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

Just wondering who is doing the audio broadcast this year for the race?  Seems like every year, as we are packing to head down to Knoxville we try to find the broadcast but can never find a broadcast.  Thought I would ask ahead of time this year.  I am hoping Terry or Lori can answer for us.  Thanks in advance and looking forward to getting to Knoxville next week!!!!

from what I've seen in the past, no one is.

 Sorry you have to pay Terry "hairpiece" McCarl Money to find out what is going on there

Terry is promoting it, he can do as he chooses.

Other events don't have PPV or audio throughout the year too.

I'm sure twitter will be abuzz about the goings on for those not in attendance.

What is the front row challenge and how does it work? What is its history?

Please Thanks

Even though I may not know you, I 
care what most of you think!

I don't personally know too much about it but I just copied this from the Osky Challenges site that is used to promote the event.

"

Looking up the results and payouts of races across the nation in the very popular National Speed Sport News was a favorite pastime for Terry McCarl as he was growing up while watching his father Lenard McCarl on the dirt tracks. He wanted to be a promoter. On the Sunday before the week of the prestigious 1995 Knoxville Nationals, Terry was visiting with Bob Berryhill, father of the well know driver, Aaron Berryhill, and the words “we’re bored” came out of Bob. That was the spark that Terry needed to begin his promoting career. He wanted to have a race close to the Knoxville area and his wife Lori mentioned that it would be great to have a race in Oskaloosa. Terry called the Oskaloosa fair board and the fortunately, the track was available for rent. The ambitious young promoter knew that without money, there couldn’t be a race. He then contacted Bill McCrosky for the financial backing and the two partnered up and began the planning of the event. Terry wanted to do a memorial race in honors of Danny Young, the Des Moines, IA native that was in a fatal sprint car crash at Knoxville Raceway. He contacted Butch Young, Danny’s father, and asked him if it would be okay and soon later the inaugural event was scheduled and the Danny Young Memorial race was born.

It was a two-day show at the inaugural 1996 event and Terry thought he needed to add some more excitement to the race. “Everyone wants to see the fast guys’ go to the back,” mentions Terry. “It is something the fans love to see, but don’t always get a chance to do so.” Terry wanted to give that opportunity to the fans so he offered the driver sitting on the pole $1500 to go to the back and attempt to win the race. Leonard Lee took the challenge, but only made it to 12th. This was the beginning of the Front Row Challenge.
The following year, Butch Young wanted to bring the race closer to home and the 1997 Danny Young Memorial was scheduled to race in Davenport. Unfortunately, the event was canceled due to rain, and the race moved back to Oskaloosa in 1998. This was the start of the $50,000 Front Row Challenge and since then only one driver, the “Wild Child” Jac Haudenschild, has taken the large payout.
Every year is an exciting show; drivers like to take the challenge not only for the 50 large, but also to give the fans something to talk about. Even NASCAR stars like Kasey Kahne have taken the challenge and lost, and that just proves that the racing is certainly second to none."

Winners

The Winners

1996 (Night #1) Travis Cram, Snohomish, WA
1996 (Night #2) Terry McCarl, Pleasant Hill, IA
1997 Rain
1998 Tyler Walker, Los Angeles, CA
1999 Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH
2000 Jeff Shepard, Upperco, MD
2001 Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, PA
2002 Tyler Walker, Los Angeles, CA (2)
2003 Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, PA (2)
2004 Jeff Shepard, Upperco, MD (2)
2005 Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO
2006 Kenny Jacobs, Holmesville, OH
2007 Rob Chaney, Wooster, OH
2008 Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK
2009 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN
2010 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN (2)
2011 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN (3)
2012 Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK (2)
2013 Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO
2014 Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO (2)
2015 Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA
2016 Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK (3)

Car Counts

Front Row Challenge Car Counts

1996 (Night #1) 22
1996 (Night #2) 25
1998 32
1999 32
2000 56
2001 41
2002 45
2003 56
2004 45
2005 48
2006 33
2007 27
2008 30
2009 45
2010 31
2011 39
2012 26
2013 51
2014 41
2015 37
2016 27

Very diverse list of winners. WoO, left coast, Ohio, Knoxville, Posse all represented!

It used to be that pole position driver was offered a bunch more $$$ ($50,000?) if he started from the back & won. Jac Haudenschild was the only guy to pull it off. In later years, nobody took the challenge, cause basically it was a dumb bet, wild shot, like spending your paycheck on Lotto tix. So now"The Challenge" exists in name only, its a regular race, something fun to do between Knoxville 360s & 410s

Just checked, it was $30,000 to win from back row, not sure about front row, maybe 5 or $10,000? 

They also had Ultimate Challenge for wingless cars, saw Kyle Larson win it twice (day before or after FRC, I fergit) Thats gone now too....

This is the list of "Front Row Challengers":

The Front Row Challenges

1996 Leonard Lee ($1,500, 13th)
1999 Jac Haudenschild ($50,000, 1)
2000 Danny Lasoski ($50,000, 2)
2001 Don Droud Jr. ($50,000, 6)
2002 Daryn Pittman (Second Row) ($15,000, 3)
2003 Kasey Kahne ($50,000, 10)
2004 Danny Lasoski ($50,000, 4)
2005 Jeremy Campbell ($50,000, 15)
2006 Daryn Pittman ($50,000, 7)
2007 Donny Schatz ($50,000, 16)
2008 Joey Saldana ($50,000, 21)
2010 Joey Saldana ($50,000 + $5,000 for top 3, 14)
2013 Tony Bruce Jr. ($30,000, 5)
2014 Brad Loyet ($30,000, 9)

In parenthesis is what they stood to win and the position they finished.

There is no live broadcst of ths event. I beleive we will have updates on our Twitter acoount. 

I don't believe in live broadcasts of events whether they are PPV or free. Great for the fans but bad for promoters. We are putting up a HUGE purse for a 1 day event & we would like for you to attend if you are in the area. 

I think we have over 400 hats, shirts & other goodies to throw to the fans. 1/64 old school sprint car toys for the kids during intermission and over 6000 beads to get the party going!

I do like the "Hairpiece" comment though! 

TMAC

agreed.    Dirtvision only broadcasts certain WoO events.  The rest are audio, and that hardly ever works anyways LOL. So as much as id like every single race across the country to be broadcasted, I think we will survive.  personally I'm taking the easy way out.  I'm going to drive there and attend the race

It's 20k to win, so props for that.

That makes sense. If you're in the area, just GO!

I always do when I go to Knoxville

Just one suggestion, TMac: Tell the announcer to stop going on & on about "get your adult beverages"! Is "beer" a dirty word in Iowa? Or just let people drink when & IF they want? I've seen a few guys sloppy drunk there, don't think they need any encouragement

Thanks for taking the time to respond.  I appreciate what you do for the racers and the fans.  It is just dissapointing for us fans that are not in the area.  Like I said, I understand (don't always agree though, LOL) and thank you for putting on the show.  We will just have to try and follow on twitter and wait for Wednesday to get our sprint car fix.