Sprint car fans, the biggest race of the year is finally here. The 35th annual Xtream Powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank takes over Knoxville Raceway this weekend. With the chance to win up to $35,000, some of the best sprint car drivers in the world are ready to compete.
The event runs from Thursday, July 31 through Saturday, August 2. Each night is packed with action as drivers race for points and a chance to make it to Saturday’s big show.
How It Works
Drivers are split between Thursday and Friday’s preliminary races. Each night, they earn points based on how they qualify and where they finish in the feature race. After Friday night, the top 20 drivers in points are locked into Saturday’s main event. Everyone else will have to fight their way in through the lower mains.
Saturday’s feature race is 30 laps long and pays $20,000 to win, but each lap is worth an extra $500 to the leader. If a driver leads all 30 laps, they will take home the full $35,000 prize.
ASCS National Drivers
The best drivers from the American Sprint Car Series are ready to go.
Sam Hafertepe Jr. leads the national ASCS standings. He is on fire right now, winning the last five races in a row. He has never won the 360 Nationals final but has come close with two second-place finishes.
Blake Hahn is second in points and had a strong run last weekend in Missouri. He has finished as high as 16th in the 360 Nationals final and had a top-five in a 410 Nationals prelim last year.
Matt Covington is third in the standings and has already won a race this year. His best Knoxville finish in this event was 11th last year.
Jason Martin has not won in 2025 but has five podium finishes. He has made the 360 Nationals final twice in the past.
Knoxville’s Weekly Standouts
Knoxville Raceway also has its own group of weekly racers who know the track better than anyone.
Tasker Phillips is the current points leader at the track. He has three wins this season and finished sixth in last year’s main event.
Clint Garner is a legend in 360 racing at Knoxville. He has 48 career wins and won the 360 Nationals in 2017.
Tyler Groenendyk has two wins this year and is a former Pro Sprints champion. He made his first 360 Nationals main event last year.
Jamie Ball won a prelim night in 2016 and was fifth in the final in 2017. He also won the Knoxville 360 championship last year.
National Stars Join In
Several top 410 sprint car drivers are racing in the 360 Nationals this weekend to get more track time before next week’s 410 Nationals.
Kyle Larson is the defending 410 Knoxville Nationals champion and has won that event three times. He last raced the 360 Nationals in 2022 and finished 11th.
Rico Abreu has been one of the top drivers in the country this year with 10 wins. He charged from 24th to 3rd in last year’s 360 Nationals final.
Brad Sweet is a five-time World of Outlaws champion. He has not raced the 360 Nationals in over 10 years but will return this weekend.
Justin Peck started the ASCS season with three straight wins and will be back in a 360 car this weekend. He finished 13th last year.
Past Champions Return
Many past winners of the 360 Nationals are back this year.
Terry McCarl has won the race five times, which ties the all-time record. He has also won seven 410 titles at Knoxville.
Gio Scelzi, the 2021 winner, is back with a new team. He will drive the same car that Tyler Courtney drove to victory last year.
Brian Brown is a two-time 360 Nationals champion and has already won three times at the track this season.
Kerry Madsen and James McFadden are both past winners as well. Madsen won in 2020, and McFadden took the win in 2019.
New Faces to Watch
A group of new drivers is also set to race in the 360 Nationals for the first time. They will compete for the JETCO Rookie of the Race bonus.
Kaylee Bryson made her first Knoxville start in May and will drive for Clint Garner Racing this weekend.
Chase Dietz is part of the Pennsylvania Posse and returns to Knoxville after racing the 410 Nationals last year.
Brandon Spithaler has raced at Knoxville before but never in August. He has two wins this season in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Ryder Laplante, just 18 years old, is in the hunt for ASCS Rookie of the Year. He has four top-ten finishes so far in 2025.
Daison Pursley has already won at Knoxville in non-winged competition. This weekend he will try to win with a wing for the first time.
This year’s 360 Knoxville Nationals has something for everyone. From local stars to national champions, rookies to veterans, the field is stacked. The racing will be fast, competitive and full of drama. By the end of Saturday night, one driver will walk away with the biggest 360 sprint car win of their career.
Photo: Paul Arch
Full Throttle Media 