The Knoxville Nationals, known as the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey's General Store, is an annual sprint car event held at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa. The race is nicknamed "The Granddaddy of Them All." The event is the biggest and most prestigious race of the year in sprint car racing. The Saturday finale is held on the second Saturday in August. The event is held for four days (Wednesday-Saturday) and is attended annually by approximately 25,000 fans. The event has the highest paying purse in sprint car racing at $1,000,000 which attracts roughly 100 race teams to compete.
An Associated Press writer called winning the event "sprint car racing’s premiere title". Kyle Larson is the defending race winner, having won it in 2026.
History The idea of the Knoxville Nationals was the brainchild of promoter Marion Robinson. The Knoxville Nationals began as a one-day event for Super Modifieds and was later expanded to two, three, and finally four days of racing for Sprint Cars. The first Knoxville Nationals was held in 1961 with Roy Robbins taking the win.
The prize money for the event has grown over the years. The 1961 winner received $1,000 to win and the total purse was $5,455. In 1971 it was $3,000 to win and a total of $22,000. 1982 was $10,000 to win and $100,500. 1991 the winner received $50,000 and the total was $300,120. 1995 it grew to $100,000 to win and $501,000 over all; by 2003 it had risen to $750,000."50 years of champions" ; Des Moines Register; Retrieved January 17, 2007 The purse continued to swell each year and in 2010 it paid $150,000 to win and the total for four days reached $1,000,255.
Some of the events highlights are its surprise upset winners, most notably being Kenny Gritz in 1969, Bobby Allen in 1990, Tim Shaffer in 2010, and Jason Johnson in 2016.
The 1990 Nationals is regarded as one of the best of all time as Doug Wolfgang, off a poor performance in his qualifying day, was sent to the D Main (one of the lowest levels on Finals Saturday) and advanced through the "alphabet soup" of the D-Main, C-Main, B-Main, and finished fifth in the A-Main. Meanwhile, Mark Kinser led the first 22 laps before his engine expired setting up an epic shootout between Sammy Swindell and Bobby Allen, with Allen winning with a pass with two laps remaining. The 1991 event featured 170 entrants and 75,000 fans (in a city of 8,200)."Iowa's best-kept secret: Knoxville Nationals" ; Bryce Miller; August 17, 1991 Des Moines Register; Retrieved January 17, 2007 There were drivers from 27 states, 6 from Australia, and one from Canada.
For the 2010 Nationals, the feature race was extended to 50 laps, as a celebration for the 50th anniversary of the event. Sammy Swindell led the first 46 laps before his left rear tire blew up. This handed the lead to Donny Schatz who had engine problems, and Tim Shaffer was able to lead the final two circuits to get the win.
In 1969 Kenny Gritz won the Nationals, passing Jan Opperman with four laps remaining. Gritz was fairly new to super modified racing, only competing for four or five seasons. He had won only one feature at Knoxville a couple of months prior and was beginning to peak as a driver. Unfortunately Gritz lost his life two weeks later in a crash at the Nebraska State Fair where IMCA rules at the time did not allow roll cages. His accident sparked the rule change in which roll cages were mandated after that.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 race was deliberately billed as The One And Only as part of the Capitani Classic. The replacement event was won by Kyle Larson.
In 2025, Ryan Timms won the event at 18-years old, the second youngest Knoxville National winner.
Drivers The most successful driver in Nationals history is Steve Kinser who has won the event a record 12 times. He leads virtually every major statistic, 17 top five finishes, 26 top ten finishes, won 14 preliminary night features, led 301 championship A-Main laps, set quick time in qualifying 9 times, qualified for the championship race 35 times in 37 entries, including a streak of 34 from 1978 through 2011. In 2005 Steve's son Kraig Kinser won this event, making Steve and Kraig the first father and son to win the Knoxville Nationals.
