By Bill W
July 16, 2011 โ An exciting announcement surrounding the Friday night format of the 51st Annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals finds a program change. A $60,000 Race of Champions will be run as a substitute for the Scramble format used for several years on Friday night.
2010 410 track and series champions are eligible for the 20-lap event that will pay a $60,000 purse, with $10,000 paid to the winner and $1,000 to start. In addition, all former Knoxville Raceway 410 track champions and all former Knoxville Nationals champions are eligible. Sixteen champions are already pre-entered for the Nationals and will be eligible to compete in this race. A โreverse drawโ involving all competitors will line up the event.
Track and series champions not yet entered in the Nationals will also be eligible with their pre-entry and participation in the 51st Annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals held August 10-13. Eighty pre-entries have been received thus far, with more coming in daily.
Those champions eligible for the event who have already entered the Nationals include:
1, Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN โ 1983 Nationals champ
D4, Danny Holtgraver, Pittsburgh, PA โ Lernerville Speedway champ
6, Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, IN โ 2005 Nationals champ
11, Steve Kinser, Bloomington, IN โ 12-time Nationals champ
12, Lynton Jeffrey, Prairie City, IA โ Husetโs Speedway champ
15, Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND โ 4-time Nationals champ
17B, Billy Balog, Eau Claire, WI โ IRA champ
21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO โ 2-time Knoxville Raceway champ
21M, Brian Montieth, Phoenixville, PA โ Lincoln Speedway champ
33, Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO โ 8-time Knoxville track champ, 4-time Nationals champ
39, Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, PA โ Williams Grove Speedway champ
45x, Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque, NM โ 2-time Knoxville track champ
55, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA โ 6-time Knoxville track champ
57, Shane Stewart, Bixby, OK โ Skagit Dirt Cup champ
83x, Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA โ Defending Nationals champ and All Stars champ