News

BRANDT® JOINS ROSTER OF PREMIER BRANDS AT KNOXVILLE NATIONALS AS SPONSOR OF QUALIFYING NIGHT


Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Dirt track racing’s biggest event of the year, the 56th annual 5-hour ENERGY® Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores, will officially kick off Wednesday, August 10 with BRANDT Professional Agriculture Qualifying Night.

BRANDT, a new partner to Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway and dirt racing, is a leading agricultural company, BRANDT serves growers around the globe with trusted advice and innovative products. Headquartered in Springfield, Ill., BRANDT has been a long-time supporter of motorsports, but this partnership marks their first with the prestigious Knoxville Nationals.

“It's exciting to host the opening night of racing at the Knoxville Nationals," said Rick Brandt, President and CEO of BRANDT. "Our roots are in the dirt, just like the long racing history at Knoxville. We look forward to watching sprint car racers from around the globe compete for the win."

BRANDT Professional Agriculture Qualifying Night will feature half of the 5-hour ENERGY® Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores entries. With the intense points system used at the Knoxville Nationals, each driver aims to be perfect each time on the track – in qualifying, heat races and feature events -- with the hopes of earning the most points by the end of the night. The points earned on BRANDT Professional Agriculture Qualifying Night will determine where each driver starts in Saturday’s finale.

Shane Stewart, driver of the Larson Marks Racing No. 2 entry, won last year’s Wednesday qualifying night, but it was nine-time Knoxville Nationals champion Donny Schatz who ended the night with the highest point total. Schatz went on to win his ninth 5-hour ENERGY® Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores title in the last 10 years.

Drivers set to race on BRANDT Professional Agriculture Qualifying Night thus far include Schatz, Stewart, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Rico Abreu and Brian Brown.

The 56th annual 5-hour ENERGY Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores runs from August 10 to August 13. The event features more than 100 drivers from around the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Nearly 21,000 spectators converge on Knoxville for the event.

Tickets for BRANDT Professional Agriculture Qualifying Night of the 5-hour ENERGY® Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores are available for purchase at www.knoxvilleraceway.com or by calling 641-842-5431. Four-day ticket packages are also available.

More information about Knoxville Raceway, BRANDT Professional Agriculture Qualifying Night and the 5-hour ENERGY® Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores can be found online, on Knoxville Raceway’s Facebook page, on Twitter @KnoxvilleRaces and on Instagram at Knoxville Raceway. The Knoxville Raceway app is also a free download for all Apple and Android phones and features live timing and scoring for every event.

About BRANDT: A leading agricultural company, BRANDT consists of three divisions—Specialty Formulations, Retail Agronomy and Dealer Support—serving growers around the globe. Founded in 1953 by Glen Brandt and his sister Evelyn Brandt Thomas to help Illinois farmers adopt new and profitable technologies, the company has experienced aggressive growth under the leadership of President and CEO Rick Brandt. BRANDT’s focus is providing the products and services that give growers the best opportunity for maximum return while building a stronger, healthier and more abundant food supply. For more information, visit BRANDT on the web at www.brandt.co.

About Knoxville Raceway: Located on the Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Iowa, Knoxville Raceway is a 1/2-mile dirt track that hosts winged 305, 360 and 410 sprint car racing every Saturday night from April to September. The “Sprint Car Capital of the World” also hosts the Knoxville Nationals, sprint car racing’s most prestigious event, as well as the Late Model Nationals and 360 Nationals. Knoxville Raceway is the third-largest outdoor stadium in Iowa with 24,612 seats and 32 luxury suites.