Night one the Knoxville Nationals in the books. 105 entries/410 sprintcars for the Wednesday/Thursday nights races. They split it in half so 56 sprintcars
race each night. I can tell you this field of cars is the best of the best from everywhere. Knoxville a "true half-mile dirt/gumbo track". Not the high-banks of Eldora
but banked enough. The track record is a 14.407 by Brook Tatnell in 2006. Wednesday night a 15.136 was fast time which is very fast as its a no-lift lap on very moist
clay. Kyle Larson was there in his #57 sprintcar but not the night he was hoping for. Time-in middle of pack and finished out of transfer from heat race and finished
6th in B Main. Kyle Larson really has no chance to win Knoxville Nationals unless he want to race a C-Main/B-Main/A-Main Saturday Night but I thinks he "loads-up"
and back to NASCAR life. So a story for me is Puyallup WA Trey Starks getting the biggest win of his career to open the 2019 Knoxville Nationals. Trey Starks closest
to what Kasey Kahne is/was in his pre-NASCAR days. While Trey Starks won the race he sits in 4th place for total points accumulated. Which means 4th row starting
spot for Saturday Night. I went to the Knoxville Nationals in 1990-91 and its the greatest sprintcar racing you can watch. Big money race with $150K to win $75K for 2nd
and $37,500 for 3rd. $10K for being in the A-Main Saturday which is a new record I think. A whole new group of 56+/- Thursday Night. Cant wait.
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If you are in a horror movie, you make bad decisions, its what you do.
Thursday night at the 59th Knoxville Nationals had 56 different sprintcars with Shane Stewart fast time of 15.679. Night 2 the track is a little drier after the beating it took night 1. Seems the theme for victory at these Knoxville Nationals is able to run low around this track. 2 really competitive groves down low and up high. Takes some real guts to run either. David Gravel gets the win. Points accumulated between Wed-Thurs races set the field for Saturday Night. Trey Starks even after a win Wednesday is 11th in points or 5th row starting spot Saturday. Big story might be many time Knoxville Nationals champ Donny Schatz going to have to be top-4 in the B-Main to advance to the rear of the A-Main cars. Same goes for Rico Abreu. Its going to be great Saturday Night. Friday Nights racing at Knoxville has a bunch of special main events and a full evening of sprintcar action.
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If you are in a horror movie, you make bad decisions, its what you do.
The Friday Night racing at the Knoxville Nationals was to give a lot of cars that for some reason dint do well Wed/Thurs and a chance to win some money. Years ago they had the "Race of the States" and "USA vs Australia" but not this year as Friday Night was regular night with qualifying heat races and a 25-lap main event with a new "top-4 finishers start 21-24" in Saturdays A-Main. That's worth racing for. 78 sprintcars timed in and Sye Lynch from Apollo PA fast time of 16.151 which about a second slower than Wednesday night 1 as 4-nights of racing is going to do its best to dry out this famous racetrack. Saturday nights field set except for who wins and transfer to back of whatever main. It looks like the top-4 of the B-Main Saturday going to start 25-28 place. 28 sprintcars going for a $150K payday and "new fame" or "add to fame". This is going to be a great night of racing Saturday Night. I wish I was there but I am thanks to virtual race viewing. DirtVision.com carrying the live coverage if you are paid up but I can settle for highlights an hour after the race on YouTube. Years ago I would learn about the Knoxville Nationals in weekly racing newspapers like National Speed Sport News or Area Auto Racing News or Racing Wheels that would show up on a Tues/Wed next week. Not now as you know who won the minute it happens which is great.
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If you are in a horror movie, you make bad decisions, its what you do.
Saturday Night Knoxville Nationals if you are in the stands watching this your are vibrating and some involuntary shivering as the racing is going on. Big money to winner and a lot of fearless drivers going after it. David Gravel is a fearless sprint car driver. What makes this win more special is David Gravel driving for Jason Johnson race team this year after Jason Johnson died in a race crash in 2018. This years Knoxville Nationals had enough cars to have to run a "E-Main" on Saturday Night. Most of the stories about Knoxville 2019 still being written late at night. Just have to settle for video highlights...
So I found the TV broadcast for the 1990 Knoxville Nationals and my first time at Knoxville. Everything unbelievable including the A-Main Saturday Night.
Always been a Steve Kinser and Mark Kinser fan and this race was not to be for either. Doug Wolfgang advancing through several mains to get in the A-main
and the "smoking" Sammy Swindell almost winning it. Great that this video around as it brought back some memories. The 1991 Knoxville Nationals not
available on YouTube currently but I got my wish and saw Steve Kinser get the win.
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If you are in a horror movie, you make bad decisions, its what you do.
Something I dint know is that Jeff Gordon and his Axalta sponsorship jumped in to get the 41 Jason Johnson sprintcar team
back on its feet after Jason died in a sprintcar crash in 2017. David Gravel moved to this ride in 2019 and has a lot big time
help it seems. Jeff Gordon another NASCAR star that raced sprints/midgets/anything open wheeled on the dirt and excelled
adding his name to several NASCAR drivers/owners of sprint car teams or still race sprint cars when schedule allows. Tony
Stewart owns the #15 Donny Schatz car. Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson have sprintcar teams running with the WOO.
Tony Stewart racing sprintcars about 3 times a week this summer. Kyle Larson has beat the WOO and AllStars several times
this summer in his #57.
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If you are in a horror movie, you make bad decisions, its what you do.
