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

I'm still holding out on the social Media thing but i do look at the Hoseheads feed.

What's this all about?

Nicole Signor Creative@NSignorCreative

It’s going to be strange not seeing the Barshinger 24 run in Pennsylvania anymore.

Another one bites the dust? A shame that Lucus got hurt because that car was becoming a high quality ride before that. 

I too was taken off guard when I saw that. I searched the internet and could not find anything to confirm that Barshinger was throwing in the towel. Jeremy Elliott's Sprint Car Unlimited is usually on top of all things happening in Central Pa. I had high hopes and was looking forward to the 2021 season when Barshinger named Kerry Madsen to replace Lucas Wolfe. The team got off to a decent start with a win at Bridgeport Speedway in April. I still think Mike was blindsided when Madsen left. For some reason things have not clicked with Halligan & Stutts in the seat. I hate to see someone who has the passon and given so much over the years to Sprint Car racing like Michael Barshinger walk away. Hope it is not true?????

It takes a lot of money to compete at the highest level anywhere, especially in PA. Few cars are funded by other people/corporations which don't really miss the money. Most are paid for by someone who just likes racing's personal business. I'm pretty confident the return never outweighs the expense. I don't know Barshinger's situation but I'm never surprised when that someone decides the cost is not worth the fun any longer.

sad to see another car owner leave. they are already a dying breed in today's sport. Barshinger seems like a decent, nice guy with passion for the sport and didn't mind spending the money required to field competitive equipment. However, as long as he was acting as the crew chief it was going to be nearly impossible for a driver to be consistently successful. You can't just experiment and do what you want while ignoring the drivers input and expect them to go run it and try to make a living at the same time. It's a shame he never hired a stable crew chief to run the operation and see it's full potential. But it was his money ultimately and I think everyone appreciates his effort and contributions to the sport 

My source with close ties to Halligan said he was not the hands-off owner type. But, like you said, it's his money - and he's spent lots. Nothing wrong with doing it his way for 35 years - gotta be close to that anyway.

I jinxed it (again) with my long time owner that gets overlooked thread a month or so ago.

From going for it with Madsen, to gone. Hate to see him go.

I just texted TJ Stutts, the most recent driver and he confirmed that Michael Barshinger racing was done for ever.

"I was so loose out there that  could hardly get back
in line for the restart", Bobby Allen circa 1996 (?)
*****************************************************
"I'm not a driver, I am a racer." Steve Smith 19, 1992 

Boy it sucks to hear that. That new all black #24 looked sharp. I was wondering how long Stutts would be in the seat considering the results haven't been there, but surprised and bummed that he's done. Barshinger's been in the sport a long time and I'm sure this season has been tough going through 3 drivers. It's an expensive, difficult and time consuming hobby and you can't blame anyone for deciding to move on. 

A

https://sprintcarunlimited.com/michael-barshinger-calls-it-career-after-30-plus-years-of-owning-a-sprint-car/

"I was so loose out there that  could hardly get back
in line for the restart", Bobby Allen circa 1996 (?)
*****************************************************
"I'm not a driver, I am a racer." Steve Smith 19, 1992 

Yes, TJ is back in his own car effectively immediately.

"I was so loose out there that  could hardly get back
in line for the restart", Bobby Allen circa 1996 (?)
*****************************************************
"I'm not a driver, I am a racer." Steve Smith 19, 1992 

Actually T J and Halligan seemed to run better in their own equipment.

I know nothing about this team, but I'll give my opinion like everyone else does. I think Kerry leaving this team took the wind right out of it's sails. That's all....carry on. :)

Without a doubt, Wizz. Hope to see you this year, it's been a while, hope all is well. 

Does anyone know how long Barshinger has been into the sport? I remember him sponsoring Jon Mackison jr. about 25- 30 years ago, thats a long time to throw a lot of money at a hobby. I;m sure he has had enough of the grind and wish him well.

I think you are 100% right. If you look at Mike's history as a team owner, he tended to be real loyal to his drivers and really did not have many different ones over the years as an owner. I think he was probably caught off guard when Kerry announced he was leaving after only a few months behind the wheel, including a win at Bridgeport. When Stutts, who I think was a good choice as a mid season replacemnt and a local driver, trashed a brand new car during Pa Speedweek, I think that was it. Personally, I am going to miss seeing the #24 on the track. Thank you Mr Barshinger for all your years as dedicated owner.

BINGO!

Don't let your hatred towards one person discredit a entire Team. There's not a cheating bone in the owners entire body.....trust me on that.

Right on the money. Barshinger isn't wrong at all about the lack of tech in PA. The tracks don't look real hard because they don't want to find anything. They would rather look the other way than be forced to suspend teams that put asses in the seats. Talk to anyone in the know, and they'll all but admit it. BUT if he's barking up the tree I think he's barking at, he couldn't be more wrong. Maybe his car would've been faster if he'd realized that he isn't a mechanic and stood back and left the people who do know how to set up a car, do their thing. I hate to see him go. Losing any car sucks, but his accusation here is total and complete bullshit.

Tire doping is not that big of a issue today. You get a slick track and even with the slightest amount of tire prep. The tire won't last. Hoosier is making a good tire,  air pressure and wheel speed. Methanol,  that's a whole different story,   a 55 gallon barrel can be a lot more than you think. 

Being a car owner can be frustrating and expensive. The glory goes to the driver first,the crew second,and owner last. Thats why there are less owners every year. I know there are some that manage to survive and show a profit but many teams rely on sponsorship to survive or use it as a business deduction.Guys like Brian Brown are the exception of owning and driving but has been one ofthe better at securing sponsorship. Guys lke Tony and Kasey have people wanting to help them.