Forum: SCRAFAN.COM Forum (go)
Moderators: ljennings

I've been attending sprint car races in Southern California for a long time now and I've always had a favorite driver. However, I got to thinking recently about who, of all the drivers I have seen and liked over the years, was my all time favorite. So I'm putting this question out to everyone:

Who is your all time favorite sprint car driver? Why is he your favorite; what was/is it about him that made him your favorite? The driver can be from any era. I'll start.

My favorite all time driver is Mike Kirby. There are several reasons why he became my favorite. First, he is possibly the smoothest driver I have ever seen. He is never out of control and is an extremely clean driver. He isn't super aggressive and doesn't take foolish chances. Nevertheless, he still manages to win a lot of races. I even remember the night he came to my attention. It was the last night of racing at Ascot. Ron Shuman was the big dog at the time and he was NOT my favorite in any way. I remember that the race was a 50 lapper and that Mike took the lead early and led for most of the race. Shuman eventually passed him and won the race (I think with less than 5 laps to go), but I remember how excited I was that this guy might actually win the race over the great Ron Shuman. Mike Kirby made a lifelong fan on that night. Obviously he went on to win a great many races, but it was that underdog moment that made me a fan.

The other big reason he was my favorite was his demeanor and friendliness in the pits. He always recognized my dad and I when we would go to his pit and he would always make an effort to greet us ask us how we were doing and thank us for stopping by. I hope that he decides to come back and drive sprint cars again someday. Even if he doesn't, he's my favorite all time driver.

I'm interested to hear other people's stories.

Jvan, you have probably just asked the hardest qustion in the world to answer. So many fans can tell the exact same story about Jimmy Sills, Lealand McSpadden, John Redican, Tony Simon etc. etc. Right now, 2 drivers that will probably run this weekend are among many drivers that also fall into your reasons to be a favorite, that would be RJ Johnson and Alan Ballard, but how could anyone ever pass up Rickie Gaunt as the worlds most favorite driver?

I agree, it is a very hard question. It is also one that I think is interesting to contemplate. The longer one has been a fan, the harder the question is to answer. Still, I'm interested to hear who people's favorites are and how they came to be their favorite.

Here goes!

Ripper and (Crew) & Ostling to me are Class people all of the way from back to the Ascot days! I have many more friends that I root for to do well but these two are/were at the top of my list from the very beginning at Ascot. The list is endless though for nice people and good friends that I have there at the races. If any of them do well or win I am happy for them. I will tell you that with this group there are far fewer drivers to root against then there are to root for!

There are many more reasons but I am loyal to a fault and these two to me have been around the longest and I have known them the longest and I wish them both continued success in their differing jobs!

Joe

That is one hard question to answer. Deno, Bubby, Oskie, Mike Sweeney, Tony Simon, Jeff Heywood, Dany McNight, Brad Noffsinger, Shuman, Mcspadden, Richard Griffen ,Krusman, They were and are all AWESOME drivers. But my all time driver would have to be Eddie Wirth. Eddie was a show every time he hit the track, He tore up a lot of equipment but he sure put on a hell of a show.

Eddie Wirth was a favorite of mine, too. He sure was exciting. Good, too.

Jack Hewit,   Jack was a mans man. He would drive the crap out of anything he sat in, Jack would run ya clean till you did him dirty,.... then youd be in the parkinglot and thinking it was all your fault.

Ol Bub,

McSpaden (at Manzy on a dry slicky,... 4 inches from the wall  WOW!)

Jimmy Sills

My Top 5 All time favorites.

1. McSpadden...He was the often the man to beat with, or without a wing....Being from NorCal, I became a fan of his at Baylands...when he wheeled the Baily Bros #01 and the Reids #6

3. Richard Griffin

4. Tim Green

5. Jimmy Sills

Kevin Kierce cause he's so cute

ROB

The Ripper! 1994, Santa Maria, I was with my pal Corneluis who did'nt like Rip at all. During the race Rip punted some guy into the ticket booth. Well my pal and most of the crowd was booing Rip. I went down to the souvenir stand and bought a Ripper shirt, the old Jan's 47. Rip has mellowed since, but when I asked a nice lady at Farmer Boys if Rip was going to put on a show tonite, she answered "The Ripper ALWAYS puts on a show. But then I like Paul Tracy. Dale Earnhart was a favorite. Favorite VRA, Luis Espinoza with Wakim a close second. Favorite VRA senoir Bruce Douglas. I still have my 47 Ripper shirt.

No can do, but one of the most memorable pictures I have in me mind was one night at Ascot when I was a teenager. Allen Heath had won the main and he took a hot lap throwing dirt up on the wall and the whole time he was shaking his hook like a madman. I grew up around racers and former racers who lived to tell the tale but I thought, "this guy is even crazier than my dad and his friends" and that was saying a lot! Allen burned that sight into my mind, forever. Maybe Leland.

I'm pretty old school, Bob Hogle without a doubt.... enough said!!!!!!

 Mike Sweeney , Bubby Jones , Jimmy Oskie , Super Rickie Gaunt

Looks like were gonna take this back a few years so I'll have no choice but to switch my vote to Hila Sweet, not only was she a spectacular driver but a great promoter and top ambasador to dirt track racing, (and it doesn't hurt that she is breathtakingly beautiful) ...enough said!!!!!!

Now : The Demon

Last 5 Years : The Gas Man

Last 15 Years : The Tempe Tornado

Last 50 Years : Hank Arnold

P.S. Did not get to see much of Dean, Bubby

Grady

You win because you can spell Lealand.
Now why the response to a February post?

Let's see, where's that Argo thread.

I was wondering why no one had Ron Shuman on the list,
then I noticed it said "favorite" driver, not best driver.
He might of been Alex Morales' favorite driver.

Walt Kennedy didn't even make the cut, huh.

This is what I do when I'm trying to avoid work.

Gary Patterson, will forever be my all time favorite driver. There's just not enough words to describe what he means to me.

Knoxville - August 1981

ALAN HEATH.......................BUT OF COURSE THE ALL TIME GREATEST -BEST-THE ALL TIME.....DEAN G THOMPSON.....................................THE ONE THE ONLY...DEANO