Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

Below you will find the link to the Video taken on-board of Whit Gastineau's 2W during the OCRS 'A" Feature at Lawton Speedway 06/26/2010

Nice run from starting 8th to win. Nice Job Whit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRm6NoXfw04

"PATINA....you can't buy it at the store....it's only 
original once"

Below you will find the link to the Video taken on-board of Whit Gastineau's 2W during the OCRS 2nd Heat Race at Lawton Speedway 06/26/2010, when the 4C spins in front of Whit and then piles the field up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYAXy3IUPBY

"PATINA....you can't buy it at the store....it's only 
original once"

"when the 4c spins in front of Whit and piles the field up"

?Really? Even the in-car backs up exactly what we saw from the stands. The 4c got a lil loose/sideways - and Gastineau drove right through him and spun him out. A modifieds did the SAME EXACT THING to Charlie White in the feature and was black flagged for it.

Not tryin to say anything bad about Whit at all. I've always liked watching him race. But c'mon man.....you cant paint it different when ITS RIGHT THERE!!! He drove right through him.. yeah Cobb was loose - but it was CLEARLY Whit's contact that sent him around - after watching it repeatedly - looks like Cobb would not have spun had there been no contact - but probably whipped it back straight down at the bottom (which could have piled the field up too I admit).

But that is pure speculation - the fact is right there - Whit drove right through and spun him out. And hey - some are ok with that - some are not. I have no opinion on that. My only opinion.....call it for what it was man. It would take a true homer to try to spin it as if it was not Whit that spun Cobb around. Not saying whether it was right or wrong, or accident or intent, - I dont care - just pointing out the fact that Whit spun him out...........

thats all.

How much would could a wouldchuck chuck if a 
wouldchuck could chuck would

Thany you!!! I was not going to be the one to bring this up but I will certainly back you up! I know that I was not the only person that felt this way, there was alot of torn up race cars that didn't need to be. I guess a black flag still works the same for a sprint car as it does a mod, I don't know that but they could give it a try anyway! Not to mention all the cars that got plowed out of the way in the feature, not just by the 2 but several others as well. I already thought very highly of Owens and Sellars and I gained even more respect for them Saturday, because no matter how many times they got booted they still raced everyone clean. They showed alot of class and I was impressed, and I know I wasn't the only one. Great job to the 33 and the 4 (Sellars).

Can I change my name to ModifiedFanRob?

Well, I am not sure what Whit could have done to make it much different, I mean, if he locks the brakes up the field would have just run over him. They already had one car tore up after Drake, Jr wrecked Beau Friday out at Outlaw which gave me one destroyed fuel cell that I have to repair and repaint, besides having to re-letter his wings, and it's not like I was happy with the results of the heat race incident on Saturday either, because another car (Jerry Kyser 31) that I have helped out with since he started racing, got involved in the carnage as well, and it's going to require me to have to do some work for him as well.

It was a racing deal, and that's the risk you take when you roll out on the track, I feel bad for everyone who got tore up as a result of the incident, but it wasn't intentional by no means.

And not to make a bigger issue with the feature but since yall brought it up, if you watch the video of the 2W you will only see a few instances of when the 2W made physical contact with any other car, and that would be with the 35 (Sherrell), 33 (Owens), and the 26 (Essary). The only way to get around that piece of crap track was to plow down underneath the guy in front of you to make the pass, I know some people don't like it when someone slides under you, but if you wanted to move forward you had to stick it in there, brake down, and drive off, heck Sellars and Whit put on a good show there for awhile trading slide jobs for several laps, up until Robert drove a little deep and jump the berm in turn two which gave Whit the chance he needed to get by and pull away.

But as everything goes, everyone see things the way they see them and is entitled to their own views and opinions, but that is how I saw it. If I was afraid and worried about the reaction I'd get from the videos I wouldn't have posted it, but it is what it is, thats open wheel racing at its finest.

And just to throw a quote in from Essary that was in the OCRS press release in response to the race “... I know (the hit) wasn’t a purpose. It just happened. I really wanted to win this one bad...”

"PATINA....you can't buy it at the store....it's only 
original once"

My icon gives away my bias on this one, but let me try to speak as a fan. Nothing makes me regret a ticket purchase more than a track that results in a bottom-feeder freight train. I give you Lawton Speedway. I rarely go there for that reason, but I went on Saturday and witnessed, as I have before when other regional circuits come through, more contact than we normally see in a sprint car race. You'll never see anything quite as pretty as a sprinter hooked up and running fast on the rim with some sliders underneath, but that option was gone after hot laps on Saturday. In the feature, I watched Whit at least try to take a mid-line at times around three and four, but even that line wasn't very good. In the end, I would rather see the drivers mix it up a little bit than watch everyone settle into a position and play follow the leader for 25 laps. I know some of you dry-slickers out there like that stuff, but it's a snoozer for most race fans. Yes, I appreciate clean racing and the ability it takes to hustle a sprint car around in that fashion. We could have watched that on Saturday and slept right through it. The fact is, the track was as narrow as a bowling alley and instead we got a little action. To me, it was more a function of the conditions than anyone's mentaltiy. Would I have felt the same way if my favorite car got squeezed? I would like to think so, but who knows? I'm human. Everything else aside, I do think the best car on that night won the race, and I don't think I'm biased in that opinion.

