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

Just saw a piece on YouTube titled "greatest upsets in Nascar history".  I thought it would be fun to have everyone list the greatest upsets they ever witnessed in sprint car history. 

Let's get the 2 obvious ones out of the way that I witnessed:  (I don't get to many sprint car races in person each year, so I haven't witnessed a lot of upsets in person)

1.  2010--Shaffer over Schatz Knoxville Nationals

2.  2016--Jason Johnson over Schatz Knoxville Nationals

I could also throw in Balog's WOO win last year at Beaver Dam--if you call it an upset since it was kinda at his "home track" if you will.  But, I still think it qualifies.  

(I could also include Brian Brown over Schatz in 2017 Knoxville Nationals but I'll wait to post on Sunday)  

As soon as I saw the thread title I thought Shaff over Schatz in 2010. 

I don't think I'd call Balog's WoO win as one of the "greatest upsets in sprint car history."  egras, you see Balog probably more than any of us and he's arguably one of the top drivers in the country (meaning like Top 50 maybe).  Zearfoss at WG was a bigger upset.  If Russ Borland beat Schatz in a WoO race, yeah that'd qualify.  But Balog is a highly respected driver amongst his peers. 

See too many races to remember the dates...

Williams Grove - Rahmer from 24th starting position for the win in the final laps of melee as leader Leppo is running out of fuel and nursing it home / Schatz bottled up behind him coming to the flags. Ironically, there was a fuel stop earlier in the race.

Williams Grove - Donnie Kreitz moves to the 2nd groove and drives past Kinser coming out of 4 to the white flag on a partched WoO hug the bottom surface - I thought the back strech bleachers were going to collapse as the entire crowd rose simultaneously.

Williams Grove - Gravel spins out Stevie Smith and steals the Grove Open and gets called out by Donnie Schatz in the post race interview.

Port Royal - Ryan Smith holds off Schatz for the win

Eldora - Sammy's Goodyear explodes and Walker wins a pre-piss test Kings Royal

Knoxville - Sammy's Goodyear explodes and the crowd actually show sympathy for him

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

almost forgot the biggest...Mitch Smith beats USAC at the Grove...

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

Kreitz Jr., winning the 1986 King's Royal.  Running a distant 5th and won when top 4 had problems.

shit...Jason Sides at the King's Royal tire blowing debacle

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

Bobby Allen at the Nats

Kreitz at the Kings Royal

Shaffer at the Nats

The worst president of my lifetime:
Ronald Reagan

Scruffy Allen as he was known at the time winning the Knoxville Nationals after Sammy was covered in Oil late in the race and could hardly steer.  Lasoski wins the Nationals on the last lap when Sammy's fuel bladder binds up and it made him run out of fuel, Sammy had that race won....

Roger Crockett beating the WoO in the BWW 82 at I-94 in Michigan a few years back.

Long shot to begin with, gets even more unlikely given the fact he shredded his right rear coming out of Turn 2 on the white flag lap and limped it home.

Kraig Kinser winning Nats.

I was there for your second one and it is easily one of the happiest moments of my life :-). I don't know how many Nationals I made it to but I would have happily given ALL of them up to be there that evening. 

Ronnie Shuman winning a WoO race at Williams Grove in the spring of 1987.  His much heavier all new Ford with mere months of developement by a little New Mexico car dealer beat the greatest team in the history of the earth in their absolute prime in the mud before a weight rule.  Steve and Karl would go on to have the most dominant season anyone ever had or will ever have.  Considering how the experts today act like running a Ford against David Graval is like rasing the Titanic with a garden rake, Mr Shuman basically accomplished the impossible that night.

Luna's Ford engine style that won 2 WoO titles and 3 
Kings Royals before a weight rule against the best EVER
in their prime and now DOMINATES super dirt late model
racing is no longer allowed/wanted in a WoO sprint
car.... Was Luna a miracle worker?

Mark Keegan tracking Steve Kinser down at Attica at a speedweek show in the mid 90's.

...

That Keegan win was amazing, the place went absolutely wild like they will do in Knoxville when Brownie wins one....

Kevin Swindell as a 17 year old at Charlotte and Blake Feese in somebodys car from Florida I think also at Charlotte, both against the World of Outlaws....

Good stuff!  Keep it going.

I would have put some of these down on my list-----but I wasn't there! 

Ed Lynch Jr. beating Mark Kinser to the line for the Don Martin memorial. They swapped turn 4 slide jobs lap after lap. The place was packed, everybody standing, everybody cheering for Ed jr.  

Travis Jacobson at Skagit. Never had a top 5 in a WoO event before and probally hasn't since. Held off Schatz.

"Mr. Excitment" Todd Shaffer beating Steve Kinser and the WoO at Selinsgrove (don't remember the year). 

Shaffer proclaimed in VL that there was only one #11 @ Selinsgrove. Shaffer was piloting the Turnbaugh #11 that night.

Similar situation for Brandon Matus winning at sharon during Ohio Sprint Speedweek.