Sheldon Haudenschild stole the win on the opening night of the Knoxville Nationals Wednesday (Paul Arch Photo) (Video Highlights from DirtVision.com)
by Bill Wright
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 12, 2026) – Sheldon Haudenschild stole the show on Wednesday’s Brandt Qualifying Night of the 65th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals Presented by Casey’s! A last corner drive-by of Jace Park and James McFadden netted the Wooster, Ohio native the checkered flag by just six-thousandths of a second and propelled him to the high point driver of the night (full points below). His win was worth $12,000 and came aboard the KCP Racing #18.
A mechanical issue made defending Knoxville Nationals champion, Ryan Timms, late to staging, and he made an early exit, after being scheduled for a starting spot in row five.
Jace Park shot out from the pole to lead early in the 25-lap main event ahead of Cole Macedo, Sye Lynch, Chase Dietz and McFadden. McFadden was making a strong move on the bottom, and was into third by lap three.
Dietze moved by Lynch to take fourth on lap five, and a circuit later, Haudenschild followed him into the top five. Park was strong on the cushion and began hitting traffic on lap 12, while McFadden bested Macedo for second.
On lap 14, Emerson Axsom, who had gone from 22nd to 13th, stopped in turn two to bring the only caution. Park Led McFadden, Macedo, Dietz and Haudenschild back to green.
McFadden used the low side of turn four to take the point. Meanwhile, on lap 17, Haudenschild disposed of Dietz for the fourth spot. Park did not go away in second, and kept the heat on McFadden.
Haudenschild’s climb continued when he gained third from Macedo with five to go. Up front, Park battled to get the lead back from McFadden on lap 21. Three laps later, McFadden roared by, coming for the white flag.
With traffic again a factor, Park looked to get a run on McFadden on the backstretch. As the pair moved through three and four they drifted high with a lapped car in front of them.
Haudenschild pounced on the opportunity, sticking the bottom of three and four and drag racing with McFadden to the checkers to win by the narrow margin, in an instant classic!
Haudenschild, McFadden and Park were followed by Macedo and Dietz. Justin Henderson, Lynch, Kasey Kahne, Sawyer Phillips and Jy Corbet completed the top ten. Kahne set quick time over the 47-car field. McFadden, Riley Goodno, Danny Sams III, Brock Zearfoss and Timms were the heat winners. Rico Abreu claimed the B main. Sammy Swindell got upside down and tumbled several times during his heat race. He walked away.
“I never count myself out, that’s for sure,” said Haudenschild in Victory Lane. “(Park) and (McFadden)…they got to playing a couple games on the white flag. I saw (McFadden) cut down really hard and I knew he probably lost some momentum. They he slid across the track…and I was thinking, ‘Man, if I can get my right rear where I’ve been putting it, we’ll have a shot as long as they don’t close that gap too soon.’ I feel like I’ve won a lot of races on the bottom. This place is just a different beast on the bottom. I felt like I was able to move around. I ripped the cushion in one and two, and I rolled the bottom and was patient. That’s just a testament to these guys (the team). We have just a great group of guys.”
“The lapped car hit the bottom every lap and then he missed it,” said McFadden of the last corner. “I chose the wrong lane, and that just allowed Sheldon to get there. I’m disappointed in myself. I should have just run the bottom and followed the lap car, I guess. It was a great night for us. It was good for points. Congratulations to Sheldon and the team. If I was going to get beaten, I’d like to get beaten by Sheldon. We’re locked into the A and that’s the end goal. It was a fun race. We just ended up on the wrong end. I’m still happy.”
“It was a lot of fun,” said Park. “I knew starting up front would be good. Our car is really good in clean air. I knew if I stuck with it and hit my marks…even if I got passed I’d stay with it and stay hungry. Man, we had a fast race car. I can’t thank Brian Brown enough for the opportunity. We stuck with it and ran a good race. It was good being able to race for the lead and be competitive.”
The 65th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals Presented by Casey’s continues Thursday, August 13 with Toyota Qualifying Night #2! For more information on the Knoxville Raceway, visit us online at www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com!
