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

I'll preface this by saying I am a HUGE fan of all things sprint car. As an Ohioan, I LOVE the Ohio scene....Attica, Fremont, FAST, ELDORA, and everything else wonderful we have to offer. I am also a HUGE WoO fan. I live and love sprints so much, I've spent everything I have to put on together, and have gotten to experience 410 racing a few times myself both winged, and wingless. I doubt any of you on here remember me, I was one of the ORIGINAL hoseheads...I don't even remember what my screen name was way back then....dirtracer 48 maybe? I've experience the Posse fans on here who live with their blinders on that think no one else anywhere is able to win a race...MSPN's posse hate, with endless "world's slowest half mile" evidence, etc. I've seen it all.

This weekend I finally got to visit the grove, and here are my thoughts.

1. MSPN, you're crazy. The straightaway speeds are astronomical at the Grove. A half mile is a half mile doesn't apply. From my own eyeballing and actually measuring the tracks via google earth, I find BRR's measurements to be quite accurate. PS BRR, I am swamps friend that called you saturday....sorry we didn't meet up although it sounds like we sat pretty close together.

2. Toughness of locals: NO ONE has as tough, or tougher competition than the PA posse, period. The people seated next to me were dumbfounded on why I was cheering for Posse over WoO. I have my faves for sure and was happy to see Sammy win again...but I am a HUGE fan of the underdog, although 9 straight from locals makes me wish to not refer to Posse as the underdog.

3. The atmosphere is SECOND TO NONE. I sat in the bleachers directly before beer hill expecting the worst. Sure there was the dill rod behind us who kept throwing pamphlets and fliers at us for hours on end. I did want to punch him, but kind of justified it as sitting in beer hill area, and getting what I expected more or less. We had so much fun it wasn't funny. Ohio, or anyone else would KILL to have so many fans as fanatical and dedicated as the BHG group. PS, I LOOKED and never ONCE saw the BHG merch set up anywhere.

4. I never got to see the late Billy Kimmel race, as a matter fact I'd not even heard of him until his such tragic passing. Reading the stories online made me realize one thing....this guy was as dedicated as it gets, and I feel like I really missed out getting to see him race and live his dream. I met his mother at the chili cookoff while buying a memorial shirt. I really think the sport needs more Kimmel's, there's no one more dedicated to racing than someone willing to spend all of their own money to get out there and DO IT. I saw someone wearing a "run what ya brung" Billy shirt.....I sure wish there would be reprints of these, I'd love to get one. RIP, my friend I never got to meet.

5. Posse freaking rules....end of story. I cannot wait to go back.

the irony of reality once again...thanks for coming out!

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

Great post from the OP. The funny thing about most of the bashing that goes on in these threads is that very few of the bashers have even been to the Grove or any of the central PA tracks.

Again, I still cannot express in text how much I enjoyed this weekend, and how tough the Posse really is.

That said.....Tim Shaffer is NOT posse

Yeah I think the world's slowest halfmile comes from average speeds, but I've been there once and on the straightaway's they fly.

They fly at every 1/2 mile track in the country, duh! The fact that they get around the Grove around 17 seconds on a quick night has earned it the nickname of America's Slowest Half Mile, that is a reality. Two dragstrips with stops and turns is what it is and the trickiness allows the Posse who run it weekly to have a huge advantage which is shown by their recent streak. The fact they are also rans at virtually every other track in the country with an odd exception here and there simply proves my almost 20 year theory of 'one track wonders'. You can look up in Allan Browns Sprint Car Annual some years in the early 90's where the Outlaws won more than 9 in a row in a single season in PA and while you're at it you may notice that they won most of the races at all other tracks in the area most of the time also.

Mr. Cole, I have no Posse hate but I do have issues some of the Posse cheerleaders that post on here that are pretty much clueless with the rest of the world, most of these folks I have met in real life and they have confirmed this as well. The real Posse fan is a sprint car fan and some of them are the BEST in the country, hands down, and I've known many of these good folks. Over the years I sold a lot of Photos in Posse country and by far the biggest seller was Steve Kinser and behind him were Sammy, Wolfie, Kenn Jacobs and many other Outlaws past and present, before the Posse racer. As many if not more Posse fans boo Fred on a regular basis simply because he's had so much success over the years, this comes with that territory, sadly.

The Posse debate something I had lots to do with since this place started back in '96 was basically a fan thing then as it is now. It has been stretched and slanted and truly messed up along with the way with many friendships being casualties but some day that too shall pass. Being at the Grove on any night is usually a good time but to be honest if you're that big a racing fan Lincoln is a better stop for a weekly show. Enjoy yourself, it's all good, Take It Easy.....

There is one particularlly true sequence of words in Mulligan's post above............"but I do have issues"

Glad to hear you had a good visit to PA Tim, sorry I missed you at the Cook-Off. The Natty-O is a fantastic weekend.

"The Outlaws have people out here that don’t know 
anything about racing. I don’t understand how they 
come up with some of the calls they do. It makes me 
think that they just might be that stupid. It’s 
scary."     -Steve Kinser

I thoroughly enjoyed my virginal visit to WG. I was rooting for Posse, but its only a race, these guys are spending a fortune & risking their lives for our entertainment, so bravo to all of them!

My opinion is that the Outlaws are hands down, the BEST in the business. I also feel that as far as locals go, Posse is the BEST in the business. When they meet up, it's one hell of a show. Not sure what's to fight about....

I looked for BHG merch. Hint: an old 30ish guy acting like a 20 something with shades in the shadows of ladder line in front of concession stand on Beerhill with a large collection of ice coolers. Go Grove board and post your wishes to Stew69 or visit www.beerhillgang.com

MSPN = More Stupid Posts by Nellie

... correction: MSPN & D-pak have issues ... lmao

dttfowtm ...  
Proud Member of Sprntlover's Babysitting Service
Pa Posse Says Race or Shut Your Pie Hole!
Work hard & become a leader. Be lazy & end up a slave.
I Challenge anyone to give an example of a program that
the government has managed efficiently and/or cheaper
than the private sector. Please no enactments, laws or
statutes.

timcole, you should have asked one of the undercover officers where they got their BHG shirts that they were wearing.

Great post, timcole. Great storytelling!