KNOXVILLE, Iowa — It's sad to see a track close but bitter sweet when you can go down in the books as the final winner. As the "Jonestown Jet" Brock Zearfoss led with only a half a dozen laps left. He ran into the back of a slowing car. Zearfoss pushed off and not only held onto his lead out front, but pulled away to be the final winner at Arizona Speedway.
The rich history embedded just under the grandstands. Knoxville Raceway has a cave for their track Hall of Fame inductees and a great way to honor the Knoxville Nationals winners with an Avenue of Champions.
Each track has its own unique way of how the dirt first beings to fly. Knoxville is no different.
“There was a group of stock car racers that just wanted to race cars. They raced at Sheraton, Newton, and Knoxville was kind of in the middle. And, I’ve heard all these stories of how they got fighting and decided. Well, let’s just go to Knoxville. I don’t know why. They started weekly race in 1954 because of that," said John McCoy, Knoxville Promoter and Race Director.
And it wasn’t too long after that, the birth of the one of the most know races in the world, was kicked off, and now running 60 years strong.
“It was a big crowd for the first one. You know, none of this town was out here then. This place was kind of out on it’s own. Except, the bar across the street and ran it out of beer so that was a disaster," McCoy chuckled.
Every town has its own history and what makes a place special to so many that have come throughout the years.