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

Been waiting many years to make this trip, and wouldn't you know it is finally going to happen when the gas prices are totally out of control. Oh well, you only live once. I'm just wondering if anyone could help with any info about, well basically anything we need to know that we haven't read on the Knoxville Raceway site. There are about 10 of us in a Freightliner with 2 Sprintcars, looking to have as much fun as legally possible. We are 75 feet long and don't have a clue where we can park something like that where we aren't miles away from the track. We want the whole Nationals experience. We are also running the 360 Nationals, and want to at least go watch Oskaloosa. We are leaving B.C. Canada on July 27th and should get there sometime on the 28th or 29th I figure. This is getting long, any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks alot!

Nothing compares to Sprintcar racing on Clay!!

Who's cars are ya hauling?

Call me at 641-218-8271 and ask for Jamie. We have a truck and trailer that is 75 feet long also with room to park another one, one block from the track.

Congrats on finally making it to the Nationals. From one Canadian to another you will enjoy this experience like no other in racing, I'm sure. Not alot of us Canuck at the Nats, but I guess they'd have a ton of trouble with too many of us crazies coming down there LOL!!!! I guess I'll start off by saying if you get there early enough, like Wed or Thurs, find a spot for you're rig behind turns 3-4 and leave it there the whole week. You can camp out there the whole time you're in town. You might want to rent a car for the week in Des Moines, as it would be much easier getting around. I know alot of other guys that do this every year, including myself. You won't have a problem having any fun at the Nats, thats one big reason I attend every year. Dingus is a blast, and the post race parties they have under the front stretch stands are fun too. There are parties all over the campgrounds and other stuff going on all week. Oskie races are great too, night one in Oskie is just a big party, and the second night, the non wing race is tame, but the racing is awesome. You guys are from BC so you must know Chris Schmelzle. I met him at Knoxville a few years ago, great guy!!! He won the E main last year. I'll be arriving Sat Aug 2. I'll make sure to drop by and introduce myself. Anymore questions just ask, I'll be happy to help any way I can.

Have Fun

Drive safe

Kick ass!!!

Knoxville Natioanls attendee since '95
Favorite Tracks...River Cities, Knoxville, Cedar Lake
Favorite Drivers...S.Kinser, T.Kaeding, K.Madsen, S.Smith
Proud Canadian 

Thanks for the info Canucklehead, if we can park in the pits for the whole deal, sounds good to me. You are probably right about too many Canucks could be a little nuts but then again, nothin wrong with Crazy! Our group has been known as "The Crazy Canucks" for many years now, and yes, I do know Chris and he is a great guy. Last time I saw him was at Dirt Cup at Skagit Spwy. in June. Hope he shows up in Knoxville this year. You must be from Alberta, it seems to be one of the only other provinces that has any known Sprintcar racing and racers. I guess there are a few in the east, but too far away for me to know what's going on there. Brock Lemley, ( I've known him since he was about 2)who just won the Gold Cup in Edmonton a couple of weekends ago will also be running the 360 Nationals. I can't wait, I know we are going to have a blast. It sounds like I should get on renting a car. If I can get out of pit duty is it easy enough to get a ticket in the stands because I hear that you can't see much from the pits. That's a long way to travel not to see what I've been waiting to see for many,many years now. Also, can you pitch a tent by your rig in the pits? 10 of us in the freightliner could get a little too cozy, I hear it can be pretty hot and humid there as well. Thanks again!

Nothing compares to Sprintcar racing on Clay!!

the parking he was talking about is outside of track, not much room for a tent near truck but contact the track as they might have room for a tent in the back area of fairgrounds where only races and crews can stay, and that is how you would get pass for the showers there too. It is normally hot and humid during the day but by time you get ready for bed noramlly cooler so not too bad for sleeping in a tent, there is also tent space at oskaloosa in case you do not have a sober driver to drive back to knoxville each night, beleive it or not a week is hard to catch all of nats experiences but if you limit the late night party to decrease daytime hang over it is possible, tickets are easy to get for the stands for all night, toughest seats are for the osky races

How far up in BC are you from? I spent a couple years waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay up North in Hudson Hope up by Dawson Creek and Ft. St. John . Worked on a little dam up there on the Peace River called Portage Mountain Dam and then renamed Nielson Dam. Take care.

My wife told me if I went to one more Sprint Car race 
she would leave me.................I'm sure gonna miss 
that ol' gal. 

