Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
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SPEED Features Kings Royal Today at 1 p.m. Eastern

Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway might have only four high-banked corners, but there were twists and turns all night long during the running of the 25th Annual Kings Royal. Today at 1 p.m. Eastern in a special two-hour event, SPEED will cover all of the controversy and excitement from qualifying through the $50,000-to-win feature and the highly emotional victory celebration at one of the crown jewel races on the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series schedule.

The atmosphere at the intimidating half-mile oval is intense as Donny Schatz takes aim at his second consecutive Kings Royal title. With Bobby Gerould and Hall-of-Famer Brad Doty calling the action, Shane Andrews and Sarah Jane Hunt bring viewers all of the emotions from the pits as drivers reach their boiling points knowing there’s $50,000 on the line. Don’t miss the super-sized excitement from start to finish today at 1 p.m. Eastern on SPEED.

The King was right. The call giving Shatz another lap was pretty bogus. Very obvious on TV that car was not in Donny's way. WoO just lost a HUGE AMOUNT of respect and credibility. SOOOOO glad Cappy dropped you guys from sanctioning the Nationals!!!

After seeing the footage the first time I was about to agree that the car wasn't in the way. But after seeing where Kinser was running three and four during his heat I reconsidered. He (and Schatz too later in his heat) was diving right to the VERY bottom of three and four just a few feet from the inside wall. I can see where if Donny was going to do the same that the 20W would have made him move up a bit (which he did) and take away the line where he was wanting to dive right to the VERY bottom. Maybe he could have still dove right to the bottom but he would have been cutting right across the nose of the 20W. Yes the 20W was right down by the wall - BUT I can see why and how the call was made by the three WoO officials. I can also understand why the other drivers were upset since they couldn't see the footage we saw today - but that does not excuse the tantrum, slanderous words and unprofessional, immature display by Mr. Kinser.

Phil Taylor

home-theater-systems-advice.com

It looked like the car was in the way to me. Steve Kinser needs to shut his trap and race. What a baby ... load up the car like you are going home.

So why don't u tell Kemenah or McCarl to shut their trap? Kinser wasn't the only one down there, he was just the one that voiced his option the most and the cameras captured his the most.

Heck of a run for Hafertepe once again! Started 17th and he worked the bottom like a pro the first few laps and came up to 6th rather quickly!

Steve Kinser had what you call "The Royal Meltdown".

"Just the facts ma'am", Sgt. Joe Friday, Detective, 
LAPD

"So why don't u tell Kemenah or McCarl to shut their trap? Kinser wasn't the only one down there, he was just the one that voiced his option the most and the cameras captured his the most."

Because they're not SK fans, more to the point, they're SK haters.

I agree with you though. Steve is getting all the hassle and blame just because he IS Steve Kinser.

Did he get upset? Sure. Did others? Sure. If my memory serves me correctly, he's not the first racer that ever got mad and chewed out an official.

I loved the leading question that they asked Donny though. "Steve Kinser said you were wrong". HEHEHE!! Not trying to stir the pot at all, huh??

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

I don't pull for Kinser or Schatz so it really doesn't make any difference to me but after seeing the replay I have to say the call just made no sense. I liken it to an NFL official who should of just kept the flag in his pocket. Donny didn't run any lower on his second lap and ran a drastically different line on the gift lap. If there is interference throw a yellow, how hard is that? It made for some pretty good TV though.

I thought the most interesting parts of the broadcast were 1.the walk/run by Steve back to his hauler with the camera in front of him when he said something to the effect of "cheatinist outfit I ever seen" not the most grammatically correct statement but I applaud the true Indiana jibberish none the less twice. 2 Kraig Kinser who opined following his B main exit that he blamed the raceciever operator for not calling the wreck and also said " YOU CAN'T SEE OUT THERE WITH ALL THE DUST" Now he knows how I feel sitting in the stands over there.

SPEED's lovinit - Emmy material. ...best Soap Opera or WWE smackdown ?

