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

(Taken from Area Auto Racing News/Jerry Reigle)

Jeff Shepard/John Zemaitis:

Last week, John Zemaitis received a call from Jeff Shepard, who told him his days of driving the Zemco Speed Equipment No. 1 car, were done.

"Honestly, as a friend of Jeff, I'm happy he made the call the way he did," Zemaitis said on Monday, "As a car owner, we were hoping he would come back.

"He's a great driver, a great person and he was exciting to watch. But with the injuries he had at Knoxville Raceway, you don't want to get again."

"Jeff has a business," Zemaitis said, "That's his focus. Racing is no longer the priority in his life and his choice to quit was a wise one."

And Zemaitis wants his next driver to have a similar plan or, at least know, the team doesn't want to race weekly.

"We can't race enough to support a full time driver. We want the guy, who we hire, to know that up front."

Lance Dewease:

It appears as if Lance Dewease won't chase the ASCoC full-time in 2009.

"We'll probably do like an 80-race season or so," Dewease said. "We'll probably hit more WoO shows and definitely get to the bigger paying ones around here. ...probably hit about 20 to 30 percent more WoO shows than we did this year (Dewease said he'll probably even head out to Las Vegas early in the year where there is rumored to be a WoO-sanctioned event in March.)

"Heck, there might even be weekends when we don't race at all. Don't get me wrong, the point fund money is great, but at best (Williams Grove Speedway) you can win $15,000. Well, you can win that at one big paying show. The whole points chasing deal is tough. It can really work on a team.

"And I refuse to go to any event, knowing I'll be put in the penalty box. Why do that? You have guys who know how to work the system. I don't blame them. But it's so tough nowadays, with the way equipment is so equal, for a guy to start on the front row and lead the whole qualifying race. If you're starting eighth or 10th, it's tough to get in a transfer spot and then you're starting outside the top 12 for the feature ."

Fred Rahmer:

Fred Rahmer made it clear at Williams Grove Speedway that he probably won't run for another track championship.

And was more poignant on Saturday at Lincoln Speedway.

"I have no plan at this point, but I guarantee this is probably the last year you'll see me win a points title," Rahmer said. "I knew I won't chase them any longer."

Rahmer went on to add he's sick of drivers using the points system to their advantage, using it as a tool to start up front then skip a few weeks in order to secure themselves a front row starting spot.

That's not racing in my opinion," he said. "There are guys who either pull in the pits if they know they're doing well or they just don't show up to the track.

 
 
 
They don't even know how to spell sprint car 
much less chromoly...http://www.ycmco.com

 
 
 
They don't even know how to spell sprint car 
much less chromoly...http://www.ycmco.com

 
 
 
They don't even know how to spell sprint car 
much less chromoly...http://www.ycmco.com

add a few more ridiculous "equalization" rules and the cubic mentality will have transformed 410 racing into a back gate division worthy of an $8 general admission ticket. not sure why you just didn't latch onto the sportsmen division to begin with...

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

What 410s? There are only a handful left across the entire country because they priced themselves out of existence. Looks like a couple more might be disappearing around here next year. Too bad someone just doesn't simply unhook them, so one day they don't end up being regulated by ASCS instead. We could have been watching big blocks instead. C'est la vie.

 
 
 
They don't even know how to spell sprint car 
much less chromoly...http://www.ycmco.com

the result of idiotic tire rules is "marginalizing performance" of the series and LESS PASSING.

the only way to stop people from spending their own money is to institue communism ot take their money away thru taxation...oh, thats right...you are supporting that also.

dump the 410CUI rule and make more cheap horsepower than the car can connect to the track and stop trying to turn 410 racing into the most expensive pinewood derby series in the world...with rules that require execssing spending on engines and "tricky" electronics to elude inspection.

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

I'm all for dumping the 410 rule, but EVERYONE is sick of follow-the-leader slot car racing on our half miles and the $50k five race grenades that it has spawned. Our sport has become crippled under a mountain of engine and tire bills. Sprint cars were meant to run sideways, winged and non-winged alike, not straight. They were also meant to be driven by real men, not just rich kids.

