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

Just saw a picture of Donny Schatz's car for 2023. That thing looks really cool!! The Blue really pops on it.

Where did you see it?

World of Outlaws on Twitter: "The @TonyStewart_Rcg #15 is bringing not one, but TWO ��� designs on tour this year with @Carquest and @AdvanceAuto. @DonnySchatz’s pursuit of an 11th World of Outlaws @NosEnergyDrink Sprint Car Series championship begins this week! https://t.co/0rpwyIB625" / Twitter

STILL crying when he doesn't get his silver spoon

I'm with you!  I like that blue much better than the yellow.   Looks great

When was the last time Donny was upside  down before last night. Seems to me that he has torn up more this year than the last several added together. Last night seemed to be all on him unless something broke but did any cause that other than himself?

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

Ya really. If he hasn't rolled last year the amount of damage to a couple bumps could easily be less damage than last night

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

According to my calculations Schatz was born in '77 and would be the same age as one of my daughters, 46.  There has been a youth movement in Sprints and things get harder as we get into our 40's.  All good things eventually come to an end and I can't help but wonder if slowing down a step didn't coincide with developing the Ford engine.  I'm not predicting anything or trying to start conspiracy theories.  I'm just speculating as a seventy something guy who has gone through the changes that aging causes.  These young guys are hard to keep up with.  
 

Donny Schatz comes from my part of the country and we used to watch him run a WISSOTA 360.  I am a fan but I''m also realistic after seeing so many favorites come and go since the sixties.  This season I will be watching closely and I hope that I'm proven wrong.  

Stan Meissner

I think there is more to it that his age or the color of the car. 

The outlaws have run 13 shows and he's made the top 10 only 5 times. Funding for sure isn't an issue and I think he still has what it takes to win. He just hasn't been the same since the Ricky days when he was crew chief. 2nd week of August I think he will still be a favorite for #12. 

Yep, & look how well Rico is doing with Warner......

The issue with Donny definitely isn't color & it might be age, but the BIG variable is engine.....

I'm a Ford guy in "real life", but I wonder how he'd do if he went back to his "Chevy" engines?

The Ford puts out as much as any of the Chevys..Its Rickey Warner who is the difference and Schatz is getting older too..

You could be right, but we'll never know unless he switches back

Worth a try, IMHO, but I'm not paying the bills....

Ricky.   Ford.  You all make me laugh.  He's old in professional athlete years.  Period.  There were still dumbasses wondering what was wrong with Sammy 5 years ago too.  Nothing.  He just outlasted father time.  Donny may, or may not decline at the same rate as Sammy and Steve, but one thing is for sure, there is no way you can expect a 45 year old Donny Schatz to be the same guy a 35 year old Donny Schatz was.  (not to mention he just won the Nationals last year----and we act like he's finished)

He isnt a win or wear it guy and does better on the big tracks. The number 15 team will still win races but there are guys like Sheldon that do what it takes on the shorter tracks.Except for one the races have been really good and some won by just letting it rip on the wall. The top 6 teams will still win most of the races but when Rico and Larson show up they are just as good. Ricky Werner and Paul Silva are both top crew cheifs and make a diiference. 

Rico has entered 46 WoO races with Warner the last 2 years and has won 3 of them. Theyve started the year very strong but this is the first time they've even remotely tasted the type of success Schatz used to have. This is far from a Steve/Karl/Mark situation. The reality is Warner has struggled without Schatz as much as Schatz has without Warner. 

Rico is fast. Look at were he is timing. Some are still struggling with this new tire. Ricky Warner is without question giving Rico the opportunity to run fast and win races.

Steve Kinser was WoO Champ from 2002 to 2005, when he was 48 thru 54, won Knoxville Nats when he was 48

Don't wanna start the old debate about whether race drivers are "athletes" or not, so lets just call them "mechanically aided athletes"......they have 900 horses to help their aging bodies, not like somebody who has to run, jump, throw, tackle etc. Yea, the reflexes go

Seems pretty obvious that all these factors have an effect. We can't change his age, only variables that could change are engine & crew chief, so who knows?

SAMMY won recently in a wingless (!!!!) race at El Paso Speedway in Colorado & he's 67!

Granted, he was going against a bunch of part timers, but he's still way older than any of them. I've seen him win at that track a few years ago... ASCS 360s. It was slow & rubber down, I think Colorado soil is way too dry & sandy for sprint cars, & he won from the front..... BUT, he still beat a bunch of young whippersnappers :)

https://www.myracepass.com/events/442947/races

Sammy ,Red Farmer,Danny Smith. Loyd beckman all won races in their 60s but not in a WOO qual;ity field. Donny drives clean and Mcfadden,Sheldon.Macedo,Gravel arent afraid of contact which makes a difference. Many top atheletes dont retire in their prime.There will never be a big three like Steve Sammy and Doug in their prime and they all lost some of their edge to Father time or injuries.I read where after 40 not unusual to loss a % of your muscle and reflexes. Donny is still one of the best to wheel a sprint car but also is a business man which makes a difference also.