...hittin' the road now for the Grove to watch tne Ugliness Tour continue, ...heh heh heh.

that official was a deer in the headlights...Kinser was right on about these jokers, notice Kemenah amd McCarl there too?

i wonder why they didn't show any other drivers rounding 3-4 with a car on the bottom flat...it has been going on there for years!

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

That made for great TV!

It was better than the "Lasoski Family Feud" at the Nationals a couple of years ago.

"Just the facts ma'am", Sgt. Joe Friday, Detective, 
LAPD

Okay, So If that car was in Donny's way and "EVERYONE" saw this, then why didn't the flag man put out the yellow instead of having Donny come back into the pits? That was a bad call all the way around. I will have to say that Kinser is right. That car was out of his way. Everyone saw that. Just a bad call.

ok, i have to say i did not see any of the broadcast and was not at the race, i am just going to say... what was donny's excuse for his slow second lap? was there something in his way? he could have chosen to run the top the first lap and the bottom the second. i can see where he may be able to validate himself some how by saying that he would have run his second lap high if he could have gotten a good clean first lap in. remember i did not see it so maybe he did get a good clean first lap in. it just seems he took full advantage when he knew he blew it. if the rule says you can ask for aother lap if you felt you were interfeared with......? maybe in the same set of circomstances EVERYONE but donny should ask for another lap! what is interfearace anywhy. can someone say i got dirt in my eye? can they say my belts popped loose? can they say a pretty girl caught my eye? hey, kinser could say "my ego got in the way!" jk!

As Carlton Reimers stated last Tuesday on my show and again on the TV broadcast...THREE officials made the call as close to being simultaniously as you can imagine. There was no collusion or discussion among the officials other than the original and immediate call. It most certainly didn't matter who was affected or whose track it was or anything like that. Yes, it can be argued it was a poor decision based on whether Schatz's car was impeded in any way, but controversial calls are made by officials every day at every track...or in any sport or any walk of life for that matter. It's part of the game. Heck, I have this discussion often with my 14 year old son about complaining about bad calls in baseball or basketball. If he gets squeezed on the strike zone when pitching or takes a called third strike at the plate or thinks he got fouled on a critical play which he thinks costs the team a game, it's very unlikely that one play changed the outcome. You could probably find occasions where a mistake or two by you or your team put the game at risk. It's called human error or a human decision. It's just part of the game.

I understand Steve Kinser's and the other drivers' anger...there is no more competitive soul on the planet than Steve...but you cannot call the officials "crooks" and other things he said on TV without consequence. Or even away from TV for that matter. It isn't allowed in other sports and shouldn't be tolerated by the leading series in sprint car racing. I understand the frustration but I did find it ironic and a bit funny when they showed Steve and his crew loading up the car and then Steve relenting, saying it was only because of the fans that he would race...then cutting away to commercial where Q Motor Oil was the first commercial to run. I'm not saying Steve was being disengenious or anything but it was kind of ironic timing and I had a good laugh at the circumstances.

I've said it before and I'll state it again. ..these drivers aren't forced to run the series. That said, there is a reason they choose to do so. They have to accept rules and decisions in exchange for a good purse, point money and tow money, not to mention TV and marketing and other things. The alternative is to give that up and do the "true outlaw" thing everybody keeps talking about. Funny thing is, I haven't seen anybody take that route lately.

Anyway, it was good to see Steve put an old fashioned Kinser whoopin' on the boys at Lernerville in the next race. When he's at the top of his game, there still isn't anybody better.

OK..now have at me...

John....

Please don't muddle the issue with the facts and a cogent discussion of them....Message boards allow folks to post their opinions....right or wrong....

Facts have little use here

Chuck.....

did the officials make the call to give donny the extra lap and inform him or did they wait for him to request it?

it's very unlikely that one play changed the outcome. this one sure did.

a good purse, point money and tow money, is woo still paying tow money? i had heard they stopped. if they are, who gets it?

Do you know for sure that they stopped paying tow money? If so, can you share your information?

Even Steve said he should have done better and not put himself in the position he was in after qualkifying.