Knowland Earns Two Podiums During INEX Spring Nationals
Taegan Knowland finished third twice during the recent INEX Spring Nationals. (Amanda Knowland photo)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two podium finishes highlighted a run of five top 10s in five days for Taegan Knowland during the April 15-19 INEX Spring Nationals.
The week-long event, split between Veterans Motorplex at Highland Rim and Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, saw the 11-year-old Bandolero racer from Topeka, Kan., finish third on two occasions – once at each racetrack – and his combined efforts netted a fifth-place ranking in the overall event standings.
Knowland’s week started rocky, after a car spun into him on opening day, leading to a broken chain that resulted in a DNF. However, after that his confidence was high and he found himself toward the front on a consistent basis.
Improved qualifying prowess saw Knowland start fourth in the second race at the Rim and finish third after a race-long pursuit of Brexton Busch – son of two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch – and Gerald White III.
The mid-week move to the infield quarter-mile at Nashville Fairgrounds, where Knowland competed a year ago during the Spring Nationals, also brought with it additional strong runs.
Across the final three races of the Spring Nationals, Knowland qualified inside the top six all three races, including another fourth-place starting spot in the finale that led to another third-place finish.
Perhaps his most impressive drive, however, came during round four when he had to rally through the field after an incident with eight laps to go, when Knowland restarted second alongside Busch.
After getting swept up in the late melee, Knowland charged back from 13th to eighth in that race, all with a bent axle that the team didn’t know about until after the checkered flag.
Taegan Knowland (17) restarts alongside Brexton Busch at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway during the INEX Spring Nationals. (Jason Reasin photo)
“It was a really positive week during the Spring Nationals and I had a ton of fun,” said Knowland. “Learning a new place at Highland Rim was a good experience and I really enjoyed that track; the banking made it super fast for Bandos! Having laps already when we went back to Nashville was something I felt made me a lot more comfortable, and I was happy with how my qualifying is starting to improve as well … because it’s something I’ve really had to work on.
“The second race at Nashville was some of the most fun I’ve had in the Bando; getting up to second and being able to race on a restart against Brexton (Busch) was neat and I think shows that our Race Driven Performance team is improving and getting closer to a race win,” he continued. “All in all, I feel really good about our week and happy to leave with a top five in Spring Nationals points as well.”
Knowland will resume Bandolero competition in early June at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway during the Cook Out Summer Shootout Series, competing for eight straight weeks and 10 races overall on the flat, quarter-mile oval built into the frontstretch of the iconic NASCAR track.
After his recent improvements throughout the Spring Nationals, he feels confident that he’s ready to tackle his second full Summer Shootout run at a high level and compete for victories on a regular basis.
“The more track time I’ve gotten to learn the Bando, the better and better I feel behind the wheel,” Knowland pointed out. “Racing Charlotte last summer taught me a lot about what it takes to be quick there and how you have to be a little more aggressive to get through traffic, because everyone there races at a very high level.
“We’re excited to have another opportunity at it in a few weeks and my goal is to get my first trophy from Charlotte and compete for another top-five finish in Shootout points as well!”
Knowland would like to thank ATP Restoration; Thrivent Financial; Race Face Brand Development; the Friends of Jacklyn Foundation; Qdoba of Topeka, Manhattan, and Junction City; Jeremiah Bullfrogs Bar & Grille; Royal Signs; and DC Lawn Care for their partnership and support of his racing efforts.
Taegan Knowland Racing would also like to welcome new sponsor Daredevil Coffee, a motorsports-focused coffee chain founded to support Cars & Coffee events and move them from corporate coffee chains to a brand that gives back to the racing community.
Designed to represent the daredevil Evel Knievel with the iconic star logo on his helmet, Daredevil Coffee not only makes fresh roasted coffee, it also backs non-profits that support automotive history preservation, or use cars for positive outreach, like delivering toys for tots with Daredevil partners.
For more information on Daredevil Coffee, visit their website at https://daredevil.coffee/.
Knowland may return to local quarter midget action in Topeka during the month of May, however, no dates have been finalized yet. Any schedule updates will be announced when they are available.
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.
For more information on Knowland’s career and all the latest news and updates, visit his website at http://taeganknowlandracing.com/.
