Knoxville Nationals
Encyclopedia
The Knoxville Nationals is an annual sprint car
event held at Knoxville Raceway
in Knoxville, Iowa
. An Associated Press
writer called winning the event "sprint car racing’s premiere title". It is nicknamed "The Granddaddy of Them All."
has won the event twelve times, and owner Karl Kinser has graced victory lane fourteen times with three different drivers (Dick Gaines, Steve Kinser
and Mark Kinser
). In 2005 Steve's son Kraig Kinser
won this event, making Steve and Kraig the first father and son to win the Knoxville Nationals.
The 49th Annual Knoxville Nationals was held 2009. Donny Schatz from Fargo, ND was the defending champion and captured his fourth Knoxville National win. The race has historically been 30 laps long. The length was extended to 40 laps with a pit stop of fuel in 2009 in preparation for a 50-lap event in 2010 to commemorate the event's 50th anniversary. The 2010 knoxville nationals marked the 50th aniversiry of the "Grandaddy of em all". The 50 lap A-Main was one of the most historic and amazing finishes in nationals history. At the outset of the race germantown Tennessee's Sammy swindell,Grain Valley Missouri's Brian Brown and Five time champion Donny Schatz of Fargo North Dakota battled hard fro the lead on lap one with swindell leading at the stripe. As the race wore on it was clear that Swindell and Schatz were the two to beat battling hard lap for lap swapping the lead several times before a fuel stop on lap 25. At the resume of the race it was SAmmy swindell your leader Schatz in second and legendary 12 time winner Steve Kinser running third. Schatz and Swindell continued there epic battle for the lead with swindell taking a strong lead but Swindell stayed strong as schatz made a diving attempt at the lead in three and four but failed and watched sammy swindell pulled away with 5 to go caution came onto the speedway For polesitter Brian Brown had blown a tire in turn three setting up a epic battle for the knoxville nationals with just 5 laps a away from history. On the restart Swindell again pulled away from the pack leaving schatz in second but just when seeming that Swindell was gonna win his second career nationals in 27 years going into turn three Swindell's left rear tire blew up and sent the car upside down lightly. With a frustrated Swindell received a standing ovation from the crowd. but with 3 to go it looked as if donny schatz's knoxville magic would win again, but as the race restarted it appeared that schaz
tz's tire was going down and his engine was going south allowing Aliqippa pennsivania's tim schaffer a chance and on the white flag lap he seized the opportunity and passed schatz to win the 50th annual edition of the Goodyear Knoxville Nationals.
. Because of the split in the sport in 2006, and despite its two WoO Sprint Series races during the regular season, the Nationals has been unsanctioned and ran with track rules since 2006.
Drivers such as Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kenny Schrader, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, A.J. Foyt, and many other famous drivers have raced on the famous half mile
, and one from Canada
. National Speed Sport News had one of its four annual special editions for the race. The purse has risen dramatically: in 1961 it was $5,455, 1971 $22,000, 1981 $82,000, 1991 $284,052, 2001 $707,000, and 2003 $750,000. In 2010, the total payout exceeded $1,000,000
Sprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
event held at Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville Raceway is a semi-banked 1/2 mile dirt oval raceway located at the Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Iowa, USA. Races at the "Sprint Car Capital of the World" are held on Saturday nights though some special events may start as early as Wednesday and build up to Saturday. Regular...
in Knoxville, Iowa
Knoxville, Iowa
Knoxville is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,731 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County. Knoxville is home of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum located next to the famous dirt track known as Knoxville Raceway.-History:The site for...
. An Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
writer called winning the event "sprint car racing’s premiere title". It is nicknamed "The Granddaddy of Them All."
History
The idea of the Knoxville Nationals was the brainchild of promoter Marion Robinson. The Knoxville Nationals was originally scheduled as a one day event for Super Modifieds and was later expanded to two, three, and finally four days of racing for Sprint Cars. The first Knoxville Nationals was held in 1961 with Roy Robbins taking the win. Robbins' car was equipped with an "air scoop" which was later banned in future Knoxville Nationals. In later years the "air scoops", now called wings, would not only be allowed but be mandatory equipment.Drivers
Steve KinserSteve Kinser
Steve Kinser , is a professional sprint car racer. He has won 20 championships in the World of Outlaws series, and currently drives the #11 Bass Pro Shops car. Kinser left the World of Outlaws in 2006 to compete with the National Sprint Tour series, but returned to the World of Outlaws for the...
has won the event twelve times, and owner Karl Kinser has graced victory lane fourteen times with three different drivers (Dick Gaines, Steve Kinser
Steve Kinser
Steve Kinser , is a professional sprint car racer. He has won 20 championships in the World of Outlaws series, and currently drives the #11 Bass Pro Shops car. Kinser left the World of Outlaws in 2006 to compete with the National Sprint Tour series, but returned to the World of Outlaws for the...
and Mark Kinser
Mark Kinser
Mark Kinser is a retired American sprint car racing driver. He hails from Oolitic, Indiana.Cousin to Steve Kinser, Mark won the 1996 and 1999 World of Outlaws championship and the 1996, 1999, and 2000 Knoxville Nationals....
