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

Why are so many drivers in their prime cutting back or retiring?

I can think of three right now  Darren Pittma ,Joey Saldana ,Shane Stewart and Now Trey Starks.

I dont really think joey and shane made the choice to cut back I dont think they were able to land a ride that was willing to race the amount of races that they raced for years on the woo tour. I wouldnt say these guys are really in thier prime but not by any means washed up either.

The first 3 are 42, 48, and 44.  I'm 47 and really getting my retirement fund in order.  How is this "in their prime?"  I mean, still some years to race, but even Ray Charles can see their prime passed years ago.  

I'm not going to pretend to answer for the 4 you listed.  But speaking on my own behalf, driving a sprint car never "paid the bills" AND allowed for the level of lifestyle my wife or I really wanted, especially when diapers and formula was added to the budget.  I ended up retiring from driving and took a full time "real" job earning close to $70k annually with full benefits.  Now, 23 years and 5 promotions later, we are living that dream life.  When my last child is done with college, my wife and I want to be a sprint car owner, because we want to give back to the sport I grew up around and love so much.  She recognizes the sacrifice I made for our family and supports my dream to be a car owner.  No, it won't be a national traveling team, but mark my words, within the next 8-10 years, I will be a sprint car owner.

As I digressed to my own personal story, I can only guess that there's other drivers out there that may have chosen a similar path as I have.  Driving race cars, while glorious, isn't the cash cow many believe.  There's only a handful of drivers in the sprint car ranks able to make a really good living, so I'm not surprised at all to see some make the decision to back away and choose a path that provides a more substantial and consistent source of income.  

I wouldn't call any of those drivers in their "prime" as 3 of the 4 are basically on the downside of their careers & 1 has not reached that point yet. Somewhat in football terms, they are at the age when they hit the free agent market, not many teams are willing to pay their desired salary. Out of the 3 older drivers, I think Shane is the one who has proven he can compete at a high level consistently. Not a knock on the other two but it's a performance & results based sport.

The older drivers have had various amounts of success throughout their careers. Depending on if they were wise with their money, they should be at the point in where they are trying enjoy the fruits of their labor  while racing when they want.

Father Time is undefeated.

Don't tell Sammy that!

He already knows...

Good one.....tell me another one....LOL!!   Sammy hasn't been a factor in the last 5 to 6 years in a 410.  If you look at the bigger races it has been longer than that!!

Let's go Sprint Car Racing!

Knoxville - Best Track In the USA!
Eldora - 2nd Best Track in the USA!

Sammy hasn't done shit yet. LOL When he is 84 and still running a 305 he can tell Jim Kennedy about it.

Sponsors cutting back because of shutdowns?

Time for a homework assignment for the stats enthusiasts among us.  List all of the active drivers around the country that ran with Outlaws for at least one full season.  I believe that the data would tell us that there is a youth movement in Sprint Car racing.  Drivers over forty still have a lot of good laps left in them but the numbers tell us those laps may not be with the Outlaws.  There are few exceptions.

Stan Meissner

After 2020 securing sponsorship is going to be a struggle for many. I am surprised to hear trey starks is reportedly done. EZGO and I believe the Gobrect family were involved with  the team.  Especially the money being offered this year in central pa

Did you pay attention to PA Speedweek in 2020 at all or did it never happen in whatever alternate reality it is in which you live? Sammy was pretty fast all week. He put it in the show every single night with the exception of the opener at Williams Grove where he had mechanical issues that forced him to retire for the night early on.....and he was fast before that happened. He scored a pair of 3rd place finishes at Hagerstown & Grandview. In case you forgot, Grandview is a rough and tumble bullring that's very physically demanding on any driver. I'd say the old man stacked up quite well. He isn't 20 anymore but to still wheel it like he does at his age is pretty damn impressive. Any one who can make every show and run top 3 at 2 different tracks against that level of competition is definitely a factor. If you're capable of running 3rd, you're capable of winning. Give credit where it's due.

Lol!!  Sammy hasn't been a factor in a 410  for the last 5 to 6 years.  A couple of top 5's doesn't make you great....he tore up slot of equipment this year as well.  I can't wait to see him this year and see all the excuses he makes for not winning!!   Looks like he lost a few steps.....no excuses for his age either. 

Let's go Sprint Car Racing!

Knoxville - Best Track In the USA!
Eldora - 2nd Best Track in the USA!

In all reality it's probably been longer than 5 to 6 years.   I'm not sure exactly when, but the year the WoO went back to Hoosier tires is when Sammy went backwards.   Guys will get on here and dispute that, but go back and look at his finishes from that point forward...

At 69 I have no desire to participate in one of these "Sammy is immortal and will never retire" discussions.  I know what age does to a person so for the sake of this thread I will just say that Sammy appears to have an easier time securing a ride than others in their mid 60's.  Most other drivers can't show that they were part of the "big three" and I believe that bullet point gives Sammy a bit of an edge on other older drivers.  Fact is, most other drivers aren't going to hang around until they're 65 or whatever he is now.

I think Sammy is an exception and it helps to have a family ride that opens up for a few shows when the phone doesn't ring.  Nevertheless, to hold Sammy up as the prime example doesn't take into account all the other former Outlaws who struggle to find rides into their late 40's and 50's.  Notice I don't include 60's as very few hang on that long.  I like watching Sammy still making shows but I worry about him getting banged around in wrecks at this age.  

Stan Meissner

" the year the WoO went back to Hoosier tires is when Sammy went backwards"....exactly

Ironic thing was that he lost some big races the year before due to blowouts on his Goodyears

Very true

Father time waits for no one.There are a few legends that still draw fans but guys like Larson and Bell Rico that steal the show when they show up.Guys like Kenny Schrader just get paid to be part of the show.The Masters race at Knoxville is usually won by a still active driver. Even the best ever in most any sport gets replaced eventually. Many older drivers are still better than 50% of the field but owners that have their money invested want results not excuses. It is a shame that many hired drivers dont have much of a retirement plan and some just cant get used to a  regular job after their days in the spotlight.