About The Legendary High Banks

As with most oval tracks in America, Belleville’s began as a horse track, used primarily during the North Central Kansas Fair. In the early 1900’s it became increasingly popular to showcase the new-fangled automobile at these agricultural expositions. So in 1910, Belleville offered its first auto race, scheduled for July 4th.

A crowd of around 7,000-10,000 came out to watch the race which featured three cars. Two were a Model 10 Buick, and one was a Ford. The race was 10 laps (5 miles), and the two Buick’s shot out to an immediate lead over the Ford. From this point on, auto races would continue on at the High Banks, gaining in popularity and car count each year.

 

 

The “Nationals” started out as a challenge and turned into the biggest event in the world for Midgets. The Belleville Midget Nationals started at the Belleville High Banks in Belleville, Kansas, after some racers involved in a 1977 challenge race kicked around the idea among themselves. High interest was shown in the track by the drivers during the Rocky Mountain Midget vs. St. Louis Midget Challenge race. With the interest in the track by the drivers and a lack of a true national race for Midgets, the Belleville Midget Nationals was born when AIMS Promoter Mitch Miller brought it to life by sanctioning the Belleville Midget Nationals in 1978.

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The first Belleville Midget Nationals held in 1978 turned out to be the beginning of an event that the Fair Amusements Board had hoped for with big names, fast cars and a lot of action. Some of the big names that were on hand for this premier event were Stan Fox, Larry Patton, Randy Roberts, Casey Slocum, Mike Gregg, Ron ‘Sleepy’ Tripp, Bob Wente, Gary Patterson, Jeff Heywood, Bruce Field and eventual champion, Eddie Jackson. Mitch Miller promoted the Midget Nationals for the first 17 years before USAC came in on the 1996 Midget Nationals. As the nation’s most prestigious event of the year for Midgets, America’s top owners and drivers made the trip to Kansas each year for the historic event. The Belleville Midget Nationals was a one-of-a-kind event that brought the best equipment and best drivers to the nation’s richest Midget race in the country.

 

However, in 2018 a decision was made to part ways with the Midget Nationals, and start something new…something even bigger and better than before. The Belleville 305 Sprint Nationals were born!

It was the perfect time for transition. We had just finished the 40th Midget National and it was a great tribute to everything that had happened over those years. 40 years which we will never forget. Throughout the years leading up to this decision, the midget car and fan count started to suffer. The midget races just weren’t what they used to be. There was pressure from the higher governing race committees to change the High Banks track, but we were not about to let decades of track history be changed. After all, we ARE the fastest 1/2 mile oval dirt track around! We had to do what was best for the High Banks, so we split ways with the higher sanctioning body. This is when we made the switch to the 305 Sprint Nationals. After the Inaugural 305 National race concluded in 2018, we realized we had hit something big. Car count had tripled, fan count shot through the roof, and everyone began talking about the Belleville High Banks once again!

So what made the difference? Midget’s were essentially unregulated. The cost of motors over the years doubled and tripled, making it unfeasible for many, and thus car count started to diminish. The higher sanctioning body tried pushing us to change the track…but we stuck to our roots.

305 Sprint’s on the other hand are more regulated. Everyone has the same motor size regardless of how much it was purchased for, and the cost of the motors are not anywhere near the cost of a midget motor. The cars weigh more, and the races started returning once again to their roots. The races should be about who the best skilled driver is, instead of who has the most money for a more powerful motor.

Some of the nation’s greatest drivers have tested their nerves at Belleville, including Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Tony Stewart, Ken Schrader, Stan Fox, Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Kasey Kahne, J.J. Yeley and Jeff Gordon. The race track is BAD FAST, allowing those who can hold onto an opportunity to run “wide open” the entire track! “Man, this is one fast joint,” said Brian Birkhofer, who captured the main event when the World of Outlaws Late Model Series (known as Xtreme DirtCar Series then) played before a standing-room-only crowd on Aug. 28, 2004. “This track is definitely flat out wide open all the way around.”

