steps in as Round 15 of 21 for the ICL 358 Mod National Tour—prime time for contenders to convert speed into championship leverage. The black-dirt half-mile rewards rhythm and top-end drive off the cushion, yet punishes the impatient with long straightaways that magnify exit mistakes. With 7 races left, every position (and especially the single qualifying bonus point) tightens or widens the title gaps in a hurry.

History says this place favors clean air and lap-time discipline, but it hasn’t been a one-lane parade. In Season 1, Austin Hunter7 came from fourth to win in a three-leader, four-lead-change dash. Two years later, Félix F. Roy controlled Season 2’s 18-lap run from the front after grabbing the lead and posting a 19.364 best. The common thread: winners handled traffic decisively and protected entry speed into one while keeping the right-rear under them off two.

Several Knoxville alumni are central to this year’s storylines. Aidan Strawberry (P3 at Knoxville in Season 2) rolls into the week holding the points lead and fresh momentum from his most recent victory. Gary Edwards III (Season 2 Knoxville P7) just finished runner-up in the last round and looked race-winning quick late; that combo—recent form plus past Knoxville reps—makes him a legitimate threat to convert on the big half-mile. Tucker Halliday, the Season 2 Knoxville runner-up, has made starts this season and is exactly the sort who can pop a qualifying bonus point that steals a march on the midfield.

Championship math is simple and ruthless here: 12 points to win, then one less per position, plus 1 for fast time. Strawberry’s advantage over JT Ferry is meaningful, but not safe; a two-to-three position swing paired with a qualifying point turns into 3–4 net markers per race. That’s how chases are made—or broken—over seven remaining rounds. Keep an eye on Seth Gregory, too. He’s been quietly stacking top-tens, and Knoxville’s long green-flag feel historically rewards that exact style. One sharp qualifying lap and a row-two start could put him on the podium and push him deeper into the “best of the rest” fight with Brayden E Carter and Ben Joly.

Beyond the lead duo, the Knoxville format tends to compress the 5th-to-10th battle—prime ground for movers like Mario Dinatale and the resurgent Edwards. Expect the opening five laps to set the high line vs. bottom-diamond debate; whichever lane wins early often dictates how much passing we see in the mid-pack. If the cushion comes in fast, look for methodical climbers (think Ferry and Gregory) to leverage clean exits and collect points in bunches.

PAST KNOXVILLE RESULTS
Season 1 (May 16, 2022)

  1. Austin Hunter7, 2) Jarrett Murphy, 3) Mitchell Huddleston, 4) Michael D Carter, 5) Wesley Gwaltney, 6) Richard Leclerc, 7) Kevin Fry, 8) Travis Andersen, 9) Ryan Ellis6, 10) Ryan M Simmons, 11) Rob Shaw, 12) Johnny Urias

Season 2 (Apr 21, 2024)

  1. Félix F. Roy, 2) Tucker Halliday, 3) Aidan Strawberry, 4) Jordan Lafon, 5) Clyde Dunn, 6) Jayden Glenn, 7) Gary Edwards III, 8) Colton Zimmer, 9) Ryder Egbert, 10) Justin T Erickson, 11) Tyler Carter9, 12) Dylan Smith15, 13) Ryan Graver, 14) Tim Taylor6, 15) Coty Earnest, 16) James Roselli

CURRENT TOP 10 IN POINTS

  1. Aidan Strawberry 146, 2) JT Ferry 86, 3) Seth Gregory 56, 4) Brayden E Carter 53, 5) Ben Joly 50, 6) Kinser Lightner 38, 7) Tyler Ducharme 32, 8) Mario Dinatale 22, 8) Gary Edwards III 22, 10) Dylan Blackburn 19, 10) Brenden McGlothlin 19, 10) Trey Vanwyk 19, 10) Justin Veal 19

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