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

Yup, this year will defiinetly suck to watch. You shouldnt even bother going. 

OR maybe you should come down before the races and tell Mike your opinion about putting someone else in his car. Im sure he will listen to you.

Long time listener first time caller... reading this post makes me think that sprinter44 thinks that the rest of the IRA should combine into one super team pull all of their resources together and make a magical sprint car force to beat  Bill Balog. I think they should all drive the car at the same time with several engines in the car to make up for some of the teams with under powered engines, I think it would look a lot like the shopping cart with all they guys in it from jackass. (not saying the IRA guys are jackasses but it would sure look funny.) Sprinter44, not to be a Richard but why dont you put your money where your mouth is and help out some of the underpowered guys with your wealth and knowledge. If not please take your negative attitude to a tar track and let someone else enjoy the great races the IRA guys put on for their FANS.

Good luck to the IRA competitors this year!

Ditto Keyboard, I think this year will be a great year for the IRA. The 2 or 3 new young guns will suprise alot of people. Also, Thiel's powerplant(410) will be just fine. It's not always about horsepower, If you can't set the car up properly, all the HP in the world won't help you. Schmidt, Thiel and Hafford will be very competitive. I look for Hafford to make huge improvements over last year. He is a Drag racer by nature, he made great progress last year. Nietzel will be much improved, he started figuring it out toward the end of last year, hopefully Rienke can keep the motor off the bench. Who knows what Kertcher is going to do? Balog, well he will be strong as always. I'm looking forward to attending as many events as possible, overall they are a great group  of racers.

I am very excited for this year not because of a threat to Balog, but because of the action that will be taking place behind him. In the past few years Balog has been the shoe in winner at most races, but for the most part, you could also pick the top 5 guys night in and night out. This year should be different when it comes to that. Do I think there is someone to dethrone Balog this year? No, but I could see the 2nd-8th place points chase be really interesting.

Btw, Ben Schmidt ran really well with IRA last year in the few shows he ran. He was a contender for a win at 141 before mechanical problems. And I believe some of those shows he was running a steel block 410. Scotty Thiel will be fun to watch this year. Last year he has solid finishes with IRA while running an ASCS 360. Even if he doesnt have a top dollar 410, he can still get that car to the front. Even if he just has a -12 with a little more power, he will get it up there. There are also more people besides the rookies to make some noise this year. Kristan is supposed to be back, Biertzer is supposed to be back for some shows, Reinke is supposed to be back. I even heard a rumor that Goeden might make some appearances this year.

If you aren't excited for racing, then don't come. You won't hurt anyone's feelings by not showing up...

Real race cars don't have fenders...

Well... to be fair I didnt say the racing would suck... I just feel it will be a race for second all year again. Like someone stated, it should be exciting from there on back. I do think Schmidt can wheel a car, obviously. My concern with him is that they give him a car that stays on the track all night. Blast me all you want, but you cant deny mechanically they have been hurting the last few years when it comes to finishing races. It wasnt fair of me to say I'd rather see Thiel in the 35 car either, but I would like to see him wih access to equipment of that caliber. That would be a better way of saying it. He reminds me of Scmidt when he was younger, so it would be fun to see what he can do in the IRA towards the beginning of a career.

Easy solution, don't go.  That's kind of the way I roll, if I don't like something I don't do it.  Take going out in the back yard and beating my head on that big ol' oak tree.  I did it once and it hurt so I quit.  I don't go on oak tree forums and bitch about oak trees but simply ignore them because that kind of action doesn't work for me.  Maybe you should do the same with the IRA if they're not your thing. 

Seriously though, they're not the Outlaws and they're not 360's or 305's.  It's a decent working man's 410 series that fills that nich in the upper Midwest.  Whenever they come west it's common to see Whitney, Tatnell, and even McCarl join them on occasion.  This year I'd be willing to bet that you can add Dollansky to that list along with a few others like Dobmeieir and Heskin.  If that ain't good racing I hate to say it but you might want to check yourself for a pulse.

Stan Meissner

Well said Stan. Maybe 44 should live in the middle of nowhere and have his Saturday night line-up consist of fender bangers including bombers, sport compacts, hobby cars, sport mods, & stock cars. Don't get me wrong, these classes are fine.....unless you're a sprint car fan. Then they look more like Stan's oak tree. I'll drive to see an IRA race any chance I get. They put on a great show every time they come to Cedar Lake.

Sprinter44 is just like the rest of the keyboard jockeys on the forum but wouldn't step foot in the rhine auto trailer to voice his ideas to Mike and the crew.

I believe this will  be the best year the IRA has had in a while. Tons of firepower. Balog, Schultz, Neitzel, Borland, Nimee, Kristan, Hafford, Wirth, Sexton, both of the Spitz, Beitzer, Thiel, Schmidt, Rose and the list doesn't stop there. Just the names off the top of my head. Theil can race, and so can Schmidt. I'm hoping for a magical year.

- The Wingman Dave

we have nothing to complain about IMO as it pertains to the IRA. we're lucky to have a 410 sanctioning body here in WI, with several good quality tracks. as far as Balog winning, eventurally someone will unseat him. I just like seeing a good race. I've never once thought about not going to an IRA event just cause Bill has done extremely well. 

this year WILL be a great one.

Follow me on the social medias! ; twitter - 
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I agree and can't wait.  I know Balog winning gets old, and I used to help the crew on Dick Colburns car and I am sure fans of the drivers that Dick beat week in and week out felt the same way.  It's good racing all around.

Anything would be better than looking out the window as what's left of the snow.  I've got the IMCA Icebreaker on XSAN from Eagle ready to go at 7pm.  Saturday I'll be listening to the Knoxville Audio and I'll fire up the video feed from Eagle at the same time.  Maybe the third try at CLS next weekend will be the charm.  We're only a couple weeks off from that first UMSS Sprint weekend so it better mellow out pretty soon.

Stan Meissner

Hey Racer35s, Your avatar is for the Rhine Auto 35 that will be driven by Ben Schmidt in the IRA and will be running for Rookie of the Year. Your past posts elude that you wre somewhat involved with the car when it ran in the MSA. So with you being around a while and involved in sprints I cant figure out your negativity. Are you saying your driver is also not worth watching? Are you attempting to sway people from attending? The IRA is the best group in the Mid-West. They trump MOWA by having better drivers, better payouts, and more races at more tracks hands down. I will attend every race I can get to for the IRA as I have in the past.

I tell it like I see it.

ILSPRINTS, someone removed the original post, he was jokingly responding to the post that was written by a poster bashing Schmidt and the IRA.

Yeah, don't question the IRA's boastful statements!  The series is as strong as ever and continuosly being replenished with outstanding talent.  10 years ago Balog would win EVERY race! 

April Fools!