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

New guy to Posse country trying to get the lay of the land on where to see the best races. Over past 2 seasons, I've been 2-3 times each to tracks within 100mi./2 hr drivetime of where I live in MD (Hagerstown, Lincoln & Williams Grove). Port Royal & Selingsgrove are just too far away.

My observation =  the best racing was determined by the track surface & the quality was inversely proportional to track's reputation & car count.

Hagerstown was best - multi grooves, lots of passing (this year's USAC & PA Sprintweek were 2 of the best races I've ever seen).

Lincoln was good, but not as many Posse topguns for regular Sat shows as Sprintweek or reg Fri at the Grove.

The Grove had lots of cars, but seemed to only have one groove & little passing ( May07 WOO's & most recent Fri regular show). I'm considering trying the Grove again for the WOO's, but not if it's likely to be another parade. The races I most wanted to see at the Grove (USAC & Sprintweek) were rained out.

Any advice or thoughts on when & where to see the best quality racin' would be appreciated. I'm startin' to get interested in this Posse thing (just when gas prices reach an all time high). Thanks for the info.

Each track is unique. Lincoln has great racing if you want racing thru traffic and slicing and dicing. Port is awesome when it comes to speed. As Rahmer said Memorial Day weekend, he can see why he doesn't race at Port because "it's too damn fast."

Agree with your analysis of the Grove. The racing there IMO hasn't been that great lately although I'll most likely be there both nights this coming weekend for the Summer Nationals! Go Posse especially Kauffman, Shepard, and Stevie Smith!!!

I enjoy Lincoln, Port, and the Grove. If you want high speed action, go to Port. If you want the short track racing with lots of traffic, go to Lincoln.

I wish somehow Path Valley would get a Speedweek race again. 1/4 mile with LOTS of action!!!

Hagerstown is good, everytime I've been there I had a blast but unfortunately that's late model country.

I think Lincoln usually has the best racing anywhere. Although the 410 field is split out on Saturday nights, they still get a pretty good quality field plus a ton of 358's who also put on a good show. The Mitch Smith memorial that was rained out on speedweek, was ran this past Friday at the Grove and was a great race. Hope the outlaw shows are half as good. IMO a 410 and 358 regular show at the Grove is always a decent show for the money.

A

If you're looking to go to WG again and NOT be disappointed, save your money and skip the WoO shows this weekend. Hate for any fan to form an opinion based on the freight train win from the front row snoozefest that is WoO racing at Williams Grove. Skip the trip 20s as well, as after 10 laps of the 1st feature the track is gone.

Hit the last weekend before the national open at WG when its cooled off a little and then the Hank Gentzler Mem. Manufactures race at Lincoln the next day. Port is closed by then and you get some of their regulars as well.

...

Didn't Schatz win or come very close at the Grove from about 17th earlier this year, hardly a front row deal, sheesh! I think that's more of a wives tale than reality in the more recent years plus the atmosphere of an Outlaw race at the Grove is second to none anywhere in the country to boot. Try it this weekend, you likely won't be disappointed. Take It Easy.....

Unlike you MSPN, I attend the races and I can assure you that the Outlaw shows over the last 2.5 years have been less than eventful for the most part at Williams Grove.

May/06, Rahmer sweeps from the pole both nights,

July/06, McCarl, Dollansky & Pittman earn Outlaw sweep of the Summer Nationals all from the pole,

September/06, Solwold from the pole, Esh from 2nd.

May/07 Schatz from 3rd both races,

July/07, Schatz from 5th, Leppo 2nd, Schatz 2nd,

September/07, Layton 1st, Schatz 1st.

May/08, Kinser started 4th.

That's 11 of the last 15 from the front row. Stats don't lie, you know that. Oh and even this years regular weekly shows have seen a majority won from the front row.

Schatz can come from anywhere to win. Sure, I'l concede that fact, but watching him win at Williams Grove is about as stale as it gets anymore. He throws a few sliders, gets to the front and runs away. He's good, but boring. You're one example of 17th to 3rd from May is the exception, not the norm. I guess we should just hope he turns in a lousy qualifying effort, so we get to see him come to the front again.

...

Unfortunately, the weather is setting up (hot/dry) for the possibility of a freight train. Same thing happened last year, but even then the racing was good all night until the feature, which I was fine with that after the 71 grabbed the lead . I'm pretty sure the WoO prep the track at WG when they're in town and they never make the track as heavy as we normally have it. The good news is there were 75 cars there last week with TT and the track was great for the feature. Slick, but with mulitple grooves, the best for passing. Getting back to the original post, I think Lincoln has the closest racing, Port and Selinsgrove the most speed, and Williams Grove the best combination of both. Lincoln also takes the engine out of it more and puts it in the drivers hands more which really helps some of the low budget teams (i.e. Alan Krimes). That said, I will go to one show this weekend at Williams Grove, even with the threat of bad racing. Like others have said, the atmosphere is 2nd to none. As the night goes on the electricity builds and builds until the noise of 24 cars at the start is more like an eruption than anything else. There is a lot of emotion on both sides of the fence, but if you can handle watching the best sprint car field nationwide and don't mind where the winner comes from, it's an awesome event everytime.

