Steve Knapp, is a former driver in IndyCar. He raced in the 1998–2000 seasons with 13 career starts, including 3 at the Indianapolis 500. His best career finish was in his first race, a third place at the 1998 Indianapolis 500, where he was named Rookie of the Year. He never led a lap in any of his IRL races. Knapp now owns and operates Elite Engines out of West Bend specializing in FA, FC, S2, HART F2 and Mazda engines for the U.S. F2000 National Championship.

The 82nd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 24, 1998. This was the third Indianapolis 500 run as part of the Indy Racing League, but the first fully-sanctioned by the IRL after they relied on USAC to sanction the 1996–1997 races. The race was part of the 1998 Pep Boys Indy Racing League season.