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

totally disagree.

Larson wanting to be involved and talking about the event on TV (let's say he qualifies for the A main on Saturday night, odds are is he talks about the event multiple times when interviewed on TV while at Michigan and how he wishes he could be there racing instead of practicing or qualifying in Michigan).

Larson running any sprint car races is good for sprint car racing.  The past few weeks Sprint Car Racing has gotten more positive mentions on TV than probably in the history of sprint car racing.  Even NASCAR only guys have raved about it on social media and TV broadcasts.  You don't think it will be the same that week if Larson qualifies for the feature or wins his prelim night?

Drivers have quit rides the week of Nationals even after qualifying a car for the feature, others have been fired, and still others have just "went home".   All those things could be construed as "other committments" by some, which would have meant the following drivers all had a 10 year ban:  Wolfgang, Sammy Swindell, Jeff Swindell, Tyler Walker, Rico, and many others I'm sure I have forgotten about as well.

Banning them for anything other than failing a drug test or inciting a riot does nothing but hurt the sport or event IMO.

I have a feeling if Larson would qualify in the top 10, he would come back to race. 

Whether he runs Saturday night or not, for whatever reason, I'd still rather see him run the preliminary night, than NOT see him run at all. 

Keep It Real

from a  very reliable source I have been told that if he has a nasnap race that weekend he cannot contractually compete, but the sprint card gods may be with him ..........and US!

Ascot was the greatest of all time..

West Capital wasn't half bad either..

Life is good...

Besides Rico of course, what "other commitments" did those other drivers knowingly have that you mentioned, that would have led them to intentionally miss Saturday night at Nationals. I think you are reaching to rationalize acceptance of Larson's intent, and you need to look up the word commitment for a definition. Don't recall Wolfgang ever just up and leaving the Nationals.

I agree with your first point, banning is idiotic. 

I don't agree that if Larson ran the qualifying night, qualified and sat the A main out, it would be good for the sport. I think it marginalizes the race considerably. Imagine if he sat on the pole going in to Saturday, the biggest dirt track race in the world, and he sat out (not saying it's his choice) to sit in his motorhome in the Michigan infield. What would that say? That the biggest dirt track race is 2nd fiddle, minor league. 

Now, if he said, f it, i'm running because this is the Knoxville Nationals, then yes, that would be big. 

Woo. Slow down here cowboys. Anyone would want to see Larson at Knoxville. Anyone would want to see Rico. If the guy qualifies, larson, and Gannassi says your here saturday then of course he has no choice. Not one of us has any idea of the wording in his contract. The logistics of it being that he is #1 a nascar driver could prevent him from being there. We have no idea. I say if he wins his preliminary race and gets locked in. Great, I hope it's a good show and I'll be buying my ticket for next year. Do i hope he sticks around, of course. So if Silva's car gets in the A and lets say a front row start. Boy there's a decision on his hands. Larson can't make it, Who gets the ride is my question ?  I'm sure he wants that win as bad as Larson. I say if Rico has bad luck that seat is his for the race and I'll be pulling for him as much as Larson.  

But remember if that scene does play out, then and they have to fill the ride then he won't be sitting on the front row. 

Keep It Real

Is it the car, or the driver, or owner that gets locked-in to the A Saturday by virtue of the point totals in the prelim nights?

Smoke would be the substitute driver if he doesn't qualify.

I believe it's driver & car together as a package deal, but this is interesting.  If its driver only, then let's say you qualify for the A get into a spat with your car owner, get fired on the spot and then someone hires you to run their backup car or their car that didn't qualify.  Do you get "your" starting spot?  I'd guess no.  Hence why I *think* it's a sort of car + driver package deal.   

But I wonder how specific the wording is on that loop hole.  With Rico he couldn't race so they tagged the tail.  Let's say you win your prelim night and on the last lap coming to checkers of said prelim night you get spun and injured.  Or you get injured in a non on track incident (such as working on the car the next day).  In that instance if you find a fill in driver do you still tag the tail.  Hmmm...I think per letter of the law if there's a driver change in the car from prelim night to A you tag tail. 

Interesting, I'm sure Eric Arnold can chime in on this (if he sees it). 

So, still have this question?? :)

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

Hahaha.  I mean it was a rhetorical question, but your point is well taken.

That's why I was asking.

Obviously I'm a Larson homer, but the answer will determine how I feel about this. I can certainly understand both sides of the fence though..

As I recall all those drivers quit a ride during the Nationals and some raced another car on Saturday night other than the one they qualified.  Sammy quit Laverne Nance FedEx ride and went home (and if I remember right, the car was in the first couple rows on Saturday),  Rico had a truck race, Wolfgang ran someone else's car and not the car he qualified,  Jeff Swindell quit his ride mid-week and ran another car as I recall on Saturday, Tyler Walker just up and left town Friday night or Saturday morning and was a no-show and the car didn't run because they driver was gone. 

Most of these guys had a "handshake" deal to run the cars they were in.  They could have been fired mid-event or the team could fold (Kerry Madsen lost his ride the day after the Nationals last year) without notice.  

What about those teams that are in the C-main that pack up every year and head back home?  Should they be banned for 10 years too?  By the logic used above they should.  They were qualified for the C-main of the Nationals but choose not to run.

I for one think if a guy can only compete on Saturday they should let them compete as well.  Only thing is they have 0 points so they have to start last in the E-main and see if they can advance through the alphabet.

The RULES have stated for as long as I can remember that the "car" qualifies for the race, not the driver.  If Larson puts the 57 in the feature they can tab another driver to run it Saturday night (maybe a guy with horrible luck during the event or a guy that is currently without a ride) but they have to start last in the race they qualified for.

Unless the other competiors have an issue with him competing just his prelim night, I have no idea why anyone else would.

the car qualifies, not the driver. 

That's why Rico had a sub in his car that took the green a couple years ago.

Thanks. I guess then I don't get getting up-in-arms if the Silva 57 qualifies for the A main, and Larson can't make it for whatever reason.  That has always been a potent car, and Silva obviously knows how to make it run like hell. If the 57 qualifies and Larson can't make it, how does that "take away a spot from another driver"?

Love to see this all be a moot point and see Larson passing Scahtz on the last lap of the 2017 Knoxville Nationals A main!

something tells me Schatz doesn't give a shit...

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

Thanks vande.  As I said above it kind of sounds like a car + driver deal, but I guess I should've noted the "car" qualifies for the A, but the driver must remain the same to keep starting spot.  Is that correct?  Like if the Silva 57 qualifies for the A, but if it qualifies for the A with Kyle driving then he must start the A to keep the spot they earned.  Otherwise it tags tail.  That's why it's sort of a car + driver package.  But again it sounds like you have a better grasp (and thanks for clearing up) in that the car qualifies for the A (driver determines starting position).  Thanks.    

yes, to keep the starting spot it is the car and driver (allthough I will say the "car" has always been a laugher to me, I've seen brand new cars built in the parking lots on Saturday afternoon for just the A-main back in the 1980's and 90's, don't see that as much these days though).

If there is a driver change they surrender their starting spot and start at the tail.

Rule has been in place forever, but seldom do you see anything these days (was probably more prevelant in the 1970's and 1980's with drivers changing rides more often).