Two-time USAC Regional champion Ryan Bernal has teamed up with Baughman/Reutzel Motorsports for this weekend's $20,000-to-win BRANDT Professional Agriculture “Corn Belt Nationals” at Knoxville Raceway this Friday and Saturday, July 5-6.

Bernal, of Hollister, Calif., is a two-time USAC Western Classic Sprint Car Series champion in 2013-14.  He’s also the winningest driver in USAC West Coast Sprint Car history with 33 career points-race victories.  He’s made 33 career USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars in his career but is still eying his first series win.

Bernal has experience in a wing sprint car at Knoxville, but none yet without the wing, where he’ll team up with the hometown team in Baughman/Reutzel, whose operations are based in Knoxville, Iowa.

“Aaron (Reutzel) called me and then I talked to Josh (Baughman), they got back to me and said I’m their guy,” Bernal commented.  “I couldn’t say yes fast enough for a chance to race for $20,000.  And I know they’ll give me a good car with a really good chance to win.”

USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars have made just 10 previous appearances at Knoxville, dating to 1968.  USAC has contested two events in the last two seasons at Knoxville, but Bernal feels that the gap between his inexperience without a wing and the USAC regulars at Knoxville will be less of a factor than it is at other places, providing him an opportunity to be that much more competitive in USAC National Sprint Car start this season.

“The USAC National guys haven’t raced there that much, so they’re not really locked in at Knoxville in the way that they are at a lot of their other tracks,” Bernal explains.  “It puts us on a pretty level playing field and gives me a lot better shot at winning this one.”

On both Friday and Saturday, pits open at Noon (Central), driver sign in at 3pm, draw closes at 5:45pm, drivers meeting at 6pm and cars on track at 6:15pm.

Prior to racing action getting started at the BRANDT Professional Agriculture "Corn Belt Nationals," the official kickoff begins with a Fourth of July celebration, including a concert and fireworks at Knoxville Raceway on Thursday, July 4.

Tickets for the inaugural BRANDT Professional Agriculture Corn Belt Nationals are available at www.knoxvilleraceway.com/tickets or by calling the Knoxville Raceway ticket office at 641-842-5431. Tickets start at $20 for adults, $15 for teens and $10 for children 12 and under on Friday. Saturday’s tickets increase by $5.

Both nights of the “Corn Belt Nationals” will be streamed LIVE in their entirety on www.Dirtvision.com, the official streaming platform for Knoxville Raceway.  FloRacing subscribers can catch Saturday’s USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car $20,000-to-win A-Main feature finale only, LIVE on www.floracing.com.

ENTRY LIST (48 cars as of July 4)

0 - Brandon Stevenson, Holstein, IA

0s - Steve Irwin, Fenton, MI

1m - Don Droud, Jr., Lincoln, NE

4 - Justin Grant, Ione, CA

4A - Braydon Cromwell, Lone Jack, MO

5G - Chris Windom, Canton, IL

6 - Mario Clouser, Auburn, IL

6R – Frank Rodgers III, Lucas, IA

7 – Timmy Buckwalter, Douglassville, PA

7BC - Tyler Courtney, Indianapolis, IN

7c - Chris Morgan, Topeka, KS

7s - Craig Campton, Pardeeville, WI

9G - Cody Gardner, Milford, OH

11w - Wyatt Burks, Topeka, KS

12s - Wesley Smith, Nixa, MO

16 - Anthony Nicholson, Millington, TN

17 - Nick Bilbee, Indianapolis, IN

17B – Ryan Bernal, Hollister, CA

18 - Terry Richards, Denton, NE

19 - Kevin Thomas, Jr., Cullman, AL

19AZ – C.J. Leary, Greenfield, IN

19x - Jori Hughes, Tower, MN

20 - Steve Thomas, Ludlow, IL

21 – Carson Short, Marion, IL

22s - Slater Helt, Harrisonville, MO

24 - Landon Simon, Tipp City, OH

24v - Brian VanMeveren, Woodbury, MN

28 – Kory Schudy, Battlefield, MO

32 - Chase Stockon, Ft. Branch, IN

33m - Matt Westfall, Pleasant Hill, OH

42 – Dave Darland, Lincoln, IN

44 – Dickie Gaines, Mitchell, IN

52 - Isaac Chapple, Willow Branch, IN

52F - Logan Faucon, Elkhart, IL

56 - Mitchell Davis, Auburn, IL

57 - T.J. Artz, Lincoln, NE

65 - Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, MO

69 - Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK

71p - Jason McDougal, Broken Arrow, OK

73 - Lane Stone, Concordia, MO

74x - Josh Hodges, Tijeras, NM

75 - Dustin Christie, Washington, IN

75x - Glen Saville, Razorback, NSW, Aust.

