KNOXVILLE, Iowa – The highest paying purse in sprint car racing will be $50,000 higher this season.
With the addition of 50 lap sponsors, the winner of the 60th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s could take home a potential $200,000 of a record-setting $1,066,055 total purse.
A $1,000 bonus will be paid to drivers per lap led in the 50-lap finale on Aug. 14. If the winning driver leads all 50 laps, he or she will take home a record-setting $200,000. If the second-place finisher leads all but the final lap, he or she will earn $124,000.
“We are so grateful to every lap sponsor who partnered with us to make this happen,” said Kendra Jacobs, Marketing Director at Knoxville Raceway. “When we started planning the 60th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s, this was something we really wanted to do. Not only does this further reward the drivers, but it also gives so many more companies and individuals an opportunity to be a part of the greatest race of the year.”
The 60th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s will feature the world’s greatest sprint car drivers competing over a four-day period for the most coveted trophy in sprint car racing. The field is split over two qualifying nights with teams accruing points based on their finish in every event of the night. The 16 highest teams in points are locked-in to the top 16 positions of Saturday’s finale.
Drivers not locked in have one more chance to do so during Friday’s FVP Preliminary Night, where the top-four finishers in the night’s feature event automatically transfer to Saturday’s finale. The remaining drivers will work their way through the “alphabet” of features on Saturday in an attempt to transfer into the finale.
“The Knoxville Nationals is the Super Bowl of sprint car racing,” said defending event champion David Gravel, who won the most recent running of the race in 2019. “The format is so unique and puts an emphasis on every lap. Every time you hit the track, you have to be perfect. The whole week puts a lot of pressure on you as a driver.
“This event is already the most prestigious in our sport. Paying more money is the cherry on top. If you think about it, leading 10 of the 50 laps is an extra $10,000 payday for someone. Anytime there’s that incentive or more money to earn, the drivers are all for it.”
The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s also boasts a festival-like atmosphere off the track. With live music, charity events, live stage shows, a kids-only fun zone, fitness activities, a bar crawl and the annual parade, there are events at all times of the day for fans of all age groups.
For more information on the 60th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals, visit www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Tickets for the event are still available for purchase online or by calling the ticket office at 641-842-5431.