed going to the scales and was disqualified, which gave Schatz the transfer spot and the pole position for the 25-lap main event.

Schatz capitalized on the opportunity after a brief battle for the lead with Logan Schuchart in the early stages of the race to win the feature event and secure the 21st starting position for Saturday’s finale. Schuchart, Justin Henderson, and Emerson Axsom also punched their ticket into the finale by finishing in the remaining top four positions.

Tanner Holmes, Austin McCarl, Kaleb Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Cole Macedo, and Cale Thomas won heat race events. Ryan Timms won the C-Main while

63rd NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s
FVP “Hard Knox” Preliminary Night
World of Outlaw NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville, Iowa
Friday, August 9, 2024

Qualifying Flight A
1. 15-Donny Schatz, 15.374[9]
2. 88-Austin McCarl, 15.434[7]
3. 5X-Justin Henderson, 15.611[28]
4. 2X-Lynton Jeffrey, 15.632[16]
5. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 15.657[1]
6. 4W-Jamie Ball, 15.678[23]
7. 18T-Tanner Holmes, 15.703[13]
8. 1C-Brenham Crouch, 15.741[2]
9. 58-Kaleb Johnson, 15.862[31]
10. 14J-Jack Dover, 15.874[3]
11. 5-Spencer Bayston, 15.894[5]
12. 22X-JJ Hickle, 15.897[19]
13. 24-Terry McCarl, 15.903[34]
14. 42-Sye Lynch, 15.935[26]
15. 83JR-Michael Kofoid, 15.943[22]
16. 55C-Chris Windom, 15.992[38]
17. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 15.996[21]
18. 24D-Danny Sams III, 16.006[8]
19. 6B-Brandon Wimmer, 16.039[10]
20. 6-Robbie Price, 16.048[15]
21. 3P-Sawyer Phillips, 16.054[27]
22. 40-Clint Garner, 16.059[40]
23. 55T-McKenna Haase, 16.075[30]
24. 7S-Landon Crawley, 16.081[14]
25. 27B-Jake Bubak, 16.085[11]
26. 36-Jason Martin, 16.108[4]
27. 23L-Jimmy Light, 16.116[37]
28. 1D-Tasker Phillips, 16.133[39]
29. 91-Kyle Reinhardt, 16.166[36]
30. G5-Gage Pulkrabek, 16.184[17]
31. 3N-Jake Neuman, 16.206[18]
32. 1K-Kelby Watt, 16.209[29]
33. 44-Chris Martin, 16.224[20]
34. 15JR-Cole Mincer, 16.263[32]
35. 49J-Josh Schneiderman, 16.295[33]
36. 11N-Kasey Jedrzejek, 16.332[25]
37. 18R-Ryan Roberts, 16.333[24]
38. 1-Sammy Swindell, 16.335[12]
39. 27W-Weston Olson, 16.601[6]
40. 23M-Lance Moss, 16.694[35]

Qualifying Flight B
1. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 15.740[8]
2. 99-Skylar Gee, 15.901[1]
3. 27A-Emerson Axsom, 15.940[36]
4. 9-Kasey Kahne, 15.992[6]
5. 19S-Hunter Schuerenberg, 16.017[31]
6. 48-Danny Dietrich, 16.028[2]
7. 52-Blake Hahn, 16.055[38]
8. 21T-Cole Macedo, 16.057[16]
9. 17GP-Cale Thomas, 16.076[39]
10. 3G-Ayrton Gennetten, 16.089[10]
11. 70-Kraig Kinser, 16.130[7]
12. 24T-Christopher Thram, 16.159[12]
13. 2M-Ryan Giles, 16.165[22]
14. 9P-Parker Price Miller, 16.168[37]
15. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 16.219[24]
16. 25-Daison Pursley, 16.219[4]
17. 35-Zach Hampton, 16.221[14]
18. 26-Zeb Wise, 16.231[27]
19. 22-Riley Goodno, 16.266[23]
20. 6W-Dustin Selvage, 16.288[3]
21. 55-Kerry Madsen, 16.302[33]
22. 3-Tim Kaeding, 16.331[29]
23. 27-Carson McCarl, 16.386[30]
24. 88T-Tanner Thorson, 16.390[28]
25. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 16.420[34]
26. 45X-Jace Park, 16.459[25]
27. 74-Xavier Doney, 16.461[13]
28. 1M-Don Droud Jr, 16.486[19]
29. J2-John Carney II, 16.490[15]
30. 19H-Joel Myers, 16.503[9]
31. 10V-Brian Paulus, 16.531[26]
32. 2K-Kevin Ingle, 16.566[35]
33. 53-Jessie Attard, 16.638[11]
34. 14T-Brooke Tatnell, 16.724[21]
35. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, 16.730[17]
36. 5T-Ryan Timms, 16.735[20]
37. 95-Tyler Drueke, 16.889[32]
38. 9H-Landon Hansen, 17.016[5]
39. 28-Joe Perry, 17.595[18]

Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 18T-Tanner Holmes[2]
2. 2X-Lynton Jeffrey[3]
3. 15-Donny Schatz[4]
4. 55C-Chris Windom[6]
5. 6B-Brandon Wimmer[7]
6. 91-Kyle Reinhardt[10]
7. 36-Jason Martin[9]
8. 1K-Kelby Watt[11]
9. 11N-Kasey Jedrzejek[12]
10. 24-Terry McCarl[5]
11. 55T-McKenna Haase[8]
12. (DQ) 14J-Jack Dover[1]
(First three finishers transferred to the A-Main)

Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 88-Austin McCarl[4]
2. 1C-Brenham Crouch[2]
3. 5-Spencer Bayston[1]
4. 87-Aaron Reutzel[3]
5. 42-Sye Lynch[5]
6. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier[6]
7. 7S-Landon Crawley[8]
8. 3P-Sawyer Phillips[7]
9. 44-Chris Martin[11]
10. 18R-Ryan Roberts[12]
11. 23L-Jimmy Light[9]
12. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[10]
(First three finishers transferred to the A-Main)

Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 58-Kaleb Johnson[2]
2. 5X-Justin Henderson[4]
3. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[5]
4. 22X-JJ Hickle[1]
5. 4W-Jamie Ball[3]
6. 1D-Tasker Phillips[9]
7. 27B-Jake Bubak[8]
8. 24D-Danny Sams III[6]
9. 40-Clint Garner[7]
10. 3N-Jake Neuman[10]
11. 15JR-Cole Mincer[11]
12. 1-Sammy Swindell[12]
(First three finishers transferred to the A-Main)

Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 9-Kasey Kahne[3]
2. 1S-Logan Schuchart[4]
3. 52-Blake Hahn[2]
4. 3G-Ayrton Gennetten[1]
5. 3-Tim Kaeding[8]
6. 25-Daison Pursley[6]
7. 1M-Don Droud Jr[10]
8. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[9]
9. 14T-Brooke Tatnell[12]
10. 22-Riley Goodno[7]
11. 2M-Ryan Giles[5]
12. 10V-Brian Paulus[11]
(First three finishers transferred to the A-Main)

Heat Race #5 (8 Laps)
1. 21T-Cole Macedo[2]
2. 19S-Hunter Schuerenberg[3]
3. 99-Skylar Gee[4]
4. 9P-Parker Price Miller[5]
5. 70-Kraig Kinser[1]
6. 35-Zach Hampton[6]
7. 27-Carson McCarl[8]
8. 6W-Dustin Selvage[7]
9. 45X-Jace Park[9]
10. J2-John Carney II[10]
11. 2K-Kevin Ingle[11]
12. 65-Jordan Goldesberry[12]
(First three finishers transferred to the A-Main)

Heat Race #6 (8 Laps)
1. 17GP-Cale Thomas[2]
2. 24T-Christopher Thram[1]
3. 27A-Emerson Axsom[4]
4. 48-Danny Dietrich[3]
5. 26-Zeb Wise[6]
6. 49X-Tim Shaffer[5]
7. 55-Kerry Madsen[7]
8. 74-Xavier Doney[9]
9. 88T-Tanner Thorson[8]
10. 5T-Ryan Timms[12]
11. 19H-Joel Myers[10]
12. 53-Jessie Attard[11]
(First three finishers transferred to the A-Main)

Heat Race #6 (8 Laps)
1. 17GP-Cale Thomas[2]
2. 24T-Christopher Thram[1]
3. 27A-Emerson Axsom[4]
4. 48-Danny Dietrich[3]
5. 26-Zeb Wise[6]
6. 49X-Tim Shaffer[5]
7. 55-Kerry Madsen[7]
8. 74-Xavier Doney[9]
9. 88T-Tanner Thorson[8]
10. 5T-Ryan Timms[12]
11. 19H-Joel Myers[10]
12. 53-Jessie Attard[11]
(First three finishers transferred to the A-Main)

