Chase Dietz will wheel the No. 1a Shark Racing entry at the Knoxville Nationals, as its typical pilot, Jacob Allen, continues to take time off from racing.
Shark Racing confirmed Dietz as the substitute driver via Twitter on Wednesday morning.
Allen was previously named on the Knoxville Nationals entry list and was slotted to compete in Wednesday night’s qualifying event at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway.
Though Allen made a brief return to run the most recent World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series events at Weedsport (N.Y.) Speedway and the Ironman 55 at Missouri’s Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, he will not be racing the Nationals, opening up a spot for Dietz.
The York, Pa., native regularly wheels a sprint car at half-mile tracks in Pennsylvania, including Williams Grove Speedway. Dietz has also raced with the Outlaws during their visits to Williams Grove and Lincoln (Pa.) Speedway.
He’ll try his luck at the famed half-mile dirt oval in Knoxville, Iowa, starting Wednesday.