Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: hosehead

With all the negative talk about rising costs of gas, methanol, lower purses, sanctioning bodies not paying points funds, etc., I thought it'd be a good time to take a deeper look at how the 2008 season is starting, and get some perspective on if our sport is really hurting or not.....

Now, with that being said, please remember that the following information does not take into account fan count, nor does it compare to any year's past results (I've never done this before).

• As of Mar 16, there have been 23 "410" Sprint Car races held in the US in 2008 (both wing and non-wing).
• By my count, 239 drivers have taken a green flag in competition (either quals, heat, or consi).
• The most races any driver has competed at thus far is 12. There are 4 drivers who have done that: Lance Dewease, Chad Layton, Dustin Morgan, Fred Rahmer.
• There are 4 drivers who have started a Main Event at both a wing show and a non-wing show thus far: Shane Golobic, Dustin Morgan, Casey Shuman, Brad Sweet.

It would seem to me that 239 drivers taking a green flag this early in the season is a pretty hefty number....what does everybody think?

As I started taking a closer look, I decided to come up with a "points system" to rank all 410 drivers in the US for 2008....the following is how I chose to do it.

• I gave all drivers .5pts for taking a green flag at an event. With the rising operating costs, just showing up should get you something, lol.
• In addition to the "show up" points, I added the additional breakdown: 1pt to start a Main Event; 2pts for a Top 10; 3pts for a Top 5; and 5pts for a Win.

Here are the Nation's Top 15 Ranking Drivers (according to my numbers):

• Jason Myers 39 pts
• Fred Rahmer 35 pts
• Lance Dewease 31pts
• Donny Schatz 27.5pts
• Chad Layton 27
• Craig Dollansky 25.5pts
• Tim Kaeding 24pts
• Cory Kruseman 24pts
• Joey Saldana 22.5pts
• Danny Sheridan 21.5pts
• Lucas Wolfe 21.5 pts
• Levi Jones 20.5
• Blake Miller 20.5

Eric Barnhill

Gotta love any points system that ranks the Posse in front of Schatz...lol. Keep up the good work brutha!

The Posse continues to rule the sprint car world!

As a kid who grew up in California, and has become a car owner (although on a very limited budget) on the Indiana non-wing scene, trust me when I say that I did NOT intend this post to become a hi-jacked Posse thread.....It started merely as a statement that 239 different drivers taking a green flag this early in the season was both surprising and encouraging to me.

With that being said, I guess I should have known better.

Sincerely,

Frustrated Poster

Well, not to further your frustration, but the state of 410 racing in PA is just fine, I can't speak for the rest of the nation. 40 cars for a daytime show (39 358s as well), and that doesn't include the following names that will surely beout this coming weekend for the night shows : Krietz, Shepard, Shaffer, Erdley, Kauffman, Buckwalter, Wells, Gracey...and I'm sure others that I'm forgetting.

Posse #71 Leppo
All-Star #30C Dewease
Outlaw #5W Wolfe

Seems pretty strong out here in Caifornia too. We had 65 cars at the Mini Gold Cup! 29 cars at Watsonville as well was not to shabby as well considering that you didn't get the Chico 410 regulars to come down to Watsonville either and it was extremely windy and cold. The crowd was good size as well considering the looming rain and very windy conditions there. Their is a point system being used already by Bobby Gerould at HammerdownUSA.com that rewards drivers for selected shows across the country.

Keep up the good Work!!! This is sooo interesting, is it possible to do this every Monday? if not would love a Weekly or Monthly copy. In fact be Honored to post on My web-site. Shoot an e mail to cmpvideo2go@aol.com

Bruce

http/www.cmpvideo2go.com
http://www.newtonmotorsports31.com/

I agree!

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I understand that Bobby already has a point system (I look at his website daily), and in no way was I trying to "outdo" him, or anything like that. In fact, a couple years ago, I donated a few bucks into his point fund that he was trying to get together to help the racers. I respect his way of doing it, it works great for him, and many others. With that being said, Bobby's system takes a lot of details into account (purse, estminated car count, etc), that in my mind ends up making it tough to compete in, unless you're an outlaw team. Not that my system is better in anyway, but I tried to do something that gives drivers credit for racing where and when they can, regardless of how big the show may be, as long as they get the job done.

I do plan on keeping track of this weekly (more for my own entertainment than anything else). I will however, be glad to share with anyone that wants to play along.

I have no intention of trying to gather a points fund or anything like that, as I am struggling to get my own car together for later in the summer. I'm just doing this for fun.

Eric Barnhill

Hi, say are you the Eric Barnhill who gave Casey Shuman a ride and won a race at that new track,Moler Speedway ? If so thanks, Casey is another AZ boy who will be around a long time and is just getting better.

The Barnhill Express makes it's '07 debut at Gas City, Indiana. That was 07, right

Kenny..Born in Beach Grove, Indiana.

yeah, same Eric Barnhill....

Casey has driven for me on a limited basis for the last 3 years. We have been fortunate enough to win 7 races in that time,

and hopefully can continue as time and money allows this year.

Thanks!

I like your idea in your original post... but, is it just me, or are there only 13 drivers in your top 15?

Fenders are like vacuums... they both suck.

The system, as I see it, is going to float those to the top that race often in a consecrated area. Your gonna win more running 3 times a week as oppossed to running once for instance. Places like Pa that start early in the year and finish late with a heavy concentration of tracks are going to afford a lot of opportunity for points as oppossed to those that race in the Iowa area. Indiana should do well too with a lot of non-wing shows around Indy every week.

I would say simply dividing points earned by races attended would be a start to making this rating system legitimate...otherwise, those who race the most races will dominate the system...

www.hoseheads.com/billw.html

I wonder how someone like Stanbrough would fare in this system?

hmmmm.....

I can see where your logic makes sense, but just a quick look at my points shows me that Dustin Morgan, who remember is one of the only four guys to attend 12 shows, is 30th in points, while Cory Kruseman who has only attended 6, exactly half, is 10th in points.

Another example would be Greg Hodnett....I have him as attending 11 shows, yet he only ranks 22nd in points, while there are 11 drivers in front of him who have showed up to less than 10, with most of those only attending 6 or 7. TJ Stutts has attended 11 shows as well as ranks at 32nd in points on my list.

There are about a million ways a person could tally points. My system works for me, so I will continue to use it for my own amusement. I will be more than glad to share my research with those interested.

Thanks,

Eric Barnhill

You could use the MiSrePresentatioN of the truth system.

1. Decide what you want your stats to prove.

2. Pick races that prove your stats and ignore races that disprove your stats.

3. Throw in a good helping of BS.

4. Mix well to make your illogical, selective, biased, unscientific garbage look like facts.

5. Ignore the facts posted to disprove your "stats" and bash anyone who dares to question your nonsense.

....Opperman forever!

Very progressive method of reasoning!

Mike Brown

Rahmer should win for fun, he'll race the most with the least amount of competition. Hodnett will be close by. Not as much Lance and very little Lucas makes it that way........

Opp is still a cry baby who's been embarassed one too many times in here and real life, lol. Still waiting for you to disprove any comment I've ever made in here, especially the stats that expose the over-rated Posse. Hopefully, that ends the garbage and good luck with the survey and your PA winner. Take It Easy.....

PS A hundred races in PA vs. 75 on the Outlaw tour equates to a minus 125 for the Outlaw but that can be made up with those easy 25 wins on tour. Not sure if show up points is equal to half that of a win, wouldn't you agree?

You couldn't, just once, show how stupid this attempt to put out bait for you was by simply not taking it could you Nelligan? Whatever blows your skirt up I guess.....