For the 63rd year, the best Sprint Car drivers in the world will converge on Knoxville Raceway for the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s.
While a six-figure payday is on the line, the prestige and honor of being a Knoxville Nationals champion, a title that will live with their name for the rest of their life, is what they’ll all be fighting for.
This year will mark the 40th year of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series’ partnership with the Knoxville Nationals as the event’s sanctioning series. The event will again see Wednesday and Thursday serve as qualifying nights with the top-16 point earners between the two nights locked into Saturday’s main event. Friday will be the Hard Knox night with the top four finishers in the Feature claiming spots 21st through 24th in Saturday’s Feature. The rest of the field will try to race their way in through the Alphabet soup of mains on Saturday.
Among those looking to make history this year is 10-time World of Outlaws champion and 11-time Knoxville Nationals champion Donny Schatz. A 12th Knoxville Nationals title this year would tie him for the most with 20-time Series champion Steve Kinser.
Schatz finished third last year behind David Gravel and Kyle Larson – who picked up his second Knoxville Nationals title in three years.
Gravel, the 2019 Knoxville Nationals champion and current Series points leader, will enter the event with winning momentum, having won at Knoxville with the World of Outlaws in June. This year’s main event will be held on Aug. 10, and the last time the Nationals ran on that date, Gravel won.
Of those looking for their first Knoxville Nationals title, 18-year-old Corey Day will enter as one of the favorites. Driving for two-time World of Outlaws champion Jason Meyers, Day has had a strong year already, picking up multiple victories, including a win with the World of Outlaws at Knoxville in June.
EVENT INFO
Date – Wednesday-Saturday, Aug. 7-10
Location – Knoxville, IA
Track Record – 14.351 sec. by Brian Brown on May 22, 2021
Times (CT) –
8 a.m. Knoxville Ticket Office Opens
10 a.m. Vendor Open in Fan Zone
2 p.m. Pit Gate Opens
5 p.m. Grandstands Open
7:15 p.m. Hot Laps
-Racing to follow
Tickets – Available HERE.
How to Watch – Can’t make it to the track? Watch every lap live on DIRTVision.
Last Race Video Recap (Aug. 12, 2023) –
Previous Knoxville Nationals winners –
2023 – Kyle Larson on Aug. 12
2022 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 13
2021 – Kyle Larson on Aug. 14
2019 – David Gravel on Aug. 10
2018 – Brad Sweet on Aug. 11
2017 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 12
2016 – Jason Johnson on Aug. 13
2015 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 15
2014 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 9
2013 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 10
2012 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 11
2011 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 13
2010 – Tim Shaffer on Aug. 14*
2009 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 16*
2008 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 9*
2007 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 11*
2006 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 12*
2005 – Kraig Kinser on Aug. 14*
2004 – Danny Lasoski on Aug. 14
2003 – Danny Lasoski on Aug. 16
2002 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 10
2001 – Danny Lasoski on Aug. 11
2000 – Mark Kinser on Aug. 12
1999 – Mark Kinser on Aug. 14
1998 – Danny Lasoski on Aug. 15
1997 – Dave Blaney on Aug. 17
1996 – Mark Kinser on Aug. 17
1995 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 19
1994 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 20
1993 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 21
1992 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 15
1991 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 17
1990 – Bobby Allen on Aug. 18
1989 – Doug Wolfgang on Aug. 19
1988 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 13
1987 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 15
1986 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 16
1985 – Doug Wolfgang on Aug. 17
1984 – Doug Wolfgang on Aug. 11
1983 – Sammy Swindell on Aug. 13
1982 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 15
1981 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 15
1980 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 17
1979 – Ron Shuman on Aug. 11
1978 – Doug Wolfgang on Aug. 12
1977 – Doug Wolfgang on Aug. 13*
1976 – Eddie Leavitt on Aug. 14*
1975 – Eddie Leavitt on Aug. 9*
1974 – Dick Gaines on Aug. 10*
1973 – Kenny Weld on Aug. 11*
1972 – Kenny Weld on Aug. 12*
1971 – Jan Opperman on Aug. 14*
1970 – Joe Saldana on Aug. 15*
1969 – Ken Gritz on Aug. 16*
1968 – Ray Lee Goodwin on Aug. 10*
1967 – Thad Dosher on Aug. 12*
1966 – Jay Woodside Aug. 14*
1965 – Kenny Weld on Aug. 14*
1964 – Kenny Weld on Aug. 8*
1963 – Greg Weld on July 20*
1962 – Jerry Richert on July 21*
1961 – Roy Robbins on July 29*
(* indicates non-World of Outlaws event)