Tony Stewart Racing Continues the Gold Standard
Sprint car racing’s “Super Bowl” equivalent has always been the Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals, and this year’s four-night marathon has added significance. This year marks the 50th year Sprint car racing’s competitive drivers battle it out for the most desirable title in the sport.
Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz have earned that coveted title a combined 16 times. Kinser won his first Knoxville Nationals in 1980 and also holds the record for the most wins in a row from 1991 to 1995. He scored his 12th – and most recent – Knoxville Nationals triumph in August 2002. When asked about the upcoming race, Kinser said, “I’ve been fortunate to win a lot of things during my career, and I can tell you winning the Knoxville Nationals is what we try to do every year. I’d like to win it one more time. There couldn’t probably be anything better than winning the 50th. That’d be just perfect for me.”
Donny Schatz, a four-time and reigning champion of the Knoxville Nationals, has turned many successful laps around the famous half-mile dirt oval on the Marion County Fairgrounds. He recently said, “If you’re a Sprint car racer, it’s the Holy Grail. You could win a hundred races a year, and if you don’t win the Nationals, you still feel like you’ve done nothing. For all of us in Sprint car racing, it’s the biggest race of the year.”
Kinser and Schatz each will try to make history in specially painted cars. TSR’s Gold Standard cars were revealed in a public unveiling on Tuesday. Kinser will wheel a gold chrome TSR No. 11 TSR Bass Pro Shops/JD Byrider Maxim, and Schatz will drive an identical gold chrome TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore J&J. The unveiling was part of the 50th annual Knoxville Nationals kickoff festivities.
Race fans unable to attend this week’s races can follow the action at www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com. Hoseheads radio will broadcast live audio of all four nights of the Nationals. Go to www.hoseheadsradio.com for more information on the broadcasts, including start times. SPEED will tape Saturday night’s finale and air the show on Saturday, Aug. 28.
J.D. Byrider, who celebrates 21 years in the used car business this year, has been a sponsor of Tony Stewart Racing for 12 years. To learn more about Tony Stewart Racing, please visit: www.tonystewartracing.com.