“I mean everybody who was anybody was at Belleville, and they had their best cars ready to go there. It was a great race for me to win,” said Jeff Gordon after his Belleville Midget Nationals victory on his 19th birthday in 1990. “I was on a tear there, running wide open and jumping the cushion and never lifting. I never stopped racing like that until the checkered flag flew.”Built inside the acclaimed half-mile track is a quarter-mile track which features special events for Dwarf Cars, Mini-Stocks, Hobby Stocks, TQ Midgets, Cruisers and more. The track’s mainstay has been the Belleville Midget Nationals, which have been held every year since 1978. As the nation’s most prestigious event of the year for Midgets, America’s top owners and drivers trek to Kansas each year for the historic event. The Belleville Midget Nationals is an exciting race that brings the best equipment, owners and drivers to the nation’s richest midget race in the country, transforming the town of Belleville from a small rural community of 2,000 to a racing Mecca of more than 20,000 people!

The Belleville High Banks has brought exciting races to the “Crossroads of America” for over a century. To recognize the long-lasting tradition and prestige of various racing events held at the track, the High Banks Hall of Fame & National Midget Auto Racing Museum was built to capture and remember racing personalities, memorabilia and display race cars that influenced the historic racing community. In July, 2004 a dream that had been nearly a decade in the making was given the checkered flag when the High Banks Hall of Fame & National Midget Auto Racing Museum opened at U.S. Hwy. 81 and 12th St. in Belleville.

WE KNOW you’ll enjoy your next visit to The World’s Fastest 1/2 Mile Dirt Track!

Fastest lap, June 3rd, 2011 by Paul Mcmahan, during the World of Outlaws 410 Sprint show | 14.258 seconds 

 

Even before the High Banks created the 305 Nationals, there were 305 sprint races for the 7 years leading up to the Nationals. Below are the past 305 sprint winners:

305 Sprint History Before the 305 Nationals Were Official

Year Won	Month & Day	Driver Name
2010	August 5th	Ray Seemann
2011	June 3rd	Luke Cranston
2011	August 4th	Luke Cranston
2012	June 29th	Luke Cranston
2012	August 3rd	Luke Cranston
2012	August 4th	Luke Cranston
2013	August 3rd	Brian Herbert
2014	August 2nd	Luke Cranston
2015	August 1st	JD Johnson
2016	August 6th	JD Johnson
2016	August 27th	Luke Cranston
2017	July 3rd	Toby Chapman
2017	August 5th	Luke Cranston
2018	July 3rd	JD Johnson

 

Belleville 305 Sprint National Champion History

Year Won	Car Number	Driver Name	Driver Age	Hometown	Car Owner	Engine	Chassis
2018	74b	Jake Bubak	23	Arvada, Colorado	Ben Aufill	Wells Racing	Maxim
2019	74b	Jake Bubak	24	Arvada, Colorado	Ben Aufill	Dubose/Wells	Maxim
2020	43	Adam Trimble	32	Pueblo, Colorado	Ryan Oerter	Stealth	Homebuilt
2021	20	Luke Cranston		Ness City, KS	Cranston Racing LLC	Maxim	Myers
2022	911	Ty Williams		Arcadia, OK	Ty Williams	JR1	Bishops
2023	51	Jeremy Campbell		Schnee	Myers	TBD	TBD

 

