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Topic: Kids in racing today....
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Page 3 of 3 of 53 replies
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January 08, 2014 at
06:17:22 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: StanM on January 08 2014 at 06:02:35 PM
I agree on the observations about children driving full up Sprint Cars. Two things about that bother me. One is the obvious insurance implications if a child is seriously hurt or worse. The second is how that makes the sport look to outsiders. My first exposure to dirt track racing goes back to the early 60's. We used to go watch the Supermodifieds every Sunday at a local track and they were basically Sprint Cars with a little sheet metal. A few of my favorite local drivers were Sprint Car drivers that ran the Supermodifieds between their exploits with the IMCA and included Jerry Richert Sr., Scratch Daniels and a Floridian who used to spent a couple summers up here by the name of Buzz Barton. Now anybody who saw those guys and others of that era race can relate to how tough those guys were. Most sported crew cuts, many were veterans of WWII or Korea, they were some tough hombres.
When I was a kid I was a fan of guys like Johnny Unitas, they were grown men and real life sports heroes. I'm not so sure I would have been in awe of the sport like I was if I had been watching kids my own age compete. Aside from all the insurance concerns I think it sends the message to the outside world that Sprint Cars aren't to be taken seriously. We always hear that attitude when NASCAR media talks about Sprints like it's some kind of amature deal that produces NASCAR prospects that haven't got their first razor. So I guess that's how I feel about kids in Sprint Car racing, I don't want to see any of them get hurt when they're still too young to understand the implications. And if I was still a kid myself my heroes would be adults playing in the NFL, NHL and MLB. It would be hard to have that same type of fan enthusiasm for another 12 year old.
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Stan,You may remember in Minot around 63 a Driver loosing His right foot in the swamp between the 3/8 and 5/8 , Everyone thought His Driving Days over, the next Year....the Gas Pedal was in the left foot compartment. Tough Dudes!
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January 08, 2014 at
07:39:14 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: StanM on January 08 2014 at 05:22:40 PM
Yeah, I forgot, it was originally Minot. To be expeced from a guy who can't remember his own name without looking at his driver's licence. 
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no harm, can you imagine my excitement when I realized I was 38.. for another year! bad math. but, great news!
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January 09, 2014 at
06:06:02 AM
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Reply to:
Posted By: cmpvideo2go on January 08 2014 at 06:17:22 PM
Stan,You may remember in Minot around 63 a Driver loosing His right foot in the swamp between the 3/8 and 5/8 , Everyone thought His Driving Days over, the next Year....the Gas Pedal was in the left foot compartment. Tough Dudes!
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I didn't even know Minot existed when I was 12. LOL
We stayed close to home in those days, Twin City just north of Minneapolis and occasionally Cedar Lake. My dad liked racing but it wasn't his only interest, just another form of entertainment. When dad said "do you go to the races or drive in"? I always voted for the races.
Stan Meissner
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January 09, 2014 at
07:54:16 AM
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Reply to:
Posted By: cmpvideo2go on January 08 2014 at 06:17:22 PM
Stan,You may remember in Minot around 63 a Driver loosing His right foot in the swamp between the 3/8 and 5/8 , Everyone thought His Driving Days over, the next Year....the Gas Pedal was in the left foot compartment. Tough Dudes!
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never heard that one, I will have to ask my father and uncle, that is thier era, the transition of sprints to winged cars/rollcages/301's 327's, big fords ect - the stories back then love them all. Sprints ruled the races in Minot back then. and crowds were huge
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January 09, 2014 at
10:20:46 AM
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"My problem with kids isn't the kids at all.... I am starting to think I have a problem with some dads of these kids though. At some point don't we need to agree that a certain age is just to damn young for someone to be in a sprintcar or midget??? There are a couple of 11 year olds racing sprintcars in this country. Sure they are some form of limited sprinter but the amount of damage they can do is never limited.... 11 year olds... one of whom I read started hotlapping a sprinter at age 8...seriously????"
I see this as a problem:
http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/sprints-midgets/other-sprint-cars/11-year-old-kofoid-wins-sprint-car-title/
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130812/motorsports/130819985
Stan made a good point. These kids in cars makes the sport look like a childs game. I don't understand how this is not child endangerment. I also have a problem with the fact that most forms of professional and semi professional sports have an age limit and racing does not seem to have one. I don't suspect that people would be comfortable with an 11 year old taking pitches in MLB, or being a reciever in the NFL. Firstly I don't think that the league or the players would want that, but I also do not believe that the fans would support it.
Parents need to stop being their kids buddies, or living vicariously through their children and become parents.
There are several racing series out there were a kid can learn how to race while preparing to drive a big car. Our sport needs an age limit.
Never hit stationary objects!
