- Steve Kinser
accessdate=2008-05-19]
Background
Kinser was a high school wrestler. He finished second in state as a junior, and won state as a senior. Both of his sons wrestled in high school, the youngest Kurt also won state as a senior, capping off the
Bloomington High School South team's excellent season.World of Outlaws career
He became a World of Outlaws driver in 1978. In 1987 he won 46 features, including 12 in a row, and 24 of the last 26 events. He has won the
Knoxville Nationals a record 12 times. He had won twenty WoO championships and 513 "A" features by 2005. He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2005. He has been described as the best sprint racer ever by both columnists and even his rivals.Cite web|url=http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=108094|title=The 10 Best Ever Car/Driver Combos|accessdate=2007-05-07|publisher=Edmunds|year=2005|author=Pete Lyons] Cite web|url=http://www.motorsport.com/magazine/feature.asp?C=Kerbs&D=2005-11-18|title=The 10 Best Ever Car/Driver Combos|accessdate=2007-05-07|publisher=Motorsport|year=2005|author=Joe Jennings]World of Outlaws history:
* 1978- Champion- 11 wins…
* 1979- Champion- 23 wins…
* 1980- Champion- 28 wins…
* 1981- 3rd in points- 23 wins…
* 1982- 2nd in points- 13 wins…
* 1983- Champion- 18 wins…
* 1984- Champion- 19 wins…
* 1985- Champion- 15 wins…
* 1986- Champion – 18 wins…
* 1987- Champion- 46 wins…
* 1988- Champion- 27 wins…
* 1990- Champion- 27 wins…
* 1991- Champion – 36 wins…
* 1992- Champion- 31 wins…
* 1993- Champion- 19 wins…
* 1994- Champion- 29 wins…
* 1995- 9th in points- 18 wins…
* 1996- 4th in points- 10 wins…
* 1997- 3rd in points- 5 wins…
* 1998- Champion- 6 wins…
* 1999- 3rd in points- 11 wins…
* 2000- Champion- 10 wins…
* 2001- 3rd in points- 6 wins…
* 2002- Champion- 20 wins…
* 2003- Champion- 25 wins…
* 2004- Champion 17 wins…
* 2005- Champion- 20 wins.
* 2006- (NST)- 5 wins.
* 2007- 6th in points- 10 wins.Other racing accomplishments
Steve failed to qualify for the
Indianapolis 500 as a 28 year old rookie in 1981 when his month was ended by a practice crash. He returned 16 years later in 1997 and qualified 20th and finished 14th as a 42 year old rookie in aDallara -Oldsmobile . It was his onlyIndy Racing League start.Kinser has been selected several times to compete in the
International Race of Champions , winning a race atTalladega Superspeedway in 1994. He also finished a career best 6th in IROC points in 1994.He began the 1995 season he wanted to be a full time driver but it did not happen
NASCAR Winston Cup driver for his own team , but he was released after only five starts after a best finish of 27th and average finish of 35th.Family
His family is also involved in racing, as his cousin
Mark Kinser , is one of his competitors on the World of Outlaws circuit, and his sonKraig Kinser is a member of Ginn Racing'sdriver development program . Kraig has also won the 2005 Knoxville Nationals. He has two other children, Stevie and Kurt. His cousinSheldon Kinser competed in the CART series and raced in theIndianapolis 500 6 times. Steve is the son ofBob Kinser .Steve's distant cousin
Karl Kinser was Steve's car owner 1978 to 1994. Karl has been the winning car owner and mechanic for 16 World of Outlaws championships and 12Knoxville Nationals wins. Karl was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.References
External links
* [http://www.stevekinser.com Official website]
* [http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=kinsest01 IROC and NASCAR drivers statistics at racing-reference.info]
* [http://www.stevekinser.com/history.htm Biography at stevekinser.com]
* [http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2005/PDF/HRESP/HC0079.pdf Indiana State resolution honoring Kinser]
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