Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
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Thanks for bringing that race back to life! I remember that summer well. The pre-race hype in the racing magazines and racing papers was quite something. In article after article the debate was which USAC driver would win the $200,000.00 first place money. Jac was never mentioned as a possible candidate to win that race that I ever saw. I remember thinking what idiots the so called experts were. I'm thinking "don't you idiots realize that Jac races 100 times a year on dirt?"........and "remember, he's no stranger to racing without a wing!"  Much like a few years before the "Million" we went to a wingless USAC show at Knoxville. All the USAC guys were there. In pulls the Pennzoil #22. They roll it off the trailor and proceed to tape up the wing mounts, etc...... There were a bunch of USAC fans sitting a couple rows behind us and boy were they hooting and hollering at Haudenschild. One of those guys remarked "the USAC boys will teach him a thing or two about racing a real sprint car!" Well not only did Jac wipe the floor with them and win the feature, he was so far out front that he was putting it sideways damn near under Doug Clark at the starters stand going in to turn one. After it was all over I turned to those guys and remarked "damn that Haudenschild is a fast learner isn't he?" I spoke with Jac many times about that night. One of his most favorite wins. The kicker at the "Million" was that Stevie Jr ran second and had never raced without a wing before. Shows what a 100 nights on dirt each summer does for a sprint car driver. At least that's the way it was back then.

I heard Tony say almost the opposite in an interview at the 50th anniversary 50 lap USAC race at Eldora a few years ago.

What a great race weekend. I can still see Jac puttin the right rear practically on the wall. Went in the pits to visit Stevie Smith and just his dad I think S. Suchy and himself were the crew. Also Todd Allen on a peanut budget making it to D main. I still watch it now and then on you tube.

Hard to believe it's been 13 years ago. God I miss the old Eldora. 

Sap, those were some great races and some fun times, life was pretty good back then.  The fact you could sit down with Earl at 4 in the morning, offer him a beer after he's finished working the track and then listen to his stories, I treasure those days....

Bullshit.

I was sitting between 1 and 2 and the last 5 laps he hit the wall

Grady

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think about that race from time to time! yes, jac did put on one hell of a show! hey mike, ya ever gonna come back to chico and visit?

Biggest story of the weekend was Stevie Smith and his father Dad.  Stevie had never run NW before.  They showed up with the rear of the car sitting five inches higher than everyone else. goodyears and a attitude of "We're pretty good here, We'll see where we start at and work form there"

Finished Second!

I remember talking with Dickie Gaines after the race and he had a smile you coudln't have punched off.  He has a awesome run coming from deep to lead  and if he'd of moved up.  I don't know that Jac or Stevie would have got him,  But that lower line is what allowed him to pick off cars like crazy mid part of the race.

Was a great weekend.  150 car limit.  138 showed up.

Stevie would have had him in another lap or 2. Nowadays the non-wing cars are so specialized and completely different that a winged driver would have a real hard time competing by just taking the wing off and putting on a dry-slick set up.

A

It's always harder to go faster than it is to slow down.

A

I would've like to have seen what Tracy Hines could have done in the other Hoffman car had he not got into that heat race accident on Friday night.

Nice thread thanks for all the memories.

Hey mspn if i remember right, the only time time there was a delay a the big E was Earl was'nt happy with the track. God I wish I would have gotten one of his bobbleheads.