Knoxville Raceway
Fast Facts: 20th Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals
By Aaron Clay
DirtonDirt.com weekend editor
Dates: Sept. 19-21 (two complete preliminary programs followed by finale)
Track: Knoxville Raceway (semi-banked half-mile clay oval)
Location: Knoxville, Iowa, on the Marion County Fairgrounds
Purse: $50,000-to-win Late Model feature
Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Live streaming: FloRacing
Last year’s winner: Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., who earned his first career Knoxville Lucas Oil Nationals victory
Tickets: $35 adult general admission Thursday and Friday; $40 on Saturday (additional details below)
Website: knoxvilleraceway.com
Track phone: (641) 842-5431
Notes: The Sprint Car Capital of the World hosts this weekend’s 20th annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals with a weekend purse of nearly $300,000 in prize money. … The three-day event kicks off with 25-lap, $7,000-to-win preliminary features on Thursday and Friday, with points being awarded nightly. Drivers will use their best individual night’s point total to set Saturday’s consolation and main event lineups prior to the 75-lap, $50,000-to-win feature. … Series points leader Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., won all three races last year, becoming the first driver to sweep the three-day Knoxville Late Model Nationals since Hall of Famer Billy Moyer in 2010. … Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., enters as the event’s only three-time winner (2016, ’17 and ’21). … Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., (2018 and ’19), Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa (2004 and ’14) and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn. (2005 and ’09) are the only other multitime winners. ... Birkhofer famously used a last-lap pass on Bloomquist to secure 2014’s victory. … A memorabilia auction will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, at the Hall of Fame Museum, with a drivers’ autograph session at 3 p.m. in the Dyer Hudson Hall Barn later that afternoon. … Trucks are on Thursday’s undercard, with stock cars joining Friday’s action. A $4,000-to-win invitational will be contested Saturday by the Malvern Bank Series. … Pits open at 2:30 p.m. and grandstands open at 5:30, with hot laps at 6:30 nightly. ... Your Life Iowa is 2024's presenting sponsor.
Knoxville Nationals winners
Year: Winner, hometown
2023: Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
2022: Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
2021: Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn.
2020: Cancelled
2019: Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn.
2018: Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn.
2017: Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn.
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-Friday prelims
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
Saturday’s feature event
1. $50,000
2. $25,000
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. $3,000
20. $3,000
21. $3,000
22. $3,000
23. $2,700
24. $2,700
25.-32. $2,500
Event schedule
(All times local; subject to change)
Thursday
10 a.m. - Hauler parking begins
2:30 p.m. - Pits open
2:45-5:45 p.m. - Tech and registration
4:30 p.m. - Suites open
5:30 p.m. - Grandstands open
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Truck hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Truck heats (6 laps)
- Late Model heats (12 laps)
Intermission
- Late Model consolations (15 laps)
- Truck feature (15 laps)
- Late Model feature (25 laps)
Friday
2:30 p.m. - Pits open
2:45-5:45 p.m. - Tech and registration
4:30 p.m. - Suites open
5:30 p.m. - Grandstands open
6 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
6:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Stock car hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Stock car heats (6 laps)
- Late Model heats (12 laps)
Intermission
- Late Model consolations (15 laps)
- Stock car feature (15 laps)
- Late Model feature (25 laps)
Saturday
(Editor's note: Updates with updated earlier start time because of weather)
11:30 a.m. - Memorabilia auction (Hall of Fame Museum)
1 p.m. - Pits open
1:45 p.m. - Dirt Racing Outreach (Dyer Hudson Hall Barn)
3 p.m. - Grandstands open
4 p.m. - On-track activity
- Limited Late Model hot laps
- Knoxville Nationals consolation cars hot laps
- Limited Late Model group qualifying
Opening ceremonies
- Limited Late Model heats (8 laps)
Intermission
- Knoxville Nationals feature cars hot laps
- Knoxville Nationals consolations (15 laps)
- Limited Late Model feature (22 laps)
Driver introductions
- 20th annual Knoxville Nationals (75 laps)
Tickets
Thursday
One-day adult general admission (20-and-up): $35
Three-day adult reserved (20-and-up): $125
One-day teen general admission (13-to-19): $25
Three-day teen reserved (13-to-19): $95
One-day child general admission (12-and-under): $20
Three-day child reserved (12-and-under): $80
Reserved seating: Additional $5 for all ages
One-day all access pit pass (all ages): $50
Friday
One-day adult general admission (20-and-up): $35
One-day teen general admission (13-to-19): $25
One-day child general admission (12-and-under): $20
Reserved seating: Additional $5 for all ages
One-day all access pit pass (all ages): $50
Saturday
One-day adult general admission (20-and-up): $40
One-day teen general admission (13-to-19): $30
One-day child general admission (12-and-under): $25
Reserved seating: Additional $5 for all ages
One-day all access pit pass (all ages): $50
Camping
Water and electric camping: $150 at North Campground; other campsites available
Online reservations: vandonsler.com/ and mycountyparks.com/default.aspx
More information: knoxvilleraceway.com/Hospitality/Campgrounds or (641) 842-5431