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January 09, 2014 at
10:24:24 AM
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I agree completely with your statment above Darnell. I forgot to add that before I posted my comment and I can't edit with Google Chrome on the Hoseheads forum for some reason.
Never hit stationary objects!
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January 09, 2014 at
02:01:09 PM
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This is a good thread.
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January 09, 2014 at
03:13:28 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: StanM on January 08 2014 at 06:02:35 PM
I agree on the observations about children driving full up Sprint Cars. Two things about that bother me. One is the obvious insurance implications if a child is seriously hurt or worse. The second is how that makes the sport look to outsiders. My first exposure to dirt track racing goes back to the early 60's. We used to go watch the Supermodifieds every Sunday at a local track and they were basically Sprint Cars with a little sheet metal. A few of my favorite local drivers were Sprint Car drivers that ran the Supermodifieds between their exploits with the IMCA and included Jerry Richert Sr., Scratch Daniels and a Floridian who used to spent a couple summers up here by the name of Buzz Barton. Now anybody who saw those guys and others of that era race can relate to how tough those guys were. Most sported crew cuts, many were veterans of WWII or Korea, they were some tough hombres.
When I was a kid I was a fan of guys like Johnny Unitas, they were grown men and real life sports heroes. I'm not so sure I would have been in awe of the sport like I was if I had been watching kids my own age compete. Aside from all the insurance concerns I think it sends the message to the outside world that Sprint Cars aren't to be taken seriously. We always hear that attitude when NASCAR media talks about Sprints like it's some kind of amature deal that produces NASCAR prospects that haven't got their first razor. So I guess that's how I feel about kids in Sprint Car racing, I don't want to see any of them get hurt when they're still too young to understand the implications. And if I was still a kid myself my heroes would be adults playing in the NFL, NHL and MLB. It would be hard to have that same type of fan enthusiasm for another 12 year old.
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Years and years ago you had to have a drivers lic. to race. I know Knoxville is age 16 . I also think if you get your lic. taken away for say drunk driving you should not be able to race till you get your lic. back
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January 09, 2014 at
03:28:53 PM
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It's good to see that Stan and I knew he would, along with some of the rest of you understand perfectly what my one liner meant. "The sport looses credibility when kids are allowed to compete.".
Half the lies they tell about me aren't true.
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January 09, 2014 at
06:44:22 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: BIGFISH on January 09 2014 at 03:28:53 PM
It's good to see that Stan and I knew he would, along with some of the rest of you understand perfectly what my one liner meant. "The sport looses credibility when kids are allowed to compete.".
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I liken watching 14 year old Sprint Car drivers to going to a Vikings game and having a bunch of Junior High kids take the field. On second thought they'd probably make for a better team than what we've got up here now. LOL
Seriously, it's hard for me to get excited about watching kids race and that's one thing that has dampened my enthusiasm for the sport. That's a huge drop off from the guys I mentioned in a previous post that I watched years ago to what I sometimes see now. It's not limited to Sprints, I'm seeing plenty of kids in the other classes as well.
To add a little fuel to the fire, some of the non-race-fan friends and relatives that we have dragged out to the races have ribbed me about gray haired portly grandpas racing. They don't appreciate the history so I can't convince them how great they still are based on that angle. All they know is that an NFL running back is pretty much washed up by 30 and precious few pro sporting carreers extend beyond 40. That adds fuel to the fire of their preconceived notion that race car drivers are not athletes but that's a whole other subject.
Image is everything to the outsider.
Stan Meissner
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January 09, 2014 at
06:58:30 PM
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Ive Been around Dirt Racing a longetyme in the OLD DAYS Pit Guys wore White Pants & the Sprint Car Drivers could only Race if the had A Valid Drivers LisenceI remember seein where a driver had a drunk driving charge got to the track & couldnt race . A Little Comon Sense wold go a long way moderating a potentially serous prblem
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January 10, 2014 at
09:09:32 AM
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My main issue with kids and women racing sprint cars is when they pull a bonehead move they get special treatment. Used to be if you punted a guy you were going to get your ass beat. Thats how it should be, the sport self regulates stupidity and disrespectful driving that way. I've seen a handful of respectful, talented kids and women racing sprint cars but for the most part I've witnessed the opposite be true. I realize this wont be the most popular opinion but it is the way I see it.
Cheers!
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January 10, 2014 at
02:54:19 PM
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I think most of the people on here don't like kids racing because we're all getting too damn old!
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January 10, 2014 at
05:54:59 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: Mod9Fan on January 10 2014 at 02:54:19 PM
I think most of the people on here don't like kids racing because we're all getting too damn old!
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LOL, that's probably one of the most profound statements that has come out of this thread.
Stan Meissner
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