I'm actually from the sprint car hotbed of Winnipeg!!! LOL. I grew up only a few miles from my local track, so as a kid I got hooked right away. Never been behind the wheel, but I can appreciate as a fan what it takes to drive one of these beasts. They don't run sprints up here on a regular basis, so I sometimes drive a couple hours south to Grand Forks ND to watch their weekly shows. I get to about 3-4 WoO shows per year plus some Late Model and other dirt track races. I've met several Canadian fans and drivers over the years. Drivers Glenn Styres and Adam West from S. Ontario, and Chris come to mind. I've been going to K'ville since 1995. I no longer drive down, with the price of gas and all. I put my airmiles/aeropoints to good use for the Nationals and fly down. I stay with a family in their basement. Great Folks!!! Renting a car only costs about $150 for the week and its well worth it. I can't imagine getting around town in you're rig or motorhome or bycycle, or walking etc.... The heat can be brutal in Aug!!! Once the Nats get started there'll be about 25000 plus people at the track every night. Parking in behind turn 3-4 is you're best bet. You can easily push all your cars and equipment into the infield pits from there. I know thats what Chris and alot of other drivers do. If you get there by Wed it should be no problem getting a good spot. Many of the teams stay in Newton and the surrounding area, just so they can be away from all the confusion and commotion. But if you guys want the whole Knoxville experience parking/camping near the track is the way to go. Tickets should be no problem, always plenty for Wed-Fri. Saturday might be a different story. If I were you I'd get them as soon as I get there. Do you guys plan to race the whole week?? Oskaloosa??? 360 Nats??? 410 Nats???

Well I hope we can hook up, have a few beer and talk racing. I mean what else is there to do at the Nats!!! LOL

Knoxville Natioanls attendee since '95
Favorite Tracks...River Cities, Knoxville, Cedar Lake
Favorite Drivers...S.Kinser, T.Kaeding, K.Madsen, S.Smith
Proud Canadian 

I got tired of spending so much money coming to the Nationals every year so I retired and moved a block and a half from the greatest sprint car track in the world. Knoxville is a great town.

My wife told me if I went to one more Sprint Car race 
she would leave me.................I'm sure gonna miss 
that ol' gal. 

Everyone in Knoxville I've met and got to know throughout the years has been great. The town really gets behind the Nationals. Folks are very friendly and accomodating to all the visitors who come from all over the world for the races. You are very lucky to have such a great sprint car facility in you're back yard. Fans in the area should keep supporting the weekly local shows as they are some of the best in the country. I would cherish the opportunity to have such a track close to my home.

Knoxville Natioanls attendee since '95
Favorite Tracks...River Cities, Knoxville, Cedar Lake
Favorite Drivers...S.Kinser, T.Kaeding, K.Madsen, S.Smith
Proud Canadian 

If you're going to be in town that early, you should go run the Outlaws show at Burlington on the 30th. It's a great track and the racing has been very good there this year.

The Mermaid

I agree, not only the track but I have met many great people here. It does grieve me how the locals do not really support this facility. Many people from here have never been to the track for a race and others say that it is just too expensive at $12 a head. I spent 39 years in AZ and attended Manzy for years. $12 for a weekly show of 20-25 sprinters and a bunch of crappy supporting classes and if the CRA came in it went up to $15 or more and maybe 32 cars. Here on an average Saturday night we might have 26-35 410's and 32-38 360's for maybe 70-75 cars and pure sprint car races and we usually are done by 10:15 or so. I have never seen a facility clear up a track so quick for a yellow or red flag and keep the action going. People don't appreciate what they have. I am sure it is the same at other tracks also.

My wife told me if I went to one more Sprint Car race 
she would leave me.................I'm sure gonna miss 
that ol' gal. 

Hey Canucklehead, I was born in Winnipeg, no offense but I am very glad my dad got a transfer out to the westcoast when I was a kid, but still have a lot of relatives there. I saw the Outlaws at Winnipeg Spwy. in there 1st year, 1978. The track had ruts in it that could swallow up a sprintcar, and tried. The boys wouldn't run on it until they fixed it up, and they did what they could and we went racing. Wow, it doesn't seem like 30 years ago? To answer a couple of ??'s, We are going to run as many races as we can, we only have 1-360 motor and 1-410 motor, but they are both fresh so that shouldn't be a problem. XX, this is me crossing my fingers because crazy crap has happened this year. We definately want to be in the middle of all the commotion, or I could be speaking for myself seeing as, unfortunately, I'm not the driver. I am a professional spectator and benchracer, so that beer and race talk is right up my alley. mermaid, where is Burlington from Knoxville? lake_carl, thanks for the info, also, I'm lucky enough not to get hangovers, and that's partying into the wee hours, so I'm hoping to catch as much as possible all around. darbo42, I would feel privileged to be able to watch a weekly show of 70-75 "SPRINTCARS" only. Man, that would be livin! $12.00, where are you going to get that kind of entertainment, that cheap. I find it hard to believe that place wouldn't be packed every weekend, that's a bummer, hard on promoters. My local track(Skagit) doesn't have that big a field of Sprintcars, we're lucky to get a full 18 car main. We usually do in the 410 class, just barely and sometimes in the 360's and rarely in the Sportsman class but that doesn't stop me from supporting the place every weekend for the past 35 years. Even with the junk filler class, that's just a good time to get, and get rid of a beer. Although past years have been waaaaaay better. The only time I miss is when I'm at a track elsewhere. Thanks for the info, and any more would be much appreciated.

