Earl Wagner Is Still Knoxville's Most Winning Driver
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
By Bob Wilson
Earl Wagner, known as the "Pleasantville Plumber" in his heyday of racing, is still Knoxville Raceway's most successful driver, ever. In a listing of drivers who have won races at this historical Central Iowa race track, Wagner, one of Knoxville's early legends, leads Danny Lasoski by only a few race victories.
The list is primarily made up of weekly racing wins including heats and dashes as well as C, B and A Features. It also counts the World of Outlaws events which started here with the 1978 Nationals. And speaking of the Nationals, all races staged during those events are tabulated into the listing. Rare events such as USAC sprints (winged and non-winged), the short-lived USA sprints, IRA sprints and several All Star Circuit of Champions races are also counted. Unusual races such as pursuits, challenges, scrambles, match races and dashes also play in the mix.
Not counted are time trials, 360 events, late model events and midget events. Such divisions as hobby stocks, modifieds, motorcycles and other rarely staged divisions are also left out of this counting. A driver has to reach 40 wins in order to make the final list.
With any luck at all, Lasoski could replace Wagner at the top during this coming season in 2007
Wagner, who began racing here in the mid-1950s, created a stupendous record until his retirement in the mid-1970s. His career saw him racing everything from stock cars to modifieds to the supers to the sprints. Lasoski, on the other hand, attained his first victory at Knoxville in 1983 in a sprint car and he has continued to mount wins here to this very date.
Third on the list is Randy Smith, a second generation driver who had a long and storied career. Like Doug Wolfgang, who is fourth and of legendary status, he is now retired.
Drivers who are ranked in the top ten (besides Lasoski) and are still actively racing are Sammy Swindell (5th), Steve Kinser (6th), Terry McCarl (7th) and Skip Jackson (9th).
TOTAL CAREER RACE WINS AT KNOXVILLE RACEWAY 1954-2006*
Earl Wagner 190
Danny Lasoski 187
Randy Smith 147
Doug Wolfgang 139
Sammy Swindell 125
Steve Kinser 118
Terry McCarl 117
Jerry Blundy 116
Skip Jackson 96
Eddie Leavitt 81
Dean Sylvester 80
Jaymie Moyle 75
John Stevenson 72
Johnny Babb 71
Ray Lee Goodwin 68
Dick Sutcliffe 68
Kenny Crook 67
Tim Green 65
Mark Kinser 61
Johnny Herrera 61
Danny Richardson 57
Bud McCune 57
Jac Haudenschild 57
Joe Saldana 56
Don Droud, Jr. 55
Mike Brooks 54
Lloyd Beckman 51
Jeff Swindell 50
Dean Woolheater 47
Kerry Madsen 47
Bill Utz 46
Jeff Tuttle 46
Brent Antill 46
Craig Dollansky 46
Rocky Hodges 44
Sonny Helms 41
*Includes regular season and Nationals races as well as dashes, scrambles, and special sprint shows. Does not include time trials, 360 events, midgets, late models or other non-weekly racing.
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