Kyle Reinhardt Claims Rookie of the Year at Knoxville 360 Nationals

In recent years, more and more drivers and teams have been making the journey to Knoxville, IA one week earlier than usual.  The Knoxville Nationals for 410 sprint cars have become so prestigious and offer a purse that compares to no other, which has led many teams to take every opportunity to get track time on the black dirt at the “Sprint Car Capital of the World”. 

The 3-day 360 Sprint Car Nationals and the Capitani Classic for 410 sprint cars provide multiple opportunities for teams seeking those extra laps at Knoxville.  Kyle Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team inked those events on their schedule for the very same reason.

8/5:  360 Sprint Nationals – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA

      (43 cars:  Qualifying 26th, Heat 2nd,  A-main 24th)

The 31st Annual 360 Sprint Car Nationals kicked off Thursday night at Knoxville Raceway with qualifying for the first half of the registered field.  The large field is traditionally split into two nights for qualifying.  Each time they hit the track, teams accumulate points, which ultimately line up a series of main events on Saturday.

Kyle Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team were in the house to take a shot at their first 360 Nationals.  Despite an unlucky pill draw that placed him last in a queue of 43 cars for laps under the clock, Reinhardt managed a respectable 26th quickest time.

Brian Brown, who started alongside polesitter Reinhardt in the first heat, beat the No.91 to the first corner and kept a firm grasp on the top spot throughout the 8-lap qualifying event.  Reinhardt held on to 2nd ahead of Cory Eliason and Shane Golobic, who claimed the remaining transfer positions for the night’s A-main.

The All Star Circuit of Champions Rookie of the Year candidate started 19th in the A-main but had motor issues from the start and slid back in the field.  After a handful of laps, Reinhardt made the unwanted left hand turn into the pits and called it an early night.  The 24th place finish put a damper on the decent points night the team had going and significantly changed how their Saturday would play out.

“The motor wasn’t taking off the way we wanted in the heat race, so we made some adjustments.  Unfortunately, it got worse, so I had to pull off early to avoid bigger issues”, Reinhardt shared.

8/7:  360 Sprint Nationals – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA

      (90 cars:  C-main 3rd, B-main 15th)

The final day of the 360 Nationals at Knoxville consists of a series of main events, lined up based on the points teams accumulated on their qualifying days.  Kyle Reinhardt found himself ranked 51st of the 90 drivers who took to the track on the two previous nights.  The top 20 were locked into the 25-lap A-main, 21-40 into the 15-lap B-main and 41-60 would make up the 12-lap C-main.  

From his 11th starting spot in the C-main, Reinhardt would need to find his way to a top-4 finishing position to advance to the B-main.  From the drop of the green, he wasted no time beginning his charge forward.  By lap three, the Neptune City, NJ native had wheeled his way to the 5th position, within striking distance of the final transfer spot.  On lap 6, Reinhardt pushed his way into 3rd, and he held onto that transfer spot the rest of the way to finish +8 in the event.

Reinhardt’s momentum continued when the B-main took to the track.  Although it was a tall order to make his way to a top-4 finish and a spot in the A-main from his 21st starting spot, Kyle  went to work on that goal.  Although he came up short, he was +6 and finished 15th.  After passing a total of 14 cars in a combined 27 laps on Saturday, it was clear the Capitol Renegade team had resolved their engine issues.  If not for the setback on Thursday night, it certainly seemed the team would have made the 360 Nationals A-main on their first attempt.

While he fell short of his goal to make the A-main, Reinhardt’s performance was good enough to earn him the 31st Annual 360 Nationals Rookie of the Year award!

8/8:  410 Sprint Capitani Classic – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA

      (65 cars:  Qualifying 29th in Flight 1, Heat 10th, B-main 11th)

Sunday night brought a return to 410 sprint car competition for Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team.  The Capitani Classic is a great event on its own, but also serves as valuable track time prior to the Nationals, which kick off Wednesday night.  65 teams signed in to capitalize on that opportunity.  

The large field was divided into two flights for qualifying.  Reinhardt was the 16th car to go under the clock.  He registered a disappointing 29th quickest time of the 33 cars to attempt qualifying in the first flight.  Given the format, a poor qualifying effort meant it would be an uphill battle from that point forward.

The struggles continued for Reinhardt in his heat race.  He started and finished 10th, relegating him to a 17th starting position in the first B-main.  Only the top three finishers would advance to the 25-lap Capitani Classic A-main.  Although he wasn’t able to transfer, there was some good news when Reinhardt passed six cars to finish 11th.  It was too little, too late on that night, but it was progress toward the upcoming 410 Nationals later in the week.  

“It’s been taking us too long to find speed here each night.  We struggle early, then catch up with our adjustments.  We’re working hard to fix that for The Nationals”, Reinhardt commented.

Thanks to Our Partners!

RQM Motorsports would like to sincerely thank Capitol Renegade, Capitol Custom Coaches & Trailers, Champion Brands, Fibreworks Composites, Henry’s Wrecker Service, J&J Auto Racing, FK Rod Ends, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Kelly Racing Fuel, B.C. Walter Trucking, Arai Americas, Auto Meter, KSE Racing Products, InTech Trailers, Fel-Pro, Taylor Ignition Wires, Miller Welders, K&N Filters, Mettec, AL Driveline, Jesel Valvetrain, DMI, All-Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads, ISC Racers Tape, HMS Motorsports, Ultra Lite Brakes & Components, Rider Racing Engines, Saldana Racing Products and HP Engines for their support during the 2021 racing season.

Up Next:

It’s 410 Knoxville Nationals week for Kyle and the Capitol Renegade team!  Over 100 cars are preregistered to compete in the prestigious and lucrative event that pays teams for each qualifying and feature event they compete in throughout the week.  Saturday’s finale will pay $150,000 to win and $10,000 to start!

Qualifying night for Reinhardt is Wednesday, August 11th, and the finale of the 60th Annual Knoxville Nationals will be run Saturday, August 14th.  Stay tuned to the social media outlets below for updates on Kyle’s schedule and results at the 410 Nationals.  Broadcast coverage of the entire event is available at DirtVision.com.