). In 2005 Steve's son Kraig Kinser
Kraig Kinser
Kraig Kinser is an American race car driver. He was previously a member of the Ginn Racing driver development program....
won this event, making Steve and Kraig the first father and son to win the Knoxville Nationals.
The 49th Annual Knoxville Nationals was held 2009. Donny Schatz from Fargo, ND was the defending champion and captured his fourth Knoxville National win. The race has historically been 30 laps long. The length was extended to 40 laps with a pit stop of fuel in 2009 in preparation for a 50-lap event in 2010 to commemorate the event's 50th anniversary. The 2010 knoxville nationals marked the 50th aniversiry of the "Grandaddy of em all". The 50 lap A-Main was one of the most historic and amazing finishes in nationals history. At the outset of the race germantown Tennessee's Sammy swindell,Grain Valley Missouri's Brian Brown and Five time champion Donny Schatz of Fargo North Dakota battled hard fro the lead on lap one with swindell leading at the stripe. As the race wore on it was clear that Swindell and Schatz were the two to beat battling hard lap for lap swapping the lead several times before a fuel stop on lap 25. At the resume of the race it was SAmmy swindell your leader Schatz in second and legendary 12 time winner Steve Kinser running third. Schatz and Swindell continued there epic battle for the lead with swindell taking a strong lead but Swindell stayed strong as schatz made a diving attempt at the lead in three and four but failed and watched sammy swindell pulled away with 5 to go caution came onto the speedway For polesitter Brian Brown had blown a tire in turn three setting up a epic battle for the knoxville nationals with just 5 laps a away from history. On the restart Swindell again pulled away from the pack leaving schatz in second but just when seeming that Swindell was gonna win his second career nationals in 27 years going into turn three Swindell's left rear tire blew up and sent the car upside down lightly. With a frustrated Swindell received a standing ovation from the crowd. but with 3 to go it looked as if donny schatz's knoxville magic would win again, but as the race restarted it appeared that schaz
tz's tire was going down and his engine was going south allowing Aliqippa pennsivania's tim schaffer a chance and on the white flag lap he seized the opportunity and passed schatz to win the 50th annual edition of the Goodyear Knoxville Nationals.
Sanctioning body
From 1961 through 1977, the race was unsanctioned, meaning that it was 'open competition'. From 1978 through 2005, the race was sanctioned by the World of OutlawsWorld of Outlaws
The World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars. It later purchased a national tour of late model stockcars called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series...
. Because of the split in the sport in 2006, and despite its two WoO Sprint Series races during the regular season, the Nationals has been unsanctioned and ran with track rules since 2006.
Drivers such as Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kenny Schrader, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, A.J. Foyt, and many other famous drivers have raced on the famous half mile
Statistics
The 1991 event featured 170 entrants and 75000 fans (in a city of 8200). There were drivers from 27 states, 6 from AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and one from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. National Speed Sport News had one of its four annual special editions for the race. The purse has risen dramatically: in 1961 it was $5,455, 1971 $22,000, 1981 $82,000, 1991 $284,052, 2001 $707,000, and 2003 $750,000. In 2010, the total payout exceeded $1,000,000
List of race winners
- 2011 - Donny SchatzDonny SchatzDonny Schatz is a World of Outlaws sprint car driver. He was the 2006 World of Outlaws sprint car champion. He also won the 2006 Knoxville Nationals. In 2007 he won The King's Royal at Eldora Speedway, as well as the 2007 Knoxville Nationals for the second time...
- 2010 - Tim Shaffer
- 2009 - Donny SchatzDonny SchatzDonny Schatz is a World of Outlaws sprint car driver. He was the 2006 World of Outlaws sprint car champion. He also won the 2006 Knoxville Nationals. In 2007 he won The King's Royal at Eldora Speedway, as well as the 2007 Knoxville Nationals for the second time...
- 2008 - Donny SchatzDonny SchatzDonny Schatz is a World of Outlaws sprint car driver. He was the 2006 World of Outlaws sprint car champion. He also won the 2006 Knoxville Nationals. In 2007 he won The King's Royal at Eldora Speedway, as well as the 2007 Knoxville Nationals for the second time...
