Knoxville, Iowa is the home of the Knoxville, Nationals. For the uninformed, that’s the biggest, baddest Sprint Car race in the world. It’s the US Nationals, Indy 500, and Wrestlemania all rolled into one for Sprint Car racers.
It’s also the fitting home of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum, a place you need to visit.
We’d venture to say that Sprint Cars are the most entertaining form of circle-track racing, with the Dirt Modifieds and Super Modifieds not too far behind. The reality is, you take a car no larger than go kart, bolt some massive rubber on it, put a methanol burning motor in it and swap the transmission for a direct drive, and you’re on your way to having a Sprint Car. Oh yeah, you also race them on dirt.
The drivers of these cars are true racing gods, especially guys like Steve Kinser who are still out there today, running literally hundreds of times a year at bullrings all over this fine land.
The Hall of Fame is chocked with great names as you’d expect. Guys like Tony Bettenhausen, Doug Wolfgang, Bill Utz, and stacks of other legends.
Head out for the race, which is happening August 12-15, 2009, and make the museum and hall of fame part of your trip. You won’t be disappointed.
