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

Still don't know what some of you are trying to fix. Is it passing? We have much more know than 30 years ago with our current weekly format. Go look yourself. All the results are on Knoxville's site. I put them there myself! Let's compare the 1979 B to last night (by the way, no wings back then!)...

2009 B main (started): 1. Jac Haudenschild R19 (1) 2. Jason Meyers 14 (11) 3. Danny Lasoski 6 (17) 4. Jason Johnson 41 (2) / 5. Bronson Maeschen 1 (5) 6. Johnny Herrera 2w (9) 7. Chad Kemenah 63 (3) 8. Danny Smith 4 (4) 9. Dean Jacobs 97 (6) 10. Skip Jackson 2 (8) 11. Jack Dover 53 (14) 12. Mark Dobmeier 13 (15) 13. Daron Clayton 92 (18) 14. Ed Lynch Jr. 2L (20) 15. Calvin Landis 70 (10) 16. Greg Wilson w20 (7) 17. Jesse Giannetto D1 (19) 18. Justin Henderson G1 (16) 19. Fred Rahmer 51 (12) 20. Wayne Johnson 14AJ (21) 21. Billy Alley 22 (22) 22. Ricky Logan 10a (13)

Kudos to Brahmer, but I enjoyed last night's better with two drivers coming from row six back...

How about the A? If not for motor failure, Tim Green probably would have led from start to finish in 1979 (from the pole)...

19^th Annual Knoxville National Championship (started), 30 laps, NT: 1. Ron Shuman (5) 2. Randy Smith (3) 3. Sammy Swindell (21) 4. 31, John Stevenson, St. Paul, MN (8) 5. Shane Carson (2) 6. Danny Smith (6) 7. 2, Garry Rush, Sydney, NSW, Aust. (19) 8. 49, Ralph Blackett, Des Moines, IA (12) 9. 15x, Lee James, Northridge, CA (17) 10. Larry Clark (4) 11. 4, Buster Venard, Tustin, CA (18) 12. 29x, Paul Pitzer, Seven Valleys, PA (20) 13. 47, Jerry Potter, Kansas City, MO (10) 14. 97, Bill Mellenberndt, Sioux Falls, SD (14) 15. 1N, Al Hagar, Fostoria, OH (15) 16. Lee Osborne (22) 17. 4x, Doug Wolfgang, Sioux Falls, SD (9) 18. Tim Green (1) 19. 11x, Steve Kinser, Bloomington, IN (7) 20. 49x, Eddie Leavitt, Kearney, MO (16) 21. 0, Rick Ferkel, Findlay, OH (13) DNS – 24x, Jerry Stone, Wichita, KS. Lap Leaders: Green 1-14, Shuman 15-30.

A main (started): 1. Donny Schatz 15 (6) 2. Joey Saldana 9 (2) 3. Stevie Smith 1z (1) 4. Tim Kaeding 83 (4) 5. Shane Stewart 57 (14) 6. Kraig Kinser 20K (7) 7. Tim Shaffer 83x (11) 8. Dale Blaney 2B (3) 9. Craig Dollansky 19E (18) 10. Haudenschild (21) 11. Lasoski (23) 12. Steve Kinser 11 (20) 13. Dusty Zomer 17G (10) 14. Tyler Walker 24T (5) 15. Jonathan Allard 0 (13) 16. Greg Hodnett 22H (16) 17. Terry McCarl 24 (15) 18. Lucas Wolfe 5w (17) 19. J. Johnson (24) 20. Paul McMahan 71x (12) 21. Jason Solwold 6NX (9) 22. Sam Hafertepe Jr. 15H (8) 23. Brian Brown 21 (19) 24. Meyers (22)

Debatable on which had most passing... Most of you weren't here for either, so I take your opinions with a grain of salt.

Are the cars too fast? Not for me, that is why I like sprint car racing. Ask the drivers if they want to change the rules one more time. I asked eight local drivers in the forum we had at the Hall of Fame, and there wasn't one who wanted to spend more money on new rules. They have to race the stuff they have...I've heard hobby stock racing can be side by side every lap, maybe you guys should try following that...

How can we get more fans? Well, next year there will be plenty for the 50th and the purse will hit 1 million (like the World 100?) LOL. I like the new Friday semi-features, but I also would like a return of the pomp and circumstance of the Race of States...all in all, I thought Friday brought some good racing...I don't agree with the 8 invert, and Thursday really would have been killer without it. Several of those guys sliced into transfer spots in the first couple laps. Wednesday was a victim of the weather...

This time, the fuel stop was no big deal. Funny how we can talk around it before and after, but there wasn't a post about the one at the King's Royal (again), and it really was a non-issue here. I don't know anyone that likes them, but I liked the trade-off for 10 more laps (and 20 more next year)...I guess this is the Sprint Car Capital of the World, so it means a little more.

