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

"I had a good run": Don Kreitz Jr. retiring from Sprint Car racing

My alltime favorite, gonna miss that baby blue sumbich, nobody can replace the sheriff, put a smile on my face n a few bucks in my pocket bettin against the outlaws.Enjoy your retirement.

Within the last few years, the Posse have lost Rahmer, Kauffman, Eash, Kreitz and Shaffer (although he has returned as of late) to retirement . The times are a changing. With the last couple years Dewease has had, I wonder how much longer he has left.

Donald will certainly be missed. I'll always cherish every memory I have of watching him race. It was always a thing of beauty when he'd get that car digging on the bottom the way he liked. When he got it going like that at Williams Grove, he was unbeatable. Many times the track would slick off to a curb and everyone was up there banging the cushion, next thing you know, there's Donald running smooth and straight right through slick and picking off cars one by one like they were sitting still. One of my all time favorite memories happened last year when Montieth had a half a track lead and Donald caught him in a matter of just a few laps and made the winning pass coming down the front stretch. Not too many drivers in the modern era have racked up the numbers that he has while owning and driving their own stuff throughout their entire career. Thanks for the memories Donald and congrats on your Hall of Fame career. 

The king of the posse.  

Luna's Ford engine style that won 2 WoO titles and 3 
Kings Royals before a weight rule against the best EVER
in their prime and now DOMINATES super dirt late model
racing is no longer allowed/wanted in a WoO sprint
car.... Was Luna a miracle worker?

Really gonna miss the sheriff!

I remember when Donnie came down and got his first Nance car. He won a lot of races in that car. That entire family is one of the classiest I ever met. It was a honor of ours to be associated with them. 

Great to hear he was inducted into the Hall.. Well deserved! Sure gonna miss hIm out there!

good luck to him and hope he enjoys the time racing with his kids!

I remember back many, many years ago, about 25 years ago, he won the Labor Day Classic at Port Royal, which was no surprise because of how the track was that afternoon.  Told a friend he won't win the Tuscarora 50, which was going to be four days later.  Yes, he did!!!

One of the best in Central PA history and a guy that had the Outlaws' number many times!!

A great driver , a great guy , and a great family man . Yes, the times are changing and maybe  the racing is as well , not the drivers so much as these cars are less exciting as the way they are constructed or tied down ,or not free up enough where the drivers of today don't have to drive them as hard .

Agree with what others have said, no matter where he started, when the track slicked off, I was fixated on the #69K as it rolled where others couldn't.  Glad I was witness to his career renaissance in recent years, the National Open Prelim he won is a fantastic racing memory. 

+1

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

I remember that week too.  It was a good one.  But my favorite race was at WG, probably 1992, the second visit by the WoO that year, I believe.  Although the specifics elude my recollection, he trounced the field that night, lapping cars to about 5th place I think, and he was closer to the second place car than it was to him.  I daresay no one ever beat the WoO as badly as he did that night.  Not even another Outlaw.

“Wine ‘em, Dine ‘em, 69 ‘em”  Now, more than ever,  wish I had one of those shirts from those days.

This one has been tougher on me than the others.

In 2012, after a near 20 year hiatus, I returned to The Grove- this time on a weekly basis. A lot had changed. Fred was struggling in the CJB car (which turned-out to be an exercise in Team Chemistry, didn’t it?), Lance too… and a lot of other stuff to make you feel old: second generation (for me- third for some) Haudenschild, Dietrichs, Siegel-four generations of Siegels in Victory Lane late in the season.

 But there was Donnie Kreitz and Davey Brown. The years looked better on them than me, and better than most. I always wanted to tell Mr. Kreitz that the Fountain of Youth was apparently in Sinking Springs.

Donnie and Davey mitigated many of the years.

My racing highlight – by far- was witnessing  his 1986 Kings Royal win and the ensuing “PA Posse” chant in Victory Lane.

 Sure hope that Donnie, Davey, the 69K,  the professional -but not too professional- looking crew,  and that signature hauler, find their way back to that same pit spot albeit with a different driver. If not, it will truly be the end of an era!

Regardless, thank you Mr.Kreitz for the memories!

And thanks for letting me reminisce.

I know that by responding I've now become the pot calling the kettle black, but really, you even have to turn a thread congratulating and reminiscing about a retiring HOFer into a b!tch session.  Maybe you need to find another hobby since this one obviously makes you miserable.

My favorite memory of Donnie was when he passed Kinser on the last lap of a WOO race at the Grove, 8-10 years ago. That was an exciting finish that had everyone on their feet the last lap. Like he did so often in his career he came on like gang-busters the last part of the race when it slicked off, after it looked like the King had an insurmountable lead.

A