Nothing compares to Sprintcar racing on Clay!!

Forgot to answer your ? darbo. I'm a Canuck, but I live just across the border in a little town called Deming,Wa. Home of Deming Speedway, where you'll see some of the best Minisprint racing in the country. All the best 360 & 410 drivers around this area got there start right here at "The biggest, little race track in the world" Kasey Kahne started here, and I could go on and on. Anyway, all the other Canucks I'm heading east with are all around the Vancouver area, so not too far from the Wa. border.

Nothing compares to Sprintcar racing on Clay!!

Yeah BC is way beautiful. Some of my family hightailed it out there a few years ago too. But Winnipeg gets a bit of a bad rap sometimes. Mostly due to the weather I guess. The crime rate is way out of control round here too, one of the highest in Canada. Still much lower then most major US cities tho. I compare Winnipeg to Des Moines in alot of ways, about the same size, agricultural area and all!! I was just a teenager when the WoO first came up here, I believe it was '80-'81. They were just small time back then. Who'd a thought it would be what it is today. The track is still there and running every week. New owners have spent alot of money on renovations over the last 4-5 years and its a rather nice facility now. We average about 2000 fans weekly but when the NOSA sprints come to town we've gotten up to 6000 fans in the place. I keep hoping the WoO come back, but the owners feel its too big a riskat this time for some reason. I'll just have to keep nagging them on that!! We're hoping to get them up here in the future though. What's the name of you're driver by the way???

Good luck to you guys at the Nationals

Knoxville Natioanls attendee since '95
Favorite Tracks...River Cities, Knoxville, Cedar Lake
Favorite Drivers...S.Kinser, T.Kaeding, K.Madsen, S.Smith
Proud Canadian 

sprintified, when you pull into town you will realize that rigs park just about where ever the heck they want! plenty of parking lots with space to park your rig. the thing is most who do that have some one with a pickup and a flat open trailer to haul their stuff into the infield to pit as no rigs are allowed in the infield during nats week. mules and 4 wheelers are pushing cars into the fairgrounds from down the block and across the street and..well from everywhere. though the cops have gotten tougher about that. as someone said if you can get there soon enough you can park in the fair grounds and if you are lucky even find a spot close to the camping there. at this time i don't know if you would be able to get a campsite. [email protected] this may not be the correct person to email to find out info, but i'm sure they can direct you. good luck. let them know you plan to race and want to try to do the right thing and not screw up on your first trip!!

Man, you leave the computer for a day or 2 and you have to search for the thread, I guess that's what happens with a site as popular as "Hoseheads". I just wanted to thank everyone for the info and will welcome anymore. Now about the driver, well he'll probably be one of the oldest guys out there but he's all about having a good time and that's what this trip is all about. Like Steve says "I might be in the Z-Main but I'll be having a blast". The driver is the infamous Steve Dyer #9A or #9 EH if you'd like the Canuck version. Steve is always just a riot to be around so I am really looking forward to my first trip to knoxville being with this group of crazies. Come on over and have that beer Canucklehead and anyone else who dares. I love to meet anyone involved in Sprintcars, being the junkie that I am. Benchracing is my forte. Thanks again, see ya in Knoxville!!

Nothing compares to Sprintcar racing on Clay!!

Chris won't be making the trip east this year, was supposed to run ascs northwest speedweeks also but he took over Lejune performance up on the island and they are very busy. Plus his 410 motor is in some serious need of upgrading and he would want to stay for both 360 and 410 nationals.

Hey Sprintified...

34 Raceway is located just west of Burlington. It's right on HWY 34... maybe a couple hours south-east of Knoxville.

WOO to be there in one week from tonight!

www.34raceway.com