One week a year, the population of Knoxville, IA, which is normally around 7,000, grows many times over, as racers and fans from coast-to-coast and several foreign countries embark on the famed half-mile, dirt oval at the Marion County Fairgrounds, better known as Knoxville Raceway. The Knoxville Nationals or “The Nationals” as the event is referred to in sprint car circles, serves as the sport’s biggest event. With $150,000 on the line to the winner the payday is unmatched, but the prestige and bragging rights that go with winning the 50-lap event is stuff of legends. 

This week, four nights (August 8-11) of racing are on tap at “The Sprint Car Capital of the World,” with over 90 drivers entered, all gunning for 24 starting spots on Saturday night and a chance to add their name to the legendary winners list. Here’s a breakdown to gear up for the 58^thAnnual 5-Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores. 

The format

A unique format is in place, with the field split in half for a pair of qualifying nights. Drivers earn event points on whichever of the two qualifying nights they are a part of. Every time they hit the track, they earn points. Each of the qualifying nights begin with time trials, followed by heat race and subsequent features. 

On the two qualifying nights, heat race lineups are inverted by eight, which puts the fastest cars deep in the field and produces some highlight reel racing as they must finish in the top-four to transfer to the preliminary feature.

After the two qualifying nights, the top-16 in event points will comprise the top-eight rows for Saturday night’s 50-lap finale. A maximum of 500 points can be earned on a preliminary night, which David Gravel achieved last year, which was the first time that feat had been accomplished in 25 years. Drivers who are 17th-26th in points are awarded the first 10 positions in Saturday’s B-Main. 

The remainder of the field will take part in Friday’s portion of the event, which has been dubbed “Hard Knox” for the last few years and consists of a full race program. The top-four finishes in the main event of the “Hard Knox” program earn starting spots 17-20 for Saturday night’s finale. The final four starting positions come from the B-main on Saturday night.

While sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, the event is run under Knoxville Raceway rules/format. In the season point standings, drivers receive “Show up” points, due to the unique format being utilized.

The payout

The total purse for this year’s Knoxville Nationals is nearly a million dollars. The winner on Saturday night will take home $150,000, while the runner-up pockets $75,000. The second-place finisher’s check is the second highest payday of the season in sprint car racing. Each and every starter in the main event is guaranteed at least $9,500. Heat races even pay prize money during the Knoxville Nationals. Additional cash awards await the Pole Winner, the “Best Appearing Crew” and the “Best Appearing Car.”

Past winners

Dating back to 1961, there have been 24 drivers who have won the Knoxville Nationals. Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion, leads all drivers with 12 wins in the event. Donny Schatz is not far behind, as he has won 10 of the last 12 Knoxville Nationals, including last year and has been first or second in 14 of the last 16 Knoxville Nationals. Schatz has led an astounding 320 laps of feature competition on the final night of the Knoxville Nationals in his career, which is the most all-time. Kraig Kinser, Tim Shaffer and Sammy Swindell are other past Knoxville Nationals champions who are entered this season.

Tuning up

A trio of drivers who compete full-time with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series have won at Knoxville Raceway this season. Donny Schatz and David Gravel were each victorious during the Brownells Big Guns Bash in June. Schatz led all 25 laps to win on the first night, while Gravel surged from third to first on a lap-10 restart in the finale to seize the lead and ultimately the win. Brad Sweet was victorious last Sunday in the Capitani Classic, over a stout 67-car field, in what was the final on track appearance at the half-mile prior to the Nationals.

Sentimental favorite

Carson Macedo was victorious on August 3 on the second preliminary night of the Knoxville 360 Nationals aboard the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41. That marked the first time the team competed since Johnson’s passing in June. Macedo followed that up by leading a number of laps late in the race of the finale of the 360 Nationals, where he ended up second, after Terry McCarl slipped by with two laps remaining. Macedo will hit the track on Thursday as part of the second qualifying night for the Knoxville Nationals. 

Moonlighting

NASCAR drivers and World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series team owners Kyle Larson and Kasey Kahne are both entered in the Knoxville Nationals. Larson was victorious on the first qualifying night last year, and thanks in large part to the hashtag #LetKyleRace, which was prevalent on social media, his NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi, allowed Larson to compete in the finale, where he made a late-race charge and finished a close second to Donny Schatz.

Strong weekly contingent

Leading the way for the weekly competitors representing Knoxville Raceway is Brian Brown. The native of Grain Valley, MO, has won seven times this season at Knoxville. In his career, the veteran driver has a trio of runner-up finishes in the Nationals, finishing second all three times to Donny Schatz. Austin McCarl has three wins this season in weekly action at Knoxville and is a former main event qualifier at the Nationals.

Home state pride

Believe it or not, a driver from the state of Iowa has never won the Knoxville Nationals. Terry McCarl, the multi-time track champion, who hails from nearby Altoona, has won the 360 Nationals five times, including this year. McCarl, who has six top-10 finishes in the Nationals, finished a career-best third in the 2007 running of the event.

Rookies

A total of eight drivers are tentatively entered who are contending for the Rookie of the Year honors at the Knoxville Nationals. Leading the way is Giovanni Scelzi, the 16-year-old speedster from California. Brock Zearfoss, a former World of Outlaws winners at Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania, who recently joined the Destiny Motorsports team, is also entered as a rookie. Adding an international flair, Allan Woods from New Zealand is making his first Nationals appearance as is Tom Harris from England. Jamie Ball, who hails from Knoxville is also entered as is Cale Thomas from Indiana, John Carney from Texas and Jenna Frazier from California.