65th NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Presented by Casey’s Brandt Professional Agriculture Qualifying Night #1 Results
Time Trials (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 4, Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, WA, 15.478 (1); 2. 14TSR, Rico Abreu, St. Helena, CA, 15.489 (15); 3. 27A, Emerson Axsom, Franklin, IN, 15.509 (22); 4. 2, David Gravel, Watertown, CT, 15.544 (6); 5. 14, Corey Day, Clovis, CA, 15.562 (2); 6. 13, Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR, 15.590 (25); 7. 48, Danny Dietrich, Gettysburg, PA, 15.660 (4); 8. 15H, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Sunnyvale, TX, 15.677 (16); 9. 18, Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, OH, 15.699 (37); 10. 21H, Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK, 15.711 (13); 11. 21T, James McFadden, Alice Springs, NT, Aust., 15.730 (38); 12. 26, Justin Peck, Monrovia, IN, 15.734 (28); 13. 11, Justin Henderson, Tea, SD, 15.751 (39); 14. 23D, Chase Dietz, York, PA, 15.763 (47); 15. 2C, Cole Macedo, Lemoore, CA, 15.776 (9); 16. 6, Kasey Jedrzejek, Lagrange, OH, 15.791 (18); 17. 4W, Jamie Ball, Knoxville, IA, 15.796 (8); 18. 15, Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND, 15.809 (7); 19. 85J, Logan Julien, Oconomowoc, WI, 15.810 (19); 20. 77, Giovanni Scelzi, Fresno, CA, 15.819 (40); 21. 1, Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN, 15.850 (20); 22. 42, Sye Lynch, Apollo, PA, 15.861 (35); 23. 28, Jace Park, Overland Park, KS, 15.868 (45); 24. 2KS, Hank Davis, Sand Springs, OK, 15.881 (27); 25. 10, Ryan Timms, Oklahoma City, OK, 15.899 (29); 26. 6T, Zach Hampton, Plainfield, IN, 15.908 (41); 27. 25, Jy Corbet, Gympie, QLD, Aust., 15.943 (24); 28. 121, RJ Johnson, Tampa, FL, 15.949 (3); 29. 7S, Chris Windom, Canton, IL, 15.950 (21); 30. 95, Matt Covington, Glenpool, OK, 15.955 (42); 31. 0, Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust., 15.974 (44); 32. 3P, Sawyer Phillips, Pleasantville, IA, 15.989 (14); 33. 24D, Danny Sams III, North Port, FL, 16.018 (43); 34. 45X, Rees Moran, Tulsa, OK, 16.022 (23); 35. 11N, Darin Naida, Adrian MI, 16.036 (5); 36. 51, Steven Snyder Jr, Rising Sun, MD, 16.037 (46); 37. 22, Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA, 16.041 (11); 38. 24T, Christopher Thram, Sanborn, MN, 16.059 (17); 39. 17GP, Brock Zearfoss, Jonestown, PA, 16.077 (33); 40. 53, Jack Dover, Springfield, NE, 16.081 (10); 41. 15JR, Cole Mincer, Burlington, IA, 16.096 (30); 42. 19H, Joel Myers Jr, Santa Rosa, CA, 16.124 (32); 43. 1K, Kelby Watt, Adel, IA, 16.270 (36); 44. 15J, Kade Higday, Knoxville, IA, 16.323 (34); 45. 7B, Ben Brown, Marshall, MO, 16.327 (12); 46. 44X, Scotty Johnson, Melcher, Dallas, IA, 16.373 (31); 47. 11R, Rodney Huband, Wimberley, TX, 16.942 (26)
Heat one (started), 10 Laps, 2:57.8: 1. 21T, James McFadden (6); 2. 6T, Zach Hampton (3); 3. 51, Steven Snyder Jr (1); 4. 4, Kasey Kahne (8) / 5. 13, Tanner Holmes (7); 6. 6, Kasey Jedrzejek (5); 7. 0, Lynton Jeffrey (2); 8. 15JR, Cole Mincer (9) / 9. 44X, Scotty Johnson (10); 10. 1, Sammy Swindell (4)
Heat two (started), 10 Laps, 3:09.3: 1. 22, Riley Goodno (1); 2. 42, Sye Lynch (4); 3. 3P, Sawyer Phillips (2); 4. 25, Jy Corbet (3) / 5. 14TSR, Rico Abreu (8); 6. 26, Justin Peck (6); 7. 48, Danny Dietrich (7); 8. 19H, Joel Myers Jr (9) / 9. 11R, Rodney Huband (10); 10. 4W, Jamie Ball (5)
