Need help editing articles? Start out with the new Introduction to Editing Articles Video.
Steve Kinser
Steve Kinser (1954-) is a sprint car driver on the World of Outlaws racing circuit. He was born on June 2, 1954 in Bloomington and continues to live in the town.
World of Outlaws Racing Circuit
Just like any sport there are levels to sprint car racing. The highest level is the World of Outlaws circuit. The Outlaws were started in 1978 by Ted Johnson. Johnson put together a series that consisted of 41 races in 23 states. In 1978, Steve Kinser won 11 out of the 41 races to become the first WOO champion.
In 1979 the Outlaws added racetracks to the schedule, only to be dominated by Kinser again. Steve won 23 features that year and claimed his second championship. 1980 was more of the same. 28 features were claimed by Kinser on his way to his third championship. In the next two years, Steve found some competition in Sammy Swindell. Swindell won championships in 1981 and 1982 only to be countered the next four years with 70 victories to go with four championships.
In 1987 Kinser won 24 out of the last 26 races for an amazing 46 victories and the 1987 championship. He also obtained his 5th Knoxville Nationals title and set the record for most short track wins in a year with 56. Steve won his 9th title in 1988 with 27 wins.
After winning his 9th title, Kinser was given the Nickname the “King” because he indeed was the king of the Outlaws. Throughout his career, Steve has won 20 World of Outlaw features, 12 Knoxville Nationals, and over 500 WOO races. Steve’s career statistics continue to grow. At 50+ years old, he’s still winning races and championships. Bloomington should be proud to have a native like “The King”.
During the summer if you’ve ever sat outside on a Friday night, you’ve probably heard the roar of the Bloomington Speedway. That would be the sound of the sprint cars racing around the track. (A sprint car is a roughly-900 pound open-wheel car that puts out in excess of 800 BHP at 8000 RPM's. Now that will open your eyes!)
External Links
- Steve Kinser website:
- World of Outlaws website:
