Knoxville Raceway

Knoxville Raceway is a semi-banked 1/2 mile dirt oval raceway (zook clay) located at the Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Iowa, United States. Races at the "Sprint Car Capital of the World" are held on Saturday nights from April through September each year. Some special events such as the Knoxville Nationals, 360 Knoxville Nationals and Late Model Knoxville Nationals are multi-day events. Weekly racing events at the track features multiple classes of sprint cars including 410 cubic inch, 360 cubic inch and Pro Sprints (previously 305 cubic inch). Each August, the Raceway holds the paramount sprint car event in the United States, the Knoxville Nationals.[1] The track is governed by the 24-member fair board elected by Marion County residents.

Knoxville Raceway
Sprint Car Capital of the World
Location1000 N Lincoln St
Knoxville, Iowa 50138
Capacity21,135
OwnerMarion County Fair Association
OperatorMarion County Fair Association
Opened1878 as horse racing track
Major eventsKnoxville Nationals
360 Knoxville Nationals
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Corn Belt Weekend
Oval
SurfaceDirt
Length0.5 mi (0.8 km)
Banking8 degrees
Race lap record0:14.407 (Brooke Tatnell, Rush Racing, 2006)
Websitewww.knoxvilleraceway.com

History

The first weekly races were held at the Knoxville Raceway in 1954. After internal issues with the sanctioning body—the Southern Iowa Stock Car Racing Association—in 1956, Marion Robinson of Des Moines, Iowa was appointed as race promoter. During Robinson's tenure, the cars progressed from stock cars to modifieds to supermodifieds to sprint cars. Robinson created what would become the Knoxville Nationals in 1961. The event took place over two days and featured a $5,000 purse where today it is now nearly one million dollars. [2]

Timeline
  • 1878 – Race track is built for horse racing.[3]
  • 1901 – First automobile race staged with 2 cars owned by Well's Manufacturing and Tone's Spices Co.
  • 1914 – First race.
  • 1917 – Old wooden grandstand was built (2,000 capacity).
  • Until late 1930s: Infield is used for Knoxville high school football games.
  • 1950–1954 – Stock car racing becomes popular after WWII and a few races per year are sanctioned by Newton Stock Car Association.
  • 1954 – Weekly racing begins, banking, fencing, and lights are added to the track.
  • 1955 – Weekly racing sanctioned under the Oskaloosa's Southern Iowa Stock Car Racing Association.
  • 1956 – Marion County Fair Board begins sanctioning its own racing and hires Marion Robinson as race promoter.
  • 1959 – Wooden bleachers were added to the west of existing grandstand. (5,000)
  • 1961 – First Knoxville Nationals held, and won by Roy Robbins.
  • 1969 – Wood grandstand was razed.
  • 1970 – New steel and aluminum grandstand. (8,139 seats)
  • 1974 – Promoter Marion Robinson leaves May 1974.
  • 1974 – P. Ray Grimes named promoter, later expands the Nationals to 4 days and creates Nationals scoring point system.
  • 1978 – Remainder of wooden bleachers replaced with steel and aluminum.
  • 1978 – Ralph Capitani named Race Director and Promoter.
  • 1981 – New lighting.
  • 1982 – Wings on sprint cars becomes mandated for safety.
  • 1983 – 360 sprint cars begin competing.
  • 1984 – Grandstands expanded to higher rows in sections A-J.
  • 1987 – First year Nationals were on TNN television.
  • 1987 – Grandstand expansion completed upper tier in sections K-N (11,584).
  • 1990 – Temporary seating added to backstretch for Nationals.
  • 1991 – NSCHoF&M built (400 additional seats).
  • 1991 – Backstretch permanent grandstand added, Sections P-Z (17,224).
  • 1991 – First year of 360 Nationals.
  • 1994 – Backstretch grandstand expanded, sections P-ZZ (19,400).
  • 1995 – Knoxville Nationals broadcast live for first time on TNN.
  • 1996 – Main grandstand upper tier addition, VIP suites, new Musco Lighting. (23,200).
  • 2002 – Concrete added to infield pit area.
  • 2003 – Main grandstand sections AA & BB refitted, added handicap seating (24,192).
  • 2004 – First year of Late Model Knoxville Nationals.
  • 2010 – First points season for 305 sprint cars.
  • 2011 – Ralph Capitani retires at the end of the 2011 season.
  • 2012 – Toby Kruse named GM & Promoter, John McCoy named Race Director.
  • 2013 – Brian Stickel named GM & Promoter.
  • 2014 – New video boards added by Impact Signs.[4]
  • 2015 – McKenna Haase became the first woman to win a feature Sprint Car race at Knoxville Raceway.[5]
  • 2015 – GM Brian Stickel resigns.
  • 2016 – John McCoy given the Promoter and Race Director title. Gary Schumacher named as Business Manager. Spire Sports + Entertainment's Kendra Jacobs, named as Marketing Director.
  • 2017 – Additional fencing constructed in turns 1 and 2
  • 2018 – Seats were widened during the off season, eliminating 3,320 seats from the main grandstand and lowering the overall seating capacity to 21,135. [6]
  • 2021 – The track will host a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on July 9 as part of the Corn Belt Weekend. This will be the first race at the track to ever be sanctioned by NASCAR.[7]

Track records
  • The driver with the most 410 feature wins at the Knoxville Raceway is Danny Lasoski of Dover, Missouri with 112 feature wins. [8]
  • The driver with the most 360 feature wins is David Hesmer of Marshalltown, Iowa with 65 feature wins. [9]
  • The driver with the most consecutive wins is Doug Wolfgang of Sioux Falls, SD with 10 wins to start the 1977 season. He won 13 of the 18 events that year including the Knoxville Nationals.