...and in regard to the original post. Talent and car combination won the race and always does...this is the Knoxville Nationals...

Order another pizza to your desktop and have at it Keyboard Commandos!

If this post isn't results, stories or something c
constructive, it isn't me! 
@BillWMedia
www.OpenWheel101.com

Bill W. the thing they need to fix is the empty seats. The monster trucks and the moto races are 1 night shows not strung out over 4 nights with 4 seperate tickets. Next year the 50th year might help but it is not a long time fix. Knoxville has enjoyed many years of success but today things are not the same. Its alot of money to attend the nats. and the times have changed. Knoxville needs to streamline like the rest of the world. Again JMO.

TO answer your question about the World 100 Bill W They don't have to have a million dollar purse and the race is still going as strong as ever! 200 cars and a packed house is the answer!

seems like the overall promotion of the race wasnt even as strong as it was last year, am I wrong?

yes

9th Annual Northern Ohio Sprint Car Show
March 18-20, 2011
Featuring the FAST sprint cars
NOSCS Hall of Fame, and much more...
At the Tiffin Mall in Tiffin, Ohio
Official home of the Hoserville Ohio Benefit Auction

Are you serious?

Steve Kinser - Sammy Swendell - Jac Haudenchild - Stevie Smith - Tim Keading.

Don't have the abilities that Donny Schatz has, now that's funny stuff!

Not to take anything from Donny, he's at the top of the game right now! But the game is at it's all time low! So...............that's not a very good scale you've got!

p.s.Has Donny even driven a sprint car with out a wing? Was he at the Mopar Million?

JMO but if they had the Mopar million today and Donny was racing he would be in the running. The top 2 in the million were winged guys not to mention Stevie Smith with very little non winged experience almost took the win.

A packed house of how many? Not slamming on it, but Knoxville holds more. 30 years ago, we sold it out at 15,000 and have built almost twice as many seats since...

If you are hammering on ticket price, then that is your prerogative, but I doubt you've ever been here to pay the price...

If this post isn't results, stories or something c
constructive, it isn't me! 
@BillWMedia
www.OpenWheel101.com

Titus, I vote you for most ridiculous post! Yes, the caliber of our game now is at an all-time low! LOL

If this post isn't results, stories or something c
constructive, it isn't me! 
@BillWMedia
www.OpenWheel101.com

Its at an all time low but yet there is alot of guys still running with the outlaws there were there 10 - 15 years ago or longer. How long has it been at an all time low?

when the green flag drops, the bullshit stops!

The best driver didn't win the race? Really! Jealous and braindead comment. If he wins the champeeonship, Kings Royal, and Knoxville another five straight years those dopes will still be talking crap.

Adding $6 trillion of debt in his 1st term and now if 
elected again he wouldn't have to worry about an 
electorate in 2016 so the sky is the limit.And his EPA 
would continue to put the screws to oil drilling and 
mining for coal.Can you say bankruptcy.

Does the Nationals still draw more fans than the World? Looking at the crowds from this year, I can't see any way that the Nationals draws more fans than the World. Not slamming either event because I have been to both and both are great shows. But the crowd at the World 100 is just insane. I have never been to any dirt track race that felt as packed as the World does.

That being said, the purse at the World has long been one of the biggest jokes in racing. All those fans and 200 Late Models for a $100,000 purse.

Damn guys whats wrong with you...

Ok lets try this another way...lets go back to the first years of the outlaws, you took the best drivers in the country put them together and lets go racing. Now the top drivers in the outlaws (Kinser, Swindell, Ferkel, Wolfgang, etc..) were all winners from the start....ok, got that??? They raced wing, non wing, short tracks, big tracks, rough tracks, whatever and still won. Got that? Now so many people that know sprint car racing and dont like or respect shatz know what Im about to say, but here goes: Now lets take Donny Shatz, He started racing with the outlaws back in the early 90's, I know I raced against him. It wasnt until recent years that he started winning races and when he does he has to be a certain kind of deal. Like I sayed, I seen him get lapped on bullrings. He is not in the leaque of any of the original Outlaws and never will, he just doenst put out like they did, beacuse they were animals back then, no million dollar sponsor to keep them company, or rich daddy to take care of them. Now maybe you'll understand the frustaion when shatz wins, he simply doesnt deserve it...

I guess we should pay the drivers like the World 100 does, then the fans will flock! Yes, Donny really stinks!

If I continue on this thread and posts like this, Iowa State University may be calling to ask for my degree back...

Class dismissed boys!

