Knoxville Nationals

The idea of the Knoxville Nationals was the brainchild of promoter Marion Robinson. The Knoxville Nationals began 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.

The prize money for the event has grown over the years. The 1961 winner received $1,000 to win and the total purse was $5,455. In 1971 it was $3,000 to win and a total of $22,000. 1982 was $10,000 to win and $100,500. 1991 the winner received $50,000 and the total was $300,120. 1995 it grew to $100,000 to win and $501,000 over all; by 2003 it had risen to $750,000.[2] The purse continued to swell each year and in 2010 it paid $150,000 to win and the total for four days reached $1,000,255.

Some of the events highlights are its surprise upset winners, most notably being Kenny Gritz in 1969, Bobby Allen in 1990, Tim Shaffer in 2010, and Jason Johnson in 2016.

The 1990 Nationals is regarded as one of the best of all time as Doug Wolfgang advanced through the "alphabet soup" of the D-Main, C-Main, B-Main, and finished fifth in the A-Main. Meanwhile, Mark Kinser led the first 22 laps before his engine expired setting up an epic shootout between Sammy Swindell and Bobby Allen, with Allen winning with a pass with two laps remaining. The 1991 event featured 170 entrants and 75000 fans (in a city of 8200).[3] There were drivers from 27 states, 6 from Australia, and one from Canada.[3]

The 2010 Nationals in its 50th anniversary was also one of the most popular years with the first 50 lap championship feature in which Sammy Swindell led the first 46 laps before his left rear tire blew up. This handed the lead to Donny Schatz who had engine problems and Tim Shaffer was able to lead the final two circuits to get the win.

In 1969 Kenny Gritz won the Nationals, passing Jan Opperman with four laps remaining. Gritz was fairly new to super modified racing, only competing for four or five seasons. He had won only one feature at Knoxville a couple of months prior and was beginning to peak as a driver. Unfortunately Gritz lost his life two weeks later in a crash at the Nebraska State Fair where IMCA rules at the time did not allow roll cages. His accident sparked the rule change in which roll cages were mandated after that.

The most successful driver in Nationals history is Steve Kinser who has won the event a record 12 times. He leads virtually every major statistic, 17 top five finishes, 26 top ten finishes, won 14 preliminary night features, led 301 championship A-Main laps, set quick time in qualifying 9 times, qualified for the championship race 35 times in 37 entries, including a streak of 34 from 1978 through 2011. In 2005 Steve's son Kraig Kinser won this event, making Steve and Kraig the first father and son to win the Knoxville Nationals.

Donny Schatz has won the event ten times (2006-2009, 2011–2015, 2017). Other multiple event winners are Doug Wolfgang a five-time champion, Kenny Weld and Danny Lasoski four-time winners, Mark Kinser three time champ, and Eddie Leavitt has taken the checkers twice.

The event record car count is 166 cars in 1991. Mark Kinser has set the quickest time in qualifying a record ten times. Cody Darrah holds the Nationals event one lap track record with a lap 14.547 in 2009.

Donny Schatz won the championship race in 2013 from 21st starting position, the lowest starting position for a winner. The previous record for the lowest position anyone had won from had been 14th by Steve Kinser in 1995 and Jerry Richert 1962.

Car owner Karl Kinser has graced victory lane a record 14 times with three different drivers (Dick Gaines, Steve Kinser and Mark Kinser).

From 1961 through 1977, the race was unsanctioned (with the exception of 1973) meaning that it was 'open competition'. The All Star Circuit of Champions sanctioned the 1973 event with winged cars. In 1978 Ted Johnson's World of Outlaws began to sanction the event, and did so through 2005. Because of the sanctioning body split between the WoO and National Sprint Tour in 2006, the Nationals became sanctioned under the Knoxville Raceway track rules. Since 2012 the WoO name has been associated with the race, but the event is still operated by Knoxville Raceway officials.

