4/11/2026
Jake Knowles
Jake Knowles Celebrates First Win of 2026 at Dixie Speedway
Eyes CRUSA at Dixie This Weekend
TYRONE, Ga. (April 14, 2026) — For Jake Knowles, Saturday night’s trip to Dixie Speedway was about far more than a checkered flag.
Yes, the Tyrone, Georgia, native captured his first win of the 2026 season in Crate Late Model competition at the track he grew up racing on. But the moment carried a deeper weight—one shaped by a fight away from the racetrack.
Late last year, Knowles spent nearly 50 days in the hospital after being diagnosed with pancreatitis. The second-generation racer has made a gradual return to competition, beginning just last month at Talladega Short Track. Just weeks after getting back behind the wheel, he parked his Knowles Race Parts and Bodies No. 66 Longhorn Chassis in Victory Lane, bringing his comeback full circle.
“Big thanks to everyone standing here,” an emotional Knowles said in victory lane. “It’s crazy, but to get my first win back at home is awesome. This place means a lot to me. I have so many memories here — from playing in the stands and watching my dad to racing here myself. This is home to me, and it feels so good to win.”
Knowles’ path to the win began with a strong qualifying effort at the Georgia facility, less than 60 miles from his hometown. He set fast time before leading every lap of the feature. When the checkered flag flew, he was 1.370 seconds clear of Logan Palmer, completing a dominant sweep.
Complete results from Knowles’ lone event of the weekend can be found at www.TheRedClayatWoodstock.com.
Knowles will return to Dixie Speedway this weekend as the Rogers-Dabbs Performance Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series rolls into town for Saturday night’s $3,000-to-win program.
Additional event information is available at www.CrateRacinUSA.com.
Jake Knowles Racing would like to thank his marketing partners, including Knowles Race Parts and Bodies, Coosa Heating and Air, Gadsden Heating and Cooling, Buster Goss Body Shop, Cantrell Pallets, Knowles Trucking, Martins Wrecker Service, VP Racing Fuel, VG Performance, Cruise with the Champions, Hoosier Racing Tires by Pup, Big A’s Custom Graphics, Schaffers Oil by Mike Bruner, AG Candles, Jonathan Martin Custom Laser Engraving, KRC Power Steering, Hickman Manufacturing Co., Wiles Racing Driveshafts, Machz Trucking, XS Batteries, Velocity Manufacturing Group, Henry's Headers, Longhorn Chassis, and MyRacePass Marketing Services.
For more information on Jake Knowles, visit www.JakeKnowles66.net or subscribe to the official mailing list at https://pages./JakeKnowlesRacing.
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