From Bob Baker
Knoxville, IA — (June 14, 2012) — The Knoxville Raceway and the Southern Iowa Speedway, just 26 miles apart on Highway 92 in south central Iowa, are each gearing up for their part in the eleventh annual Cox Design & Metal Fabrication Iowa Speed Week, August 2-11. The overall point champion of the thirteen-race, ten-night series of winged and non-winged sprint car races will earn $2,500 and the title of “Mr. Sprint Car” in honor of the late Jesse Hockett. Sammy Swindell of Tennessee is the two-time and defending Jesse Hockett “Mr. Sprint Car” titlist.
The eleventh annual Cox Design & Metal Fabrication Iowa Speed Week kicks off on August 2-5 at the half-mile Knoxville Raceway dirt track with the twenty-second annual Arnold Motor Supply ‘360’ Knoxville Nationals. The winged 305-cubic-inch sprint car feature on Saturday, August 4, will also be a points-paying round in the ten-night series. On Sunday, August 5, Knoxville Raceway will then host the inaugural Capitani Classic for the winged 410-cubic-inch sprint cars, in honor of long-time director of racing Ralph Capitani.
Action then turns to the Front Row Challenge Enterprises-promoted half-mile dirt oval in nearby Oskaloosa, known as the Southern Iowa Speedway, for the August 6-7 events. The Monday night seventeenth annual Musco Lighting Front Row Challenge is sanctioned by the ‘410’ All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC). Plus, for the first time, the non-winged sprint cars of the United States Auto Club (USAC) will compete in a Cox Design Iowa Speed Week points-paying preliminary feature on Monday night. The Tuesday night eleventh annual Casey’s General Stores Ultimate Challenge, presented by Don Long’s Searsboro Telephone Company and Casey’s General Stores, for traditional non-winged sprinters is also sanctioned by USAC. In addition, the winged ‘305’ sprint cars will compete in a Hinchman Racewear-sponsored points-paying feature race.
Knoxville Raceway takes center stage August 8-11 with the fifty-second annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals, which is the national championship for winged 410-cubic-inch sprint car teams sanctioned by the World of Outlaws (WoO). The Iowa Speed Week points-paying rounds are the RacingJunk.com-sponsored Wednesday, August 8, main event, the Lucas Oil-sponsored Thursday, August 9, preliminary feature and the nineteenth annual Speed Sport Knoxville World Challenge invitational race for the best drivers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States on Friday, August 10. The ‘Granddaddy of Them All’, the 52nd annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals, takes place on Saturday, August 11.
The 2012 Cox Design Iowa Speed Week, awarding the Jesse Hockett “Mr. Sprint Car” title, will be highlighted by thirteen points-paying features over ten nights for four divisions of sprint cars at two different tracks just 26 miles apart in south central Iowa. The history of the Cox Design & Metal Fabrication Iowa Speed Week is as follows:
2011 – 1., Sammy Swindell, Tennessee, 321 points ($2,500); 2., Shane Stewart, Oklahoma, 291 points ($1,000); 3., Jason Johnson, Louisiana, 259 points ($500); 4., Daryn Pittman, Oklahoma, 237 points; 5., Tim Shaffer, Pennsylvania, 227 points.
2010 – 1., Sammy Swindell, Tennessee, 276 points ($2,500); 2., Brooke Tatnell, New South Wales, Australia, 229 ($1,000); 3., Jason Johnson, Louisiana, 219 ($500); 4., Bronson Maeschen, Iowa, 215; 5., Brian Brown, Missouri, 207.
2009 – 1., Terry McCarl, Iowa, 276 points ($2,500); 2., Brian Brown, Missouri, 253 ($1,000); 3., Johnny Herrera, New Mexico, 239 ($500); 4., Shane Stewart, Oklahoma, 224; 5., Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma, 213.
2008 – 1., Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma, 314 points ($2,500); 2., Billy Alley, Nebraska, 274 ($1,000); 3., Brooke Tatnell ($500), New South Wales, Australia, 271; 4., Tyler Walker, California, 261; 5., Jason Johnson, Louisiana, 233.
2007 – 1., Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma, 266 points ($2,500); 2., Kaley Gharst, Illinois, 252 ($1,000); 3., Brian Brown, Missouri, 249 ($500); 4., Shane Stewart, Oklahoma, 192; 5., Jonathan Allard, California, 182.
2006 – 1., Jason Johnson, Louisiana, 309 points ($2,500); 2., Billy Alley, Nebraska, 247 ($1,000); 3., Brian Brown, Missouri, 227 ($500); 4., Don Droud, Jr., Nebraska, 201; 5., Gary Wright, Texas, 187.
2005 – 1., Billy Alley, Nebraska, 303 points ($2,500); 2., Kerry Madsen, New South Wales, Australia, 258 ($1,000); 3., Daryn Pittman, Oklahoma, 235; 4., Jesse Hockett, Missouri, 227; 5., Jesse Giannetto, Iowa, 214.
2004 – 1., Shane Stewart, Oklahoma, 217 points ($3,000); 2., Kerry Madsen, New South Wales, Australia, 183; 3., Zach Chappell, Oklahoma, 182; 4., Tim Kaeding, California, 165; 5., Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma, 160.
2003 – 1., Shane Stewart, Oklahoma, 238 points ($2,500); 2., Erin Crocker, Massachusetts, 186; 3., Travis Rilat, Texas, 183; 4., Kerry Madsen, New South Wales, Australia, 177; 5., Terry McCarl, Iowa, 175.
2002 – 1., Ricky Logan, Arkansas, 202 points ($1,500); 2., Jason Johnson, Louisiana, 186; 3., Daryn Pittman, Oklahoma, 171; 4., Brad Furr, California, 170; 5., Kasey Kahne, Washington, 160.
Those seeking information on the two participating tracks are encouraged to visit their web sites at www.knoxvilleraceway.com and www.oskychallenges.com, respectively. Those seeking more information on title sponsor Cox Design & Metal Fabrication may visit www.cox-design.com.