Belleville Midget National Champion History

Year Won	Car Number	Driver Name	Driver Age	Hometown	Car Owner	Engine	Chassis
1978	49	Eddie Jackson	47	Denver, Colorado	Harry Conklin	Volkswagen	Edmunds
1979	97	Stan Fox	27	Janesville, Wisconsin	Sherman Pickrell	Volkswagen	Edmunds
1980	1	Stan Fox	28	Janesville, Wisconsin	Steve Lewis	Volkswagen	Edmunds
1981	1	Mike Gregg	37	Ft. Collins, Colorado	Hank Hersch	Volkswagen	Edmunds
1982	81	Dave Manes	37	Tucson, Arizona	Dave Manes	Dino	Stewart
1983	71	Johnny Parsons Jr.	39	Van Nuys, California	Ron Weeks	Cosworth	Challenger
1984	48	Mark Passerrelli	29	Phoenix, Arizona	Tony Passerrelli	Arias	Rich
1985	67	Ron 'Sleepy' Tripp	32	Costa Mesa, California	George Zarounian	Volkswagen	Edmunds
1986	84	Tommy White	26	Anaheim, California	Bobby White	Volkswagen	Edmunds
1987	67	Ron 'Sleepy' Tripp	34	Costa Mesa, California	George Zarounian	Cosworth	Edmunds
1988	55	Steve Knepper	27	Belleville, Illinois	Steve Knepper	Pontiac	Edmunds
1989	71	Chuck Gurney	40	Livermore, California	Larry Howard	Arias	Ellis
1990	4	Jeff Gordon	19	Pittsboro, Indiana	Rollie Helmling	Pontiac	Beast
1991	67	Jack Hewitt	39	Troy, Ohio	George & Gary Zarounian	Arias	Beast
1992	47	Lealand McSpadden	46	Tempe, Arizona	Andy Bondio	Barnes	Bondio
1993	1	Page Jones	21	Rolling Hills, California	Keith & Rusty Kunz	Fontana	Stealth
1994	1	Kevin Doty	32	Milan, Illinois	Keith & Rusty Kunz	Fontana	Stealth
1995	15	Billy Boat	29	Phoenix, Arizona	John Lawson	Gaerte	Stealth
1996	24	Robby Flock	32	Murietta, California	Carol Hart	Gaerte	Stealth
1997	71	Jason Leffler	22	Long Beach, California	Pete Willoughby	Gaerte	Stealth
1998	15	Steve Knepper	37	Belleville, Illinois	John Lawson	Gaerte	Stealth
1999	9	Dave Darland	33	Lincoln, Indiana	Steve Lewis	Ford	Beast
2000	9	Kasey Kahne	20	Enumclaw, Washington	Steve Lewis	Ford	Beast
2001	19	Kasey Kahne	21	Enumclaw, Washington	Steve Lewis	Ford	Beast
2002	9	Dave Darland	35	Lincoln, Indiana	Steve Lewis	Ford	Beast
2003	29	Josh Wise	20	Riverside, California	Dino Tomassi	Mopar	Beast
2004	9	Bobby East	19	Brownsburn, Indiana	Steve Lewis	Ford	Beast
2005	25	Jerry Coons Jr.	33	Tucson, Arizona	Bob Trafford	Esslinger	Spike
2006	20	Josh Wise	23	Riverside, California	Tony Steward	Mopar	Spike
2007	11	Jerry Coons Jr.	35	Tucson, Arizona	Wilke-Pak	Mopar	Spike
2008	49	Brad Sweet	22	Grass Valley, Arizona	Kasey Kahne Racing	Mopar	Spike
2009	39	Bryan Clauson	20	Noblesville, Indiana	Corey Tucker	Esslinger	Spike
2010	39	Bryan Clauson	21	Noblesville, Indiana	Corey Tucker	Esslinger	Spike
2011	67	Kyle Larson	19	Elk Grove, California	Keith Kunz	Toyota	Bullet
2012	63	Jerry Coons Jr.	40	Tucson, Arizona	Joe Dooling	Esslinger	Spike
2013	71	Chris Bell	19	Norman, Oklahoma	Kunz/Curb-Agajanian	Toyota	Bullet
2014	97	Rico Abreu	22	St. Helena, California	Kunz/Curb-Agajanian	Toyota	Bullet
2015	63	Bryan Clauson	26	Noblesville, Indiana	Joe Dooling	Mopar	Spike
2016	84	Chad Boat	24	Phoenix, Arizona	Corey Tucker/Billy Boat	Toyota	Spike
2017	97	Spencer Bayston	18	Lebanon, Indiana	Kunz/Curb-Agajanian	Toyota	Bullet