One-lap track records
Date Driver Lap Time Average Lap Speed
410 Wing Sprint Car [10]
May 6, 2006 Brooke Tatnell 14.407 124.939 mph (201.069 km/h)
360 Wing Sprint Car [10]
June 15, 2013 Joe Beaver 15.520 115.979 mph (186.650 km/h)
305/Pro Sprints Wing Sprint Car [10]
May 7, 2016 Christian Bowman 16.736 107.552 mph (173.088 km/h)
Non-Wing Sprint Car [11]
June 3, 2017 Kevin Thomas Jr. 18.549 97.040 mph (156.170 km/h)
Late Model [12]
September 25, 2008 Earl Pearson, Jr. 16.631 108.231 mph (174.180 km/h)
Midget [6]
N/A Bob Wente 22.22 81.008 mph (130.369 km/h)
IMCA Modified [6]
N/A John Moore 22.932 78.492 mph (126.320 km/h)

Sprint car track champions
Knoxville Championship Cup Series Driver Champions [13]
Year410 Class360 Class305/Pro Sprints Class
2020 Brian Brown Carson McCarl Matthew Stelzer   
2019 Brian Brown Carson McCarl Matthew Stelzer
2018Austin McCarlClint GarnerEric Bridger
2017Ian MadsenMatt MoroEric Bridger
2016Danny LasoskiClint GarnerChristian Bowman
2015Danny LasoskiClint GarnerStacey Alexander
2014Ian MadsenJoe BeaverJ Kinder
2013Bronson MaeschenClint GarnerLarry Ball Jr.
2012Terry McCarlClint GarnerMatthew Stelzer
2011Danny LasoskiClint GarnerCarson McCarl
2010Brian BrownClint GarnerSteve Breazeale
2009Johnny HerreraClint GarnerMatthew Stelzer
2008Danny LasoskiMatt Moro
2007Brian BrownJosh Higday
2006Billy AlleyJake Peters
2005Kerry MadsenJake Peters
2004Terry McCarlJake Peters
2003Terry McCarlBilly Alley
2002Terry McCarlBrian Brown
2001Terry McCarlRandy Martin
2000Terry McCarlJohn Kearney
1999Terry McCarlDavid Hesmer
1998Skip JacksonDavid Hesmer
1997Skip JacksonDavid Hesmer
1996Danny LasoskiRandy Martin
1995Johnny HerreraLarry Pinegar II
1994Danny LasoskiLee Nelson
1993Danny LasoskiDanny Young
1992Danny LasoskiDwight Snodgrass
1991Randy SmithDwight Snodgrass
1990Danny LasoskiJordan Albaugh
1989Danny LasoskiMike Twedt
1988Randy SmithDavid Hesmer
1987Randy SmithMike Chadd
1986Danny LasoskiWayne Redmond
1985Randy SmithDean Chadd
1984Rocky HodgesStacey Redmond
1983Randy SmithMackie Heimbaugh
1982Tim Green
1981Tim Green
1980Ricky Hood
1979Richard Smith
1978Shane Carson
1977Doug Wolfgang
1976Doug Wolfgang
1975Roger Rager
1974Lonnie Jensen
1973Dick Sutcliffe
1972Lonnie Jensen
1971Ray Lee Goodwin
1970Joe Saldana
1969Bob Williams
1968Dick Sutcliffe
1967Bill Utz
1966Jerry Blundy
1965Jerry Blundy
1964Bill Utz
1963Greg Weld
1962Bud McCune
1961Earl Wagner
1960Jerry Hayes
1959Earl Wagner
1958Earl Wagner
1957Dean Sylvester
1956Jack Delano
1955Kenny Crook
1954Kenny Crook

National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum
Main article: National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum is located just outside Turn 2 of the Knoxville Raceway. It features rotating exhibits to highlight the history of both winged and non-wing sprint cars.

References
  1. "Schedule". Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  2. "Knoxville Raceway News". Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  3. "The History of Knoxville Raceway Book". Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  4. "History". Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  5. Tony MarkovichMay 24, 2015 (2013-05-24). "McKenna Haase Becomes First Woman to Win a Feature Sprint Car Race". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 2015-05-25.
  6. "Knoxville Raceway - Track Facts | Knoxville Raceway". www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  7. Pryson, Mike (November 20, 2020). "NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Schedule for 2021 Includes 2 Dirt Short Tracks". Autoweek. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  8. "Career Feature Wins | Knoxville Raceway". www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  9. "Career 360 Feature Winners | Knoxville Raceway". www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  10. "Knoxville "Wing" Track Records | Knoxville Raceway". www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  11. "Knoxville "Non-wing" Track Records | Knoxville Raceway". www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  12. "Knoxville Late Model Records | Knoxville Raceway". www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  13. "Knoxville Season Point Champions and Owners | Knoxville Raceway". www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Retrieved 2020-08-31.

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