Before racing, Kinser was a high school wrestler. He finished second in state as a junior and became state champion as a senior. Both his sons also wrestled in high school. His youngest son Kurt won the Indiana state tournament as a senior, competing at Indiana University in the 149 and 157-pound weight classes before becoming a professional mixed martial artist.
Kinser became a World of Outlaws driver in 1978. His career peak came in 1987, when he won 46 features — including 12 in a row — and 24 of the last 26 events. He won the Knoxville Nationals a record 12 times, the Gold Cup Race of Champions 12 times, and the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway seven times. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2005.
After his win on 12 May 2012 at Williams Grove Speedway, Kinser became the oldest driver ever to win a World of Outlaws main event at age 57. That record was later broken in May 2021 when Dave Blaney won the World of Outlaws feature race at Sharon Speedway at age 58. Kinser left the World of Outlaws in 2006 to compete with the National Sprint Tour series, returning to the WoO for the 2007 season. He retired from sprint car racing in August 2016.
In 1981, at age 26 as a rookie, Kinser failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 when a practice crash ended his month. He returned in 1997 driving a Dallara-Oldsmobile, qualifying 20th and finishing 14th after a late-race accident in Turn 4. This was his only Indy Racing League start.
Kinser toured Australia extensively for sprint car racing beginning in 1979, winning many feature races and drawing large crowds. On 4 January 1986, he won the 38th Australian Speedcar Grand Prix at Sydney's Liverpool City Raceway driving a VW-powered Midget. He regularly raced with his brother Randy, using Gambler chassis sprint cars sponsored by cigarette companies including the black-and-gold JPS livery and the sky-blue-and-white Commodore brand. In 1985/86 he headlined a four-driver tour of Australia alongside his brother Randy and cousins Mark and Kelly; the JPS-sponsored Kinsers dominated the tour against Australian champions including Garry Rush, George Tatnell, and Max Dumesny.
Kinser was selected several times for the International Race of Champions, winning a race at Talladega Superspeedway in 1994 and finishing a career-best 6th in IROC points that year. In 1995, drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein hired Kinser to drive the No. 26 Quaker State Ford in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. After seven races, Kinser was released and replaced by Hut Stricklin, having posted no wins and no top-ten finishes, an average finish of 35.2, a best finish of 27th at Rockingham, three DNFs, and two DNQs.
Kinser's family has a deep presence in the sport. His younger brother Randy Kinser and cousins Kelly Kinser and Mark Kinser — also a championship-winning driver on the World of Outlaws circuit — all competed. His son Kraig Kinser races in the number 11k World of Outlaws sprint car for Steve Kinser Racing; Kraig won the 2005 Knoxville Nationals. His second cousin once removed, Sheldon Kinser, competed in the CART series and raced in the Indianapolis 500 six times. Karl Kinser, Steve's third cousin and Mark Kinser's father, was Steve's car owner from 1978 to 1994 and crew chief on the Australian tours in the 1980s. Karl was the winning car owner and mechanic for 16 World of Outlaws championships and 12 Knoxville Nationals wins, and was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.
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