KNOXVILLE, Iowa — The 62nd Knoxville Nationals start Wednesday at the Knoxville Raceway.

The nationals bring tens of thousands of spectators to the small town to watch the sprint car races.

Jason Reed, the General Manager of the Knoxville Raceway, said that the Knoxville Nationals is the biggest event the raceway has all year.

“It’s an exciting kick-off to the four-day event we’ve been planning on all year. We’ll have 50-55 of the best sprint car drivers in the world starting off tonight,” Reed said.

Reed said that the Knoxville Nationals provide an economic benefit to the small town.

“Normally the town is 7,500 people for 50 weeks out of the year. The other two we swell it up from that 7,500 to about 30,000 by the end of this week. So for the local businesses, the grocery stores, everybody, it’s a great economic impact for them,” Reed said.

To learn more about the Knoxville Nationals visit the Knoxville Raceway’s website.