C-Main (10 Laps)
1. 5T-Ryan Timms[6]
2. 22-Riley Goodno[2]
3. 18R-Ryan Roberts[3]
4. 3N-Jake Neuman[5]
5. 2M-Ryan Giles[8]
6. 14J-Jack Dover[11]
7. 19H-Joel Myers[12]
8. 15JR-Cole Mincer[9]
9. 23L-Jimmy Light[7]
10. 10V-Brian Paulus[14]
11. 95-Tyler Drueke[19]
12. 53-Jessie Attard[18]
13. 1-Sammy Swindell[15]
14. 23M-Lance Moss[20]
15. 65-Jordan Goldesberry[16]
16. 27W-Weston Olson[17]
17. 9H-Landon Hansen[21]
18. 28-Joe Perry[22]
19. 2K-Kevin Ingle[10]
20. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[13]
DNS: 24-Terry McCarl
DNS: J2-John Carney II
(The first 12 finishers transferred to the pair of B-Mains)

B-Main #1 (12 Laps)
1. 55C-Chris Windom[1]
2. 42-Sye Lynch[5]
3. 22X-JJ Hickle[3]
4. 6B-Brandon Wimmer[4]
5. 91-Kyle Reinhardt[7]
6. 36-Jason Martin[10]
7. 4W-Jamie Ball[6]
8. 27B-Jake Bubak[12]
9. 5T-Ryan Timms[19]
10. 7S-Landon Crawley[11]
11. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier[8]
12. 24D-Danny Sams III[15]
13. 44-Chris Martin[17]
14. 1K-Kelby Watt[13]
15. 18R-Ryan Roberts[20]
16. 11N-Kasey Jedrzejek[16]
17. 2M-Ryan Giles[21]
18. 95-Tyler Drueke[24]
19. 3P-Sawyer Phillips[14]
20. 19H-Joel Myers[22]
21. 23L-Jimmy Light[23]
22. 1D-Tasker Phillips[9]
23. 40-Clint Garner[18]
DNS: 87-Aaron Reutzel
(First three finishers transferred to the A-Main)

B-Main #2 (12 Laps)
1. 3G-Ayrton Gennetten[1]
2. 9P-Parker Price Miller[2]
3. 48-Danny Dietrich[3]
4. 26-Zeb Wise[6]
5. 3-Tim Kaeding[4]
6. 35-Zach Hampton[8]
7. 55-Kerry Madsen[12]
8. 70-Kraig Kinser[5]
9. 1M-Don Droud Jr[10]
10. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[13]
11. 22-Riley Goodno[19]
12. 45X-Jace Park[17]
13. 74-Xavier Doney[15]
14. 6W-Dustin Selvage[14]
15. 14T-Brooke Tatnell[16]
16. 53-Jessie Attard[24]
17. 14J-Jack Dover[21]
18. 27-Carson McCarl[11]
19. 88T-Tanner Thorson[18]
20. 15JR-Cole Mincer[22]
21. 3N-Jake Neuman[20]
22. 49X-Tim Shaffer[9]
23. 10V-Brian Paulus[23]
24. 25-Daison Pursley[7]
(First three finishers transferred to the A-Main)

A-Main (25 Laps)
1. 15-Donny Schatz[1]
2. 1S-Logan Schuchart[2]
3. 5X-Justin Henderson[5]
4. 27A-Emerson Axsom[6]
5. 2X-Lynton Jeffrey[7]
6. 21T-Cole Macedo[14]
7. 5-Spencer Bayston[15]
8. 58-Kaleb Johnson[13]
9. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[17]
10. 18T-Tanner Holmes[9]
11. 99-Skylar Gee[4]
12. 9P-Parker Price Miller[22]
13. 19S-Hunter Schuerenberg[10]
14. 9-Kasey Kahne[8]
15. 48-Danny Dietrich[24]
16. 1C-Brenham Crouch[11]
17. 3G-Ayrton Gennetten[20]
18. 55C-Chris Windom[19]
19. 22X-JJ Hickle[23]
20. 17GP-Cale Thomas[16]
21. 24T-Christopher Thram[18]
22. 42-Sye Lynch[21]
23. 52-Blake Hahn[12]
24. 88-Austin McCarl[3]

Notes: