T.J.’s Notebook: Wrapping Up the 2017 Knoxville Nationals

(l to r) Third Place Kerry Madsen, winner Donny Schatz, and second place Kyle Larson with the Knoxville Nationals Queen and her court. (Mark Funderburk photo) Closing out the Knoxville Nationals with some sort of column/blog is always the most difficult task I face every year. Trying to convey the biggest four days of sprint car racing in the world is a challenge, but I tried my best to take you along for the ride sort of speak virtually everywhere I went. With that in mind here are some of my final thoughts on the 2017 Nationals. Money Schatz Another chapter of Knoxville Nationals history has been written and for the 10th time Donny Schatz’s name was recorded as the victorious driver. Schatz’s run of Nationals titles is remarkable considering all the potential pitfalls drivers manage to avoid in the Knoxville Nationals format. Schatz’s victory isn’t so much about equipment as it is the people. The length of time Schatz and Ricky Warner have spent working together on the grueling World of Outlaws circuit is remarkable. Even successful combinations of people find ways to implode with the grind. The people involved are a large part of why you rarely see [...]