By Bob Baker
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (February 28, 2011) – The National Sprint Car Museum’s “Sprint Car 101” Third Thursday Series will continue on Thursday, March 17, with a special “Salute to Flat Track Motorcycle Racing History in Iowa”. The free and open-to-the-public program will be held on the museum’s second floor and it will begin at 7 p.m. Amongst those flat-track motorcycle riders, builders and promoters who will be present is three-time American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Grand National championship runner-up Rich King of Waterloo.
According to museum curator Tom Schmeh, “We have to thank museum volunteer Bob Colbert for his enthusiasm in coordinating this event, which will help promote Knoxville Raceway’s Classic Flat Track National Championship Series (CFTNCS) and AMA Pro Grand National Championship Series motorcycle events on September 9-10, respectively. It is very exciting for us to host Waterloo’s Rich King, who successfully raced against the likes of Scott Parker, Chris Carr, Jay Springsteen, Kenny Coolbeth, Kevin Atherton, Joe Kopp, Johnny Murphree, Will Davis and even former sprint car racer Steve Morehead. And we are thrilled that others like Bob Weirbach of Ottumwa, Matt George of Runnells, Jerry Cheney of Ottumwa, John Kite of West Des Moines, and Matt Burton of Ottumwa will be joining us that night, too. It is interesting to note that Matt Burton has AMA national number 39 for this coming year, while Rich’s son Aaron King has national number 40. This promises to be another great night for fans of two-wheeled dirt track racing, young and old, as we will also have some vintage flat track motorcycles on hand.”
Those seeking more information on the CFTNCS and AMA schedules are urged to visit http://www.bikedays.com/id52.html and http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/events/, respectively. The Knoxville Raceway web site is www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Those seeking more information on the Sprint Car 101 Third Thursday Series of educational and entertaining programs are urged to visit www.sprintcarhof.com. The non-profit museum’s Thursday, April 21, program will be a “Salute to Gil Sonner,” and it will lead into the Friday-Saturday-Sunday, April 22-23-24, International Reel Wheel Film Festival, which celebrates the automobile and auto racing in film. Knoxville Raceway’s open track practice is slated for Saturday night, April 23.