 
 
 
They don't even know how to spell sprint car 
much less chromoly...http://www.ycmco.com

then ditch the threads about your crappy tire rules...both of the drivers quoted above have said that the tire rules have not saved any $ but sure has made passing more difficult.

last time i checked- saving the cost of (1) 50k engine would buy a piss load of tires...

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

Lincoln allowed Rahmer run whatever tire he wanted for the Anniversary Show and Stevie Smith still beat him with an SC-12. The track record spec tire hasn't made a lick of difference. The reason Rahmer and Dewease aren't winning 30 races a year from 12th is because the last Outlaw caliber race teams we had around here folded up. They've both been jumping rides the past few seasons and are along the same footing as everyone else. The reason there is limited passing at big tracks like Williams Grove is because of turbulence and the fact that everyone can run around wide open because the cars are stuck TOO hard. With the gear you have to pull you can't spin the tires. At small tracks like Lincoln where you can run a lot of gear and don't have the corner speed/downforce they are unhooked enough to still be racy. The track record spec tire hasn't affected the cars in the least. If they were to actually unhook them with a smaller tire Rahmer would win more races.

 
 
 
They don't even know how to spell sprint car 
much less chromoly...http://www.ycmco.com

Thanks for posting the the pics and stats! Living in Minnesota I only got to see him race once in a while but he was still one of my favorites and I saw him race in all of the cars pictured above.....As far as the 410 thing goes, it sure would be nice to see a big time track take the initiative to get the ball rolling. Smaller wings? Big cheap motors? Hard tires? Power down racing with the rear of the cars glued to the track blows and being only a fan all I can do to voice my opinion is to not go which I have already done. Heading to Phoenix for the Western World to see some REAL racers use their skill to make the car go fast, not their checkbooks.

The half mile tracks can be hard on engines, no doubt about it. The Ohio 410 tracks are smaller bullrings, much easier on the engines. At places like the Grove, the engine is going to wind up high, and how much can you do to prevent that? Maybe smaller tracks are the answer in PA?

9th Annual Northern Ohio Sprint Car Show
March 18-20, 2011
Featuring the FAST sprint cars
NOSCS Hall of Fame, and much more...
At the Tiffin Mall in Tiffin, Ohio
Official home of the Hoserville Ohio Benefit Auction

I honestly think that Rahmer and Dewease not running fulltime is good news for Pennsylvania long term. There are a ton of younger racers that have been slowly moving through the ranks, but have not been able to get over the top due to the caliber of drivers/equipment that both Rahmer and Dewease have. It is time to see some of these guys rise to the top.

I would love to see a team like Zemco or whomever partner with Cannon, and then have hims get a Saturday night ride as well. Here is a guy who has the ability to dominate, and if he is able to put together a top ride plus a couple of Grove championships, you have a chance to see a some new players rise to the top.

Not that this matters, but look at Knoxville. Both Brown and Alley have become studs, and it would not have happened with TMac and Madsen hanging around.

As someone who has followed Rahmer's career going back to the late 1970s at Grandview, I gotta say that he really has become a bit of a complainer in recent years. For years and years, he always took pride in starting 12th every night and winning. Now, they guys starting up front abuse the system and it is not a level playing field. How level was it when he had Hamilton or Harz behind him?

 
 
 
They don't even know how to spell sprint car 
much less chromoly...http://www.ycmco.com

 
 
 
They don't even know how to spell sprint car 
much less chromoly...http://www.ycmco.com

Congrats Jeff on an awesome career. Sorry it had to end this way. I think they should give a look at Wayne Johnson. He doesn't need a whole lot of help to run up front. Good luck to whomever fills that seat though.

Awesome career JEFF SHEPARD. I am glad you are moving into a new phase of your life.

good luck to the jett and thanks for the great racing...

i wonder what not running for a points championship will mean for rahmer and dewease? i'll bet my first born they don't venture too far from PA... dewease didn't even run outlaw shows in ohio this year and he was following the ASCoC...

I wish Earl still did Eldora's track prep.  

Too bad. Fun to watch. Good luck with his future and the 1z team in finding a driver