I'll finish with this as I date myself. My dad drove super mods back in the '70's and '80's against names that the older heads around here know and revere. He said, "If they were faster, they'd run behind you for a little while, but you knew that pretty soon there would come a time when the faster car was coming through, one way or another."

I've never tried to convince anyone that I am a racer, but I have always thought of that as just part of racing, and a part of the sport the most of us with a little testosterone appreciated.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

The sprint car race was a hell of race. The 26, 2w and 4 put a really good show. Did not see anything wrong with the track is was very racy all night.

there is no doubt the 2 car made contact with the 4c in the heat race but if you park your car sideways on a racetrack good chance it will get banged up a little i am sure the 2 didn't do it on purpose but he is not out there to run 2nd either also heard something about rooting people out of there groove i may be wrong but isn't that racing there was no high line the bottom was all there was i thought it was a good show could have been better if there was another line but that is the race track we had and every driver had the same one to drive on

All of these points have been very well made and I appreciate everyone's views on this topic. It gives me another way to look at it. I definately agree that the best car did win the race, it was obvious all night what car was the fastest. I just have a little different view when it comes to moving someone out of the way to go by, doesent mean it is right, it's just a different way to look at it. I was always tought that the car in front has the line and if you are faster than him and can't pass him without knocking him outta the way then don't pass him. Pass him clean or not at all, I thought the 33 was a good example of this the other night. Again it is just another way to look at it, it doesn't mean it is the right way, or the only way to see it. It doesn't mean it's wrong either though.

These are the kind of debates I enjoy being part of, we hear all sides and knowone is mad because everyone doesn't believe the same thing they do. I know someone will get on here and slam me for being negative and having something "bad" or "negative" to say from my 1st post but I have really enjoyed this discussion so far!

Can I change my name to ModifiedFanRob?

i enjoy the discussion i don't think there is anything wrong with taking a line from somebody it's has to be somewhat of a contact sport everyone wears a helmet and they have bumpers and nerf bars

Rob -- I agree. It's nice when it can be discussed minus the name-calling, etc. Everyone is entitled to their viewpoint and it's fun to kick it around when folks can remain respectful of one another. I think most of us are with you when it comes to clean racing. Not to beat a dead horse, but that track just made it a tough deal. Too many cars and not enough real estate.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

Exactly !!!!! Good job everyone !!!

You are absolutely right about the race track, but be careful. I have been singled out and attacked on here for criticizing the track in Lawton - granted I got a little carried away but still....

I find it sad when you pull 30+ sprint cars and the sprint feature is the yawner of the night, that blows my mind and it was the same way when the ASCS was there - worse even. The drivers did what they could to make it better. I will say that the mods, limiteds, and stock cars were better than usual. Those guys all put on a great show!

Can I change my name to ModifiedFanRob?

Sorry OKCFan.. ur wrong about Whit... if u listen and hear what his car is doin... he lifts off the throttle... he's not floorin it.... u cant stop a car thats goin 60-70mph in the corner.... looks like Cobb did a slide job on Whit too...

OK kids here we go, driving on a track like that is no different than driving on black ice in your family car during a good ole Oklahoma winter storm. You try to come to a complete and safe stop or slow down but Mother Nature takes over and the next thing you know you are either into the curb or the car in front of you. And all of this while you are travelling 5 mph.

If you can only imagine trying to do the same under Race conditions at much higher speeds, I know it is allot easier to drive from the comfort of a Grandstand seat, but I thought all the drivers did a great job from viewing the video.

The #2w car was completely sideways and in the marbles in the heat race when he made contact with the #4c with nowhere to go. It was Racing deal. As far as the A Feature it looks to me like the #2w car was the fastest car on the track and showed allot of patience working his way through the field.

This of course is only my point of veiw, and I am not disagreeing with the way others see it.

from where i stood it looked like 2w could have either done what he did or hit the wall....he barely touched a car that was spinning...nothing deliberate, just racing......just my opinion.

"its useless to put on the brakes when you are upside 
down"   -Paul Newman

I think you also have to take into consideration that it was the first corner of lap 1. A lot of adrenaline there. The guy in front of the whole pack gets sideways and what are you supposed to do? If you get off of it you are gonna get plowed from behind. The leader made the mistake, not Whit. Also, I think at the point where the 4c came around, Whit's eyes were most likely looking ahead of the 4c and down the back straight. You don't watch the car in front of you, but rather keep them in your (i'm gonna butcher this spelling) perifial vision. Sprint cars run right on the edge of spinning out anyway so when the 4c did come around Whit had just a fraction of a second to react. It really was just one of those things. But, it never would have happened if the 4c didn't get so loose.

"They're steering them sum bi***es with their right 
foot!"