Knoxville Raceway
Fast Facts: 14th Knoxville Nationals
By Robert Holman
DirtonDirt.com weekend editor
14th Knoxville Nationals
Dates: Sept. 14-16 ($7,000-to-win preliminary features Thursday and Friday and heats, consolations and $40,000-to-win main event Saturday) | Complete Knoxville Nationals coverage.
Track: Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa (semi-banked, half-mile clay oval).
2017 Purse: $271,510 includes $40,000 to 100-lap winner and at least $2,500 to all 30 starters.
Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Last year’s winner: Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn.
Tickets: Thursday adult general admission $25 (13-19 $18; 6-12 $13; 5-and-under free); Friday $25 (13-19 $18; 6-12 $13; 5-and-under free); Saturday $35 (13-19 $25; 6-12 $18; 5-and-under free). Add $7 for reserved seats.
Pit passes: $40 each day.
On the web: knoxvilleraceway.com
Track phone: (641) 842-5431
Pay-per-view: Live productions for Thursday and Friday preliminary events are available at DirtonDirt.com with multiple announcers, multiple cameras, on-screen race lineups and a live timing and scoring feed. Prices are $24.99 per day, while subscribers have the option to purchase a two-day package for $42.99. Due to television restrictions, live video coverage will not be available for Saturday's event at DirtonDirt.com. Follow this link for complete information.
Notes: There have been in 11 different winners in 13 Knoxville Late Model Nationals. … Scott Bloomquist (’05, ’09) of Mooresburg, Tenn., and Brian Birkhofer (’04, ’14) of Muscatine, Iowa, are the only repeat winners. … Last year’s event drew 69 entrants. … The record car count of 98 was set in 2004, during the inaugural event. … Two-time Knoxville Late Model Nationals champion Scott Bloomquist has led more feature laps (153) than any other driver in event history. Darren Miller of Milledgeville, Ill., is next with 125 laps led; he has the most laps led among drivers without a Knoxville Nationals main event victory. … The 2006 edition, won by Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., produced the most lead changes (9). … The event’s oldest winner, Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., was 52 years and 11 months old when he won the Knoxville Nationals in 2010. … Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., tops the list with the most top-five finishes (6) and is tied with Birkhofer for the most top-10s (9). … Four drivers — Birkhofer, Bloomquist, Steve Francis and Josh Richards — have four top-five finishes. … The inaugural Knoxville Late Model Nationals was held in October 2004 with 98 cars from 22 states and a Canadian province competing in what was a Stacker2 Xtreme Dirt Car-sanctioned event. … Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., has made 13 Nationals feature appearances, making him the only driver to start every edition of the event. … Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., holds the track record for Late Models at 16.631 seconds. … To set Saturday’s lineups, drivers earn points through their time trials, heats and features on Thursday and Friday. Teams will take the highest point total of their two nights to set their starting positions for Saturday’s events. The top 26 cars in points are locked into the A-main starting in order by point totals, with the highest point total starting on the pole. ... Teams must qualify on Thursday. Teams that qualify Friday only can not start better than 15th on Saturday. … Saturday’s program includes a D-main if necessary, along with a C-main, B-main and the 100-lap main event. … Auto racing journalist Dave Argabright will sit down with Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., for an in-depth question-and-answer session at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum's second floor Friday at 11 a.m. … A meet and greet session with drivers is set for 3 p.m. Saturday in the Dyer-Hudson Hall off the Midway. … Knoxville Raceway, which was originally a horse track, hosted its first automobile race in 1901. The track began hosting weekly events in 1954. … The facility has 24,172 seats, including 16,289 in the main grandstand.
Knoxville Nationals Winners
(Complete race history)
Year: Winner, hometown
2016: Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn.
2015: Jared Landers, Batesville, Ark.
2014: Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine, Iowa
2013: Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky.
2012: Steve Francis, Ashland, Ky.
2011: Don O'Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
2010: Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
2009: Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, Tenn.
2008: Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
2007: Brady Smith, Solon Springs, Wis.
2006: Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.
2005: Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, Tenn.
2004: Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine, Iowa
Weekend purses
Thursday and Friday features
1. $7,000
2. $4,000
3. $3,000
4. $2,000
5. $1,500
6. $1,000
7. $900
8. $800
9. $700
10. $600
11. $580
12. $560
13. $540
14. $520
15. $500
16. $490
17. $480
18. $470
19. $460
20. $450
21. $440
22. $430
23. $410
24. $400
(Drivers failing to transfer from B-main, $200)
Saturday feature
1. $40,000
2. $20,000
3. $10,000
4. $8,750
5. $7,500
6. $7,000
7. $6,500
8. $6,000
9. $5,500
10. $5,000
11. $4,500
12. $4,000
13. $3,500
14. $3,400
15. $3,300
16. $3,200
17. $3,100
18. $3,000
19. $2,900
20. $2,800
21. $2,700
22. $2,600
23.-30. $2,500
(Drivers failing to transfer from B-main positions 7-14, $500; drivers failing to transfer from B-main positions 15-24, $400; drivers failing to transfer from C-main, $400; drivers failing to transfer from D-main, $200)
Event schedule
(For camping and other details, visit knoxvilleraceway.com)
Thursday
1-7 p.m.: Exposition opens
6 p.m.: Driver’s meeting
-Hot laps
-Time Trials
-Six Heats (12 laps each)
-D-main (10 laps)
-C-main (12 laps)
-B-main (15 laps)
-A-main (25 laps)
Friday
1-7 p.m.: Exposition opens
6 p.m.: Driver’s meeting
-Hot laps
-Time Trials
-Six Heats (12 laps each)
-D-main (10 laps)
-C-main (12 laps)
-B-main (15 laps)
-A-main (25 laps)
Saturday
Noon: Hall of Fame Auction at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum behind turn two
1-7 p.m.: Exposition opens
3 p.m.: Driver meet and greet in Dyer-Hudson Hall off the Midway
6 p.m.: Driver’s meeting
-Hot laps
-D-main (12 laps)
-C-main (15 laps)
-B-main (20 laps)
-Knoxville Nationals (100 laps)
Tickets
Thursday
General admission (20-and-up): $25
Students (13-19): $18
Children (6-12): $13 (children 5-and-under free)
(Reserved seating available for $7 more)
Pit pass: $40
Friday
General admission (20-and-up): $25
Students (13-19): $18
Children (6-12): $13 (children 5-and-under free)
(Reserved seating available for $7 more)
Pit pass: $40
Saturday
General admission (20-and-up): $35
Students (13-19): $25
Children (6-12): $18 (children 5-and-under free)
(Reserved seating available for $7 more)
Pit pass: $40
Camping
Call (641) 842-5431
