KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Despite what was an eventful night during Thursday’s qualifying program for the 60th Knoxville Nationals, Kyle Larson believes he is in position to win the prestigious event on Saturday night.
After qualifying fourth, failing to transfer through his heat race and winning the B main, Larson started 21st and raced to a second-place finish in the 25-lap feature. His point total earned him the third starting position for Saturday’s 50-lap main event.
But Larson said it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. “I really only had to come from 10th there, so it couldn’t have worked out much better for me,” Larson said.
Indeed, luck was on his side as he managed to dodge a massive six-car accident in front or him on the sixth lap of the race.
“It was wild,” Larson explained. “I was close to the 47 (Marcus Dumesny) and we went into three and I heard Mike Hess (World of Outlaws race director) yell ‘yellow,’ and I saw two cars flipping in front of me, so I bent it sideways and I got my pace checked up and I was thankfully high enough and then a few more came blasting into it in front of me.
“It felt like a long crash. We were able to get a little hole made and I was able to zig-zag through there and didn’t hit anything. It was nerve-racking for sure.”
Now Larson has his sights set on the biggest prize in sprint car racing.
“This is such a big event. I have probably come here almost as many times as a fan as I have to race. I have had just as much fun sitting in the stands watching as I have racing because this event is so big and the atmosphere is so big,” Larson said Thursday night. “You see all of your friends and a lot of your family. There is so much history around this event and every year it is something bigger.
“I’d love to add my name to the winners list,” he said. “You walk down the midway here and you see all the banners hanging on pillars. I want to see my face on there some day.”