Outlaw Sprints - Tony Stewart Racing Tandem Looking To Make History at Knoxville

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 10, 2011: The stage doesn’t get any bigger. Sprint car racing’s biggest event, the Goodyear Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals, is the ultimate test for Winged Sprint car teams from around the globe. Four grueling nights play out in Middle America as more than 30,000 fans from the world over flock to the central Iowa town with a population of just under 10,000 citizens to experience all the drama and see which driver and team can earn the coveted Knoxville Nationals crown. Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz have each mastered the Nationals in the past, combining for 16 Nationals titles, and both are hungry to return to the sport’s pinnacle.

Wednesday night, Kinser and Schatz will hit the track and begin chasing history. Kinser, driver of the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Chevrolet Maxim, has a record 12 Knoxville Nationals championships, and Schatz, who will race the TSR No. 15 STP/Armor All/Chevrolet J&J, has four Knoxville titles.

The Nationals begin Wednesday with the first of two qualifying nights. Each car entered will collect points throughout a qualifying program. Every time the car hits the track, points are awarded. The goal is 500 points, which can be obtained only by turning the fastest lap in qualifying, winning a heat race and winning the preliminary feature. Kinser and Schatz will both be in the opening-night field, each eyeing a return trip to victory lane. Following Thursday’s program, the drivers will be ranked by points accumulated, and the driver with the most points accumulated earns the pole position for Saturday night’s 50-lap A-Main.

The statistics Kinser has amassed during his illustrious career are by far the best of any driver who has competed in the tradition-filled event. Wednesday, “The King of the Outlaws” will begin his quest to qualify for his 34th career Nationals A-Main. The Bloomington, Ind., racer has 14 podium finishes. Ten times he has started on the front row and came out as the victor. He has won his qualifying-night feature on 14 occasions and has led more laps than any other driver (302).

Kinser won his first Knoxville Nationals in 1980 and followed that with two more consecutive triumphs. He put together a second three-race winning streak from 1986 to 1988, and won a record five in a row from 1991 to 1995. He scored his 12th – and most recent – Knoxville Nationals triumph in August 2002. Last year, Kinser’s Nationals started fast as he was Thursday night’s fastest qualifier. In the 50-lap finale, he was running in third position with 33 laps complete when a broken crankshaft ended his run toward victory number 13.

Schatz will be competing in his 18th Nationals. After failing to make the Nationals A-Main in his first four tries, he has made the last 13. He made a name for himself in 2000 by leading the first 25 laps before ultimately finishing second. The following season, he earned his first career win at Knoxville Raceway during his preliminary night. In 2002 and 2003, he won his qualifying feature and finished second in the finals. In 2006, he broke through and earned the biggest victory of career by winning the Nationals. In 2007, he came back and led all 30 laps of the race to make it two straight. In 2008, he used a lap-23 restart to pass Jason Meyers to win his third in a row and, in 2009, he drove past Joey Saldana with seven laps remaining to score his fourth Knoxville crown. Last year, Schatz was looking to make it five straight, but his motor soured while he was leading with two laps to go. The four-time WoO champion was able to finish second, which marked the ninth time in the last 11 Nationals that Schatz finished either first or second.

Both TSR cars will not only include the brand marks from partners Bass Pro Shops, STP, Armor All, J.D. Byrider and Chevrolet, but also the names of lucky fans who participated in a special 2011 Knoxville Nationals Sign & Ride promotion. The names of more than 1,000 fans will appear on each car as both Kinser and Schatz seek another title at Knoxville. The cars filled up with names so fast that TSR has added more for Saturday’s finale. Fans who want a chance at their names being placed on the car can visit www.tonystewartracing.com/knoxville2011. The website will take fans through a registration process that asks for name, e-mail address, ZIP code and birth year. Entries will only be taken until 10 a.m. (EDT) Friday. The final names will be added to the cars on Saturday afternoon at the team’s transporters.

Race fans unable to attend this week’s races can keep up with the event by visiting www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com. All the action will be carried live on DIRTVision.com. Fans can listen live as Johnny Gibson, “Voice of the Outlaws,” calls the action. Go to www.DIRTVision.com for more information on all the site features, including updated results from each night of racing.

