Knowland Hosts FOJ Adoptee During Shootout Double

Taegan Knowland (center) with Nash and Milo Wilbanks at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Race Driven Performance photo)

CONCORD, N.C. – Taegan Knowland might have been on track this week for a doubleheader of Cook Out Summer Shootout action, but what he was able to do off the track carried even more significance.

Knowland hosted the Salisbury, N.C.-based Wilbanks family – led by 10-year-old Nash and his younger brother Milo – at Charlotte Motor Speedway during the penultimate night of Summer Shootout competition.

Young Nash is a Friends of Jaclyn Foundation adoptee battling pediatric cancer, and Knowland – in conjunction with FOJ, a major partner on his Race Driven Performance Bandolero car – worked to give the entire family an unforgettable experience and a chance to find relief from “battling the beast.”

“It was such an incredible honor to have Nash and his family at Charlotte Motor Speedway for rounds eight and nine of the Shootout,” said Knowland. “It was truly an unforgettable night for myself and the whole Race Driven Performance team. Creating memories and spreading joy is what matters most in life and our main goal was to give Nash, Milo and their family a night off from their worries and let them just have fun. It’s extremely rewarding and a thrill to say that we succeeded in that mission!

“Moments like these remind us of the power of community and friendship,” Knowland added. “Together with FOJ, we want to continue to spread love and positivity — because together, we can all make a difference! I can’t wait for more adventures with my new buddies, Nash and Milo, and I’m so grateful to have had this experience with them.”

The joy of sharing fellowship with the Wilbanks certainly made up for the frustration of Knowland being spun on the final lap of both the round-eight and round-nine Bandolero Bandit division features.

Knowland, the 11-year-old from Topeka, Kan., started sixth and was running fourth on the final restart of the first race when he got turned around, ending up 17th after showing plenty of speed in a feature that only went five of the scheduled 20 laps due to numerous crashes.

The nightcap did reach the advertised distance, but it was again the final lap that bit Knowland, as he was again tagged in turns one and two on the last lap while running inside the top five.

Though Knowland was able to get his car turned around and reach the checkered flag, he was left with a 12th-place result that belied none of the consistency his white-and-blue No. 17 showed all evening.

“It’s such a bummer to miss out on the top 10 in both races, because we deserved to be there and were running among all the frontrunners all day,” Knowland said. “You can’t control what other drivers do around you, and unfortunately we were on the bad end of all of it late in both races. We know we have speed though, so it won’t get us down and we’ll be back to work trying to shine in the finale next week.”

Knowland ranks ninth in the Bandit standings entering Tuesday night’s Summer Shootout championship race, only seven points back of seventh as he chases a top-10 points finish for the second straight year.

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; DC Lawn Care; and TruHeight Vitamins for their continued support of his racing efforts.

The 32nd season of Cook Out Summer Shootout action wraps up Tuesday night, July 29 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Fans can stream every lap of every Shootout division with a monthly or yearly FloRacing subscription.

For those local to the Topeka area, Jeremiah Bullfrogs Bar & Grille hosts weekly watch parties in support of Knowland and his team, where fans can come out for a meal and cheer on the No. 17 each race!

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 Taegan Knowland, visit his website at www.taeganknowlandracing.com.