Dusty Zomer’s primary objective this time last summer had been everything that encompassed the role as both office manager and accountant for his family business, Zomer Brothers Trucking of Sioux Falls, S.D.

Now the 38-year-old trucker is living large at the Knoxville Nationals, enamored by the reality that he’s one of its 16 drivers locked into Saturday’s championship grand finale.

Zomer will start 12th in Saturday’s 50-lap big dance, right behind the sport’s biggest names: Kyle Larson, Rico Abreu, Donny Schatz, Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, Hunter Schuerenberg, Kerry Madsen, Buddy Kofoid, Corey Day and Ian Madsen.

Never heard of Zomer? It’s OK. Younger, newer, or lesser-informed Sprint Car fans may not recognize the name. But those who’ve followed closely for the last decade likely know Zomer for his tenure in the Buffalo Wild Wings-backed Sprint Car owned by Todd Lahaise.

That was 2016. Since, Zomer has raced sparingly with various 360 Sprint Car teams near his South Dakota home. This year, he’s carrying the torch for all the Knoxville Nationals underdogs, and it’s all thanks to the bold undertaking by car owner Jeremiah Jordahl.

“When he approached me last October about this deal, he asked me, ‘Are you interested in getting back in it?’” Zomer recalled. “I said, ‘What are we talking?’ Something local (at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D.,) or more?’”

Jordahl’s proposal was more — way more — than Zomer could spin up.

“I’d like to put together a pretty powerhouse team,” Jordahl told Zomer, continuing to recall their groundbreaking conversation.

“I’m like, ‘Well, you know we have nothing,’” Zomer said, not shying away from the idea, but rather putting the beginnings of a masterplan into perspective. “‘We’re starting from scratch, and it’s going to take an initial investment.’”

The Jordahl-owned team’s jumped straight into the deep end — not the deepest end by traveling all over the country, but a plunge that’s taken faith nonetheless — from the outset. Sixteen of their 32 races are touring events. Their first two races were April’s High Limit Sprint Car Series openers at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Mo., and 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa.

“The biggest thing is, you don’t want to jump out of the box too soon. But at the same time, we wanted to go out and race,” Zomer said. “We could have waited probably halfway through the summer until we hit the pavement. But we’re like, let’s go race the first race in Kansas City, and just race.

“From there, we’ve been trying to pound the pavement and get me back into the rhythm, the timing, the pedals, and get up to speed with everybody. I feel, as we continue to race more and more as a team, we’re showing we’re definitely players. Or can be a team that can race all those (top-tier Midwest) guys (like Brian Brown and Aaron Reutzel).”

The sweetest part of the deal, which has Zomer racing at a workload identical to his last season of 410 Sprint Car racing in 2016, is that Danny Lasoski’s is wrenching on the car as crew chief. The National Sprint Car Hall of Famer has, needless too say, expedited the upstart team’s path to success.

“Things like shocks (and tires) have changed a lot since the last time I raced a lot,” Zomer said. “That’s where Danny on our side turning the wrenches has been a huge help. Again, it’s been fun communicating with him, the fact he’s driven and he’s one of the best. That’s where it’s fun to bounce things off him.”

Lasoski wasn’t part of Jordahl’s masterplan until Zomer sought the former Knoxville Nationals champion for advice on how to effectively reenter the life as a traveling race team.

“From there, we started talking,” Zomer said. “I was like, ‘Well what are you doing?’

“He said. ‘I’m living in Florida now.’ I’m like, ‘You want to race a little bit?’ We went back and forth, and kind of joked about it at first. At the same time, we’re like, ‘Well, we’re serious. Let’s see if we can’t put something together.’

“Talking it out and talking it over, we came up with an agreement, and said, ‘We could use your help if you’re interested.’”

Dusty Zomer starts 12th in Saturday's 62nd running of the Knoxville Nationals.

Zomer is a plenty capable race car driver. He finished ninth in the 2008 Knoxville Nationals in the Glanzer Trucking No. 5Z Sprint Car and even has a World of Outlaws feature victory in 2015 during the World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

What Lasoski brings, beyond sheer knowledge, is turnkey organization.

“He says, like, ‘This is the way you do it. This is the way it needs to be done,’” Zomer said. “It’s been a huge help and stepping stone you have to go through. It’s been fun. It’s been a fun ride so far.”

“To put a new team together, come here … obviously I’ve raced here for years, which helps, and having Lasoski turn wrenches obviously is a good thing around this place. As a driver, it’s great to bounce off each other of what’s going on and everything because you can relate really well.”

Apart from qualifying for the Knoxville Nationals, Zomer’s highlight this season is returning to 410 Sprint Car victory lane for the first time since Sept. 2017. He did that on July 16 at Huset’s Speedway. That’s Zomer’s lone podium finish this year to date, second top five, and fifth top 10 in more than 30 races this year.

It’s been an adjustment to regain his competitive bearings, but he’s had results here and there to show he’s moving forward.

“Really, the last time I felt this good was 2016 or ’17, as far as a driver,” Zomer said. “Again, it comes from traveling, hitting the road, and the mindset of knowing you are capable of doing it. It’s the timing of getting back. These guys you come race against, you aren’t just going to show them how to get around the place after taking time off.”

Zomer’s odds to make the Knoxville Nationals in lock-in fashion seemed minuscule considering his best finish at Knoxville Raceway in nine races before this week had been 13th in weekly competition. Then he was 50th of 54 cars to time trial on Thursday.

“It was like, ‘Oh, man, we’re way back there. If we’re going to do it, you’re going to have to earn it,’” Zomer thought to himself. “

He qualified 13th, then raced from sixth to fourth in the heat race to put himself in stellar standing come feature time.

“That was huge. That set up the whole night,” Zomer said. “We got through the heat race and that was important. And then had a great starting spot. … You can’t slip up one lap (in the heat race). That’s about the best way to say it. We’re hanging with a tough crowd. As a team, this is a huge win.”

Looking beyond this week, Zomer’s eager to travel to Central Pennsylvania for the first time for the region’s slew of big races, namely Sept. 7-9’s Tuscarora 50 at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway and Sept. 29-30’s National Open at Williams Grove Speedway.

“It’s always been out on my bucket list,” said Zomer, who’s already looking ahead to next year, eager to strengthen what’s already in place as a Knoxville Nationals feature starter.

“We pretty much knew, having the time to have what it takes to get started, we weren’t really to have what we wanted until 2024,” Zomer said. “Just because it’s taken so long for everything to come in.

“As a fresh team, it’s a breath of fresh air, so to say, and it’s great for the team to keep building and pushing for our long-term goal. And that was to put together a fairly powerhouse team, if you want to call it that, from the Sioux Falls area. Everyone from day one felt that we were capable of doing good. We’ve kept building off everything we’ve ever done.

“For me, I still feel like I’m capable of doing it, otherwise I wouldn’t have ever jumped in like I did, and said, ‘Let’s go do this.’”