Heat three (started), 10 Laps, 3:15.3: 1. 24D, Danny Sams III (2); 2. 11, Justin Henderson (6); 3. 24T, Christopher Thram (1); 4. 28, Jace Park (4) / 5. 27A, Emerson Axsom (8); 6. 15, Donny Schatz (5); 7. 15H, Sam Hafertepe Jr (7); 8. 1K, Kelby Watt (9) / 9. 121, RJ Johnson (3)
Heat four (started), 10 Laps, 2:43.7: 1. 17GP, Brock Zearfoss (1); 2. 18, Sheldon Haudenschild (7); 3. 23D, Chase Dietz (6); 4. 45X, Rees Moran (2) / 5. 2, David Gravel (8); 6. 7S, Chris Windom (3); 7. 2KS, Hank Davis (4); 8. 15J, Kade Higday (9) / 9. 85J, Logan Julien (5)
Heat five (started), 10 Laps, 2:45.1: 1. 10, Ryan Timms (4); 2. 53, Jack Dover (1); 3. 11N, Darin Naida (2); 4. 2C, Cole Macedo (6) / 5. 77, Giovanni Scelzi (5); 6. 14, Corey Day (8); 7. 21H, Brady Bacon (7); 8. 95, Matt Covington (3) / 9. 7B, Ben Brown (9)
B main (started), 12 Laps, 3:34.9: 1. 14TSR, Rico Abreu (1); 2. 27A, Emerson Axsom (2); 3. 2, David Gravel (3); 4. 14, Corey Day (4) / 5. 48, Danny Dietrich (6); 6. 26, Justin Peck (9); 7. 13, Tanner Holmes (5); 8. 21H, Brady Bacon (8); 9. 15H, Sam Hafertepe Jr (7); 10. 7S, Chris Windom (14); 11. 15, Donny Schatz (11); 12. 77, Giovanni Scelzi (12); 13. 0, Lynton Jeffrey (15); 14. 6, Kasey Jedrzejek (10); 15. 1K, Kelby Watt (17); 16. 2KS, Hank Davis (13); 17. 15JR, Cole Mincer (16); 18. 15J, Kade Higday (18); 19. 85J, Logan Julien (19); 20. 7B, Ben Brown (21); 21. 11R, Rodney Huband (22); 22. 121, RJ Johnson (20); DNS - 95, Matt Covington; 19H, Joel Myers Jr.; 4w, Jamie Ball; 1, Sammy Swindell; 44x, Scotty Johnson
A main (started), 25 Laps, NT: 1. 18, Sheldon Haudenschild (7); 2. 21T, James McFadden (6); 3. 28, Jace Park (1); 4. 2C, Cole Macedo (3); 5. 23D, Chase Dietz (4); 6. 11, Justin Henderson (5); 7. 42, Sye Lynch (2); 8. 4, Kasey Kahne (8); 9. 3P, Sawyer Phillips (12); 10. 25, Jy Corbet (11); 11. 14, Corey Day (24); 12. 2, David Gravel (23); 13. 53, Jack Dover (20); 14. 14TSR, Rico Abreu (21); 15. 22, Riley Goodno (17); 16. 24D, Danny Sams III (13); 17. 24T, Christopher Thram (18); 18. 6T, Zach Hampton (10); 19. 51, Steven Snyder Jr (16); 20. 17GP, Brock Zearfoss (19); 21. 45X, Rees Moran (14); 22. 11N, Darin Naida (15); 23. 27A, Emerson Axsom (22); 24. 10, Ryan Timms (9). Lap Leaders: Park 1-14, McFadden 15-20, Park 21-23, McFadden 24, Haudenschild 25. Hard-charger: Day.
Wednesday Points
1. Sheldon Haudenschild, 481
2. James McFadden, 478
3. Kasey Kahne, 477
4. Justin Henderson 463
5. Chase Dietz, 460
6. David Gravel, 460
7. Rico Abreu, 460
8. Cole Macedo, 457
9. Corey Day, 457
10. Jace Park, 443
11. Sye Lynch, 443
12. Emerson Axsom, 440
13. Jy Corbet, 421
14. Sawyer Phillips, 416
15. Tanner Holmes, 416
16. Zach Hampton, 413
17. Danny Dietrich, 412
18. Danny Sams III, 406
19. Ryan Timms, 406
20. Justin Peck, 403
21. Sam Hafertepe Jr., 402
22. Riley Goodno, 400
23. Brady Bacon, 400
24. Jack Dover, 395
25. Christopher Thram, 388
26. Steven Snyder Jr., 388
27. Brock Zearfoss, 386
28. Rees Moran, 385
29. Darin Naida, 384
30. Donny Schatz, 381
31. Kasey Jedrzejek, 379
32. Giovanni Scelzi, 378
33. Chris Windom, 361
34. Hank Davis, 356
35. Logan Julien, 354
36. Lynton Jeffrey, 348
37. Jamie Ball, 333
38. RJ Johnson, 330
39. Matt Covington, 327
40. Sammy Swindell, 323
41. Kelby Watt, 317
42. Cole Mincer, 317
43. Kade Higday, 309
44. Joel Myers Jr., 301
45. Ben Brown, 300
46. Rodney Huband, 294
47. Scotty Johnson, 274