Brian Birkhofer may be running his final laps as a late model driver…and he seems to want to go out a winner.Birkhofer said after his third place finish at the Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals on Thursday that he is seriously considering retiring. Birky won last night’s second preliminary night of the Late Model Nationals at the Knoxville Raceway putting him in prime position to win his second Nationals title. Billy Moyer finished and Steve Francis completed the podium. Birkhofer will start on the pole of tonight’s championship race with Thursday’s winner Jonathan Davenport joining him on the front row.

1. 15B Brian Birkhofer
2. 21 Billy Moyer
3. 15 Steve Francis
4. B5 Brandon Sheppard
5. 20S Rodney Sanders
6. O Scott Bloomquist
7. 17M Dale McDowell
8. 18 Shannon Babb
9. 99JR Frank Heckenast Jr.
10. 6 Jonathan Davenport
11. 58D AJ Diemel
12. 25F Jason Feger
13. 44 Earl Pearson Jr.
14. 81 Brian Shirley
15. 29 Darrell Lanigan
16. 777 Jared Landers
17. 14M Morgan Bagley
18. 7R Kent Robinson
19. 28M Jimmy Mars
20. 1 Rick Eckert
21. 75 Terry Phillips
22. 1V Will Vaught
23. 28E Dennis Erb Jr.
24. 85D Mark Dotson