Ten days of racing start Thursday in Knoxville

KNOXVILLE — The next 10 days are heaven for sprint car fans around the world.

A total of 25,000 fans from all across the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will make their way to Knoxville Raceway.

This Southern Iowa Sprint Week kicks off Thursday with the 20th annual Arnold Motor Supply 360 Nationals. The field will be split into two nights of qualifying using the same format as the Nationals, based on points earned from time trials, heat races and features. Saturday the top point totals are lined up for the championship features.

The favorites for the 360 Nationals are past winner Shane Stewart, current ASCS point leader Jason Johnson and Sammy Swindell who is entered for the first time in the 360 Nationals.

Swindell won the 360 Masters Classic easily and has been fast this year everywhere he has been, including a dominating this last Saturday at Knoxville.

The 360 Nationals is typically the most competitive event all season and provides the best racing of the year. Right now, 105 cars are entered for the $10,000 to win event.

Sunday night the USAC Sprint Cars will be at Knoxville for the first USAC Non-Wing Nationals. Look for drivers Dave Darland, Jerry Coons Jr., Bryan Clausen, Chris Windom and Levi Jones to be there along with a handful of familiar Knoxville winged drivers who will take off the wing to compete, including last year Knoxville track champion Johnny Herrera.

On Monday, it’s the Front Row Challenge and Tuesday is the non-wing Ultimate Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. Both races are promoted by driver Terry McCarl and his wife Lori from Altoona.

Terry McCarl is the defending 360 Nationals Champion, and he was hurt in a accident last weekend at Huset Speedway in South Dakota in a crash that broke two bones in his leg.

McCarl will not be able to compete in either National’s this year and is likely out for the season. Another favorite who will be absent for the season is two time 360 Nationals winner Wayne Johnson who is recovering for ankle injuries after a crash in Washington a couple of weeks ago.

The big show at Knoxville the begins Wednesday, Aug. 11 and goes through Saturday the 14th for the 50th running of the Goodyear Knoxville Nationals presented by Lucas Oil.

The buzz surrounding the 50th Anniversary is incredible. The campgrounds in the Knoxville area have been sold out for weeks, in fact the Knoxville Raceway North campground has been sold out since the middle of April.

“I think half of Australia is coming,” said campground owner Rick Van Donsler. “I have never seen anything like this in past years.”

This year the championship race will be extended to 50 laps with a four minute pit stop at halfway for fuel and tires.

Ticket sales have been strong compared to the last few years and Knoxville is rolling out the red carpet for special events throughout the week. Tributes for former Nationals winners, former Nationals Queens in attendance, and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum has several past champion winning cars on display, including cars from the 1960s and 1970s.

The favorites this year are possible new winners Joey Saldana and Jason Meyers. Saldana lead 34 of the 40 lap race in 2009, and Meyers nearly won the 2008 race until a late caution allowed Donny Schatz to catch him in the end.

The four time defending champion Schatz has had an off year with only two Outlaw wins and a distant fourth in the point standings. The World of Outlaws and Knoxville have changed from Hoosier tires to Goodyear tires this year and it has affected several teams car set-up, notably Schatz.

However the tire brand switch has benefited some teams. Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell, two legends of sprint car racing who are both over the age of 50, are having one of their best seasons in the last decade. Steve won the Kings Royal $50,000 to win race a few weeks ago in Ohio, the second highest paying race of the season.

It was Kinser’s seventh Kings Royal win.

The Nationals will pay a record $1,000,435 purse, including $150,000 to win and $9,500 to start the championship A-Main on Saturday. As a comparison the 2009 Nationwide race at Iowa Speedway paid $59,600 to win and total purse of $1,123,268.

The dark horses of the Nationals could be Danny Lasoski who has struggled this year to get into the top ten in World of Outlaw points, but the four time champion always finds a way to contend at Knoxville. Other contenders are Stevie Smith who was third a year ago, Paul McMahan, Brooke Tatnell, Kerry Madsen, Jason Sides and Shane Stewart.

On Friday night the evening is highlighted with the Knoxville World Challenge where all international competitors and USA drivers who raced in Australia or New Zealand over the last winter are eligible to compete. This race has great meaning to the international fans and with so many of them expected to come to Knoxville it will add even more prestige .

Twelve drivers from Australia, two from New Zealand, two from Canada and ten USA drivers will run the 20 lap $10,000 to win event.

There is no live TV this year for the Saturday night, so you have to be there to see this historic event. Let’s just hope it lives up to the hype.

See you in the stands!

Former Knoxville Nationals Champions:
12 — Steve Kinser (1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002).
5 — Doug Wolfgang (1977, 1978, 1984, 1985, 1989).
4 — Donny Schatz (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009); Danny Lasoski (1998, 2001, 2003, 2004); Kenny Weld (1964, 1965, 1972, 1973).
3 — Mark Kinser (1996, 1999, 2000).
2 — Eddie Leavitt (1975, 1976).
1 — Kraig Kinser (2005); Dave Blaney (1997); Bobby Allen (1990); Sammy Swindell (1983); Ron Shuman (1979); Dick Gaines (1974); Jan Opperman (1971); Joe Saldana (1970); Ken Gritz (1969); Ray Lee Goodwin (1968); Thad Dosher (1967); Jay Woodside (1966); Greg Weld (1963); Jerry Richert Sr. (1962); Roy Robbins (1961).