Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

No sprint cars this year?

Thought that was kinda odd myself, they sure put on a good show with lots of quality cars.

The fans of the late models didn't like the sprints and voiced their displeasure the last few years (even though the racing was excellent).

Raceway has added IMCA Modifieds (invitational of top 40 finishers @ the Harris Clash) as the support class this year.

I will say this, the LM Nationals has been the best racing I have witnessed @ Knoxville (or any other track for that matter) for the last 5 years and I expect more of the same this year.

Most fender people hate sprints as much as sprint fans dislike their cars...... oil and water

the speed and lap times of the 305s must have scared some fender folks

I would almost be willing to bet the late models are faster than the 305s....the track record for late models is mid-16, couldn't find one for 305s

this is really becoming a great event

Actually, if the guys I talked to were right (my Dad, plus a few others that raced there last year) the 305's were almost 2 seconds a lap faster. For some reason the second night the sprint cars didn't get transponders.

At Norton, KS recently with our URSS 305's we were somewhere around 4 seconds a lap faster, but that wasn't a WoO latemodel either. We were in the 19 sec. range, they were in the 23 sec range. Norton isn't near as fast of a 1/2 mile as Knoxville though.

Let's put them out there together for a couple of laps and remove all doubt,or better yet how about 8 laps,that way the 305 could go by the late models twice- lol.

Nice!! I like this idea! The cabs don't do it for me at all. I'd rather watch the factory stocks anytime over the cabs at least they get the track worked in for the sprint-cars IMO.

Trophy Cup......Best race of the year hands down!

Your going to tell me that a 430 C.I. late model is going to get lapped twice by a 305 C.I. Sprint Car in a 8 lap race.

Yeah right!

No.start them together and the 305 will go by once on the start and then again on lap 8.

The 305 is quicker , and yes it is hard for the fender guys to swallow!!!!!!

Yes, IMCA Modifieds will run during Late Model Nationals. Hard to believe this, but my prediction is that the Knoxville Late Model Nationals will eventually have a higher attendance (for Saturday) than the Sprint Car Nationals. Give it 5 more years. The front stretch was almost sold out last year. And if Knoxville can figure out a way to move the Late Model Nationals to earlier in the year (maybe June or July), attendance would grow even faster.

I'm a life long sprint car fan (32 years), but the Late Models and Modifieds "race" better than sprint cars do. Nothing better than 2 sprint cars driving side by side, slide jobs, the speed and all is awesome. But I've seen some damn good late model and modified races in the last 2 years and it's entertaining. I think with my loss of interest in Napcar the last few years, I've replaced that void with local dirt track racing.

Eric Arnold
Social Media Manager & Track Historian
Knoxville Raceway

Take the Top Wing off of the 305 C.I. Sprint Car & lets see how fast they go especially around the corners.

If we do that then we will put 305's in the late models then.

the 305's were almost 2 seconds a lap faster

Nope. Are you claiming that the 305's are more than a second quicker than the 360's?

The LM track record is 16.631 The 360 track record is 15.973

The group the URSS ran with in KS was the Midwest Dirt Late Model series, a sanctioning body that attempts to bring all sorts of engine packages together with various weight and spoiler differences for the open motor's cars versus the SUPR or IMCA spec motor package, along with weekly spec D55 tires. Think of them as the 305's of the late model world, very easy to believe the sprints were much faster on a big half mile but no comparison to the LM's that run in Knoxville.

Too bad the 305's were replaced by the modifieds for the LM Nat's. The 305's did put on a good show, they looked to be a little slower than the LM's at Knoxville but it certainly did not detract from the action. Yes the LM Nat's will be just as big or bigger than the sprint Nat's very shortly after they remove the 63 car entry limit from the LM's Nats. I believe they can do it next year and have 2 complete but seperate nights of qualifying instead of having all cars run both nights. It will make the Saturday night portion much better and eliminate the need for any support divisions.

Knoxville definitely needs to get rid of the 66 car limit for its nationals & open it up. They don't limit the car count for the 360 C.I or 410 C.I. Nationals. Obvisiouly there's plenty of racers wanting to race the LM nationals since the 66 car field was cut off in early May.

As somone one that can enjoy all forms of short track racing and sees many winged Sprint Car and dirt Late Model races each season, I can't believe the number of people in this thread that believe faster equals better racing. Quicker lap times almost never equates to better racing. That being said, a 305 Sprint Car is, what, 700-800 pounds lighter than a dirt Late Model?

Put the side boards, wings, big humper tires, and no weight limit on the super lates like back in the wedge car days and see how slow those "taxi cabs" are.

For the race fan that just likes great racing and one heck of a party head on out to The World 100 at Eldora Sept. 11-12 and watch anywhere from 180 to 220+ of the best "taxi cabs" in the Country race for the Globe.

I don't think they'd have room for all of them that wanted to come. Look at what happens at the dream and world 100. 200 cars plus more that want to try. Doesn't make sense to me why so many would come with no real chance at it but whatever. What I think would be safe is around 100 cars at knoxville before the pamida lot would be needed as a pit area.