A sign honoring sprint car racing’s most successful owner/crew chief Karl Kinser and his son, Mark Kinser, driver, was unveiled Saturday, May 9, on the porch of city hall in Oolitic.
Both Karl and Mark are longtime Oolitic residents. Kinser family members also in the racing community who live in Indiana include Steve Kinser, a nephew of Karl.
During the unveiling ceremony, Karl talked about some of his drivers over the years. “I want to acknowledge (driver) Larry Miller.” Miller and Kinser joined forces back in 1960s, after Karl left drag racing to go sprint car racing. The two had an enormous amount of success with the Karl Kinser-built roadster Big Bertha.
Karl discussed the start of son Mark Kinser’s career. Mark took over the Big Bertha machine that was sitting in Karl’s shop.
About Steve Kinser, Karl said; “Steve Kinser was a God-given chauffeur.”
As owner/crew chief, Karl Kinser won 17 World of Outlaws Championships and 12 Knoxville Nationals. Kinser was more than an owner of many of the cars, having designed and built chassis and engines for them.
The cars won races on various tracks — from asphalt and dirt, indoors and outdoors. The wins came across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Australia.
Mark won two World of Outlaws Championships and three Knoxville Nationals driving for his father.
The sign will be placed at the entrance to Oolitic, near the “Welcome to Oolitic” sign along Ind. 37.
The Saturday ceremony also was a homecoming of sorts, with friends and racing associates of Karl Kinser meeting to share memories and take pictures.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Mail: Oolitic honors sprint car’s Karl and Mark Kinser with highway sign
Reporting by The Times-Mail / The Times-Mail
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
