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

I don't know about Sammy but every year there are new challenges for me that weren't an issue last year or the year before.  I can preface my experience by noting that Inget around well and get all the work around the house done.  The downside lately has been the knees and back.  i cant Imagine even wanting to drive a Sprint Car much less take any kind of tumble in one.  Ironically I think the first time I made counter points he was around 60 and here I am five years later saying the same thing.  I think I will just stop speculating about it as Sammy might still be doing this when he's 80.  I will still think he's crazy and wonder why but I'm not going to change anyone's mind.  

Stan Meissner

Several years ago at Webster City Iowa I watched Loyd Beckman get in Danny Youngsprint car and easily won a limited type 360 feature.They claimed his engine so it nullified his win. He was in his upper 70s and they assisted him in and out of car but once the visor went down he looked like a experienced 20 year old.The smile was priceless and it seems he was related to Don Droud Jr whos still competing.Most of the time older drivers can drop down a couple classes and still compete. On the WOO or All Stars they are the best.Myself I ran my last race at 74 this year and my family and friends were glad I was done before I got hurt and this was in a Outlaw Mini Mod.Still might make a few laps in a Go Kart which is exactly where I started

I watched Late Model HOF driver Tom Nesbitt race until he was around 70.  He wasn't getting in anyones way and was still getting some decent finishes.  Sprints would be tougher due to the inevitable tumbles.  An older driver isnt going to have any issues racing but is going to have slower reflexes but they can still drive. 

I have never checked my Medicare supplemental policy to see if they cover Sprint Car tumbles and injuries.  That could get kind of interesting.

Stan Meissner

In my 7 yrs wheeling a sprint car. The first blunder was a car coming down across the track and I went up over his frontend. Well we picked that one up in pcs as I went end over end for what seemed forever. 5 races into the season the only item we saved was the sterling gear and the brodix heads. Sore, oh hell ya. Yr 7 Ole Slammin sammy took my left front out broke my hand and put me into the turn 3 guard rail at the grove. Ya another car junk. Well it took me at 42 almost 6 full months for my body to fully recover. So what, I was down to 70 or 80 mph before I hit solid and it ate me up. Back, neck, knee and a broken left hand. At his age I couldn't imagine what would happen he would hit that hard. 

Sammy flipped hard somewhere this past season and looked kind of tentative when he got out, I think it was at the Eldora invitational.  I know one guy who tried to set an altitude record in a non-wing car at the old Jackson half mile in his 50's.  He ended up getting diagnosed with fibromialgia after that incident and to my knowledge has not been in a Sprint Car since.  I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything but just saying from my own experience that everything gets harder when a guy gets pushing seventy except for one thing that gets softer.  ;)

Stan Meissner

Its a tribute to Sammy, hate him or like him, that this thread got hijacked from original topic! ;)

Anybody Sammy's age that can still strap on a 410 is far from washed up, as you indicated in making all those features. In PA. 

Within hearing distance of Tri City Speedway

"Not a factor". Those are your words. Troy Fraker is "not a factor." He stands zero chance to make a show 90% of the time when there's over a full field. Even at regular shows. I have mad respect for the guy because he's out there trying and he's doing something most of us couldn't ever do even as well as he does. I'm not saying Sammy is gonna come out next year and win 20 WoO races. I'm not saying he's a favorite every time he unloads. No question he isn't the same driver he was 20 years ago and I'm sure he'd be the first to admit it. What I'm saying is, he's still a factor and his speedweek performance backs that up. Maybe you didn't see much while you were sitting at home poking pins into your Steve Stimely voodoo doll. You can not like him all you want but you can't avoid the fact that Sammy CAN still contend for wins sometimes and he can do it against some pretty tough competition. I'm not the president of his fan club by any means nor will I argue the morality of whether or not he should still take these risks at his age. No one knows more about being banged up in a sprinter than he does. He's been there done that so it's up to him to make that call. But I was at every Speedweek show last year watching in person and the old man can still hang. Like I said before, if you are capable of finishing 3rd at a Speedweek race, you're capable of winning. That's a fact and it will remain a fact even if your mentally deficient ass can't comprehend it.

I think the dreamworld for most people on this message board is for you to forget your login password.  To not respect what he continues to do is to not understand and respect the world of sprint car racing....period.  

Hagerstown 7/2/20 top 10: 1. Kyle Larson 2. Brent Marks 3. SAMMY SWINDELL 4. Rico Abreu 5. Freddie Rahmer 6. Anthony Macri 7. Ryan Smith 8. Danny Dietrich 9. Chase Dietz 10. Mike Wagner.

Kyle Larson was the fastest man on earth this year. Led the WoO and the ASCoC in feature wins and was tied with overall Central PA points champion Danny Dietrich (12 wins) for the most wins in Central PA. In this race he finished ahead of Danny, Freddie Rahmer who was the Williams Grove & Lincoln champion, Rico.....pretty damn good wouldn't you say?, And Anthony Macri who finished the season with 9 wins. Most of Macri's wins came at Port Royal but he was fast elsewhere too. If you look at the finish from Grandview, he again finished ahead of Danny & Macri plus he also finished ahead of Aaron Reutzel the ASCoC champion, and Lance Dewease. He also beat Port Royal champion Logan Wagner at both these races as well. "He can't even beat the posse".....again your own words. He did in fact beat the posse. He beat the overall Central PA champion plus the champions of the 3 weekly Posse tracks and 4 of the top 5 leading feature winners in Central PA this past season....Danny Dietrich (12), Anthony Macri (9), Freddie Rahmer (8) & Lance Dewease (6). In fact, of all the top drivers, the only one Sammy never finished ahead of during the week was Kyle Larson. These are cold hard stats. He proved that he is still capable of beating the Posse despite you saying that he couldn't and he also proved that you are little more than a big mouth moron with a god complex who spews bullshit with zero facts to back it up. Wishing it were true hardly makes it so and If you could read, you'd be able to research this shit for yourself before getting on here and making a total ass out of yourself for the 16,339th time.

How many top 5's did you have last year?..since you seem to want to do nothing but bash Sammy for his supposedly terrible performances this year

You're arguing semantics with a jacklegged half-wit whose idea of a good time consists of jacking off into a warm towel while watching the water truck make lap after lap....

I agree with your point though.

Watched A WOO late model race on Flo Racing and most of the drivers were much older than your average sprint car driver.Schatz was one of the drivers and did well. many of the drivers are 50+.I also watched a california Race that Rico won all 3 nights and Jac followed him thru the field until the last segment.When we were still racing Doug Wolfgang came out of retirement after his injuries and admited He wasnt what He once was but had a good season at Knoxville and it seems He made A at National;s.The reason some are cutting back is lack of quality rides and after 20 years of driving that is all they know and memories are nice but dont pay many bills and several arent in a position to fund a car as unless you have great sponsors and T-shirt sales it just doesnt pay enough.Sammy,Joey.Jac can still get it done and have done a lot.One owner that My son drove for that Sammy drove for a few times told us that sammys relationship with product suppliers was that all it took was a call and they wanted to help.I just know that all the young guys become older guys and time takes its toll.Promoters still love the legends

Good point, the fact that there aren't car owners offering quality rides to the majority of older drivers when their Outlaw careers are over is more on topic than one specific driver.  Hopefully the Sammy pissing match is over and we can focus back on topic.  Your point Is in light with my comment about making a list of former Outlaw drivers and what kind of rides they're in now.  As a driver they know a strong car and team and when the owner of an under financed or less competitive car calls there are some decisions to make.  If they don't accept what comes their way they won't have a ride.  If they accept it knowing they're going to be at a disadvantage it will likely give the perception that their skills have dropped off.  Thats a tough spot and some difficult choices but it has happened.

Stan Meissner

Thats funny.... ;)

I think the switch from Good Year to Hoosier has been about 10 years now!!

As far as the Sammy thing goes, as a fan I have never liked him, I've cheered against him, just don't like him as far as a fan's standpoint. As a person I respect what he has done and what he has accomplished and that he can still continue to do what he does at his age. As far as the why he does it? Don't care and it is not my decision or anyone elses descision to make except for his. Granted yes the human body does not heal as well at older ages but some have better pain tolerances and determination than others. If he wants to continue to race until he's in his 70's & 80's let him. It's his life and no matter how good or bad he finishes currently it does not take away what he has done throughout his career. Some people may think it does but it does not. Him finishing in the back or not making the A at 63yrs old does not negate the however many hundreds of features won, and championships won.

Any driver is allowed to scale back whenever they want too. There are various reasons. I would say the 3 original drivers it is not a matter of not making money. They made money (whether they saved it is another story) but being on the road going coast to coast to coast to coast each year might not be that desirable. Also if you are a driver that is used to finishing top 5 throughout your career and then you find yourself struggling night in and out to make the feature it may hurt your ego a little bit. Or if you can stay close to home, race 60-70 times a year and make it home to sleep in your own bed 5nights a week might make it a little bit more appealing especially if you want to enjoy your kid's accomplishments.

Didn't say anyone had said what he had done in the past wasn't very good, if I did I would have replied directly to said person. Your reading skills suck like everything else about you.

I made a general statement based on comments in the past where it seemed like people were taking the stance that he was tarnishing his legacy by racing at his age because the results are not there like they once were. That is all.

If people like Sammy then hey, he's out there seems to be happy, they should be happy they can still watch him. Those who do not like him don't really have to worry about him winning a race so I think it is a win win for everyone.

I'm pretty sure he won an all-star race somewhere in the mid-west(Iowa?) about 3 years ago. I could never stand the guy but just sayin'.

A