77K - Katlynn Leer, Moulton, IA

78 – Rob Caho, Jr., Wyoming, MN

90 - Riley Kreisel, Warsaw, MO

98e - Chad Boespflug, Hanford, CA

99 - Korey Weyant, Springfield, IL

FRIDAY FORMAT:

Qualifying:

Time Trials 2 cars, 2 laps.

*If 32 cars or more, split field format.

Points: 1-200, 2-198, 3-196, 2 points per position.

Heats (8 laps):

24-31 cars, 3 Heats invert 6

32-40 cars, 4 Heats invert 6

41-47 cars, 6 Heats invert 6

48 cars or more, 6 Heats invert 6

Top 4 to A Main, 5-8 to B Main, 9-12 to C Main

Heat Points: 1-100, 2-97, 3-94, 3 points per position.

Friday C Main (10 laps) 4 Transfer to B

Friday B Main (12 laps) 4 Transfer to A

Friday A Main, invert 8 (25 laps)

Points: 1-200, 2-198, 3-196, 2 points per position

SATURDAY FORMAT

Qualifying

Time Trials (2 cars, 2 Laps)

*If 32 cars or more split field

Points: 1-100, 2-98, 3-96, 2 points per position. If 51 cars or more: 51st on down receives 2 points.

Qualifiers 10 laps

24-41 cars, 3 Qualifiers invert 6

42-60 cars, 4 Qualifiers invert 6

Points: 1-50, 2-47, 3-44, 3 points per position

Total Combined points from Friday and Saturday to determine Saturday night A, B, C, D Main lineups.

1-18 in points locked in to A Main

19-36 (next 18) determine B Main, 6 Transfer to A

37-54 (next 18) determine C Main, 6 Transfer to B

55-72 determine D Main, 6 Transfer to C

D Main 8 laps (if needed)

C Main 12 laps (24 cars)

B Main 16 laps (24 cars)

A Main 30 laps (24 cars)

FRIDAY PAYOUT:

C Main: 1-4. Transfer to B Main. 5-9. $200. 10-24. $150.

B Main: 1-4. Transfer to A Main. 5. $250, 6-24. $200

A Main: 1. $5,000, 2. $3,000, 3. $2,000, 4. $1,500, 5. $1,000, 6. $900, 7. $800, 8. $775, 9. $750, 10. $725, 11. $700, 12. $600, 13. $500, 14. $400, 15. $400, 16. $400, 17.$400, 18. $400, 19. $400, 20. $400, 21. $400, 22. $400, 23. $400, 24. $400

SATURDAY PAYOUT:

C Main: 1-6 Transfer to C Main. 7. $300, 8-24. $250.

B Main: 1-6 Transfer to A Main. 7. $900, 8. $800, 9. $700, 10. $600, 11. $600, 12. $600, 13. $600, 14. $600, 15. $600, 16. $600, 17. $600,  18. $600, 19. $600, 20. $600, 21. $600, 22. $600, 23. $600, 24. $600

Corn Belt Nationals Championship: 1. $20,000, 2. $12,000, 3. $6,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,000, 6. $2,750, 7. $2,500, 8. $2,250, 9. $2,000, 10. $1,750, 11. $1,500, 12. $1,250, 13. $1,100, 14. $1,050, 15. $1,000, 16. $1,000, 17.$1,000,  18. $1,000, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000.

The BRANDT Professional Agriculture Corn Belt Nationals will kick-off with a Fourth of July celebration, including a concert and fireworks at Knoxville Raceway on Thursday, July 4. The drivers take to the track on Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6 with $20,000 going to Saturday’s winner. 360 winged sprint cars will also compete on Friday while 410 winged sprint cars will race on Saturday.

Tickets for the inaugural BRANDT Professional Agriculture Corn Belt Nationals are available at www.knoxvilleraceway.com/tickets or by calling the Knoxville Raceway ticket office at 641-842-5431. Tickets start at $20 for adults, $15 for teens and $10 for children 12 and under on Friday. Saturday’s tickets increase by $5.