KNOXVILLE, Iowa – The Priority Aviation $20,000 Knoxville Nationals Sponsorship Program, benefiting the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, returns this year with a twist.
Drivers planning on competing at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa in either the 360 or the 410 Knoxville Nationals are eligible.
The drivers or teams who raise the most funds for the non-profit museum through memberships or donations will again be rewarded with cash bonuses.
In addition to the $20,000 first place prize from Richard and Jennifer Marshall of Priority Aviation for the driver and team raising the most funds for the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, the second place earner will be awarded $10,000 and the third place earner will receive $5,000.
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee Lance Dewease of Fayetteville, Pa., was the recipient of the $20,000 sponsorship during the program’s inaugural season in 2019.
The program brought in over $60,000 that year for the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum.
“It really meant a lot for us getting to Knoxville,” said Dewease. “We worked really hard at trying to win that deal. The fans did a wonderful job raising the money (for the museum). What Priority Aviation did was just great, and what they continue to do with the support of our sport that we all love so much is unbelievable. My hat’s off to them.”
The contest was halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but any donations made will carry over to this season. Robbie Kendall of Catonsville, Md., leads in those donations that are being carried over.
“The inaugural sponsorship contest delivered everything Jennifer and I hoped for and more: from the phenomenal driver-fan engagement to the creative and suspenseful competition,” said Richard Marshall. “At the end, we got to award a winner who may not have otherwise got to go to the Nationals and saw a successful fundraiser for the Hall of Fame and Museum. The decision to do it again was a no-brainer. With the addition of second and third-place awards, we hope to encourage all to keep up the effort to the last day. We are super excited to see this year’s contest begin.”
“We can’t thank Richard and Jennifer Marshall enough for thinking of us again with their Priority Aviation $20,000 Sponsorship,” added Bob Baker, executive director of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum. “Their generosity to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum and the sport in general has been and continues to be extremely important in its growth. Adding a second and third place prize only adds to the excitement of their program. It will be good to see not only one team, but three rewarded for their contributions to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum.”
All that sprint car teams and fans need to do is have their prospective members or donors visit www.SprintCarStuff.com and order a membership there, or contact the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum.
If ordering online, specify a driver or race team in the “Notes” section on the final page.
The driver or team with the highest amount in donations returned to the museum before July 31 at 6 p.m. CT will receive the $20,000 sponsorship funding.
Memberships start at only $25 per year, but any donation amount will be accepted.