Also MSPN, you mentioned the atmosphere for an Outlaw race being second to none. I agree with you 100% on that. That's why I am there. However, the original poster didn't ask about the best atmosphere. He asked about the best quality racing. Racing wise, the Outlaws at Williams Grove don't meet that criteria especially at $30 a night. I stand behind my earlier post.

...

Good stuff. Every post gave me valuable info - I now have a strategy :

(1) I'll attend all sprint shows at Hagerstown (only 3 this year). (2) Fortunately Lincoln's the closest/easiest drive for me. I'll consider Lincoln any Sat with both 358's& 410's on the card (& nothing on the weather radar at departure time), especially late in season after Port's closed. (3) I'll try to make Port for a sprintweek race. (4) I'll choose my visits to the Grove carefully, based on likely track conditions.

I'll still probably attend 1 or more WOO/ year at the Grove, just for the "atmosphere". My only WOO at the Grove was last year when local heroes 71 & 5 were 1st & 3rd (I think), while the once & future Kings had to scramble just to make the feature - wouldn't want to miss that again. Qualifying order seemed to be the biggest factor- so any fast car looked to have a shot, based on the draw ...you never know.

I'll keep checking this thread if anyone else has recommendations. Thanks to all.

I was at the Outlaw race you saw last year and it was by far the worst track of the year for them. The National Open featured a great track both nights, likely thanks to 25 degrees colder weather. I usually only pick the first night of any outlaw show because they usually have the best track, but for the National I go all weekend. IMO, the racing at both Lincoln and WG has been much better than last year. This is my strategy:

If I'm going to pick one race a week to go to and that's it, I'd pick Lincoln assuming a regular show at all tracks. (30 minute drive)

I would go to 1 outlaw show in spring and summer and both for the National Open...I just wouldn't miss the National Open. You know everyone is bringing there best stuff and for all pratical purposes it is the finale in PA. (45 minute drive)

I would hit Port for the dream race and the Tuscarora 50. (1hr 20min drive)

I hit Selinsgrove once a year randomly it seems, just to see the cars on the big half mile. (2 hour drive, but only 40 minutes from a family vacation home we have)

5 local wins out of last 15? that doesn't sound like the last stats i saw posted on here. i hope it is a good race next time also, because im gonna break down and take the family to see the woo and buy a kinser shirt for my daughter. she was only 5 back when he was at hagerstown with his first Q shirts and he personaly took her in the trailer and got her one, so she's still a fan, and so am i.

Pittman fan, you use the last 2 and a half years and I'll use the previous half dozen prior to that, (many of them I attended) which were won from places other than the front row if my fading memory serves me right.

His request of 'advice and thoughts' HAS to include the atmosphere at an Outlaws show at the Grove as it is second to none and with about an actual half hours worth of racing over a night compared to the 5 or 6 hours a fan can spend there it has relevance to me. If you're the typical Posse fan then this comparison isn't relative as the porch is likely your normal haunt and a trip to Lernerville is likely tto far, lol. Take It Easy.....

You're living in the past. This isn't a half dozen years ago anymore. The rules and the technology have changed, and as a result, the racing is suffering. I have to believe that most people would agree that last year's racing would be a better indicator of what to expect, rather than 2000, 2002 or even 2004. With the racing the way its been this year at Williams Grove, its unlikely that we'll see anything resembling the good ol' days that you're accustomed to seeing.

...

rads... do the Grove on an unsanctioned Friday... when the 410 & 358 Sprints are there. Pretty much the same for Lincoln... try to get there when it's a 410 & 358 SPRINTS (not late model) show. Other than that, you'll likely be settling for less. HOWEVER, if you can take in a Super Sportsman show... they put on a damned good show too. If ya like crashes, take in a URC show at any track. Don't bother with the Port or Selinsgrove unless you enjoy trains or dust. Forget Grandview, it's uphill in 1 & 2 and downhill in 3 & 4... with a swamp on the frontstretch and a desert for the rest.

thanks FF. I did exactly that on my last 2 visits to Lincoln (6/21 Rahmer won) & the Grove (7/11 Esh won) - both regular weekly shows w/ 410's & 358's. Enjoyed it enough to plan to go back. I intend to see the SS's as well.