13 women have participated in the Nationals. Erin Crocker is the only participant to qualify for the championship race and she has accomplished that feat twice in 2003 and 2010. The first female entrant was also the first African-American driver, Cheryl Glass in 1982. Other female entrants are Melinda Dumesny (part of an Australian sprint car family dynasty of Max Dumesny) 1991–1992, Lisa French 1992–1993, Shawna Wilsky 1994–1995, Judi Bates 1996–1997, IndyCar driver Sarah Fisher 1997–1998, Christi Passmore 2000–2001, Natalie Sather 2005–2006, Becca Anderson 2006, Jessica Zemken 2006 & 2011, Paige Polyak 2014–2018, Harli White 2017–2018, and Jenna Frazier 2018.

In 1979, multiple Australian Sprintcar Champion Garry Rush became the first Australian driver to qualify for the Nationals championship race and finished 7th. Kerry Madsen is the highest finishing Australian, finishing second in 2015. The event is annually attended by over 1,000 people from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and England. The World Challenge event is held on the Friday night of the Nationals each year and is a race featuring drivers from other countries who are entered, and any American driver who competed in a series of International qualifying races. Those races are the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic held at Premier Speedway in Warrnambool, Australia and one race at Western Springs Speedway in Auckland, New Zealand.

Drivers from Australia who have become or were regular competitors at Knoxville include Australian Championship winners Garry Rush, Max Dumesny who won the 1985 Race of States at the Nationals, becoming the first Australian to win a feature at Knoxville. Others have included Skip Jackson, Jaymie Moyle, Kerry Madsen, Ian Madsen, Garry Brazier, Trevor Green, Mitchell Dumesny, Jamie Veal, and current one lap track record holder Brooke Tatnell. In 2018, former World Champion BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Car driver Tom Harris became the first British driver to compete at the Nationals.

In 1991, the Knoxville Raceway started a Nationals event for the 360 cubic inch engine sprint cars. It has been held annually each year since and is held the week before the Knoxville Nationals. Shane Stewart and Terry McCarl hold the record for most wins with five victories each.

360 Knoxville Nationals Champions

Year	#	Winners	Owners	#	Runner-up	#	3rd place
1991	1	David Hesmer IA	Action Auto Racing	11x	Garry Lee Maier KS	20	Mark Wilson IA
1992	11x	Garry Lee Maier KS	Jimmie Rogers	44	Dwight Snodgrass IA	24B	John Gerloff NE
1993	11x	Garry Lee Maier KS	Jimmie Rogers	3Y	Danny Young IA	14m	Randy Martin MO
1994	26	Lee Nelson KS	Bob Brody	11x	Garry Lee Maier KS	96	Scott Whitworth MO
1995	45	Danny Lasoski MO	Ray Lipsey	96	Scott Whitworth MO	1m	Don Droud Jr NE
1996	51	Terry McCarl IA	Brad Gray	45	Danny Lasoski MO	24B	Doug Wolfgang SD
1997	11	David Hesmer IA	Ergenbright Motorsports	N14	Mike Brooks IA	11x	Garry Lee Maier KS
1998	9	Gary Wright TX	Gary Wright	66	Brent Antill IA	7K	Brooke Tatnell NSW
1999	71	Dennis Moore Jr IA	Dennis Moore Jr	2A	Kerry Madsen NSW	55	Skip Jackson NSW
Year	#	Winners	Owners	#	Runner-up	#	3rd place
2000	29J	Wayne Johnson OK	Fred and Joe Threatt	2m	Matt Moro IS	29	Larry Neighbors OK
2001	24x	Terry McCarl IA	Terry McCarl	86m	Don Droud Jr NE	29	Larry Neighbors OK
2002	6S	Jeff Swindell TN	Don Goodson	41	Jason Johnson LA	2m	Matt Moro IA
2003	75x	Dennis Moore Jr TN	Doug Brown	29	Travis Rilat TX	4m	Shane Stewart OK
2004	22	Billy Alley NE	Stewart and Susette Alley	83	John Kearney KS	14AJ	Wayne Johnson OK
2005	22	Billy Alley NE	Stewart and Susette Alley	9	Gary Wright TX	21	Brian Brown MO
2006	D1	Jesse Giannetto IA	Bulldogg Motorsports	24	Josh Higday IA	21	Brian Brown MO
2007	1HD	Shane Stewart OK	Mike Doyle	94	Wayne Johnson OK	9	Gary Wright TX
2008	94	Wayne Johnson OK	Mike and Tim Hammers/Robbie Forbes	21	Brian Brown MO	22	Billy Alley NE
2009	24	Terry McCarl IA	Tod Quiring	14AJ	Wayne Johnson IA	22	Billy Alley NE
Year	#	Winners	Owners	#	Runner-up	#	3rd place
2010	57	Shane Stewart IA	Paul Silva	1s	Sammy Swindell TN	41	Jason Johnson LA
2011	57	Shane Stewart IA	Paul Silva	83	Tim Shaffer PA	1s	Sammy Swindell TN
2012	57	Shane Stewart IA	Paul Silva	39	Kevin Swindell NC	99	Brady Bacon OK
2013	57	Shane Stewart IA	Paul Silva	71s	Kevin Swindell NC	1K	Kyle Larson CA
2014	21	Brian Brown MO	Brian Brown	15H	Sam Hafertepe Jr TX	1s	Sammy Swindell TN
2015	24	Terry McCarl IA	Terry McCarl	82	Dusty Zomer SD	87	Aaron Reutzel TX
2016	3s	Sammy Swindell TN	A.G. Rains	1m	Danny Lasoski MO	40	Clint Garner SD
2017	40	Clint Garner SD	Boyd and Glenda Fluth	21	Brian Brown MO	2C	Wayne Johnson OK
2018	24	Terry McCarl IA	Terry McCarl	41	Carson Macedo CA	21	Brian Brown MO
2019	9M	James McFadden VIC	Kasey Kahne Racing	21	Brian Brown MO	2c	Wayne Johnson OK
Year	#	Winners	Owners	#	Runner-up	#	3rd place
2020	2	Kerry Madsen NSW	Tod Quiring	17wx	Shane Golobic CA	26	Cory Eliason CA

