In the world of fast cars and outlaws, auto racing's answer to Babe Ruth or Michael Jordan will make his final appearance in the Wild West at Calistoga Speedway this weekend.
Steve Kinser has returned to the half-mile dirt oval in Napa County in a quest of his 21st and final driving title with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. Racing takes place Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m.
"He's king of he outlaws for a reason," said Chris Dolack, the vice president of the World of Outlaws. "He's dominated the sport."
Kinser, an Indiana native who competes for Tony Stewart Racing, is in his 36th and final season of competitive racing - dubbed the "Salute to the King" tour. His career includes 577 wins and 20 championships and has made him the most well known Outlaw on the racetrack.
His trophies and titles have been the goal, but the real celebration is the ability to remain the King on his throne for so long, Kinser said.
"I still think that the highlight is that we've been so competitive for so long," he said.
The King has been racing since 1978 and has also raced with the National Sprint Tour series. He drew crowds to an Australian racetrack, where he won the 38th Australian Speedcar Grand Prix in 1986, and qualified for the Indianapolis 500 in 1997. He also had a start in the Daytona 500.
"I can't think of another guy who has been since day one and still continues to race at a high level," Dolack said.
Kinser was named to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2005 and then became the oldest driver to win a World of Outlaws main event with his win at Williams Grove Speedway in 2012, at the age of 57.
"We've won a lot of races and a lot of championships," Kinser said of his success, "but it's hard to keep the pace up when you are pushing 60 years old."
Drivers like Tony Stewart - Kinser's car owner - have grown up watching the King and his career that spans three decades, Dolack said.
Kinser's son Kraig now races for Steve Kinser Racing and won the Knoxville Nationals, the circuit's premier event, in 2005. Kinser's cousin Mark was also a championship driver for the World of Outlaws.
Growing up around the sport was fun as a kid, Kraig Kinser said, but he never knew how prominent his father was on the racetrack until his teenage years.
"I didn't know how much it meant until later on," he said. "Once I started racing against him it was a different appreciation."
Kraig Kinser grew up around his father's "King of the Outlaws" name, he said, but watching him race gave Kraig a new appreciation for the toughness and competitiveness of the sport.
"His retirement hasn't hit me as much yet," Kraig Kinser said, "but I will miss seeing him around the racetrack.
After racing his son for multiple years, Kinser said he wouldn't prefer to lose to any other driver on the track.
"I mean, he drives my car so he has to run it good," Kinser said with a laugh.
Kinser said in December when the "Salute to the King" tour was announced, that he wanted to compete, and that meant more than just a retirement tour.
"I want to win the championship," he said, "and to do that you have to run pretty good every night."
The way that the King and his whole team have prepared themselves and attacked this season shows that it is much more than just a show, Dolack said.
"They are here to battle every night and it's very exciting," he said.
His competitiveness still remains at an all-time high, Kinser said, as it is not so much of a retirement tour, as it is a chance to take a vacation.
"I love the travel and I'm sure there are parts of it that I will miss," he said, "but it sure will be nice to take a weekend off if I want to."
Kinser still plans to remain very present in the world of racing, he said.
The Calistoga Speedway is special to Kinser and his family, he said, because of memorable weekends in the area around the racetrack.
"Calistoga is a little bigger racetrack, but I enjoy running it," he said. "Lot of great weekends out there with my family and they really enjoy it."
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