Nashville’s INEX Nationals Yield Strong Runs For Knowland
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Taegan Knowland earned a pair of top-five finishes in his first Bandolero races of the season during the INEX Spring Nationals at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Wheeling the No. 17 for Race Driven Performance, Knowland competed in three features over two days last weekend on the Fairgrounds’ quarter-mile inner oval.
In the first 15-lap feature Friday night, Knowland started seventh and battled a tight race car throughout, but still advanced three positions to secure a fourth-place result.
Saturday’s twin-feature format was an up-and-down emotional ride for the 10-year-old native of Topeka, Kansas. The first race, which was time-shortened to nine laps by a multitude of cautions, saw Knowland running third on the final lap before clipping a weeper in turn two that sent him into a spin.
With the incident causing a yellow-checkered finish, it dropped Knowland to 11th in the rundown after challenging for a top-two finish in the final laps.
The final 15-lap feature of the weekend saw Knowland start fourth, advance to third on lap five by passing Maci Prowell, and hold his position on the podium the rest of the way.
After crossing the finish line third, Knowland was elevated to a second-place finish - his best of the three-race weekend - after a technical disqualification ahead of him during post-race inspection.
“Overall, it was a wonderful weekend of racing at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway for my first time racing there,” said Knowland. “Race Driven Performance provided me with a fast car, allowing me to put myself in position to battle and make passes all weekend long.
“For the most part, outside of the round-two mishap on the final lap, we were able to improve our finishing position from where we qualified in each race, which is always a positive outcome to take away from any weekend,” Knowland added. “I look forward to moving up to the Bandits class for the Summer Shootout at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, which will be my next race back in the Bandolero.”
Knowland would like to thank ATP Restoration, the Friends of Jacklyn Foundation, Qdoba of Topeka, Manhattan and Junction City, Royal Signs, Thrivent Financial, and DC Lawn Care for their partnership and support of his racing efforts.
Knowland will return to action May 2-3 on the grounds of Kansas Speedway, racing a quarter midget in the NASCAR Youth Series Nationals as part of AdventHealth 400 weekend.
About Taegan Knowland
Taegan Knowland is a 10-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, with plans to compete for Race Driven Performance in the prestigious Summer Shootout Series at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and other major INEX-sanctioned events.
Fans can also follow Knowland on Facebook and Instagram at Taegan Knowland Racing.