- 2007 - Donny SchatzDonny SchatzDonny Schatz is a World of Outlaws sprint car driver. He was the 2006 World of Outlaws sprint car champion. He also won the 2006 Knoxville Nationals. In 2007 he won The King's Royal at Eldora Speedway, as well as the 2007 Knoxville Nationals for the second time...
- 2006 - Donny SchatzDonny SchatzDonny Schatz is a World of Outlaws sprint car driver. He was the 2006 World of Outlaws sprint car champion. He also won the 2006 Knoxville Nationals. In 2007 he won The King's Royal at Eldora Speedway, as well as the 2007 Knoxville Nationals for the second time...
- 2005 – Kraig KinserKraig KinserKraig Kinser is an American race car driver. He was previously a member of the Ginn Racing driver development program....
- 2004 – Danny LasoskiDanny LasoskiDanny "The Dude" Lasoski is a race car driver from Dover, Missouri.Most of his experience is in the World of Outlaws series, winning the WoO championship in 2001, and finishing second four times, in 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2004. He won the premiere event in sprint car racing, the Knoxville...
- 2003 – Danny Lasoski
- 2002 – Steve KinserSteve KinserSteve Kinser , is a professional sprint car racer. He has won 20 championships in the World of Outlaws series, and currently drives the #11 Bass Pro Shops car. Kinser left the World of Outlaws in 2006 to compete with the National Sprint Tour series, but returned to the World of Outlaws for the...
- 2001 – Danny Lasoski
- 2000 – Mark KinserMark KinserMark Kinser is a retired American sprint car racing driver. He hails from Oolitic, Indiana.Cousin to Steve Kinser, Mark won the 1996 and 1999 World of Outlaws championship and the 1996, 1999, and 2000 Knoxville Nationals....
- 1999 – Mark Kinser
- 1998 – Danny Lasoski
- 1997 – Dave BlaneyDave BlaneyDavid Blaney is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He currently drives the #36 Golden Corral/Big Red Chevrolet Impala for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Blaney was a successful sprint car driver before he started racing in NASCAR...
- 1996 – Mark Kinser
- 1995 – Steve Kinser
- 1994 – Steve Kinser
- 1993 – Steve Kinser
- 1992 – Steve Kinser
- 1991 – Steve Kinser
- 1990 – Bobby Allen
- 1989 – Doug Wolfgang
- 1988 – Steve Kinser
- 1987 – Steve Kinser
- 1986 – Steve Kinser
- 1985 – Doug Wolfgang
- 1984 – Doug Wolfgang
- 1983 – Sammy SwindellSammy SwindellSamuel Alan "Sammy" Swindell is a three-time World of Outlaws champion, winning the title in 1981, 1982, and 1997, with hundreds of A-main victories to his credit. He also competed in the CART series in 1985 and 1986 and failed to qualify for the 1987 Indianapolis 500 in a March-Pontiac...
- 1982 – Steve Kinser
- 1981 – Steve Kinser
- 1980 – Steve Kinser
- 1979 – Ron ShumanRon ShumanRon Shuman is an American racecar driver from Tempe, Arizona. A champion sprint car racer Shuman won the Turkey Night Grand Prix sprint car race four consecutive times from 1979 to 1982 and eight times in total and the Knoxville Nationals in 1979...
- 1978 – Doug Wolfgang
- 1977 – Doug Wolfgang
- 1976 – Eddie Leavitt
- 1975 – Eddie Leavitt
- 1974 – Dick Gaines
- 1973 – Kenny Weld
- 1972 – Kenny Weld
- 1971 – Jan OppermanJan OppermanJan Opperman , was an American racecar driver. He won the 1971 Knoxville Nationals, the premiere event in sprint car racing...
- 1970 – Joe SaldanaJoe SaldanaJoe Saldana , is a former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1977-1980 seasons, with 31 combined career starts, including the 1978-1979 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 10 times, with a best finish of 6th position in 1979 at Atlanta...
- 1969 – Ken Gritz
- 1968 – Ray Lee Goodwin
- 1967 – Thad Dosher
- 1966 – Jay Woodside
- 1965 – Kenny Weld
- 1964 – Kenny Weld
- 1963 – Greg WeldGreg WeldGreg Weld was an American racecar driver.Weld won the 1963 Knoxville Nationals, the premiere event in sprint car racing. Weld raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1965-1972 seasons, with 36 career starts, including the 1970 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 11 times, with...
- 1962 – Jerry Richert Sr.
- 1961 – Roy Robbins