Knowland ‘Pumped’ For Return To Summer Shootout Grind

CONCORD, N.C. – To say that Kansas Bandolero racer Taegan Knowland is eager for his return journey to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 10-race Cook Out Summer Shootout Series isn’t giving his enthusiasm nearly enough credit.

The 11-year-old Topekan has been buzzing for weeks about getting back to the CMS frontstretch quarter-mile and chasing checkered flags during the two-month grind that tests the top young racers in the country on one of motorsports’ biggest stages.

“I say this jokingly, but I haven’t gotten (as) much sleep as I should, just because I’ve been so ready and waiting for (the Shootout),” Knowland admitted with a laugh.

“I’m super excited to get back into the car. They’re so much fun to drive and especially with Charlotte being my favorite track … now we get to go out there 10 (races) in a row and battle, hopefully, for some wins and some podiums.”

Knowland will drive the No. 17 for Race Driven Performance in Shootout competition, the same team he’s driven for over the past year as he’s transitioned from quarter midget racing to the INEX-sanctioned Bandolero cars.

It’s a team that brings consistent, winning-capable equipment to the racetrack week-in and week-out, something that Knowland said only boosts his confidence as a growing driver.

“We’ve all seen it from Race Driven Performance in the garage, they can bring us good cars every week at the Shootout where we can contend,” he noted. “We saw it last year, where I got a second-place finish late in the summer that was just from having speed and learning when the right time was to push.

“Having a late restart from a caution, like the Shootout often has, I made a move heading into (turn) two and came out of there with second place and held it to the checkered. “It was a big moment for me, but now we want to build on that so we can have even more of those moments.”

What was the main lesson that Knowland says he learned during his Shootout run last season?

“You can’t win it on the first lap, but you can definitely lose a race that way if you’re not careful!” he explained.

“To simplify it, though, it’s just (about) being a bit patient. That’s how it is every race, but last year and in years before that in quarter midgets … we’d go from 10-lap heat races to 20-lap features … but that’s on a tiny, tiny track where it’s jam packed and there were rarely any cautions,” Knowland continued. “In the Bandos, when it’s two-wide racing for three or four laps on the start, we don’t get that in quarter midgets. So, you just have to be patient, wait for the right time to make a move, and then try to go and win if you get the opportunity for that move.

“You don’t want to be racing hard and giving people a bumper on the first or second lap, trying to race for the win so aggressively when there are 20 longer laps in a race that it could come back to bite you in if you’re not smart and respectful about it.”

Since Knowland lives in America’s Heartland, he doesn’t have many opportunities to race in weekly Bandolero competition like many of his competitors do on the East Coast, but he’s combated that by turning to a tool that has benefited many drivers at all levels – the iRacing simulation service.

Knowland estimated he’s turned “probably a couple thousand laps” around the virtual version of the CMS quarter mile in preparation for the Shootout.

Though Bandolero cars aren’t available specifically through iRacing at this time, he said the laps and rhythm of the track are still key, no matter what car he’s using to drive the tricky oval.

“I’ve been preparing ever since the middle of April (after the) Spring (Nationals) series, just trying to get laps on the sim. It’s very important, especially for Shootout racers,” Knowland explained. “Whenever I get on the track, obviously I’m going to hopefully get the hang of it more and more and not wreck as much. The way that you drive Charlotte, it’s all about finding a groove and hitting your marks.

“The sim is an amazing help to try and get back out there somehow,” he added. “I live far away from Charlotte. The closest track for me that races Bandoleros is around six hours away, so whatever I can do to stay sharp is something I’m going to focus on, even if it’s virtually.”

After fighting for a top-five performance in Bandolero Bandit division (for ages eight to 11) points at the Shootout last summer, Knowland said the goal is to improve on that this time around.

He hopes to break through for his first Shootout win during the summer stretch and, perhaps, contend for a championship if some of the right breaks fall his way.

“It’s so competitive, not just at the Shootout but in Bandos in general,” Knowland tipped. “My goal is always to finish, of course, because one thing that held us back from contending last year was getting consistent top-five to top-seven finishes. I would wreck out sometimes because I was pushing too hard to go try and fight for a podium when maybe the car didn’t have that kind of speed in it on a given day.

“This year, if I have a top five, I’m going to try and make sure we get that first. But if we’re in contention where we can fight for a win … I’m a racer and you can’t take the passion to fight for a trophy out of me! It’s a long summer, but I feel ready for it.”

Underscoring the competition that Knowland referenced is the fact that top-level drivers from both NASCAR and the NTT IndyCar Series will be competing during this year’s Summer Shootout.

NASCAR Cup Series star Bubba Wallace is fielding three cars in the Legend Car Pro division – the top rung of the Shootout ladder – for himself, fellow Cup Series driver Shane van Gisbergen, and Team Penske Indy car ace Scott McLaughlin to do battle in.

It’s something that has Knowland fired up for the summer, even if he’ll only be watching the pros do their work instead of racing wheel-to-wheel with them.

“I think that should show people how much the Shootout means, that guys like that want to spend their time off from their main series still racing and having fun,” he said. “I’m pumped to be sharing the same garage area with those guys and being able to watch them when we’re not on track ourselves.

“There’s a lot we can learn from guys like that … and Scotty is my favorite Indy car driver, so to be able to see him come out here and do some of the same things that I’m doing is special in that way, too!”

Knowland would like to thank marketing partners ATP Restoration; Thrivent Financial; Race Face Brand Development; the Friends of Jacklyn Foundation; Qdoba of Topeka, Manhattan, and Junction City; Jeremiah Bullfrogs Bar & Grille; Daredevil Coffee; Royal Signs; and DC Lawn Care for their continued support of his racing efforts.

The 32nd season of Cook Out Summer Shootout action begins Monday night, June 9 as part of a two-day doubleheader to kickstart the campaign.

Fans can stream every lap of every division, including Knowland’s exploits in the Bandolero class, with a monthly or yearly FloRacing subscription.

About Taegan Knowland

Taegan Knowland is an 11-year-old Kansan whose dreams of racing were strong from his earliest years. A first-generation racer, Knowland began racing quarter midgets in 2021 and has since compiled a record of more than 30 victories, including a highlight win in 2022 at historic Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway.

Knowland currently races quarter midgets nationally in the NASCAR Youth Series (formerly the USAC.25 Series) and has also branched out into Bandolero car racing over the past year, competing for Race Driven Performance in the prestigious Summer Shootout Series at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and other major INEX-sanctioned events.

Away from the racetrack, Knowland is a supporter of the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation’s mission to better the lives of children affected by pediatric cancer and their families, and is also a member of his school choir.