Donny Schatz has won the event eleven times (2006-2009, 2011–2015, 2017, 2022). Other multiple event winners are Doug Wolfgang a five-time champion, Kenny Weld,Danny Lasoski, and Kyle Larson are four-time winners, Mark Kinser is a three time champions, and Eddie Leavitt has taken the checkers twice. Larson has four wins on Nationals weekend, as he also won the replacement race in 2020, The One and Only featuring the Capitani Classic.
As an 18-years old, Kenny Weld's 1964 win made him the youngest Knoxville Nationals. In 2025, 18-years old Ryan Timms became the second youngest winner of the event.
Statistics The event record car count is 166 cars in 1991. Mark Kinser has set the quickest time in qualifying a record ten times. Cody Darrah holds the Nationals event one lap track record with a lap 14.547 in 2009.
Donny Schatz won the championship race in 2013 from 21st starting position, the lowest starting position for a winner since the race was changed to being run in two (2) separate 25 lap segments. The previous record for the lowest position anyone had won from had been 14th by Steve Kinser in 1995 and Jerry Richert 1962, and both drivers accomplished this feat in a single 30 lap race without a controlled break in the middle of the race.
Car owner Karl Kinser has graced victory lane a record 14 times with three different drivers (Dick Gaines, Steve Kinser and Mark Kinser).
Sanctioning body From 1961 through 1977, the race was unsanctioned (with the exception of 1973) meaning that it was 'open competition'. The All Star Circuit of Champions sanctioned the 1973 event with winged cars. In 1978 Ted Johnson's World of Outlaws began to sanction the event, and did so through 2005. Because of the sanctioning body split between the WoO and National Sprint Tour in 2006, the Nationals became sanctioned under the Knoxville Raceway track rules. Since 2012 the WoO name has been associated with the race, but the event is still operated by Knoxville Raceway officials.
Female participants 15 women have participated in the Nationals. Erin Crocker is the only participant to qualify for the championship race and has accomplished that feat twice in 2003 and 2010. The first female entrant was also the first African-American driver, Cheryl Glass in 1982. Other female entrants include Melinda Dumesny (part of both the Nationals-winning Kinser and Dumesny sprint car families) 1991–1992, Lisa French 1992–1993, Shawna Wilsky 1994–1995, Judi Bates 1996–1997, Sarah Fisher 1997–1998, Christi Passmore 2000–2001, Natalie Sather 2005–2006, Becca Anderson 2006, Jessica Friesen (née Zemken) 2006 & 2011, Paige Polyak 2014–2019, Harli White 2017–2019 & 2021-2022, Jenna Frazier 2018, McKenna Haase 2021-2022, and Tori Knutson 2021.
International competition In 1979, multiple Australian Sprintcar Champion Garry Rush became the first Australian driver to qualify for the Nationals championship race and finished 7th. Kerry Madsen is the highest finishing Australian, finishing second in 2015 (although he is now legally registered as a local resident). The event is annually attended by over 1,000 people from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and England.
Drivers from Australia who have become or were regular competitors at Knoxville include Australian Championship winners Garry Rush, Max Dumesny who won the 1985 Race of States at the Nationals, becoming the first Australian to win a feature at Knoxville. Others have included Skip Jackson, Jaymie Moyle, Kerry Madsen, Ian Madsen, Garry Brazier, Trevor Green, Mitchell Dumesny, Jamie Veal, James McFadden and current one lap track record holder Brooke Tatnell. In 2018, multiple World Champion BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Car driver Tom Harris became the first British driver to compete at the Nationals.
