{"id":5850,"date":"2018-08-16T16:51:07","date_gmt":"2018-08-16T20:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/?p=5850"},"modified":"2018-08-16T16:51:07","modified_gmt":"2018-08-16T20:51:07","slug":"steve-kinser-interview-the-greatest-40-years-steve-kinser-enjoys-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2018\/08\/16\/steve-kinser-interview-the-greatest-40-years-steve-kinser-enjoys-retirement\/","title":{"rendered":"Steve Kinser Interview – The greatest 40 years, Steve Kinser enjoys retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steve Kinser<\/strong> had perhaps the greatest career that anyone has ever had behind the wheel of a sprint car. Over his time in the famed No. 11, Kinser maintained big-name sponsors, raced all over the world, and did it while collecting a long list of accolades and success. During his career, the Bloomington, IN native won 20 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series<\/strong> championships.<\/p>\n

The greatest 40 years: Steve Kinser enjoys retirement<\/h1>\n

While 20 championships is an accomplishment on its own, the longevity of Kinser\u2019s career might have been just as impressive. Kinser, who started racing sprint cars in 1973, was successful right off the bat. In his first season with the WoO, Kinser won 11 features en route to winning the 1978 series points championship.<\/p>\n

Over the next 26 years, Kinser would win 19 more championships, with his last coming in 2005. On top of his series championships, Kinser was also the most successful driver to date in Knoxville Nationals<\/strong> \u2013 where the series was a week ago \u2013 history.<\/p>\n

He currently holds the record for most event victories ever, tallying 12 wins in the four-day event that ends with a 50-lap A-Main. Kinser\u2019s career stretched 40 years before it ultimately came to an end with his last full season in 2014.<\/p>\n

Steve Kinser Speaks to Last Word On Motorsport (LWOM)<\/h2>\n

\u201cI\u2019m 64 years old and I\u2019ve got my 40 years in,\u201d<\/em> Kinser said. \u201cI\u2019ve done plenty of racing. I would love to do another 40, but the body and stuff <\/em>isn\u2019t made to do that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Kinser opened up to LWOM about his retirement and what lead to it after an autograph session at the 2018 Knoxville Nationals. Towards the end of his career, Kinser started experiencing health concerns that held him back from competing at 100%. He called the health issues small, and for Kinser they might have been, but the list of concerns was not one to mess around with.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of different things that [went] into making that decision,\u201d<\/em> Kinser said. \u201cThe biggest part of it was that my <\/em>eye sight [wasn\u2019t] as good as what had it used to be. Things started hurting a little more when [I] crashed.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201c[I] had to have a few vertebrae shimmed up in the back of my neck and things like that. You always think of that stuff when you crash. It would hurt. Usually an hour or two later I was in pretty good shape, but it took a little time.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Racing Takes Its Toll<\/h2>\n

Kinser was lucky and didn\u2019t sustain any long-term injuries during his career. The only major injury that Kinser could recall was a hyper-extended elbow, that left him out of the car for just a month in the 1980\u2019s. \u201cI\u2019ve been pretty fortunate,\u201d<\/em> Kinser said. Though, nothing really threatened Kinser.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they patch you up it\u2019s usually just as strong as it was,\u201d<\/em> the veteran said jokingly. \u201cYour bones [just] aren\u2019t as strong when you age.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In the final seasons of Kinser\u2019s tenure, things got a bit more intense. After accidents, Kinser would nearly go unconscious in his car.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I did was I found myself having a hard time keeping my body conscious during a few wrecks where I would normally not have any problems. I don\u2019t think I was ever out yet, but I was close a few times.”<\/em><\/p>\n

The unfortunate reality for sprint car drivers is how grueling the schedule can get for them. With the WoO running nearly an 80-race schedule that stretches from February to November, sprint car drivers are under the most exhausting conditions they\u2019ve ever been under.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever you do it\u2019s a pretty demanding sport,\u201d<\/em> Kinser said. \u201cI [had] just figured, I had a good career doing it and we\u2019ll leave it at that. I\u2019m finished. I\u2019m not going to get back into anything.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The Kinser Legacy<\/h2>\n

Even though Kinser is retired, his legacy still lives on. The driver, who they call the king, signed autographs for what seemed to be an endless line of fans. As one fan got his shirt, diecast car, or picture signed by Kinser, two more anxious fans would hop in line, almost on cue.<\/p>\n

While the line grew, Kinser made sure to take time to converse with fans, answering questions, telling stories, and even pausing the session for a few minutes trying to identify what track a certain picture was taken at. That\u2019s just part of what retirement is when you\u2019re the best sprint car driver to ever step in a car.<\/p>\n

Life After Retirement<\/h2>\n

\u201cRetirement is never going to be as much fun as it was running around the race track. But I have enjoyed it, a lot,\u201d<\/em> Kinser said.<\/p>\n

Although some would slow down, Kinser has managed to keep himself busy. Whether it was cleaning up around his house, or owning a race team that employs his son, Kinser hasn\u2019t turned down the workload.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t slowed down a whole lot,\u201d<\/em> Kinser said. \u201cI\u2019ve <\/em>took on some homework around the house and the shop that I needed to tend to. You can only do so much of that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Steve Kinser Racing Team<\/h2>\n

Kinser, understandably so, wasn\u2019t a huge fan of hanging around the house and not being behind the wheel. However, he made sure to stay involved in racing. Kinser still owns the WoO team that his son races for: Steve Kinser Racing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was sort of involved in it pretty good, but those boys have been sort of <\/em>do it on their own,\u201d<\/em> Kinser said. \u201cI\u2019ve told them they can do it well [by themselves]. I just let them take it over.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Kinser\u2019s team is run by his son, Kraig, along with his daughter and husband. Though some might think that the team would have the funds to run the sprint car world, Kinser has made sure to set some money aside.<\/p>\n

\u201cHim and Mikey (My son in law) and my daughter all sit up there with that team,\u201d<\/em> Kinser said. \u201cI just let them take care of it. They don\u2019t have the budget. I\u2019d like to give them more, but I also want to make sure they have enough to worry about their kids also.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

That was just the type of person that Kinser was \u2013 one that would think about his son and daughter\u2019s futures before worrying about sprint car success. On the track that sat across the street from Kinser\u2019s merchandise booth \u2013 where he was signing autographs \u2013 his son was on the track doing something that Steve loved: racing.<\/p>\n

Knoxville Nationals<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe main reason I come out here is to watch Kraig race,\u201d<\/em> Kinser said. \u201c[Though], Knoxville is one of the biggest events there is. A lot of people from different parts of the country will go out of their way to visit here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Kinser said of Knoxville that that was something that he valued after retiring.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s something, that when you retire, you\u2019re used to seeing certain people and over the years you acquire a lot of friends,\u201d<\/em> Kinser said. \u201cYou\u2019re used to running that same route and seeing those same people. This is a place where they can all get back together.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Though Kinser\u2019s career has come to an end, it hasn\u2019t gone without great appreciation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe King\u201d<\/em><\/strong> will forever be remembered as one of the best, and maybe the singular best, to ever race a sprint car. Now, Kinser is trying to figure out a new pastime, just one that doesn\u2019t include him behind the wheel.<\/p>\n

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