SPEED delayed broadcast of Saturday night’s finale will air Sunday, Sept. 4 at noon EDT.

Steve Kinser, Driver of the No. 11 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Chevy/J.D. Byrider Maxim:

The Knoxville Nationals is the sport’s biggest event and one that you dominated for many years. Last year, you were right in the mix until you had a part failure. Does last year’s run give you any added confidence for this year’s race?

“The competition out here keeps getting tougher and tougher. It’s been quite a while since I really was up there on Saturday night with a chance to win. We have been decent, but not in contention. Last year, I really felt good about our chances. We were right there with Sammy (Swindell) and Donny at the break and then broke a motor while running third. That’s just part of this race. You have to be there at the end.”

You mentioned that your goal is to be in contention to win on Saturday night. Is there a formula that you hope to follow to be there at the end on Saturday night?

“It starts with having a good car and that comes from your team being prepared. The Bass Pro Shops guys have worked hard this week to get us ready, so now I know it’s just about turning a good lap in qualifying. Last year, we were able to turn a good lap and that helped give us a chance. As far as racing goes, you never know what’s going to happen to you when you’re out there. You can lead the entire race and something happens to you on the last lap – a tire goes down or something – and the guy in second can pass you to win. That’s what happens. Just because you’ve been leading for the entire race, it doesn’t mean you are going to win it. Look at the last year’s Nationals and even the Kings Royal a few weeks ago. You have to be there and then be able to finish.”

You’ve admitted that as long as you are competitive and challenging for championships you’ll keep racing. With five Outlaw wins this year, you are currently third in the WoO standings. That proves you’re still competitive. Does any of your past success help you as you enter another Knoxville Nationals?

“I don’t know about all the stuff from the past. Maybe I have accomplished a lot in my career, but I want to accomplish more. I still want to win another (WoO) championship, and I still want to win another Knoxville Nationals. I still want to win every night I’m out there. It’s harder to win nowadays than it used to be, but I still want to win. This race is such a big deal and my desire to win is as strong as ever. I’m really looking forward to this week.”

Donny Schatz, Driver of the No. 15 TSR/STP/Armor All/Chevrolet J&J:

Last year, you came up about a mile short of claiming a record-tying fifth Knoxville Nationals. Is that something that still eats at you?

“Any time you come up short of your goals, there’s a fire that fuels you to try to get back on top. We were a second-place car last year, both at Knoxville and in the World of Outlaws championship. After winning four straight years, second doesn’t sit really well with us. We’ve tried to learn as much as we can since last year and we’re going to do our best to get back on top.”

Last year’s second-place finish was the fifth time you came home second, but really the first time you were lucky to finish second. Everyone talks about “luck” at the Nationals. How important is it?

“You need some luck on your side in this sport. Racing is that way, because you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time and find yourself in trouble. Finishing second last year was kind of a blessing. It could’ve easily been 20th. On Saturday night, we hurt a motor racing with Sammy for the lead, and I was lucky to hang on and finish second. I’d say that was some good luck. If you look back to our qualifying night, we were pretty fortunate, too. We were running second to Sammy in the prelim feature and my right-rear tire started going down. The tire blew just past the flagstand on the final lap. One more lap, and I would have been in big trouble. Anyone who doesn’t think luck is a big part of the Nationals is just kidding himself.”

Your results at Knoxville over the last decade have been pretty remarkable. Nine times in the last 11 Knoxville Nationals, you have finished first or second. Any particular reason you can point to as why you’ve been so good there for so long?

“Knoxville is one of those places we figured out early in my career, and our program seems to fit that place. I really started feeling comfortable in 2000, when Kenny Woodruff started working with me at the Nationals. We went out and led the first 25 laps before Mark Kinser passed me. The next year, we sat on the pole but lost a tire on the opening lap heading into turn one. We came back the next year (2002) and ran second to Steve Kinser. Finishing second four times taught me a lot about how to win that race. Sammy had us covered last year. I tried everything I could. When he blew a tire, I remember a push-truck driver saying ‘Oh, you’ve got this one,’ and I was like, ‘No, don’t say that.’ Tim (Shaffer) did a great job and passed us to win it. The numbers are pretty incredible but, right now, we’re focused on this week. Experience in this race is really important.”