The Jayhawk Nationals Sprint Car Race

Preliminary Version by John Nelson and Tom Schmeh

November 12, 2025

         Beginning in 1961, the same year as the Knoxville Nationals, and continuing through 1997, the Jayhawk Nationals race took place at six different dirt ovals in Kansas over the years. Initially the race date was in early autumn but it soon settled into the Sunday or Monday before the Knoxville Nationals. The early races were for Supermodifieds sanctioned by a local club, the Jayhawk Racing Association. These cars rapidly morphed into Sprint Cars.

         Judging by the scarcity of coverage in local daily and weekly racing newspapers, early runnings of the Jayhawk Nationals were not vigorously promoted. That changed in about 1977, when Mussatto Racing Enterprises took charge. Although the event never approached crown jewel status, it certainly did not lack for star drivers. Among the Jayhawk winners  are at least six Knoxville Nationals champions, who shared the track with many more future Hall of Famers of regional and national stature.

         In his column in the Des Moines Register for August 7, 1999, page 21, Jeff Olson summarized a likely cause of the demise of the Jayhawk Nationals. Referring to the Front Row Challenge in Oskaloosa, Iowa, Olson wrote, “Years ago, the old Jayhawk Nationals was held on the same night in Topeka, Kan. Most big-money teams found it too risky. Junk a car in Kansas, you face repairs and a six-hour drive. Junk a car in Osky, you have time to fix it before Nationals.” Not to mention the Oskaloosa races tap the talents of 100 or more race teams and thousands of fans gathering in Knoxville for the world’s biggest Sprint Car event.

         This obviously is a work in progress. We welcome information and input from ARRA visitors to fill gaps in our racing results table and to provide further context on the Jayhawk Nationals.