Knoxville Nationals qualifying night updates continue at Knoxville Raceway
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 13, 2026, 11:14 PM
Last updated Aug 13, 2026

Qualifying for the 2026 NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals is ongoing at Knoxville Raceway. Thursday marks the second of two qualifying nights. Kyle Larson is set to compete despite NASCAR commitments this weekend. Sheldon Haudenschild leads the points with 481, followed closely by James McFadden and Kasey Kahne. Nine drivers from Wednesday are confirmed to have met the average points needed to qualify for Saturday’s A-main. Drivers such as Buddy Kofoid and Carson Macedo return after earlier incidents, while Aaron Reutzel seeks his first A-main start since 2023.
- •Thursday’s event is the second qualifying night for the Knoxville Nationals.
- •Kyle Larson has 20 victories in Southern Iowa Speedweek events.
- •Nine drivers met the points threshold to qualify for Saturday's A-main.
- •Buddy Kofoid and Carson Macedo return after recent accidents during qualifying.
- •Aaron Reutzel aims for his first A-main start since 2023 after recovering from injury.
- 11:14 PMYahoo Sports — Live From Knoxville: 2026 Knoxville Nationals Thursday Updates
"Thursday lineups, results and updates from the 2026 Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway.
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