History will be made this weekend at Hawkeye Downs Speedway, when the 27th INEX Bandolero Nationals rolls into the Cedar Rapids, Iowa race track. Not only does it mark the first Bandolero Nationals in the State of Iowa, but it will be the very first INEX Championship National is hosted in the Hawkeye State.
As a required race towards INEX National Championships, drivers must compete in the Bandolero Nationals to be eligible for their respective division’s championship. Both the Outlaws and Bandits Divisions have close championship battles entering this weekend’s Bandolero Nationals. Participating drivers have origins from 19 U.S. States and one Canadian Province.
Hailing from Maine and running under the North Carolina banner in 2024, TJ Moon enters with a perfect 1900 points, while Virginia’s Bryson Nichols sits just three points behind in the Outlaws Division point standings. With the 2024 INEX points season concluding on Sunday, October 6, Saturday’s championship feature will prove pivotal for any possible tiebreaker scenarios. Moon is topped out on points, but Nichols still has room to capture one additional 100-point victory.
Virginia driver Wyatt Coffey, and Wisconsin-native Bentley Thompson are all tied up at the top of the Bandit’s Division standings. The mission will be clear for both; Finish ahead of the other.
“What makes winning Bandolero Nationals a challenge is you are racing against top teams and some of the top drivers in the country,” said 2023 Bandolero Nationals Bandits Champion, Lane Christensen.
In 2023, Alison Johnson made her own history, becoming the first female to win the Bandolero Nationals Outlaws Championship feature. Johnson shared that she knew going into last year’s event that the competition would be coming from across the county “with a ton of fast cars.”
Both Christensen and Johnson used their victories in last season’s Bandolero Nationals to catapult their way to becoming INEX National Champions. What advice would they give this year’s competitors?
“Never give up,” said Christensen. “At these races, anything can happen. You want to stay focused and stay prepared for anything.”
Johnson shared, “You’re not going to win [the race] on lap one. You have to pace yourself throughout the race. Don’t give up! Anything can happen in the race that you might not see coming.”
“And if you’re up there in points coming into Bandolero Nationals, just stay calm and run a good, smart race!”
Friday’s on-track action is Bandoleros-only, and will be independent from Saturday’s action. Both Bandits and Outlaw divisions will have practice, qualifying and an INEX National Qualifier feature, with qualifying beginning at 3:30pm CT/4:30pm ET.
On Saturday, Legend Cars join the crowd. Bandolero Nationals championship features will begin at approximately 2:45pm CT and will be followed by a Legend Car INEX National Qualifier race. All the racing action both days can be streamed on uslegendcars.tv. For a full entry list, point standings, event schedule, and more event information, please use this LINK. Spectator tickets be purchased at the front gate with cash or card. Adults (18-59) are $12, youth (9-17) $9, seniors (60+) $9, veterans $9, and children 8 & under are FREE with paid adult.
The 2024 INEX Championship Nationals continue with the 28th Legend Car Dirt Nationals at BAPS Motor Speedway (October 10-12), the 33rd Legend Car Asphalt Nationals at Dominion Raceway (October 24-26), and the 28th Road Course World Finals at VIRginia International Raceway (November. 15-17).