Kendra Jacobs

The Sunday following the Knoxville Nationals is possibly the most depressing day I’ve ever encountered…repeatedly. It doesn’t get any different with age or time. I have to admit I was still pretty teary-eyed and choked up leaving the track again this morning.
When I went to bed the fairgrounds was alive with drivers, crewmembers and fans alike toasting the week and each other. The energy level was high and everyone was happy. Good times. Good people.
Just hours later the only thing moving was a motorhome, easing its way quietly out of its assigned spot and out the gate. Those who had ventured outside were slow moving. The smiles had faded and friendly gestures consisted of only a slight nod. Reality had set in. The greatest week in sprint car racing had ended. And what a week it was.
Prior to last night’s race I really think I could have picked 10 legitimate drivers with a shot at winning the Knoxville Nationals. The field was so full of talent, clear to the back of the field. There were some drivers that I was surprised weren’t in the A-Main, including Knoxville Raceway point leader Danny Lasoski, Jason Sides who’s arguably had his best season to date, Dusty Zomer who’s won several Knoxville shows this year, Pennsylvania Posse standout Greg Hodnett, and quite possibly the crowd favorite, Jac Haudenschild. To say we were missing such great drivers in the field, but still had the depth we did, I think, shows the immense talent pool we have in the sport right now.
However, the crowd in the grandstands was noticeably lower than what I’ve seen in the past. Rumors swirled that nearly 10,000 tickets were still available. And this is one of very few years I can remember, maybe only the second year I can remember, that we didn’t have 100+ cars.
So what’s to blame and what’s the solution? The economy? Gas prices? Are we at the point where we’re going to have to choose 360 engines or 410s and finally get back to one universal form of great sprint car racing? There are no easy answers and it’s going to take cooperation across all series, promoters, tracks and drivers to find them.
In the end, it was Donny Schatz that took the checkers, winning his fifth Knoxville Nationals title. He now ties Doug Wolfgang for the second most Nationals wins, behind only Steve Kinser who has an amazing 12. He had a fast race car and made some daring moves from the drop of the green flag to get to the point. He wasted no time and that was pivotal.
Then there’s Shane Stewart. This guy passed more cars than anyone else all weekend long. On Friday he went from 17th to second in the Race of Champions. He climbed from 13th to second in the World Challenge. And on the big night, when it counted, he again fell just feet short of scoring his first ever Knoxville Nationals win, charging from 17th to second. His starting position hurt him, but even more than that, he didn’t go anywhere in the first 10 laps, leaving him basically a 40-lap race to get the win. It wasn’t enough. I do think, however, that five more laps and we would have seen Stewart take it all.
Austin McCarl destroyed his race car on the first lap of the A-Main, possibly the most damage I’d seen to a car all week. He walked away uninjured. Also witnessed what could have been a record-setting amount of blown engines throughout the week. It’s a costly week for sure for these race teams, but it’s also the week that it’s worth the most.
Big props to Ralph Capitani and the staff at Knoxville Raceway for the Friday-night format change. The “revenge draw” line up for the Race of Champions was a big hit. I look for many other tracks across the country and possibly some other series to adopt this concept.
A conversation on Wednesday night with some Aussie fans peaked my interest throughout the week: The lack of safety mandates in the sport. It’s a big concern of mine and something I think, if researched and implemented in the right way, could be a monumental step in the right direction for the sport.
My other concern is getting the fans excited and involved in the sport again. The overall energy of the week was down. Creative marketing and promoting could get the fans back to the track all day, rather than just for the race. I look for Knoxville to continue to think of new ways to intrigue the fans and get them involved and excited about the sport again.
The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame is a must see. Beyond the history of the sport that’s displayed and honored, the entertainment aspect of the building is phenomenal. A full theater on the second level plays racing videos all day from all eras of the sport. The second level also hosts an open party-feel atmosphere for fans to watch the night’s event. That’s where I was honored to sit each night. Not only was the view fantastic, but sitting with fans from all over the country cheering on different drivers was both fun and educational. I had a blast with everyone up there. Also got the opportunity to introduce a lot of them to Twitter. Hopefully I converted a few.
Finally, a big thank you to Jeanne Butler and everyone at Butlerbuilt. Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to make the trip to God’s Country. She’s also one of the most forward-thinking people in the sport on safety issues and for that, she has my respect and support. To Tim Shaffer, Jason Sides and their race teams for always making me feel welcome. My parents for putting up with me all week invading their space, hogging the water and using all of the electricity. (Yes, a few breakers were blown with all of my chargers.) And to all of the fans who followed on Twitter and got me even more excited about this sport and what lies ahead.
It’s over for now, but I’m already looking forward to the 2012 Knoxville Nationals. No doubt it will be a great one. I should probably start shopping for my plane tickets now. And, trust me, so should you!

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