KNOXVILLE, Iowa — A diverse pool of drivers, led by 1983 5-Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals champion Sammy Swindell and three-time Nationals runner-up Brian Brown, will take to the track on Thursday during Toyota Qualifying Night.

Swindell will pilot the renumbered No. 1 entry for Thone Motorsports, a ride he secured just prior to Nationals week after winning with the team in All Star Circuit of Champions competition on July 29, while Brown will wheel his familiar FVP/Casey’s General Store No. 21 as he seeks his first Nationals crown.

Brown arguably carries the most momentum of any 410 sprint car driver into the Knoxville Nationals, having won at the black-dirt half-mile seven times in the track’s 410 class this season and eight times overall.

Another former Knoxville Nationals champion, 2005 winner Kraig Kinser, will take to the track on Thursday in the No. 11k owned by his legendary father, 20-time World of Outlaws champion and 12-time Knoxville Nationals winner Steve Kinser.

Looking for revenge will be David Gravel, who led most of the first half of last year’s Nationals A-Feature before falling victim to a motor issue that ended his hopes at victory.

Gravel will pilot the No. 5 entry for Chad and Jenn Clemens-owned CJB Motorsports.

Arguably the sentimental favorite, Carson Macedo – who won a 360 Knoxville Nationals preliminary feature last Friday – will strap in to the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 looking to make his first Knoxville Nationals Saturday A-main appearance in his second attempt.

Five drivers in Thursday night’s field have won a World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series feature this season — Shane Stewart, Gravel, Rico Abreu, Brad Sweet and Cory Eliason.

Other drivers of note taking the wheel on Wednesay include Jacob Allen, Tim Kaeding, Jac Haudenschild, Chad Kemenah, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Joey Saldana, Spencer Bayston, Trey Starks, Danny Dietrich, Brooke Tatnell and Dave Blaney.

Rookie candidates taking to the track Thursday include John Carney, Jenna Frazier, Allan Woods, Tom Harris and Cale Thomas.

Four different countries are represented in Thursday night’s qualifying field, including five Australians, two Canadians and one Englishman – Banbury’s Harris.

Knoxville Nationals Toyota Qualifying Night Entry List

1 – Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tenn.
1A – Jacob Allen, Hanover, Pa.
1X – Don Droud, Jr., Lincoln, Neb.
G1 – Gary Taylor, Snohomish, Wash.
2 – Shane Stewart, Bixby, Okla.
2c – Wayne Johnson, Tuttle, Okla.
2mm – Matt Moro, Polk City, Iowa
3 – Tim Kaeding, San Jose, Calif.
3X – Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio
5 – David Gravel, Watertown, Conn.
5JS – Jeremy Schultz, Beaver Dam, Wis.
7 – Carson McCarl, Altoona, Iowa
7c – John Carney, Lubbock, Texas (R)
9R – Rager Phillips, Pleasantville, Iowa
10H – Chad Kemenah, Alvada, Ohio
11K – Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, Ind.
13 – Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks, N.D.
15H – Sam Hafertepe, Jr., Rockwall, Texas
17x – Josh Baughman, Odessa, Texas
18J – Jenna Frazier, Rio Linda, Calif. (R)
19P – Paige Polyak, Tiffin, Ohio
W20 – Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge, Ohio
21 – Brian Brown, Grain Valley, Mo.
21au – Jordyn Brazier, Sydney, NSW, AUS
21K – Thomas Kennedy, Winnepeg, MB, CAN
24 – Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa
24R – Rico Abreu, Rutherford, Calif.
25 – Bobby McMahan, Elk Grove, Calif.
26 – Joey Saldana, Browsburg, Ind.
28 – Scott Bogucki, McLaren Vale, SA, AUS
28AU – Allan Woods, Brisbane, QLD, AUS (R)
35 – Jamie Veal, Warrnambool, VIC, AUS
35P – Skylar Prochaska, Lakefield, Minn.
39 – Spencer Bayston, Lebanon, Ind.
41 – Carson Macedo, Lemoore, Calif.
44 – Trey Starks, Puyallup, Wash.
44M – Chris Martin, Ankeny, Iowa
48 – Danny Dietrich, Gettysburg, Pa.
49 – Brad Sweet, Mooresville, N.C.
49J – Josh Schneiderman, W. Burlington, Iowa
55 – Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, AUS
70 – Dave Blaney, High Point, N.C.
71P – Parker Price-Miller, Kokomo, Ind.
71A – RJ Johnson, Tampa, Fla.
81 – Lee Jacobs, Holmesville, Ohio
83 – Cory Eliason, Fresno, Calif.
84 – Tom Harris, Banbury, Oxford, UK (R)
91 – Kyle Rinehardt, Neptune City, N.J.
91T – Cale Thomas, Fountaintown, Ind. (R)
95 – Matt Covington, Glenpool, Okla.
99G – Skylar Gee, Leduc, Alberta, CAN