The Knoxville Nationals have enthralled motorsports fans for 64 years, and this year’s edition has delivered one of the most astounding storylines yet. One particular 18-year-old driver has dominated the high-stakes sprint car showdown on all four days of the event. In a dramatic turnaround from his previous two failed attempts to even qualify for the main event, the youngster finds himself on top of the world as he claims victory.
The connection between sprint car racing and NASCAR runs deep, with many NASCAR drivers cutting their teeth on dirt ovals like Knoxville, a crucible of skill, fearlessness, and split-second decision-making. It’s no surprise that Denny Hamlin’s head turned as he caught sight of the teen’s electric performance at Knoxville and couldn’t help but take notice and offer public praise.
Denny Hamlin has a few words about Ryan Timms’ Knoxville victory
For 64 years, the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville nationals presented by Casey’s has captivated the motorsport world at Knoxville raceway, and today, the youngest driver since 1964 led the field to the green flag for the 50-lap main event with a $195,000 prize purse. 18-year-old Ryan Timms of Oklahoma City captured his first-ever preliminary feature victory Wednesday night in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and scorched the competition with 487 points out of 500, topping the event standings and earning the pole spot for Saturday’s finale.
At 18 years old, 11 months, and 14 days old, Timms becomes the second youngest driver ever to lead the Knoxville Nationals field to green, only falling short of Kenny Wald’s age from 1964, which was 18 years, nine months, and four days. Timms not only punched his ticket to Saturday’s big race, but he’s also starting from the pole, the highest debut entry in decades.
And as the main event took off, Ryan managed to fend off his rivals and claim victory, finishing ahead of Rico Abreu. David Gravel drove his No. 2 car to a respectable third-place finish, followed by Carson Macedo in fourth. And the fifth spot was taken by Logan Schuchart. Ryan Timms’ high-voltage showdown in the feature didn’t go unnoticed. Denny Hamlin couldn’t remain quiet after such a statement-making performance. Taking to X, he shared, “Impressive win by Timms. How bout that run by DG2? Sheesh.”
Impressive win by Timms. How bout that run by DG2? Sheesh. #KnoxvilleNationals
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) August 10, 2025
Other reactions ranged from marvel to awe; the sentiments were unmistakable. One race viewer wrote, “Unreal dominant,” while another stated, “That was an a– whoppin’. Never won an Outlaw show. Never win a High Limit race. Knoxville Nationals champion. Wow, Ryan Timms.” Hamlin’s supportive tone reflects not just admiration for a rising star but recognition of the raw talent and composure. It takes time to shine under pressure. Meanwhile, NASCAR’s own Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who runs a sprint car team as part of Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing, took the field himself at Knoxville. After early spins and challenges, he battled back to finish 10th, a gritty, hard-earned result under the glare of Nationals pressure. He even congratulated Ryan Timms online.
And the congratulations he very well deserved. Given that the Knoxville Raceway was drenched in rain right before the engines went off, Timms was dominant from the very start. He sailed through a rare-caution-free first half, where he pulled ahead by as much as three seconds while those behind him were struggling. And the same dominance once again came to the fore after the mandatory fuel break. You’d think that a caution with four laps remaining would change the narrative, but that was not the case.
And if you look at it, then the victory was long time coming since this was his seventh win of the season with Liebig Motorsports. Now, this made him the track’s winningest driver in 2025. He sailed past the two-time defending champion Kyle Larson, who started ninth, and finished 19th after blowing out his right-rear tire with four laps remaining. Eleven-time Knoxville Nationals champion Donny Schatz scraped together an 11th-place finish after a late qualifying surge in the B-Main event. So, the congratulations that poured in for him, including Hamlin’s, were well deserved.
Beyond the track, Hamlin has been increasingly candid about his views on NASCAR subjects. Most recently, he shared his thoughts on his supposed 2027 exit from the NASCAR Cup Series. With that, he opened up about the struggle of being a Cup driver.
Denny Hamlin delivers a reality check on NASCAR life
Denny Hamlin, the veteran Joe Gibbs Racing driver, will turn 45 this November and has enjoyed one of the most decorated careers in modern NASCAR. With 58 Cup Series wins, four of them coming in 2025 alone, he currently sits 11th on the all-time wins list, just one victory shy of breaking into the top 10. Yet, despite it being an accomplishment, Hamlin recently offered a sobering perspective on the sport’s unforgiving nature, sparked by reflecting on Bubba Wallace’s victory at Brickyard.
Denny Hamlin noted that Wallace’s mental health approach set him apart, particularly in how he handled difficult weekends. Moreover, Hamlin explained the difficulties of being a NASCAR Cup driver. He said, “We’re in a business where if you can win 5% of the time, you’re a Hall of Famer. You’re going to lose. This is a losing business, and you have to find happiness in some other way other than actually winning.” His point was clear: NASCAR is inherently a losing game, even for its biggest stars, and surviving mentally means finding fulfillment beyond victory lane.
Recalling earlier career advice from former crew chief Mike Ford, Hamlin said it was the best guidance he ever received. In a sport where the grind is constant and the wins are scarce, personal milestones and small achievements can be as important as the trophy itself. Hamlin’s own career stats underline the point. Out of the 706 Cup Series starts, his 58 wins equate to just 8.21%, an extraordinary rate by NASCAR standards, yet one that still means that he has come up short in over 91% of his races. For one of the sport’s all-time greats, those numbers served as a staff reminder of just how relentless and humbling the life of a NASCAR driver can be.
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