The highest paying purse in sprint car racing is $50,000 higher in 2021. 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 total, 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 Saturday, August 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 further reward the drivers, but also give 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 champion David Gravel. “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, follow @KnoxvilleRaces on Twitter and like the track on Facebook and Instagram. Tickets for the event are still available for purchase online or by calling the ticket office at 641-842-5431.
Full List of Lap Sponsors:1. National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum 2. Gary Phillips, Real Estate Appraiser 3. Three Seasons Lawn Care 4. Chalk Stix Torsion Bars – Parker Price-Miller5. Port Royal Speedway 6. KRCO 7. Dennison Racing Tee’s 8. Golf Cars of Iowa 9. Prairie Meadows Casino and Hotel 10. DIRTCar Nationals11. Winged Nation 12. K1 RaceGear 13. Marion County Fair Board 14. JD Welding & Machine 15. GO SHATZ! From Pella Motors 16. Carman Trucking 17. Nemesis Design Studio18. I-80 Speedway19. Smith Titanium 20. In Memory of Jay “J-Bird” 21. Marlowe’s Metal Fabricating 22. Capital Sign Co. 23. Buckeye Hone Company 24. Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation 25. Roose Family 26. Elliott’s Custom Trailers and Golf Carts 27. In Memory of Greg Hodnett 28. Premier Speedway, Warrnambool, Australia. Home of The Grand Annual Sprint Car Classic!29. Jack Berry Racing Australia 30. Celebrating Bobby Allen’s 1999 Victory – Drydene Performance Products 31. In Memory of Francis Heid 32. Hauge Farms 33. Dave Heskin Sr./Curt Fast Memorial Lap 34. SPEED SPORT 35. Progressions Salon & Day Spa 36. Four C’s Construction 37. Bill “Dirt” and Steve Landers 38. In honor of Phil and Michelle Jordison Australia 39. Brownells 40. DIRTVision 41. Jonestown KOA 42. Marlowe’s Metal Fabricating 43. Schoenfeld Headers 44. In Memory of Don Swope 45. XYZ Machining 46. In honor of Valentino from Moto GP 47. NOS Energy Drink 48. In memory of Jerry Crabb 49. Sage Fruit Company 50. Casey’s
Knoxville Raceway PR
