The King starts farewell tour

[Frasson118]

Steve Kinser has announced his final year will be 2014, starting in Australlia, and ending in Charlotte in November.

This means that he will be turning laps locally for the last time this coming February.

There's not all that many racers that I knew of before I ever moved to Florida that are still active today. More than 33 years now in my case..... that's a looooong career in such a dangerous segment of the sport. Everyone else besides Slammin Sammy have come & gone since then.

Make it out to either an Ocala or Volusia show during Speedweeks to say adios to a true racing icon. Farewell to The King Tour.

[egspeedway]

A true American hero. His domination of the most demanding and dangerous motor sport in the world is without peer. You have 30 to 40 laps, not hundreds to get the job done and no one has done it better. I hope his tour is filled with wins and adoration from the fans and fellow competitors. Thanks for the memories and congratulations for a job well done.

[Frasson118]

...... well stated EGS...!

[ancrdave]

Steve has been doing this a long time... His dad Bob was a top Sprint Car racer in his own right... I took this photo of Bob Kinser at Golden Gate in 1977... The photo of Steve is at East Bay in 1979 and the color shot is Steve running at Golden Gate trying to qualify for the Florida 500 in 1978...

Few know that before becoming a race driver, Steve was a wrestler in high school and won the Indiana state championship in his weight class as a senior at Bloomington High School...

[Frasson118]

Another little known fact..... Steve almost didn't get he chance to begin with. His cousin Karl Kinser, himself an absolute genius, originally had Dick Gaines in his cars, and when Gaines got out of the sport, Karl originally hired Danny Smith (who is also still racing to this day). When Danny quit the ride (if I recall, it was to take the ride in the Kenny Rogers Gambler car), Karl hired Steve.

If Danny had not left, Steve Kinser may have never had a chance in a top car, possibly THE BEST car in the country.

The Karl/Steve Kinser combo set all the records that Sorint car racing had ever seen, until Steve went NASCAR racing with the Kenny Bernstein team (ironically called 'King Racing'). By the time Steve came back to Sprint cars, Karl had already put son Mark in the seat (who had been running a team car to Steve prior to that).

Steve had to start back over from the ground up with his own team that he won more races, and a few more championships.

So if Danny Smith had never quit, the world may have ever known the name Steve Kinser.... who became "King" along the way.

Another tidbit here.... I saw a stat years ago that showed that every time the WoO went to a track for the first time, Steve wound up winning..... 48 times IN A ROW....!

That ain't luck.... that's TALENT...!

[clincher47]

It's my understanding that Steve will race selected events after 2014. Next year will be his last attempt at a WOO championship.

[egspeedway]

The thread on 4M implied that he would no longer chase points so I guess we still may have the honor of his presence at Knoxville Eldora Charlotte and Williams Grove. One can only hope.

[palmbayer]

If only Sheldon would have lived......
We would be still talking about a Kinser. Damn, he could wheel a race car...any race car. He would have turned 71 last Tuesday.