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Tuesday, July 3, 2007
By Kathy Bell – Knoxville, Iowa – Can you believe it’s almost time for the 47th Annual Super Clean Knoxville Nationals? This summer has truly flown by and I can’t believe Nationals is just around the corner.
As we gear up for the Nationals I’d like to remind race media members to get their credential requests submitted by July 25. I just met with Brian Stickel, Knoxville Raceway Director of Marketing and he said he’s still looking forward to receiving copies of the published stories and photos taken from last year’s event. Please, don’t send your requests to me, I just hand them out during Nationals week. Send them to Brian at the racetrack.
I’ve seen so many past Knoxville Nationals that I all but forgot who won last year. I was talking with Donny Schatz for his pre-Nationals interview and I said to him, now you won the Nationals last year, didn’t you? The years can really run together.
This Sunday, July 8 is the deadline for the Knoxville Nationals Queen’s Contest. Christi Woodruff has stepped up to direct the contest, filling the vacant shoes of my dear friend and race Mother, Kathy Visser, who passed away earlier this year.
Christi said she would like to see somewhere around 15 young ladies entered in this year’s pageant. Entering the contest is easy and don’t think you have to be part of a team to do it. Being a die-hard fan in the stands meets the criteria. If you love sprint car races and want to represent the Knoxville Raceway, copy off the entry form on the Knoxville website, fill it out, and mail it in.
Christi said she’s asking each girl who enters to write a one to two paragraph essay about why they would like to be the Knoxville Nationals Queen. I think that is a good idea and as Christi and I talked about it, it will help the judges get a little bit of background on the girls so they don’t ask them questions way over their heads. For instance, if your dad races and you’re around the pits or shop you might know the compound for a right rear tire. If you’re a fan from the stands you might not. Then again, I know some pretty intelligent female race fans who could probably change the right rear all by themselves.
If you are chosen as the 2007 Knoxville Nationals Queen and her Court you will get week-long complimentary pit passes from the Knoxville raceway, the opportunity to mix with the drivers and teams, have your pictures taken in victory lane and represent the Knoxville Raceway and Knoxville Nationals at several major events, all week long.
According to Christi, there are also some really awesome complimentary gifts for competitors such as money, jewelry, gift certificates and driver t-shirts. The Queen and her Court will also have their very own autograph session, this year.
The Knoxville Nationals Queen Contest is scheduled for Tuesday, August 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Dyer Hudson building on the Marion County Fairgrounds (the long white building behind the ticket office). It is open to the public at no charge and there will be a dance following the ceremony. For more information on the contest feel free to contact Christi Woodruff at 641-218-6083.
Last year after the Super Clean Knoxville Nationals I saw Donny Schatz take a bottle of Super Clean off the podium after we wrapped up the press conference following his big win. Since there was another bottle left, which we had put up front for decoration and because they are the major sponsor for the big event, I asked if I could take that bottle home.
Honestly I had never used Super Clean and all I knew about it was the name attached to the Knoxville Nationals. Now, I can tell you plenty about it. It is a multi-purpose cleaner. I have used it around my home in many different ways. I mix it with water to clean my bathroom floor and shower and in the kitchen and on the off-season when I clean the inside of my vehicle I use a little Super Clean and water. I also put some in the washing machine to help whiten up my white t-shirts I wear to the racetrack and on one occasion I used it on Kinser.
Kinser (my puppy) had gotten into something on a friend’s farm and he came home with a horrible skunky smell. I mixed some water and a little bit of Super Clean poured it over him then hosed him down. The label doesn’t say “for use with pets” but it worked. Just make sure you keep it out of their eyes. So, even Kinser’s been Super Cleaned, on one occasion.
If you have any questions about this year’s 47th Annual Super Clean Knoxville Nationals, let me know and I’ll either try to find you an answer or send you in the right direction. This Saturday night is twin-features at the Knoxville Raceway. Don’t miss out on twice the excitement under one outdoor sky. Until next time, be safe and keep on turning left. I can be reached at kbel@iowatelecom.net.
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