The 64th annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey's has again attracted more than 100 drivers to Knoxville Raceway looking for a cut of this year's $1,182,605 million purse.

Typically, the 10 favorites to win a marquee event are spotlighted for a preview article, but this time for The Granddaddy of Them All, let's touch on every entered driver, shall we? And tier each driver based on their status entering the biggest Sprint Car race of the year.

Below, the 103 entrants are categorized among these tiers: Favorites, Contenders, Under The Radar, Sleepers, Younger Long Shots, Veteran Long Shots and and Alphabet Soup hopefuls. Let the debate — and racing — begin as Wednesday's first qualifying night takes place at Knoxville.

• Understanding The Knoxville Nationals Format

Tier 1: Favorites

It's pretty clear who should be on the (very short) list of top guns at the Knoxville Nationals.

There's a reason only six drivers have won the Knoxville Nationals since 2016. It's because the list of winners is supposed to be exclusive and reserved for the sport's elite. Rico Abreu, David Gravel and Kyle Larson are the clear-cut favorites, and Larson could even be on a tier of his own as a juggernaut-in-the-making at Knoxville.

But until he reaches Steve Kinser- or Donny Schatz-like dominance (Kinser won three in a row three times, including five in a row from 1991-95 won 10 in a 12-year) span, Larson remains mortal.

Everything could be aligning for Abreu to finally win his first Nationals in his 12th try — he's batting 5-for-8 with an average finish of 2.8 at Knoxville this year and crew chief Ricky Warner is the best in the business at the half-mile.

For Gravel, his 11 wins are tied with Abreu for most in the nation and his average finish of 3.0 at Knoxville this year (a win, runner-up and sixth) is what you'd expect from him and the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 team. Gravel probably has extra motivation, too, in the wake of his Eldora spat with Larson a few weeks ago.

Tier 2: Contenders

These drivers expect to be in the top-five come Saturday. If all goes right, winning isn't out of the question.

There could be a nuanced Tier 2A and Tier 2B for the true contenders and fringe contenders, because Buddy Kofoid and Corey Day aren't too far behind favorite status. Clearly there's a gap between them and, say, Parker Price-Miller and even Donny Schatz, who's struggled this season.

But at the end of the day, every driver on the aforementioned list has top-five potential and an expectation to be among the frontrunners come Saturday. Kofoid, the top-rated driver this year per sprintcarratings.com, would be more of a favorite if not for his lack of results at Knoxville (he has an average there of 9.8 this year and DNQ'd last year).

Corey Day (June 14 WoO winner at Knoxville), Anthony Macri (recent Kings Royal champ)i, James McFadden (Sunday's Capitani Classic winner) and Ryan Timms (five wins at Knoxville this year) carry a lot of upside. 

WATCH: James McFadden breaks down his 10th-to-3rd run at Osky and Knoxville Nationals outlook.

Brian Brown (sixth last year; runner-up three times), Carson Macedo (two straight top-fives), Sheldon Haudenschild (five straight top-10s), Logan Schuchart (eight straight A-mains; two podiums) have a knack of performing well at Knoxville.

Odds are favorable for Price-Miller, too, who's 3-for-3 qualifying for Knoxville Nationals A-mains with Bernie Stuebgen on the wrenches.

Tread cautiously with Gio Scelzi (410 debut with Clauson-Marshall Racing), Schatz (13.8 average finish at Knoxville this year) and Brad Sweet (amid crew changes). This is Scelzi's 410 debut with Clauson-Marshall Racing. More on Schatz: He's made every Nationals A-main since 1998 and has never finished outside the top-10 two years in a row (finished 13th last year).

Tier 3A: Under The Radar

Like a plane going undetected, these drivers have shown they are capable but have drifted out of the spotlight. 

These are drivers who expect to main the A-Main, but wouldn't surprise us if they miss it. Brent Marks, Kerry Madsen and Daryn Pittman were contenders at the Nationals not too long ago. Marks's dip in performance, Madsen no longer in his prime and Pittman racing very sparingly put them a notch below the contenders.

