KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Report by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — TeeJay Crawford photo —

The present-day “King of Knoxville” is perched on his throne again, at least for now.

Based on combined points from both Wednesday and Thursday night’s qualifying programs, six-time and defending World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz has put his Tony Stewart Racing/Bad Boy Buggies/Chevrolet Performance No. 15 sprinter on the pole for the 55th running of the FVP Knoxville Nationals on Saturday night.

Schatz has triumphed in the 50-lap, $150,000-to-win main event in eight of the past nine years, and finished second to Shane Stewart in Wednesday night’s qualifying feature. The Minot, N.D. native racked up 492 of a possible 500 points to top the 114-car field.

Joining Schatz on the front row will be the American Racing Custom Wheels/Keneric Racing No. 29 of the “Mad Man,” Kerry Madsen. The Australian, who competed in Thursday’s qualifying program, tied Schatz with 492 points, but lost out on the tiebreaker and will start second in search of his first-career Knoxville Nationals title.

Row two will feature a rookie and longtime veteran, as Destiny Motorsports’ David Gravel (485 points) and Motter Motorsports’ Joey Saldana (478 points) locked into the third and fourth starting positions.

Brad Sweet (476 points) is the highest of the Kasey Kahne Racing cars on the grid, rounding out the top five. Thursday night’s runner-up Danny Lasoski, Paul McMahan, Thursday winner Terry McCarl, Jason Johnson and Sheldon Haudenschild make up the rest of the top 10.

Positions 11-16 on the grid went to Dale Blaney, Wednesday night’s winner Shane Stewart, Lucas Wolfe, Brian Brown, Daryn Pittman and Rico Abreu.

Due to a scheduling conflict with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Motordrome (Pa.) Speedway on Saturday night, Abreu will not compete in the Knoxville Nationals A-Main — despite being the 16th and final driver to lock into his starting position on points. Abreu has, however, said that his car will compete on Saturday, with a driver yet to be determined.

Positions 17-20 will be determined through Friday night’s non-qualifiers program, with the top-four finishers from the A-main locking into the big show on Saturday. The 25th and final starting position will also potentially be determined on Friday night, with the highest-finishing non-qualifier from the SPEED SPORT World Challenge also getting a golden ticket to the Nationals — provided they finished on the podium in the 20-lap World Challenge A-main.

Positions 21-24 will be filled by the top four finishers from Saturday night’s Last Chance Showdown, preceding the main event.

2015 FVP Knoxville Nationals Points Standings (Top 16 locked into Saturday’s A-Main)

1. #15 – Donny Schatz, 492
2. #29 – Kerry Madsen, 492
3. #7 – David Gravel, 485
4. #71M – Joey Saldana, 478
5. #49 – Brad Sweet, 476
6. #2 – Danny Lasoski, 472
7. #51 – Paul McMahan, 471
8. #24 – Terry McCarl, 469
9. #41 – Jason Johnson, 469
10. #93H – Sheldon Haudenschild, 465
11. #1B – Dale Blaney, 462
12. #16 – Shane Stewart, 460
13. #1Z – Lucas Wolfe, 459
14. #21 – Brian Brown, 458
15. #9 – Daryn Pittman, 457
16. #24R – Rico Abreu, 456 (will fall to rear Sat. due to driver change)
17. #12X – Wayne Johnson, 455
18. #89 – Cody Darrah, 450
19. #1 – Sammy Swindell, 448
20. #1D – Justin Henderson, 445
21. #7TAZ – Tasker Phillips, 445
22. #40 – Clint Garner, 444
23. #19S – Stevie Smith, 443
24. #3G – James McFadden, 439
25. #27 – Greg Hodnett, 439
26. #W20 – Greg Wilson, 439
27. #17W – Bryan Clauson, 435
28. #18 – Ian Madsen, 431
29. #29W – Danny Dietrich, 430
30. #56 – Davey Heskin, 429
31. #55 – Brooke Tatnell, 419
32. #82 – Dusty Zomer, 416
33. #19M – Brent Marks, 413
34. #3A – Billy Alley, 411
35. #95 – Matt Covington, 410
36. #2LX – Ed Lynch Jr., 409
37. #35AU – Jamie Veal, 408
38. #22 – Tony Shilling, 404
39. #45 – Tim Shaffer, 403
40. #7S – Jason Sides, 403
41. #71X – Tyler Courtney, 402
42. #70 – Dean Jacobs, 401
43. #29C – Willie Croft, 398
44. #11K – Kraig Kinser, 394
45. #O – Bud Kaeding, 393
46. #11 – Steve Kinser, 390
47. #81X – Lee Jacobs, 390
48. #71A – RJ Johnson, 390
49. #19 – Bob Weuve, 389
50. #12 – Lynton Jeffrey, 385
51. #4 – Dakota Hendrickson, 384
52. #83 – Aaron Reutzel, 384
53. #31C – Justyn Cox, 384
54. #28 – Jonathan Cornell, 382
55. #11N – Randy Hannagan, 381
56. #1ST – Gary Taylor, 380
57. #84 – Scott Bogucki, 377
58. #9P – Parker Price-Miller, 377
59. #21AU – Jordyn Brazier, 376
60. #19P – Paige Polyak, 370
61. #69 – Mike Moore, 369
62. #17A – Austin McCarl, 365
63. #49J – Josh Schneiderman, 362
64. #7R – Roger Crockett, 360
65. #17 – Josh Baughman, 356
66. #17B – Bill Balog, 353
67. #25 – Dylan Peterson, 351
68. #7D – Dustin Selvage, 348
69. #4R – Jon Agan, 340
70. #9K – Kevin Thomas Jr., 340
71. #3 – Tim Kaeding, 338
72. #O1 – Christopher Bell, 336
73. #13 – Mark Dobmeier, 331
74. #44 – Chris Martin, 331
75. #1A – Jacob Allen, 331
76. #13X – Jac Haudenschild, 330
77. #1S – Logan Schuchart, 326
78. #10 – Matt Moro, 316
79. #88N – DJ Netto, 314
80. #5V – Colby Copeland, 312
81. #23M – Lance Moss, 310
82. #67H – Sam Hafertepe Jr., 307
83. #2KS – Craig Dollansky, 304
84. #35 – Skylar Prochaska, 303
85. #55W – Logan Wagner, 301
86. #93 – Glenndon Forsythe, 300
87. #44W – Austen Wheatley, 298
88. #20N – Hunter Schuerenberg, 297
89. #17J – Joey Moughan, 295
90. #2L – Logan Forler, 293
91. #10H – Chad Kemenah, 287
92. #1X – Don Droud Jr., 284
93. #99 – Brady Bacon, 281
94. #75 – Glen Saville, 275
95. #47 – Jeff Swindell, 274
96. #81 – Austin Johnson, 272
97. #23 – Jimmy Light, 270
98. #31B – Shane Golobic, 269
99. #71 – Kevin Swindell, 267
100. #20 – AJ Moeller, 263
101. #15M – Bobby Mincer, 261
102. #56B – Ryan Bernal, 255
103. #7X – Kaley Gharst, 253
104. #4S – Danny Smith, 236
105. #O5 – Brad Loyet, 219
106. #96AU – Bruce White, 217
107. #1P – Curtis Evans, 215
108. #96 – Bronson Maeschen, 212
109. #55XM – Brandon Wimmer, 212
110. #17M – Todd Mickelson, 210
111. #2K – Kevin Ingle, 200
112. #23B – Seth Bergman, 188

About the Writer

Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s. He is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for both the United Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.

Email Jacob at: [email protected]

Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77