Sprint Car Capital of the World | |
---|---|
Location | Knoxville, Iowa |
Time zone | UTC−06:00 / UTC−05:00 (DST) |
Coordinates | 41°19′38.97″N93°6′42.27″W / 41.3274917°N 93.1117417°W |
Capacity | 21,135 |
Owner | Marion County Fair Association |
Operator | Marion County Fair Association |
Opened | 1878 as horse racing track |
Major events | Current: Knoxville Nationals (1961–2019, 2021–present) Former: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Clean Harbors 150 (2021–2022) Superstar Racing Experience (2021) |
Website | http://www.knoxvilleraceway.com/ |
Oval (1878–present) | |
Surface | Dirt |
Length | 0.500 miles (0.805 km) |
Banking | 7° |
Race lap record | 14.351 (Brian Brown, Brian Brown Racing, May 22, 2021) |
Knoxville Raceway is a semi-banked half-mile dirt oval raceway (zook clay) located at the Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Iowa. 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.
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]
Date | Driver | Lap Time | Average Lap Speed |
---|---|---|---|
410 Wing Sprint Car [10] | |||
May 22, 2021 | Brian Brown | 14.351 | 125 mph |
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) |
Knoxville Championship Cup Series Driver Champions [13] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | 410 Class | 360 Class | 305/Pro Sprints Class |
2022 | Brian Brown | Terry Mccarl | Mike Mayberry |
2021 | Davey Heskin | Clint Garner | Tyler Groenendyk |
2020 | Brian Brown | Carson McCarl | Matthew Stelzer |
2019 | Brian Brown | Carson McCarl | Matthew Stelzer |
2018 | Austin McCarl | Clint Garner | Eric Bridger |
2017 | Ian Madsen | Matt Moro | Eric Bridger |
2016 | Danny Lasoski | Clint Garner | Christian Bowman |
2015 | Danny Lasoski | Clint Garner | Stacey Alexander |
2014 | Ian Madsen | Joe Beaver | J Kinder |
2013 | Bronson Maeschen | Clint Garner | Larry Ball Jr. |
2012 | Terry McCarl | Clint Garner | Matthew Stelzer |
2011 | Danny Lasoski | Clint Garner | Carson McCarl |
2010 | Brian Brown | Clint Garner | Steve Breazeale |
2009 | Johnny Herrera | Clint Garner | Matthew Stelzer |
2008 | Danny Lasoski | Matt Moro | |
2007 | Brian Brown | Josh Higday | |
2006 | Billy Alley | Jake Peters | |
2005 | Kerry Madsen | Jake Peters | |
2004 | Terry McCarl | Jake Peters | |
2003 | Terry McCarl | Billy Alley | |
2002 | Terry McCarl | Brian Brown | |
2001 | Terry McCarl | Randy Martin | |
2000 | Terry McCarl | John Kearney | |
1999 | Terry McCarl | David Hesmer | |
1998 | Skip Jackson | David Hesmer | |
1997 | Skip Jackson | David Hesmer | |
1996 | Danny Lasoski | Randy Martin | |
1995 | Johnny Herrera | Larry Pinegar II | |
1994 | Danny Lasoski | Lee Nelson | |
1993 | Danny Lasoski | Danny Young | |
1992 | Danny Lasoski | Dwight Snodgrass | |
1991 | Randy Smith | Dwight Snodgrass | |
1990 | Danny Lasoski | Jordan Albaugh | |
1989 | Danny Lasoski | Mike Twedt | |
1988 | Randy Smith | David Hesmer | |
1987 | Randy Smith | Mike Chadd | |
1986 | Danny Lasoski | Wayne Redmond | |
1985 | Randy Smith | Dean Chadd | |
1984 | Rocky Hodges | Stacey Redmond | |
1983 | Randy Smith | Mackie Heimbaugh | |
1982 | Tim Green | ||
1981 | Tim Green | ||
1980 | Ricky Hood | ||
1979 | Richard Smith | ||
1978 | Shane Carson | ||
1977 | Doug Wolfgang | ||
1976 | Doug Wolfgang | ||
1975 | Roger Rager | ||
1974 | Lonnie Jensen | ||
1973 | Dick Sutcliffe | ||
1972 | Lonnie Jensen | ||
1971 | Ray Lee Goodwin | ||
1970 | Joe Saldana | ||
1969 | Bob Williams | ||
1968 | Dick Sutcliffe | ||
1967 | Bill Utz | ||
1966 | Jerry Blundy | ||
1965 | Jerry Blundy | ||
1964 | Bill Utz | ||
1963 | Greg Weld | ||
1962 | Bud McCune | ||
1961 | Earl Wagner | ||
1960 | Jerry Hayes | ||
1959 | Earl Wagner | ||
1958 | Earl Wagner | ||
1957 | Dean Sylvester | ||
1956 | Jack Delano | ||
1955 | Kenny Crook | ||
1954 | Kenny Crook |
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Website
Speedway History
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