If this post isn't results, stories or something c
constructive, it isn't me! 
@BillWMedia
www.OpenWheel101.com

It wasnt until recent years that he started winning? Wow what rock did you crawl out from? He has 99 outlaw wins, not to mention wins he had in WISSOTA and other sanctioning bodies.

Since he got his wins because of his rich daddy, then how do you explain every other drivers out there with the outlaws with rich daddys? (i.e. Kraig Kinser)

Also hate to tell you this, but big sponsers were with outlaw teams long before Schatz joined the tour.

Sounds like you have alot of jealousy since Schatz 'made it' and you obviously didnt.

when the green flag drops, the bullshit stops!

I don't think even Earl Baltes knows what his biggest crowds have been at the World 100. I asked him once if he ever sold out a race and he told me he always had room for one more ticket buyer.

Funny and true story...I was at the Kings Royal a couple of years ago and was invited into Earl's suite during the races. We had a very interesting conversation about the art of promoting and what was his key to success. I asked him what the difference was between himself and Ralph Capitani and their approach to the public. He thought about it for a few minutes and then, during intermission, grabbed my arm and asked me to come out to the concourse behind his suite. We went outside and he was simply mobbed by people thanking him for building Eldora, bringing big time racing to the area, helping to make memories for people that have lasted lifetimes. Autographs, pictures, people wanting to just shake his hand and say thanks. We were out there for about five minutes (or less) and then went back inside. Then he says, "John, it's like this every time I go out there. They treat me like a rock star" Then he said, "You asked about the difference between Ralph and me. Does what you just saw ever happen with Ralph at Knoxville?

We know the answer.

lets see

shitz has 88 wins in 13 years

kinser has over 80 in 4 years...wow, move over steve

Also hate to tell you this, but big sponsers were with outlaw teams long before Schatz joined the tour really??? well, I hate to tell you, it wasnt until later the outlaw drivers got big sponsors, they ran fine without them, can shitz?

Sounds like you have alot of jealousy since Schatz 'made it' and you obviously didnt. You dont know me and thats very childish and itiotic to campare me to him. I made my desicsion in life I left racing to open my own bussiness, and now I work for Northrup Grumman. I can drive a sprint car, and I can program CNCs in 5th axis. Im also a metal fabricator and Mechanical designer. Can shitz, can you??? doubt it, so piss off...

I'm sorry but between the tires, the wing's, fuel stops, no house car's, (Gambler, Nance, Stanton, J&J, Jenkins, etc...) the caliber sucks! You didn't buy these rides you earned them!

Which is what Donny has done with the Stewart deal. But there isn't many Stewart deals out there. Is there?

Can you imagine if, Jac Haudenschild, Jack Hewitt, Doug Wolfgang, A young Steve Kinser, Had to buy a ride at to days price's, where would the sport be! Or where will it be when all these type guy's are gone?

Dude, remember the past but, don't LIVE in the past. Present time: We take the best drivers in the country and put them together and lets go racing. Nothings changed there. Everyone out there was on equal grounds (same equipment). When, does a driver start to deserve it? You say he started sometime in the early '90's? Thats almost 20 years ago, MAYBE he paid his dues by now?

Hamslam2003, the point you are trying to make is heavly clouded by your hatered for Donny, and you wonder whats wrong with us?

Most of you guys that have worked on these sprints from the start seem to know fix this with "unhooking" the cars, ( I don't know what you mean, I admit it.) And maybe that is the answer, but the issue to me is that TODAY they are running the same stuff as each other, Donny wins, and Hamslam can't stand it so he wants a change.

Sean, Tucson

!!SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TRACKS!!
!!Get Well Shane!! 

Donny is the best right now.... Best equipment (I've actually heard the opposite though about his engines) Best crew chief.... They got things figured out unlike anyone else.... And a heck of a driver... I hate admitting that....

BUT I've been saying this one here for a long time that they need to unhook the cars because the racing sucks at the big tracks.... Love the speed but it just isn't the racing I remember first falling in love with in late 80's early 90's. I don't know if Donny would have won 4 in a row with this....maybe.... maybe not... Like someone said earlier.... I'm more and more swinging towards the non wing races because of a lot of the back and forth battles up front...middle....everywhere... Not as much with the winged guys... Ya Haud went from 21st to 10th but he should.... good driver in better equipment than most of the guys in the back plus I think he ran 19th or so most of the opening laps and had about 4 or 5 cars drop out in front of him...

Bill W.... How can you say that fuel stop didn't help? Granted it came on a yellow which semi-negates this but anytime you bunch the field with the leader running away with it helps the guys behind. Heck maybe someone had a bleeder set too low?!?! I don't know not a whole lot can be done under that but maybe just a enough to win it now.