Past winners Knoxville Nationals Winners Source: YearDriverCar #Owner1961Roy Robbins37O. J. Huffman1962Jerry Richert, Sr.69Ted Ready1963Greg Weld92Taylor "Pappy" Weld1964Kenny Weld94Taylor "Pappy" Weld1965Kenny Weld94Taylor "Pappy" Weld1966Jay Woodside9Ted Hall1967Thad Dosher74Jack Cunningham1968Ray Lee Goodwin24Swenson/Williams1969Ken Gritz12Larry Snyder1970Joe Saldana2C&L Racing1971Jan Opperman6Cahill Racing1972Kenny Weld29Bob Weikert1973Kenny Weld29Bob Weikert1974Dick Gaines71Karl Kinser1975Eddie Leavitt40Ricke/Hill1976Eddie Leavitt4JGalden, Inc.1977Doug Wolfgang20Bob Trostle1978Doug Wolfgang4xSpeedway Motors1979Ron Shuman75AGary Stanton1980Steve Kinser20Bob Trostle/Karl Kinser1981Steve Kinser11Karl Kinser1982Steve Kinser11Karl Kinser1983Sammy Swindell1Raymond Beadle1984Doug Wolfgang29Bob Weikert1985Doug Wolfgang29Bob Weikert1986Steve Kinser11Karl Kinser1987Steve Kinser11Karl Kinser1988Steve Kinser11Karl Kinser1989Doug Wolfgang8DDanny Peace1990Bobby Allen1aAllen Enterprises1991Steve Kinser11Karl Kinser1992Steve Kinser11Karl Kinser1993Steve Kinser11Karl Kinser1994Steve Kinser11Karl Kinser1995Steve Kinser11Steve Kinser1996Mark Kinser5MKarl Kinser1997Dave Blaney10Blaney/Hylton1998Danny Lasoski83Dennis Roth1999Mark Kinser5MKarl Kinser2000Mark Kinser5MKarl Kinser2001Danny Lasoski20LTony Stewart2002Steve Kinser11Steve Kinser2003Danny Lasoski20Tony Stewart2004Danny Lasoski20Tony Stewart2005Kraig Kinser11KSteve Kinser2006Donny Schatz15Schatz Motorsports2007Donny Schatz15Schatz Motorsports2008Donny Schatz15Tony Stewart2009Donny Schatz15Tony Stewart2010Tim Shaffer83Call/Holbrook Motorsports2011Donny Schatz15Tony Stewart2012Donny Schatz15Tony Stewart2013Donny Schatz15Tony Stewart2014Donny Schatz15Tony Stewart2015Donny Schatz15Tony Stewart2016Jason Johnson41Jason Johnson Racing2017Donny Schatz15Tony Stewart2018Brad Sweet49Kasey Kahne Racing2019David Gravel41Jason Johnson Racing2020Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Replaced by The One and Only2021Kyle Larson57Silva Motorsports2022Donny Schatz15Tony Stewart2023Kyle Larson57Silva Motorsports2024Kyle Larson57Silva Motorsports2025Ryan Timms10Liebig Motorsports2026Kyle Larson57Silva Motorsports
Multiple victories by driver # of wins Driver Years won 12 Steve Kinser 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002 11 Donny Schatz 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022 5 Doug Wolfgang 1977, 1978, 1984, 1985, 1989 4 Danny Lasoski 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004 Kenny Weld 1964, 1965, 1972, 1973 Kyle Larson 2021, 2023, 2024, 2026 3 Mark Kinser 1996, 1999, 2000 2 Eddie Leavitt 1975, 1976
Additional Info Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz both hold the record for most consecutive wins at 5. Steve Kinser and Kraig Kinser are the only father-son duo to have won the Knoxville Nationals. Greg Weld and Kenny Weld are the only brothers that have both won the Knoxville Nationals. Steve Kinser (1986–1987 and 1991–1992) and Kyle Larson (2023–2024) are the only two drivers to lead all laps in the A-Main in back to back years.
360 Knoxville Nationals In 1991, the Knoxville Raceway started a Nationals event for 360 cubic inch engine sprint cars. It has been held annually each year since and is held the week before the Knoxville Nationals. Shane Stewart and Terry McCarl hold the record for most wins with five victories each. Rico Abreu is the defending winner.
360 Knoxville Nationals Champions Source: