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

Looking forward to this race, was wondering how many fans can be in the bleachers and pits, are there restrictions in place?  This race is one Im really looking forward to going to.  I havent been this psyched over a race in many years.  Its going to be one hell of a show tonight

I'll be there.

How many fans? As many that can fit. There aren't any restrictions.

get here early they ran out of parking spots and people had to park along the highway. It will be packed tonight for sure...

Thank you very much for the info.  I planned on getting there early.  Im coming up from NJ its about a 2.5 hour ride for me.  

Again I really appreciate all the responses.  I dont know why I am so excited for this race, I just am!!!!!! See you all there 

So for those who were there last night, was it the biggest crowd ever at the Grove?

I couldn't answer that because it was the first time I ever went to the Grove.  Yae believe it or not all the many many years I have worked on Race Cars and or went as a fan that was my first visit to the Grove.

I will say this, It was the biggest and most amount of fans I ever saw at any Dirt Race ever.  So it really wouldn't be out of the realm of reality to hear it was the largest crowd ever at the Grove.

While that is huge news, the racing was seat of your pants and very competitive.  I was telling my wife and friend (who attended his 1st ever race last night) that, thats race was one of the best races I had saw in person in a very long time.  

The track got faster and faster through out the nigh and my friend was amazed with the speed on the bottom in the begining.  I told him that the top if it comes in (which it did) was even faster.  By the time they got to the 2nd to last heat race, the top finally started working. A few cars used it during their heat to try to get into the main.  By the end of the last heat almost every car was running the top.

Of course Larson was onr of the first cars to go up there during his heat.  He was already a shoe in to make the A by that time.  I think he went up there just to see if his car could run both Grooves.  By the end of the 40 lap main Larson was using the top of the 4th turn to make a run on Donnie Schatz for the win.  Yes Larson was reeling Schatz in driving off the 4th turn on top.  If there was 2 may 3 more laps the News story and winner would have been different with Larson as the winner and Schatz in Second 

All in all it was a GREAT RACE, surrounded by GREAT FANS/People, and awesome company

Again Thank You all who answered my questions prior to the race about the rules and what not.  It was extremely heplpful

I know that when a person says"if" they are just looking for more conversation and that's fine. But just for fun, by the times mentioned on twitter it would have taken Larson about 13 more laps to reel in Donny at the rate he was gaining in the last 10. Larson was gaining but 13 laps is a lot of ifs!

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

If it wasn't, it was close. 

Absolutely Not -- Larson was so close to overtaking Schatz on the last lap that the only thing that stopped him was he tagged the wall coming out of turn 4 on the front stretch just before the checkered.  The lap before from where I was sitting (The Back Stretch) Larsons and Schatz wings were almost side by side.  I could plainly see their wings coming out of 4 and before the start finish line

Larson was right there and I had previously mentioned he was reeling Schatz in because he was getting a GREAT RUN coming out of 4 on top.

So says the worlds best track prep guy, at least in his own eyes and his alter ego's eyes.   Were you there?  probably not you were more than likely at home trashing Port Royal before next weeks race.

Also I will be going to Port Next week because I know you wont be there  LMFAO

The 1 or 2 more laps comment makes me laugh every time. It doesnt matter if the race was 300 laps. Someone could be gaining ground on the leader and someone would say well if there was the race was 303 laps it would have been a different story.

I realize this.  Im just trying to give the people that weren't there an idea of how good the race was.  Anything can happen lap to lap.  Anyone with half a brain knows this.  You have to admit though Larson was right there at the end to win the race.  He started 7th in the main, Schatz started 2nd.  Larson ran one hell of a race and no one can say any different.

First time I was ever happy to see Schatz win National Open.... he's in the "old guys still have it" category now, like Sammy & Steve a few years ago...

I guess Lance will have to be satisfied with Hard Charger....

Watching DirtVision, the only chance Larson had was to pull even off of 2 and take the line away in 3 and 4. He nearly got there on the last lap, but once Schatz was ahead of him going into 3 he had no shot. The bottom in 3-4 was way too good.

Will never understand why people will make up easily checked information. Schatz started 4th (not 2nd), Larson started 5th (not 7th). https://mobile.twitter.com/WorldofOutlaws/status/1312584328677855233

Yes it was, and like other times Larson's determination to run the high line cost him.   By the time he finally stuck to the low line Schatz already had a big lead.   Maybe if he had stuck the bottom a lap sooner?     

He had a great year and he's a great driver, but he was 1 of 4 in the biggest races of the year so he's not unbeatable. His car doesn't take off on restarts early in the race which sometimes puts him too far back at the end. In the end I'm glad for Donny, i think he had the best car and it would have taken a fluke ending to lose it.

No.

I see Carson Macedo won $50 for finishing 16th. I know there is the provisional discount but the half story sure makes a conversation knowing 1st was $75000, 3rd was $7500 and 16th was $50.

Great to see Donny get the win. 

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

Going high works out for him most of the time.   But Schatz clearly showed him a faster lower line and he watched Schatz pull out to a big lead with that low line while he was still running up against the wall.   I'm a big Larson fan but he beats himself in some cases, and that's what happened here.