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

I really liked the new format. It made all the racing mean something. The wednesday and thursday shows are my favorites. The inverted heats make it tough to make it through the heats and into the A main. If you qualify fast you really have your work cut out for you. The friday show meant something with the top four advancing to the a on saturday night. I also liked the world challenge where the winner makes the A main on saturday. Some may say it makes it unfair but if he can come from the 25th spot and win he would deserve it. My family has been coming for many years and this was in my opinion my favorite format. I also love the 50 lap feature on saturday night. I like double file restarts but the single file makes it even tougher to advance. I feel like this race is set up to make it tougher for some of the better racers to advance. That is what makes Donnys run so much more amazing. For those of you who missed this one I feel like you missed a big one in sprint car history. I have watched Donny race since he was racing go karts out in Williston. I know people want a new winner but the way he gets booed seems unfair. I feel sorry for his mom especially. She is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. She talked about how it makes her feel bad when she hears the crowd boo her son. Donny races clean and he has always been nice when I have been around him. Thanks knoxville for the changes to the format and please keep the 50 lap A main. For those of you who want to see another winner it might be the only way he looses. Maybe some year he will have mechanical faliure or a wreck that he's involved in that take him out.  Better chance of that happening with more laps. It may be the only someone else wins. Just kidding but that was for all of you who were booing him.  Congragulations Donny . You make us North Dakota people proud.

Prior to this year there was only one thing preventing me from returning to The Nationals...the 50 lap garbage.

Now they have added a second.  A 25th starter.   No thanks! 

 
I LEARNED ESP FROM MY MOM

"PUT YOUR SWEATER ON: DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW WHEN 
YOU'RE COLD?"

I like the new format as well. Makes the Friday show more meaningful and gives the top guys outside of top 16 a chance who may have had some bad luck on their qualifying night. 

Kudos to Eric Arnold on the format idea.

Donnie's run was impressive. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Steve win from 15th? with half as many laps one year... to me equally impressive.

I don't feel sorry for his mom. She needs to understand that someone who wins as much as Donny has and always will be boo'd. The sport, or any sport needs someone to cheer against and for....Donnie, Terry McCarl, Sammy, and Steve. I cheer for the guys that are personable. To me this does not include, Mr Personality himself Sammy Swindell, or Donny however I respect their accomplishments and what they have done or are doing for the sport. 

Keep It Real

The Schatz family are some of the very nicest people in racing.  Donnie is also very enjoyable to visit with off the track.... They started sitting in the stands at Knoxville just like everyone else......  Donnie wanted to be like Steve, Doug and Sammy when he was a kid and looks like he's doing pretty good at it right now.  I know it is somewhat of a tradition to boo everyone in sprint car racing that wins alot but it is hard for me to hear anyone boo anyone for being the best at their job.  Says much more about the booers than the people they are booing.....

Totally enjoyed this years Nationals, my 25th straight.....

Best all around nationals in a long time.

Agree on everything about the racing and the format.  Enjoyed the entire show--start to finish.  Would have liked to see someone other than Donny but hey--he deserved to win.  Wanted to boo, but didn't.  How could you after that performance?  If an extra 20 laps of racing and an extra starter are keeping you home--I don't know what to say about that. 

Laters, nice having ya.

My opinion is that if I can ever afford to go the Nationals again I sure as hell won't bitch about it. 

Stan Meissner

Laters, nice having ya.

I always enjoy comments from "mature" people.

 
I LEARNED ESP FROM MY MOM

"PUT YOUR SWEATER ON: DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW WHEN 
YOU'RE COLD?"

The Friday change was the best idea that Knoxville has come up with in a long time.  It used to be the worst night of the week, now it is nearly on par with Wed/Thur.  Still don't like the Worthless World Challenge, but it is a little more tolerable as the final event of the night now that there is something more than a paycheck on the line.

Not sold that a 50 lap feature is necessary.  It just seems so artificial that you have a fuel stop in a sprint car race.

But no matter if they keep the 50 laps or shorten it, I'll always look forward to my trips to the Nationals and the only silly idea is those who "refuse" to go because of the length of the race.

Is this heaven?  
No, it's Iowa....Knoxville, Iowa.

I'm no different from you

Personally I do not like the 50 laps with a fuel stop.  In my opinion sprint car racing should be start to finish with no fuel stops.  jmo

30 laps was always too short, just as 25 laps is too short for the 360 Nationals. 

The funny thing is, even if they went back to 30 laps, you'd have a fuel stop anyway with the way the motors guzzle fuel these days. 

It's was a good show, like the new format as well but would rather see 35/40 non stop A-main?

Couldn't agree more! If extra laps and an extra car keeps you from coming........ tou didn"t want to be there anyway.