Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

from a  very reliable source I have been told that if he has a nasnap race that weekend he cannot contractually compete, but the sprint card gods may be with him ..........and US!

As I recall all those drivers quit a ride during the Nationals and some raced another car on Saturday night other than the one they qualified.  Sammy quit Laverne Nance FedEx ride and went home (and if I remember right, the car was in the first couple rows on Saturday),  Rico had a truck race, Wolfgang ran someone else's car and not the car he qualified,  Jeff Swindell quit his ride mid-week and ran another car as I recall on Saturday, Tyler Walker just up and left town Friday night or Saturday morning and was a no-show and the car didn't run because they driver was gone. 

Most of these guys had a "handshake" deal to run the cars they were in.  They could have been fired mid-event or the team could fold (Kerry Madsen lost his ride the day after the Nationals last year) without notice.  

What about those teams that are in the C-main that pack up every year and head back home?  Should they be banned for 10 years too?  By the logic used above they should.  They were qualified for the C-main of the Nationals but choose not to run.

I for one think if a guy can only compete on Saturday they should let them compete as well.  Only thing is they have 0 points so they have to start last in the E-main and see if they can advance through the alphabet.

The RULES have stated for as long as I can remember that the "car" qualifies for the race, not the driver.  If Larson puts the 57 in the feature they can tab another driver to run it Saturday night (maybe a guy with horrible luck during the event or a guy that is currently without a ride) but they have to start last in the race they qualified for.

Unless the other competiors have an issue with him competing just his prelim night, I have no idea why anyone else would.

If Kyle wants so badly to drive upon the sacred black Iowa clay in spite of the looming 10 year ban, I would respect that. After his suspension expires in the year 2027, he would be relatively young at 35, and still have plenty of chances to win the Nationals. 

I'm not sure that you aren't reaching a bit, and that your idea of "logic" is way off.......we're not talking about guys qualified for the "C"  going home....and in those instances, they fill the vacant spot by moving qualfied drivers forward in the line up, and taking three drivers or whatever it takes from the "D", rather than two to fill the "C". That has happened many times. This isn't one of those instances. What we are talking about is a guy who says up front in so many words, "I'll run a preliminary night, but not Saturday night because I have a prior commitment." To me that's a selfish act! Either commit to the Nationals or stay home! I don't care who he is. He can be in the parade if he wants to be part of the Nationals. If the owner of the car wants to run the Nationals, then hire a driver that plans on running the entire event.

Some of what you say omits that a couple guys you mention came back through the non qualifiers night to make the show on Saturday in a different car. I still don't recall Wolfgang doing what you state (not stating for fact he didn't, but I sure don't think he did).  I do recall Steve Kinser trashing Karl's car on his qualifying night....and they hooked up with Trostle who had lost his engine, and by using Karl's engine and Steve as driver, the Trostle #20 car won the Nationals. I believe that was 1980. Rules have changed since then. Steve did not start dead last in that A Main.

It is just a matter of opinion at this point in time, I know that.  Some fans say no big deal, and others don't think it right. As long as the rules allow it, it's right.  And there is nothing wrong with how anybody feels about the subject. So don't take what I posted personally.

Is it just me or are there a great deal of people with naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles in their hindmost fissure??

If Kyle and the 57 go home, someone will move up in their place just like they do in the C and D main every year.  Same logic applies to this situation.

If Paul would put someone in the car, no one will move up, tehy will serve the penalty and have to start last instead.  Same goes for everyone else entered in the Nationals.  They can make a driver change, the penalty is starting last in the feature they qualified for.

It's not like they are making a special rule just for him.  Remember the "non-starting provisional" that Ted Johnson came up with when Andy Hillenberg didn't make the feature one year?  Even Hillenberg wanted nothing to do with that and said so himself.

When Steve won in 1980 you could "Give up" your qualifying night and qualify again the next night.  Steve "gave up" his Wednesday night (as did Trostle) and they put the team together and came back Thursday night in the 20X and were 4th fast, won the heat, and ran 2nd to Sammy in the feature.  Steve accumlated enough points in the Trostle 20x to start on the outside of the front row.  Sammy Swindell accumlated enough points to start 3rd for 4th and quit the FedEx car and had a DNS (they only started 22 cars back in thoe days and Joe Saldana finished 22nd, so someone backfilled his spot when they didn't race).   Car counts were not near what they are now, they only had 3 feature on Saturday (Sunday) that year.

Mike Brooks led the first 13 laps (on Sunday afternoon) as that was the "fog out" on Saturday night that year as well. 

HaHa you don't come here for the "rational" takes do you

I hope that wasn't a serious question on your part.

Really though; why are so many so upset over something that hasn't even happened yet???

If you quaify for the Knoxville Nationals Championship final and skip it due to another commitment involving any other racing series you should be banned from racing at Knoxville Raceway or any WoO event for not less than 10 years. 

That it's "awesome" or "great' for those fans that simply want to see Larson compete, even though he says he won't be back for Saturday night, and that means it's "acceptable" to them that another driver might lose a spot in the A Main. And yes, my primary gripe is with Knoxville for allowing it to take place. What would they do if there were say.....4 or 5 drivers with that plan?  Just because right now there is only Larson in the picture doesn't make it "acceptable"......for fans and teams in general.  

something tells me Schatz doesn't give a shit...

Blazer00

The car counts are posted on the site. You have to remember it wasn't uncommon for a lot of guys to leave town on Saturday when they didn't make the show in the 80s and early 90s. As someone that has been in a situation at a track where a guy qualified for a race and left for someone else to drive. That's part of the game unfortunately. It's nice they penalize the car because many races across the country doesn't. That just adds salt to the wound. Do i agree with them putting someone else in? No but i also believe that if i or my car (retired from driving don't have to worry about this) makes a race with someone else in the car just to qualify it would take a little away if that was my only reasoning. But i also believe it's a reward to the guys that work their butts off to put that car in the show. The crew guys deserve that. Thats why when it was a crew guy that got into Rico's car i didn't see an issue. That crew guy deserved that he earned that from all his hard work. I take issue if say an active 410 driver that didn't attempt to qualify the car jumps in.

1961…59
1962…75
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2013...102
2014...105
2015...112
2016... 107

LOL.. Good one

So, after all this jibber jabber.. neither Kyle, Rico or Kasey should have been allowed to run Ohio Speedweek; nor should they be allowed to run PA Speedweek as they won't be running the complete Series of races.  

Hmmm.. Nothing like cutting off your nose to spite your face..And we thought you all loved the sport! 

I hope that wasn't a serious question on your part.

Really though; why are so many so upset over something that hasn't even happened yet???

It's still a free world last time I checked. You pay your entry fee and you should be able to race as much or as little as you like.

We as fans can buy a 4 night Nationals ticket package, go the first 3 nights then choose to stay home on the Championship night. Should we be banned from buying 4-day passes for the next 10 years?

I agree with you guys, I wish he would run the whole show but at least he does what he is allowed or able to do and I guarantee there is a hell of a lot more fans that that are happy to see him there for the time that he can commit than there are fans pissed off for the portion that he can not attend. Which is unfortunately the Championship night.

I like the kid and I'll be one of the guys happy to see him there whether it is 1,2 or all nights.  (Hopefully it is all nights)