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

I think we can all agree that Kinser is the best sprint driver ever. But there was always a debate on the second spot between Sammy, Wolfgang and Donny. After tonight's performance did Donny secure the second spot and we can end the debate? It's tough not to put him there.

Congrats to Donny Schatz and the entire team for another Knoxville Nationals win.

Absolutely, he mastered that track once again. Still feel for Brian Brown , had the race and lost it. 

2nd greatest driver ever?? Maybe at the Nationals but not overall.

I don't think Brian Brown "lost" the race, Donny "won" it with his incredible, historic drive!

Hats off to Donny.

Donny is a very lucky man in more ways than one. He is the very best in the business right now. He has the very best crew chief in the business. Back in the 80's when we had the Big 3, those guys were in a different class than everybody else. Luckily for us fans there were three of them which made the racing so much more enjoyable to watch. You never knew who was gonna win. Today Donny is in a class by himself and there is not another driver out there right now as talented. Kyle Larson might be that guy but he is already gone to the next level. Thats a shame for the sprint car fan. We need another driver who can consistently challenge Donny to make the racing enjoyable again. He will win the WOO championship again and to me it takes the fun out of goin. You know who's gonna win before you get there. I almost went to the Nationals this year. Glad I stayed home and it makes next years choice an easy one for me.

Yes!!! #2 of all time! I'm not a fan of his but I respect and admire his talent of driving a sprint car.

Without a doubt and if you consider the Nationals to be the super bowl or world series of sprint car racing, you could make an argument that he's the best ever. Did Steve ever win 7 out of 8 or win it from 21st? Donny isn't gonna reach Steve's career win totals or WOO championships but this is a different era where the cars are much more equal and there are topnotch cars and drivers all over the country. In Steve's hayday, the top handful of teams had a huge equipment advantage over everyone else plus he had the best ever turning the wrenches.  Donny has also won more Williams Grove National Opens than any driver.

A

Its Kinser then Sammy. Then debate all you want between Mark Kinser and the rest

I don't understand why people don't go to the nationals because they are afraid of seeing someone win (schatz).  Why would you miss some of the best racing because of one driver.   If you don't want to see Schatz win then don't watch him.  Find your favorite driver and watch them.   Odds are you will only see schatz for a brief moment as he is passing them.... Hay oohhhh! But seriously plenty of good racing to see. 

Boy, you must have never went to any outlaw races in the 80's and 90's then if that's your attitude towards someone winning every night...

when the green flag drops, the bullshit stops!

Steve won from 16th from when the race was only 25 laps. There were just as many good and equal equipment teams at that time. That was impressive. 

I got Stever Kinser, schatz, mark kinser, Sammy, then everyone else is up for debate...

Brandon McLain
United Sprint Car Series Driver
2014 Season
National Rookie of the Year!
National Points - 8th
Southern Points - 3rd
Asphalt Points - 3rd
18 Races, 3 Top 5's, 14 Top 10's

WOW, can not believe you folks talk "best of all time" and never mention Opperman!!!! Won wing & Non wing, no power steering, made it to Indy and you do not put him in the conversation for top 3 all time???????

And Steve won from 14th when the race was 30 laps.

Sad so many so called "Fans" don't know the history of the sport.

I agree.  Winning from 16th spot with the race only 25 laps, is considerably different than it is to have an extra 25 laps to get it done.  Still it is a remarkable win with the best of cars/owners/drivers that sprint car sport has to offer.  Not a Schatz fan but will give credit where it is due.

Rim Rider

Bingo! Schatz ain't even close yet.

SUPPORT WILDLIFE, go to a sprint car race! 

You guys may have missed it because you're busy thinking about the good old days when 3 guys won all the races (yet there were man many good cars as today, weird) but Schatz started 13th in 2011 and was leading by lap 15. He was pretty lucky then too Isuppose.

I agree with the above comment.

Talking to a "New Generation Fan" the other day at work about how Tony Stewart is compared to modern day AJ Foyt.  He replied "I'm going to have to look up AJ Foyt on Wikipedia and see who is......"

For as Schatz, he is making his name in History and he is the greatest at this time, but there are too many variables to compare to being the greatest every.........

Lets put him in a midget for the Chili Bowl in 2014.

It was 95 and Steve won from 14th spot in 30 laps. Only he and Jerry Richert in 1962 had won from that far back till Donny's win Saturday. Look it up, page 61 of the 2013 Nationals program.

I guess you never heard of a guy named A. J. Foyt, or Tommy Hinnershitz.

Yes

305's are the herpes of sprint cars