For the second straight year, Sam Hafertepe Jr. won a preliminary night at the 360 Nationals. Thursday, he took top honors on Night one of the 32nd Annual 360 Nationals at the Knoxville Raceway heard live on KNIA. It took Hafertepe a few laps to get comfortable as he made some in-car adjustments and took off passing Thomas Kennedy for the lead on lap eight and was never really challenged from there. Gio Scelzi was 2nd with Aaron Reutzel completing the podium. Hafertepe told KNIA/KRLS Sports once he found the balance in his car, he knew he would take off.

Hafertepe: “We were sliding quite a big, then I slid the wing back and we started to stick. I really didn’t feel that great still, but Gio wasn’t passing us so we were doing something right, then when the 24 gave up the bottom it was all history after that.”

Hafertepe likely locks his way into Saturday’s finale. The high points driver right now is Reutzel with 487 Ayerton Gennetten is in 2nd with 479, Hafertepe is and Scelzi are both at 478 ,and 5th is Kennedy with 465. Tonight is night two of the 32nd Annual 360 Nationals with the same format as Thursday night. After tonight’s action the top 20 in points will be locked into Saturday’s championship race. Complete coverage will begin with Live Track Side at 5:00 and Race Nights Live at 7:00.

Thursday Points

1 8 Aaron Reutzel 487
2 3 Ayrton Gennetten 479
3 15H Sam Hafertepe Jr. 478
4 18 Gio Scelzi 478
5 21K Thomas Kennedy 465
6 71 Cory Eliason 464
7 24W Garet Williamson 463
8 83H Justin Henderson 463
9 9 Chase Randall 456
10 09 Matt Juhl 450
11 88 Austin McCarl 440
12 95 Matt Covington 440
13 11M Parker Price-Miller 438
14 14 Corey Day 436
15 36 Jason Martin 436
16 22X Riley Goodno 435
17 20 Anthony Macri 433
18 26 Zeb Wise 429
19 75AU Tyler Blank 415
20 44 Chris Martin 413
21 55T McKenna Haase 409
22 53D Jack Dover 407
23 91 Kyle Reinhardt 404
24 7C Devin Kline 402
25 5A Alex Vande Voort 399
26 45X Kyler Johnson 372
27 23 Devon Dobie 364
28 17W Shane Golobic 361
29 7M Chance Morton 360
30 10P Dylan Postier 357
31 3P Sawyer Phillips 357
32 35 Skylar Prochaska 356
33 45 Rusty Hickman 338
34 13V Seth Brahmer 330
35 26H Scott Bogucki 330
36 9G Ryan Giles 326
37 70 Calvin Landis 326
38 55B Brandon Anderson 321
39 22 Ryan Leavitt 320
40 53 Joe Beaver 317
41 22W Aaron Werner 314
42 24N Nathan Mills 313
43 6C Logan Calderwood 307
44 2 Alex Pettas 306
45 42 Sye Lynch 305
46 19 Wes Wofford 305
47 17 Matt Allen 293
48 4H Cody Hansen 277
49 9M Ricky Montgomery 272
50 10 Landon Britt 259
51 2P Chase Porter 230

Photo from Ryan Northcote