As for Spencer Bayston (2023), Justin Peck (2021-24), Hunter Schurenberg (2023) and Brock Zearfoss (2021), they've all made the Nationals A-main, but just aren't running their best. For instance, Peck has five top-10s his last 18 races and Bayston, Schuerenberg and Zearfoss are winless in 2025.

Tier 3B: Sleepers

Don't be surprised if a few of these drivers qualify outright into Saturday's A-Main and battle for a top-10.

Every year, there's always a few drivers that catch everyone off guard in transferring outright to Saturday's main event by virtue of preliminary points.

That was Brady Bacon, Bill Balog, Scott Bogucki and Chase Randall last year. In 2023, it was Hunter Schuerenberg, Dusty Zomer and Randall again, and 2022 saw JJ Hickle, Justin Sanders, and Tasker Phillips make it on qualifying night points.

So, based on that, three to four drivers from above are likely to keep the sleeper trend alive. Balog, Randall, Emerson Axsom (aboard the KCP No. 18, which won a prelim last year with Gio Scelzi) and Justin Sanders (filling in for the injured Aaron Reutzel) are the most intriguing.

Tanner Holmes, Cole Macedo, Carson McCarl, Daison Pursley, Tanner Thorson and Garet Williamson all have the equipment and experience by now to make their first Nationals A-main. Danny Dietrich (two A-mains) and Austin McCarl (three A-mains; 2022 Knoxville pole) know how to qualify, but they could also end up in the C-main because of their inconsistencies.

Tier 4A: Younger Long Shots

Making Saturday's A-Main would be huge for any of these younger crop of developing and/or unproven drivers.

The Knoxville Nationals isn't usually kind toward rookies, the lesser-experienced or the still-developing. Chase Randall did qualify as a rookie in 2023 and Tasker Phillips, who was more a long-shot candidate to make the A-main, did it in '23 as well. So it's possible for someone on this list to make the main event, but the chances are slim.

Chase Dietz and Chris Martin at 28 years old, along with 27 year olds Sye Lynch and Zach Hampton, are the oldest drivers of the bunch. Dietz's five wins in Central PA this year make him the worthiest long shot. With two wins, including one recently at Knoxville, Ayrton Gennetten has potential to make noise. Cali 19-year-old Joel Myers Jr. has a pair of wins himself this year, too, on the IRA tour.

Kasey Jedrzejek (May 17 at Fremont), Ashton Torgerson (April at BAPS), Kelby Watt (June 21 at Plymouth) and Justin Whittall (July 19 at Port Royal) are all winners this year as well.

Tier 4B: Veteran Long Shots

Qualifying for Saturday's A-Main would also be a big deal for these experienced drivers.

This isn't a list to overlook: Six-time A-main starter (including last year) Justin Henderson, 2010 Knoxville Nationals champ Tim Shaffer, last year's A-main starter Brady Bacon, 22-time A-main starter Terry McCarl, 2024 Wednesday night quick time Matt Juhl, two-time ASCS champ Blake Hahn, ASCS points leader Sam Hafertepe Jr., 5-time A-main starter Lucas Wolfe, former USAC champs Kevin Thomas Jr. and Chris Windom, and 2024 Knoxvill 360

Hahn is the youngest at 30 on this list, with Thomas Jr. (34), Windom (34), Ball (35) and Henry (35) among the fringe-veterans compared to the more-seasoned type like the 58-year-old Shaffer and 60-year-old McCarl.

Tier 5: Alphabet Soup Hopefuls

These are drivers who'd love to finish in the top half of the 103-car field come Saturday.

Lacking what's required to hang with the upper half of the field, these drivers will likely fill out the C-, D- and E-Main lineups come Saturday. One driver on this list who could make some noise is non-winged Thomas Meseraull, who has a pair of top-fives in eight winged races this year.

This list isn't entirely unheralded names either as 1983 event champ, 69-year-old Sammy Swindell, makes his 49th Knoxville Nationals start. Former WoO winner Roger Crockett (who qualified for the Knoxville Nationals A-main in 2013) returns as well.