An Associated Press writer called winning the event "sprint car racing’s premiere title".
The Knoxville Nationals began as a one-day event for Super Modifieds and was later expanded to two, three, and finally four days of racing for Sprint Cars.
Some of the events highlights are its surprise upset winners, most notably being Kenny Gritz in 1969, Bobby Allen in 1990, Tim Shaffer in 2010, and Jason Johnson in 2016.
The 1990 Nationals is regarded as one of the best of all time as Doug Wolfgang, off a poor performance in his qualifying day, was sent to the D Main (one of the lowest levels on Finals Saturday) and advanced through the "alphabet soup" of the D-Main, C-Main, B-Main, and finished fifth in the A-Main.
Unfortunately Gritz lost his life two weeks later in a crash at the Nebraska State Fair where IMCA rules at the time did not allow roll cages.
The most successful driver in Nationals history is Steve Kinser who has won the event a record 12 times.
Other multiple event winners are Doug Wolfgang a five-time champion, Kenny Weld and Danny Lasoski four-time winners, Mark Kinser and Kyle Larson are both three time champions, and Eddie Leavitt has taken the checkers twice.
Other female entrants include Melinda Dumesny (part of both the Nationals-winning Kinser and Dumesny sprint car families) 1991–1992, Lisa French 1992–1993, Shawna Wilsky 1994–1995, Judi Bates 1996–1997, Sarah Fisher 1997–1998, Christi Passmore 2000–2001, Natalie Sather 2005–2006, Becca Anderson 2006, Jessica Friesen (née Zemken) 2006 & 2011, Paige Polyak 2014–2019, Harli White 2017–2019 & 2021-2022, Jenna Frazier 2018, McKenna Haase 2021-2022, and Tori Knutson 2021.
Others have included Skip Jackson, Jaymie Moyle, Kerry Madsen, Ian Madsen, Garry Brazier, Trevor Green, Mitchell Dumesny, Jamie Veal, James McFadden and current one lap track record holder Brooke Tatnell.
In 1991, the Knoxville Raceway started a Nationals event for 360 cubic inch engine sprint cars.
In 2004, the Late Model Knoxville Nationals was created and is held annually at the end of September.
Scott Bloomquist, Brian Birkhofer, Mike Marlar, and Jimmy Owens are the only repeat champions of the event.