King Of The Smokies is back for 2026!!!!
KOTSmokies returns for its 3rd year and with refinement of the layout and rules we expect it to be the best competition yet! Competitors must complete in ALL 6 disciplines of Ponies in the Smokies; Shine Run, Dyno, Autocross, Shotgun Alley, Drag Racing, and Car Show.
The rules will be listed below, and there’s an explanation of each segment, along with the corresponding day (and time where applicable) each will take place
Do you think you can conquer the competition and hoist that KOTS crown?
How to Enter:
Email us your entries to poniesinthesmokies@yahoo.com. Include your name, a details about the car including photos (interior, exterior and engine bay) along with your experience level.
Prizes:
1st place receives a Jug, Crown and $1000
2nd place receives a Jug
3rd place receives a Jug
All KOTS participants receive a metal KOTS25 sign
King Of The Smokies 2025 Competition Rules:
All categories will be awarded points on a 1-10 scale. Winning a segment will net 1 point. 2nd place 2 points, 3rd place 3 points and continue to 10. Participant with the LOWEST score at the completion of the event will be crowned the winner.
1 – Drivers must be a minimum of 16 years old, with a valid driver’s license in TN and NC
2 – Vehicle must have valid, current, registration and insurance
3 – Vehicle CAN NOT be trailered or towed during KOTSmokies events. Use of a trailer/tow will automatically give you 10 points for THAT event
4 – Vehicle must compete on the same tires (all 4) for entirety of KOTSmokies events. Tires must be DOT compliant. Swapping out a flat or damaged tire is OK, however swapping to drag radials for drag day, and then road race tires for AX is not allowed. Air pressure changes OK. PITS staff will mark the tires during tech in.
There will be no exceptions to this rule. Also, just to be clear, drag radials are not allowed on the dyno. You CAN NOT change tires for this. If you choose to run drag radials, you will automatically receive 10 points for the dyno
5 – Vehicle must complete all events. Shine Run, Autocross, Shotgun Alley, Drag Racing, Car Show, Dyno challenge.
6 – Vehicle must have a complete, factory appearing interior. Rear seat delete is OK.
Must have carpet, 2 front seats, door panels and GLASS windows. No lexan
Must have all factory safety items in place (lights, blinkers, windshield wipers)
No gutted race cars. Safety improvements are allowed (roll cage, harnesses etc.)
7- Vehicle and driver remain the same for all events
General Schedule: *times may adjust
MONDAY
Quaker Steak & Lube – 9:00am
1431 Parkway, Sevierville, TN 37862
Tech for KOTSmokies takes place at Quaker Steak and Lube. Be there at 9:00am to get teched in and install the KOTSmokies windshield banner, we will get a photo of your car in front of the PITS wall, and send you on your way to start the shine run. You technically have Monday-Thursday to complete the Shine Run, but some of the following days can be time consuming so use your time wisely
Shine Run- A photo of your KOTSmokies competition vehicle must be taken at each shine run stop, and then posted to the #PITS discission page with the tags #pits and #kots. Also need to text the photos to Travis Smith (864-921-5099), this will ensure no photos get missed on FB. You need a minimum of 5 stamps to complete your hand, one stop MUST be the tail of the dragon (TOD is a 2 card stop). A picture of your car in front of the Deals Gap Tree of Shame will be your proof of completing this stop. Points will be awarded based on the total number of stamps you accumulate. If you accumulate all 10 possible stamps, you will receive 1 point. If you accumulate 9 stamps you will receive 2 points and so on. Again, you will need a minimum of 5 stamps to complete the Shine Run.
TUESDAY
Open day to hit those shine run stops, sign up for Autocross at Newport Speedway to get used to the surface and banking ahead of Wednesday’s AX timing session or just relax and enjoy the rumble of those Mustangs exploring the smokies!
WEDNESDAY
Newport Speedway – 9:00am – 3:00pm
767 Industrial Road, Newport, TN 37821
Three performance segments take place at Newport Speedway on Wednesday. From 9:00am-1:00pm the KOTS cars will take turns being strapped to the dyno. Powercurve Motorsports will do 2 back to back pulls. We will add the HP and TQ (of the highest run) together to determine the total score. There are no tune changes allowed once you are called to the dyno.
1:00-3:00pm From the dyno we will go straight to the autocross course. The AX course will be changed up from the general session so it is fresh and specific to the KOTSmokies competition. Immediately following the AX we jump into Shotgun Alley!!
Shotgun Alley is standing start, short sprint and box stop contest. Timing equipment will be setup, and you challenge is to launch the car and then stop completely in the allotted space. Scoring is on the 1-10 scale mentioned at the top of this page
THURSDAY
Drag Race – We head to Knoxville Dragway again for some drag racing!! Gates open at 9am, track hot at 10am, with the KOTS timing session running between 12:00pm – 2:00pm. Make as many runs as you wish during those two hours and hand in your best time slip to the PITS CREW who will be on site keeping track of times. Scoring is on the 1-10 scale with the quickest ET receiving 1 point.
FRIDAY
Sevierville Convention Center – 12:00pm – 4:00pm
202 Gists Creek Road
Sevierville, TN 37876
Car Show- There will be dedicated parking at the Sevierville Convention Center for KOTSmokies participants. Cars will be judged just like the normal car show. Scoring is on the1-10 scale. Top show score will receive 1 point
SATURDAY
Sevierville Convention Center
202 Gists Creek Road
Sevierville, TN 37876
Awards at 2:30
