Victory Lane

By: Faith Mills, Contributing Writer

​Centralia High School junior Timothy Knight has been racing cars for two years.

Knight picked up racing back in 2022 but has been watching since he was about 12 years old. “I started racing because I love to go fast and I fell in love with the sport,” said Knight. On dirt tracks Hornets typically go about 60-70 mph, but some let you reach up to 100mph. Each race consists of 15 to 25 laps around the course which typically take 20 to 30 minutes.  

This year Knight built a second, newer car that he will be using at the Randolph County Raceway and Lake Ozarks Speedway this coming summer. At these races the winner(s) can receive money, trophies and parts for your vehicle such as steering wheels. 

Knight explained that these races allow you to have a teammate that races with you while on the track. Racers and their teammates use special maneuvers like, “blocking” and “close formations” on the track to help each other win. 
These people can be at random too depending on where you are and what you are doing. Last year Knight said, “I race with lots of people each week, sometimes the same people, sometimes different people”. This year, however, Knight has his own teammate who goes by the name WC Fields. 

If interested, the schedule for the 2024 season at Randolph County Raceway is: May 28, June 4 and 18, July 2, 16 and 30 and August 13 and 27. The schedule for Lake Ozarks Speedway is: April 27, May 11, 25-26, June 26, July 5-6 and August 31. 

Racing cars is an exhilarating experience for both the driver and the viewer, so if you haven't yet, make sure you make it down to one of these shows and watch the one and only Timothy Knight blow your mind with his amazing skill.