Knoxville Raceway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Knoxville Raceway

Sprint Car Capital of the World
Location	1000 N Lincoln St Knoxville, Iowa 50138
Capacity	21,135
Owner	Marion County Fair Association
Operator	Marion County Fair Association
Opened	1878 as horse racing track
Major events	Knoxville Nationals 360 Knoxville Nationals NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Corn Belt Weekend
Oval
Surface	Dirt
Length	0.5 mi (0.8 km)
Banking	8 degrees
Race lap record	0:14.407 (Brooke Tatnell, Rush Racing, 2006)

Knoxville Raceway is a famous dirt race track in Knoxville, Iowa, USA. It's known as the "Sprint Car Capital of the World." The track is a half-mile oval made of special clay.

Races happen here every Saturday night from April to September. There are also big events like the Knoxville Nationals, which last several days. Different types of sprint cars compete, based on their engine size. The biggest event is the Knoxville Nationals in August.

History of Knoxville Raceway

The first weekly races at Knoxville Raceway began in 1954. Before that, it was mostly a horse racing track. In 1956, Marion Robinson became the race promoter. He helped the track grow and change.

Over time, the cars racing here changed from regular stock cars to faster sprint cars. Marion Robinson also started the first Knoxville Nationals race in 1961. Back then, the prize money was $5,000. Today, it's almost a million dollars!

Key Moments in Raceway History

• 1878 – The race track was first built for horse racing.
• 1901 – The very first car race happened here.
• 1917 – A wooden grandstand was built for fans. It could hold 2,000 people.
• 1954 – Weekly car racing officially started. The track added banking, fences, and lights.
• 1956 – The Marion County Fair Board took over running the races. They hired Marion Robinson.
• 1959 – More wooden seats were added, making space for 5,000 fans.
• 1961 – The first Knoxville Nationals race was held. Roy Robbins was the first winner.
• 1970 – A new, stronger grandstand made of steel and aluminum was built. It had 8,139 seats.
• 1978 – All the old wooden seats were replaced with new steel and aluminum ones.
• 1982 – Wings became a required safety feature on sprint cars.
• 1987 – The Knoxville Nationals was shown on television for the first time.
• 1991 – The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum was built nearby.
• 1991 – The first 360 Nationals race took place.
• 1996 – The main grandstand got even bigger, with VIP suites and new lights. It could hold 23,200 people.
• 2004 – The first Late Model Knoxville Nationals race was held.
• 2015 – McKenna Haase made history as the first woman to win a sprint car race at Knoxville Raceway.
• 2018 – The seats were made wider, which reduced the total number of seats to 21,135.
• 2021 – The track hosted its first NASCAR race, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Knoxville Raceway Records

Many talented drivers have raced at Knoxville Raceway. Here are some of the top records:

• The driver with the most wins in the 410 sprint car class is Danny Lasoski. He has won 112 races!
• For the 360 sprint car class, David Hesmer holds the record with 65 wins.
• Doug Wolfgang set a record in 1977 by winning 10 races in a row. He won 13 out of 18 races that year, including the Knoxville Nationals.

Fastest Lap Records

These are the fastest times recorded for one lap around the track for different types of cars.

Knoxville Sprint Car Champions

Here are the champions for different sprint car classes over the years.

National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum

Right next to Turn 2 of the Knoxville Raceway, you'll find the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum. It has cool exhibits that change often, showing the history of sprint cars.