Ryan Timms made history at the 36th Annual Xtream Powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals Presented by Great Southern Bank. The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma driver joined Sammy Swindell and Danny Lasoski as drivers who have won both the 360 and 410 Knoxville Nationals at the “Sprint Car Capital of the World.”
Timms’ win aboard the Liebig Motorsports No.10 paid him $20,000 plus $15,000 in lap money. Before a lap could be completed, Daison Pursley got into the left rear tire of rookie Austin Wood. Pursley spun, and Wood headed to the work area to replace a flat left rear tire.
After an initial start in which 2022 360 Nationals winner Aaron Reutzel got the advantage was called back, Timms shot out to an early lead on the second, ahead of Reutzel, James McFadden, Brian Brown and Tyler Courtney. On lap two, McFadden shot under Reutzel to take second, but three laps later, Reutzel shot back by to reclaim the spot in a good battle. On lap nine, Courtney put a slider on Brown in turn two to take the fourth spot.
Timms was into lapped traffic on the eleventh circuit. Kyle Larson worked his way into the top five on lap 12. Courtney moved by McFadden into third on lap 17. Reutzel stayed within striking distance of the leader after pulling away from Courtney and McFadden. Timms entered heavy lapped traffic with two to go. With lapped cars side-by-side in front of him, Timms slowed and Reutzel got into his back bumper in turn two.
Timms was able to save the car and pull away from there for the popular win in a 30-lap record time of 8 minutes, 44.1 seconds. Reutzel maintained second, ahead of Courtney, Larson and McFadden.
Timms said, "We’ve kind of been having problems with taking off lately. On that first start, Aaron timed it well. He may have gone before me a little bit. I really didn’t think it would get called back. I’m glad that it did. Once we got going, I wasn’t sure where to run the whole race. I didn’t know what was working. Once we got to lapped traffic…I assume it was the 87 that got into the back of me. I was running the top the whole time. I guess it started going away there. I just struggled to hit the bottom for whatever reason. There were lapped cars everywhere. They were running the bottom and I saw Aaron get to my inside once, and obviously chopped him. I figured he was making his ground on the bottom. I was just really unsure whether to follow on the bottom. You don’t want to just follow lapped traffic. I wasn’t my best effort, but it was my best blocking effort. This is unbelievable. I was maybe even more nervous for this than I was for the 410 last year. These things are just so momentum driven. This just means the world. There’s not many guys who can say they’ve one either one, let alone both of them. I couldn’t do it without my great crew guys and great owner."
Reutzel said, "I think it just came down to I didn’t do a very good job. I wish I’d have tried the bottom early. I thought we would just sit up there and log laps on top. I made one mistake and James got by me. Then I had to fight back by James. I kind of used my stuff up there and got to the bottom. I ran him right back down. All the lapped cars were down there and I had to move back up. Things didn’t play out for me. We’d get good runs and a lapped car would stop on the bottom. The one time I ran into the back of Timms, I thought he broke. I didn’t know he was running over a lapped car. That was crazy. I’m glad we were both able to keep going. I knew they were going to have a great car like they always have. I don’t know why that one (start) got called back that I got the lead on. Ultimately, I felt that was going to be the key was who got the good start. Ultimately, he wasn’t going to make that mistake again. He was able to get us. I’m disappointed, but I guess when you’re disappointed in second at the 360 Nationals, that’s pretty good."
Courtney said, "I really needed those first two starts to go. That second one especially. I got to third on the backstretch, but it is what it is. The race was a blast honestly. For 360’s not having much power, I felt like we did the best we could there. We needed a couple more laps there. I think stuff was getting interesting with lapped cars there. That’s just not how it played out. Congrats to Ryan and them. Not many get to win both the 360 and 410 Nationals. It’s pretty cool to witness that. I had to miss both these events last year with an injury, so I’m just glad to be here as a competitor."
Wood was the Jetco Rookie of the 360 Nationals, and took home $500. Ryan Leavitt earned best appearing car from Skagit Speedway, earning $360 for his throwback rendition of his grandfather, Eddie Leavitt’s 1976 Knoxville Nationals winning Fred Aden No. 4J. Rico Abreu, who won the B main, earned the MPi steering wheel as hard-charger of the race, advancing from 21st to 12th.
In my opinion, this race was a testament to Timms' skill and determination. He faced challenges, including lapped traffic and a close battle with Reutzel, but his ability to adapt and make strategic decisions ultimately led to his victory. It's a reminder that in the world of racing, every decision and every moment can make a difference. It's also fascinating to see the level of competition and the talent that exists within the Knoxville Nationals. The fact that Timms was able to win both the 360 and 410 Nationals is a testament to his skill and the level of competition in the sport.
