By Dave Argabright
In 1967 a 13-year-old Indiana boy wandered throughout the Marion County Fairgrounds on a hot August afternoon. The Super Modified National Championship—now known as the Knoxville Nationals—was underway and the place was jumping with activity. Race cars were being serviced in the barns that dotted the grounds, and crowds of people milled about, some gathering to watch high-stakes card games that sprang up in each of the barns. The boy was mesmerized by the energy and excitement that permeated the scene.
He had come to Knoxville to watch his father race in the Nationals. As far back as he could remember, the boy was utterly absorbed in sprint car racing, and he talked his father into allowing him to tag along for the Iowa trip. When they arrived in Knoxville they staked out a spot alongside the railroad tracks on the south side of the fairgrounds and pitched a small tent. For the next several nights this was home for Steve Kinser, his father Bob, and their longtime friend and mechanic Galen Fox.
The Nationals was unlike anything young Kinser had ever seen. For three glorious days and nights racing was the center of the universe. As the afternoon sun faded in the western sky and the cars were rolled into the infield, young Steve climbed into the wooden grandstands to watch history unfold. As another spectacular Iowa sunset came and went his mind was fertile with possibilities.
Someday I want to do this. Here. Someday.
As the fortunes of sprint car history unfolded over the next several decades, “someday” became reality. Steve Kinser rose from humble beginnings to become the most successful and the most consequential sprint car driver in history. Steve’s documented 958 sprint car wins is peerless. His impact at the Knoxville Nationals ultimately proved historic, with 12 titles and an unprecedented 34 consecutive Saturday night A-main appearances.
Steve’s impact goes far beyond his mind-boggling numbers. His intensity, his drive, his toughness, and his powerful will to win combined to create a once-in-a-lifetime personality that mesmerized the motorsports world. It isn’t hyperbole; it isn’t embellishment; it isn’t exaggeration. Steve Kinser experienced a career beyond any other.
That’s the prevailing theme of Steve’s new autobiography, “KINSER,” which is now available. Go to www.daveargabright.com to order.
From his early life to his retirement from racing in 2016, the book takes readers along on the journey that forever changed the sport and cemented Steve’s legacy as the very best.
I was privileged to help Steve tell his story. For 18 months we met frequently at the kitchen table of his Bloomington, Indiana home, reassembling the blocks of his career, one word, one paragraph, one page at a time. And what a career it was.
This is a book we all hoped to someday read, but weren’t sure we’d get the chance. Although Steve was one of the very best with race fans, he was always hesitant to talk about himself. An intensely private man, Steve managed to connect at a real level with people while at the same time guarding his intimate thoughts.
Steve and I first met when I began my writing career in 1980. For many years it was a matter of a writer studying his subject; we had lots of interviews and interactions but everything was at a professional level. Over time our friendship grew and we would chat—both on and off the record—quite often. Even with that, Steve was always a little reserved. I came to understand that’s just his nature.
When we sat down at his kitchen table to begin working on his book, I was delighted to discover that Steve was ready to share his stories with a fresh new level of openness. Steve had arrived at the perfect state of mind to write a book: he was at peace with his life and career, and was now comfortable sharing his thoughts with the world. The timing of his book was perfect.
I have known Steve almost from the beginning. Our conversations and interviews number in the hundreds. But I learned a lot as we wrote his book. Readers will learn a lot, too.
When he pulled on his helmet, Steve was the ultimate badass in a race car. People saw him as invincible. However, as you read his story you come to know a man who—like all of us—sometimes struggled with the ups and downs of life. He worked in a highly dangerous field—driving a sprint car—and experienced the loss of several close friends along the way. He won lots of races but also lived through some bitter disappointments.
He also experienced life at the other end of the spectrum: soaring victories and moments of supreme happiness and satisfaction. As a racer, Steve is one of the most respected men in racing history. I believe that after reading his story people will respect him more than ever before.
Naturally, I hope people enjoy Steve’s book. I think they will. More importantly, I believe “KINSER” will give future generations the opportunity to know and understand one of the most compelling people the sport has ever known.
KINSER – A Racing Career Like No Other
By Steve Kinser with Dave Argabright
Foreword by Ken Schrader
Hardcover, 288 pages
Order at www.daveargabright.com
- Eric Arnold on Sep 12, 2025
- Article Date: 9/12/2025