Editor's note: Schuerenberg has since been named Zemco Racing's driver for remaining events at Port Royal Speedway this year, news that broke Friday morning a night after he locked into Saturday's Knoxville Nationals.

Hunter Schuerenberg has no clue what the future holds after Saturday’s Knoxville Nationals, but at least for the next two nights he can rest assured knowing he’s doing his all to maintain relevancy in the broad, cutthroat world of Sprint Car racing.

At 462 points — second behind Donny Schatz’s 479 mark following Wednesday’s qualifying night — the Sikeston, Mo., driver is locked into the sixth-starting spot of The Granddaddy Of Them All. In six previous attempts, Schuerenberg has never qualified for championship Saturday at the Nationals, not even in his steadiest of seasons.

In the midst of hardship — a season that’s seen Schuerenberg’s motorhome burn to the ground followed by his departure from Vermeer Motorsports — Schuerenberg emerged as the feel-good story from opening night.

He knew, even as unstable as things may seem, he’d be competitive in Kevin Swindell’s No. 39 machine.

“Obviously this season has not been great,” Schuerenberg said. “It’s tested me a bunch. I said, ‘If I can come here in Kevin’s car, with a quality piece with a guy who’s wrenching the car I know is capable of making it fast, I’m going to put my head down and try to do the work.’ And find some confidence somewhere, and get the job done. It’s been really gratifying to come here and find speed and get in the show.”

Schuerenberg coming away as the second-highest points earner on Wednesday is just as unforeseen as 18-year-old Nationals rookie Chase Randall duking it out with Donny Schatz for the night’s hardware. And that’s not discrediting Schuerenberg’s capabilities.

His best end result at the Nationals is 17th in the B-main in the 2021 running of the grand event. Last year, he finished 18th in the B-main. In 2019, he ran 19th in the B-main.

“Historically, this place has been tough for me,” Schuerenberg said. “It’s never been a place I’ve gotten along with. I love it. I love coming here. I love the atmosphere. I love the racetrack. I love the competition. It’s one place I’ve wanted to figure out really bad, I just haven’t. I grew up short track racing on little high-bank places. And this is the complete opposite in every way.”

Since parting from Vermeer Motorsports on June 8, he’s raced Kevin Newton’s No. 16TH, Alex Bowman’s No. 55, and Swindell’s No. 39.

When Anthony Macri left his family team, the Macri Motorsports No. 39M, on July 12, Schuerenberg went hard after the open seat that’s ultimately gone to Justin Sanders through Aug. 19. Sanders had been Swindell’s go-to driver when the SpeedLab car was in action.

“On one hand, you’re disappointed to not get the No. 39M car, but then when I heard it was Justin Sanders getting in it, I’m like, ‘Oh!’ I knew Kevin would call,” Schuerenberg said. “We have a good relationship. I knew it’d be an open and I could be the guy. When I got the phone call, I was like, ‘Well, that worked out.’

“I really enjoy racing for Kevin. I believe in his ability. For me, that disappointment became something that was really exciting. Kind of weird how it all came about. But I’m glad it did.”

Psychologically, Schuerenberg was hardly affected losing his ride, claiming “I’ve been part of enough fallouts to know that’s just Sprint Car racing.

“To be with a team for almost four years is a pretty good run,” he added. “Not that I wanted it to happen, but after you’ve raced Sprint Cars for a little while, you kind of know the industry and that’s part of it. Mentally, I don’t think that’s what got me down. It was the whole season in general.

“Like the off-track stuff, the motorhome burning down and losing all that stuff, trying to rebound from that and gets replaced to get back on the road. That, all that stuff, tested my mental space more than losing the ride. I’m a pretty patient person and I’ve held the attitude that somebody else would come along, as long as we keep doing things like this and performing.

“Yeah, it sucks. It’s not fun to go through. But it is a part of it. It’s not something that discourages me or makes me want to sit at home. You just have to keep digging.”

Being a virtual starter of Saturday’s Nationals championship main event should open the eyes of car owners throughout the industry, which has seemingly undergone more turnover than ever in recent memory.

“It helps. I’m sure it’s going to help,” Schuerenberg said. “Again, just have to be patient. There’s a lot of cars that I could go drive. But I’ve always been a guy that’s wrenched my own stuff before I got in the (Vermeer No.) 55 car. I’ve been trying to hold out for a deal with a pretty solid crew chief to work with.”

Schuerenberg also has something pretty good in the makings with Swindell, somebody he admires and is proud to co-labor alongside. Perhaps there’s more, perhaps there isn’t. There’s more to be had on Nationals championship Saturday and that’s the most rewarding thought a driver could have throughout a Sprint Car season.

“(I have) no plans. I don’t know if Kevin knows when he wants to race,” Schuerenberg said. “I’ve called a couple cars that are open about wanting to do the Tuscarora 50. But no set plans as of right now. Plenty of feelers out there right now. I’m on the phone everyday, trying to make some stuff happen. As of right now, I’m in his car through Saturday, then after that I have no idea.”