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

Cody seems to be doing just fine with the All Stars. So, is the Outlaw competition just that damn good? Does he actually have BETTER equipment/cars under his current team than what he had at KKR? Not trying to stir things up, just seeing what anyone else thinks about all this.

Trying not to turn this into the typical hosehead argument but it's been proven time and again on average and certainly on neutral tracks the WoO has the top 5 or 6 race teams year in and year out. Locals do a lot better than they used to on their home tracks, but usually struggle outside of home. And going on tour and coming back to a more local circuit almost always leads to success, see Hodnett, Stevie, Dale Blaney, Dude, and other locals who pose the biggest threats locally. 

The all stars have about 4 or 5 top notch teams. The  outlaws have about 10 or 11 top notch teams. And 1 super duper top notch team. Thats about it.

Cody and his team were one of the first teams to arrive at Millstream and they worked on the car most of the day. The 45 and 5t got together racing in lapped traffic and the 89 inherited the lead and went on to win. The 89 was hooked up all night and deserved the win,,,,,,congrats!!

The equipment is basically the same. Darrah's dad purchased the 4 team so they were ready to hit the ground running. In fact the car they were using last week at the Ohio Speedweek had over 50 races on it. I truly believe that Darrah can run what he wants and the pressure is off being under so much criticism. Only one he has is himself or his dad to worry about. As mean as his dad can be sometimes it's his son so I'd say Cody is only going to get better and more organized. Another quick observation this weekend Lucas Dollansky filled in for a crew member for Darrah and did a fabulous job. 

I think confidence may play a role in his success this year as well. 

Correct.  He is not all of the sudden better.  No further explanation needed. 

I agree he's not all of a sudden better, but I think the All-Stars have run 25+ races at this point and only 5 of them have been at Central PA tracks (and that's including Bedford which isn't part of the Central PA circuit in recent years).  He did win Port Royal, but I don't think it's running locally that has him 2nd in the standings.  Cody is a good driver, but the top 6-7 in the WoO are some of the absolute best in the business.  I'm not sure I understand why everyone says he was "bad" as a WoO driver.  He wasn't a title threat, but I don't think averaging 2 wins, 17 top5s, and 37 top10s, and finishing ahead of both Kinsers in the standings for multiple years is terrible.  He just may not be the next Donny Schatz.  It's starting to look like nobody else is either.  I've actually enjoyed watching the All-Stars quite a bit more than the WoO this year, it's amazing what Tony taking over that organization has done for the car counts and competitiveness of the drivers.  

He isn't an ohio guy, how do you figure he is running local??

Obviously he is talented as a driver and many of your points are good.  The only thing that ever baffled me was how you keep a KKR ride that long averaging 2 wins and 17 top 5's in 60+ races.  ?   That was where I was a little confused about 2 years ago and then REALLY confused last year.  Those are good numbers--if your running with Jason Sides' budget.  Not with KKR's budget.  Also-finishing ahead of a 60 year old Steve Kinser is not a measuring stick.  And, as much as I think Kraig is an outstanding individual who is great to approach in the pits, he is not a good measuring stick lately either.  The cars Cody ran should have been in the hunt with all the other drivers who were running for 2nd the last few years and he just wasn't even close.  JMO.  That being said-glad he is doing well with the All-Stars and I will hopefully see him run in August at KNoxville. 

Egrass have you any idea what a budget of KKR is or was? Do you actually know what was spent in the Darrah car? I truly doubt to any of the above so your statement (s) are of NO value or credit

Are you F-N kidding me?  Ok-you got me.  I have no idea.  I only stood next to the hauler, watched a large group of crew members work on 2 or 3 cars every day in Knoxville and every other WOO event I attended year after year.  Beautiful equipment, haulers, and the whole nine yards.  Looked like the motors thay had on reserve were not rebuilds from local drivers either. But no-I don't know for a fact that his budget was more than that of someone like Sides, Bill Rose, or even Robert Bell.  But I do have common sense and common sense tells me that the ride he was in was at least an average WOO ride, wouldn't you?  As a matter of fact, common sense tells me it was above average.   

Unbelievable. 

That response just secured my position that you Egras do not know and are just assuming and I hope you are smart enough to know what that normally does 

Yep such a huge budget that the team folded this year due to lack of funds after losing primary sponsor.

A

Probably because he was a young driver who had never been out on the road before. If you look at any currently successful WOO driver and look up their stats the first 3 years on tour, I'll bet they wouldn't look much better. Money doesn't buy very many wins these days since even most local teams have the same stuff as the WOO. Cody's 7 WOO wins are the same as Gravel and 1 more than HOF'er Kenny Jacobs, 2 more than HOF'er Keith Kauffman.

A

Interesting facts there Holden made me go back and look at some of the information available. Very interesting to see where some drivers stood and how long some have raced. On that you are correct Cody really isn't far from any of the others just the fact that some feel that ride was all that but also look at who was in that ride before and didn't make it. Also who worked there and didn't make it as guys such as Ricky Warner. Barry Jackson. Just some info I seen

I don't know if I understand "low budget".  Sides hauler looks just like all the other Taj Mahals when it pulls in and he's been running on tour for 10+ years.  Now he has Gerkin helping.  Sorry, not sold that's "low budget".  If you want to see low budget, check out Shark racing, they could pull their two car hauler into the back of the low budget guys you've listed.  If I drove past Darrahs shop 10 times when he was on tour, there was a KKR hauler there 8 of them, heard some FK stuff was happening their too.  I think the resources of the Darrahs WITH Kasey Kahne helped.  Might have had something to do with it.  

Ok--fair enough.  But answer this hypothetical question--and be truthful:

KKR loses sponsorship for the 9 car.  Is Pittman out of a job? 

Which prompts me to ask, Is Kasey spending his own hard earned money to support WoO teams? I'll even answer my own question....No! He's spending someone elses. So, losing sponsorship may indeed cost Pittman a ride.

nope