In 2004, the Late Model Knoxville Nationals was born and is held annually at the end of September. Scott Bloomquist, Brian Birkhofer, Mike Marlar, and Jimmy Owens are the only repeat champions with two wins each.

Late Model Knoxville Nationals Champions

Year	#	Winners	#	Runner-up	#	3rd place
2004	15B	Brian Birkhofer IA	1	Earl Pearson Jr FL	32D	Darren Miller IL
2005	0	Scott Bloomquist TN	15B	Brian Birkhofer IA	21	Billy Moyer AR
2006	3s	Brian Shirley IL	20	Tony Stewart IN	99m	Donnie Moran OH
2007	2	Brady Smith WI	21	Billy Moyer AR	11	Steve Francis KY
2008	39	Tim McCreadie NY	1	Josh Richards WV	18	Shannon Babb IL
2009	0	Scott Bloomquist TN	21	Billy Moyer AR	18	Tim McCreadie NY
Year	#	Winners	#	Runner-up	#	3rd place
2010	21	Billy Moyer AR	1	Josh Richards WV	29	Darrell Lanigan KY
2011	71	Don O'Neal IN	15	Steve Francis KY	15B	Brian Birkhofer IA
2012	15	Steve Francis KY	2s	Brady Smith WI	15B	Brian Birkhofer IA
2013	29x	Darrell Lanigan KY	1	Josh Richards WV	39	Tim McCreadie NY
2014	15B	Brian Birkhofer IA	0	Scott Bloomquist TN	157	Mike Marlar TN
2015	777	Jared Landers AR	1R	Josh Richards WV	20	Jimmy Ownes TN
2016	157	Mike Marlar TN	0	Scott Bloomquist TN	32P	Bobby Pierce IL
2017	157	Mike Marlar TN	49	Jonathan Davenport SC	777	Jared Landers AR
2018	20	Jimmy Owens TN	5	Don O'Neal IN	1R	Josh Richards WV
2019	20	Jimmy Owens TN	1s	Brandon Sheppard IL	71	Hudson O'Neal IN
Year	#	Winners	#	Runner-up	#	3rd place
2020	Postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

• Official track website