AYRTON GENNETTEN READY FOR 2023 KNOXVILLE SEASON

Feature photo by: Chuck Stowe

By Bill Wright

Knoxville, IA: Gravois Mills, Missouri driver Ayrton Gennetten has been turning heads for a few years now in a sprint car.  

The third generation driver has some wins under his belt and this year he will run for a 410 championship at the Knoxville Raceway.

Ayrton’s late grandfather, Gene Gennetten, was recently inducted into the National Midget Racing Hall of Fame.  Gene also registered two top ten finishes at the Knoxville Nationals in his career, topping with a fifth place run in 1968.

Father Steve is also a former Knoxville regular and owns a feature win of his own there.  Ayrton joined his father as a visitor to Victory Lane in last August’s Season Championship Night.

In addition to his win, despite missing a few nights in 2022, Ayrton netted two quick times, four top fives and two podium finishes, which earned him eleventh in the final point standings.  “I felt we were fast at Knoxville in 2021, but we fell off there a bit last year,” he says.  “Then the last night we just changed things back to the way we did things the year before and we were able to win.”

Ayrton is looking forward to the season and he knows the competition from defending champion Brian Brown, and right through the 410 ranks, will be tough.  “We’re really excited about running Knoxville,” he says.  “I feel like our program is really back where we need it to be.  We’re always pretty competitive there, and you know, I’d like to beat the other guy there from Missouri.”

In addition to Knoxville, Ayrton will run 75-80 events around the Midwest in 2023.

In addition to Ayrton and Brown, there will be plenty of big hitters weekly at Knoxville.  Aaron Reutzel, who finished a close second to Brown, is expected to return, along with Austin McCarl, Lynton Jeffrey and Justin Henderson, who is reuniting with car owner Bryan Sundby for a run this season.

Brooke Tatnell will fill in Henderson’s seat in the Sandvig #7 most nights, and Carson McCarl has teamed with South Dakota’s Jeremy Scadden. The  2021 champ, Davey Heskin, former champion, Ian Madsen and Sawyer and Tasker Phillips are just a few others we’ll see at Knoxville night in and night out this season.

The 2021 Warrnambool Grand Annual Classic winner, Australia’s Lachlan McHugh, and Christopher Thram are two rookies who have also thrown their hats in the 410 ring at Knoxville.  The highest weekly purse in the country awaits all!