Knell Racing

Knell Racing Started in 1956 in an organization called the National Micro Midget Association (NMMA), at this time the driver was Melvin Knell, the great grandfather to Cameron Knell. 

As time went on and racing drew near for Melvin's son Stephen Knell to begin racing, great grandmother decided that it was time for the racing to end. Although Stephen Knell never raced in Micro Midgets, racing was always in his blood, he joined the Champaign County Sports Car Club and began to compete in auto crosses and road rally's becoming a several time points champion in both. This led Stephen to the Sports Car Club of America into road racing as a pit crew member and bringing his son Alan Knell into world of racing.

Alan started running Go Karts at the age of 10, but only ran for a couple years due to the time consuming road racing. Alan then began auto crossing with his father Stephen at the age of 16, eventually being able to keep up with, but only able to beat his father once. Alan Knell then started Road racing in the formula 500 class in SCCA at the age of 18. Alan went on to win the rookie of the year award from the Indianapolis region of SCCA beating out Tony George (owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway) as well as many others. Over the next few years, Alan added National win after National win to his resume. Alan was contacted by a scout looking to find a driver for the ARS series, in preparation Alan moved up to the Formula 2000 series and raced for two years but as it came time to move up to the ARS series, IRL was formed, splitting CART and IRL into two separate entities. This in turn eliminated the ARS series for several years. Alan went back to the Formula 500 class and raced for a few more years becoming the only five time Central Division National Champion and winning the Hergenroether award for driver of the year in 1991.  

Cameron Knell, son of Alan Knell was born in October of 1996. Alan decided that due to his age, it was time to put his dreams aside, and pass the racing on to the next generation. At the age of 5, Cameron Knell started racing with the Quarter Midgets of America; He raced in QMA for five years earning over 200 top three finishes and 60 wins. Due to his rapid success, Cameron moved up as fast as he could from class to class only staying in a class long enough to consistently be competitive for the win. Cameron has wins in every class he has raced. He is a winner in Jr. Novice, Jr. Honda, Sr. Honda, Heavy Honda, Light 160, , heavy 160, Jr. Stock, Sr. stock, light B, and Heavy B.

In 2007 Cameron completed the circle in the Knell racing history. Over 50 years after Knell Racing began, Cameron joined the National Modified Midget Association (NMMA). At the age of 10 in his first season running a 600cc micro sprint, Cameron had 10 wins one of them being a runaway heat win at the Tulsa Shootout, winning by a full straight away. Cameron also had the most points of all of the rookie drivers throughout all of the classes in the Coles County Micro Midget racing association, in turn making him the rookie of the year for 2007. In 2008 Cameron took second place in the Restricted class points championship winning 21 races during the season.

Cameron moved up to the Non Wing unrestricted class for the last two races of the season to see how he would fair with the big boys and came out a real winner. Cameron won the A-Main in his first attempt at the Non Wing Class, Then came back to the big money race the following weekend and backed it up with another A-Main Win. In 2009 Cameron took third place in the CCMMRA points and won the 2009 National  Championship in the NMMA 600 Micro Sprint USA series.  On January 20, 2010 Cameron signed to race a partial season in the UMARA sportsman midget division and a full UMARA Ford Focus season in 2011. 

Cameron has proven to be the best driver in the Knell Racing family, and has hopes of continuing his move upward as far as NASCAR if he can be seen by the right people along the way.