Jake Knowles topped a spirited battle with Kenny Collins on Tuesday night at Tri-County Race Track to claim his first-career Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series victory. The triumph was worth $3,500 for the driver of the Knowles Race Parts & Bodies #66 Josh Roberts Trucking/ Coosa Heating & Cooling/ Longhorn Chassis Super Late Model. (Brian McLeod photo)

“I appreciate Kenny [Collins] racing me clean there,” Knowles said. “We became pretty good buddies here the last year or so messing around, texting back and forth. We parked beside each other tonight, [started] on the front row [together]. It’s a pretty awesome little track. This really isn’t my cup of tea, throwing it sideways and all that. I normally try to drive ‘er straight, but we adapted to it and ended up pretty good.

“We started this deal, just taking it on a race-by-race basis, and not sure if we’d run the whole tour. To have the point lead with three races is pretty awesome. Hopefully we can maintain our consistency and win the championship.”

Jake Knowles continued his inaugural pursuit of the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals championship on Tuesday evening at Tri-County Racetrack (Brasstown, North Carolina) as the eighth round of the tour came to life.

In a field of 22 cars, Knowles registered the fastest lap in his time trial group, which locked him into the outside-front-row, starting position for the A-Main. Holding off a late-race challenge from Kenny Collins, Jake streaked to his third overall win of the season and his first-career Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals victory. Collins, Michael Chilton, Casey Roberts, and Tanner English completed the Top-5 finishers.

Jakes pocketed a $3,500 payday for the triumph. In addition, with his victory, he’s taken over the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals point standings.

Returning to action on Thursday at Crossville Speedway (Crossville, Tennessee), Knowles laid down the sixth fastest time in his qualifying group before improving six spots in the 35-lap feature to place 6th. (Michael Moats photo)

The following night at 411 Motor Speedway (Seymour, Tennessee), Jake edged his way into the $10,000-to-win A-Main with the 4th and final transfer spot in his heat race. Rolling off 13th, Knowles fell two spots logging a 15th place outing.

For the final round of the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals, Knowles was one of 26 cars on hand at Tazewell Speedway (Tazewell, Tennessee) on Saturday evening for the $10,053-to-win finale. Following the sixth fastest lap in his time trial group, Jake posted a runner-up finish in his heat behind Ross Bailes. Rolling off 7th, Jake Knowles jumped up one spot in the 53-lap affair registering a 6th place finish.

Jake finished in second in the final point standings behind Brandon Overton.

For the latest series standings as well as complete results, please visit www.SouthernNationalsSeries.com.

Following the Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals, Jake Knowles was one of 15 cars on hand at Smoky Mountain Speedway (Maryville, Tennessee) on Tuesday evening for the $3,500-to-win A-Main. Laying down the third fastest lap in his group, Knowles earned the 5th-starting positon for the A-Main. Dropping one spot in the 35-lap affair, Jake posted a 6th place finish.

After a pair of rainouts at Toccoa Raceway (Toccoa, Georgia) and Senoia Raceway (Senoia, Georgia) on Thursday and Friday evening, Knowles returned with the Southern Nationals on Saturday at Screven Motor Speedway (Sylvania, Georgia) for the $10,000 top prize. In a field of 25 cars, Jake scored a 2nd place finish in his heat behind Michael Brown which positioned him 7th on the starting grid for the main event. Reeling in a podium finish, Knowles passed four cars to place 3rd behind Ross Bailes and Casey Roberts with Trent Ivey and Dennis Franklin rounding out the Top-5. (Brian McLeod photo)

Wrapping up the weekend on Sunday at Rome Speedway (Rome, Georgia,) Knowles posted the fifth fastest time in his group before picking up a 10-lap heat race victory. Rolling off 10th for the $5,300-to-win finale, Jake improved four positions notching a 6th place finish.

Jake has climbed to second in the latest Southern Nationals point standings. For more information on these events, please visit www.SouthernNationalsSeries.com.

On Saturday evening Jake Knowles traveled to Wythe Raceway (Rural Retreat, Virginia) kicking off the Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals. In a field of 30 cars, Jake secured his spot into the opening night feature with a 6th place finish in his heat. Coming two spots shy of a Top-5 finish, Knowles passed 15 cars to place 7th.

The following night at Cherokee Speedway (Gaffney, South Carolina), Knowles scored a 4th place finish in his heat which positioned him 13th on the starting grid for the A-Main. With $10,000 on the line, Jake improved eight spots reeling in a 5th place finish behind Trent Ivey, Brandon Overton, Michael Page, and Ross Bailes.

Jake is currently in second in the Southern Nationals point standings. For more information on the events, please visit www.SouthernNationalsSeries.com.

Jake Knowles rumbled to his second win of 2019 on Friday night with a $2,000 Durrence Layne Dirt Late Model Series victory, which came behind the wheel of his Knowles Race Parts & Bodies #66 Josh Roberts Trucking/ Coosa Heating & Cooling/ Longhorn Chassis Late Model.

“We had a good weekend, but honestly our finishes didn’t completely reflect how good we were,” Knowles commented. “We had a chance at contending for the win on Saturday night, but we got run over by another driver. That knocked us back to an eighth-place finish. Even at that, to get a win, a pair of Top-5 finishes, and three Top-10 finishes in three races is something that our whole team is proud of.

“We’re going to run the first two Southern Nationals races this week, and if everything goes good we may end up running the whole deal. At this point nothing is locked in stone, though.”

Jake Knowles kicked off the action-packed, extended holiday weekend of racing on Wednesday evening at Talladega Short Track (Eastaboga, Alabama) with the Durrence Layne Dirt Late Model Series (DLDLMS) sanctioned Salute to Freedom 50. In a field of 29 cars, Knowles secured his spot into the opening night feature with the fifth-fastest lap in time trials. Gaining one spot in the 50-lap affair, Jake registered a fourth-place finish behind John Ownbey, Cruz Skinner, and Brandon Williams with Wil Herrington rounding out the Top 5.

On Friday Knowles followed the DLDLMS to Cochran Motor Speedway (Cochran, Georgia), where the opening round of a doubleheader was contested at the 3/8-mile oval. Qualifying second fastest in time trials behind T.J. Brittain, Knowles earned the outside-front-row starting position for the main event.

Leading all 40-laps, Jake cruised to his second win of the season, which came over Wil Herrington, Mark Whitener, Oakley Johns, and Cruz Skinner. He pocketed a $2,000 payday for the triumph.

The following night with a $2,500 top prize on the line in the finale, Jake recorded the fourth-fastest time in his qualifying group, which positioned him eighth on the starting grid for the feature. Jake fell back to the 11th position early in the race before racing to as high as the second position. Unfortunately, heavy contact from another driver relegated him to an eighth-place finish.

With his weekend performances Jake padded his lead in the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Series point standings. For more information on the events, please visit www.DurrenceLayneRacing.com.