Greatest Sportsman Racer (2 Viewers)

[none]

Hard telling how many wins Scotty would`ve rang up had he continued to race in NHRA...it`d be a bunch! Pretty tough choosing the greatest Sportsman racer, while it`s pretty easy narrowing the greatest Professional racer down to three or four tops.

Rampy, Santos, Manzo, Newb, Fletcher, Pat Austin, Blaine, Scotty and Edmond Richardson are easy picks, but you could include Dale Armstrong, Ken Veney, Billy Williams, John Lingenfelter, the Biondos, Brad and Randy Anderson into that group.

 

[Tim5636sc]

Hey Justin...didn't we do this on Comp Plus about a year ago? I remember we Discussed this over on Bobby's Site...BTW..I heard that he went to the hospital on Sunday night..ARE YOU DOIN OK BOBBY???

I have always thought, just like Greg-o, that you have to seperate the Alcohol Classes from the other Sportsman Catagories, and that there is a difference between Super Class racing, and Bracket Racing as well. So, all that being said...Here is what I think:

ALCOHOL Dragster CLASSES...IN ORDER:

5) Blaine Johnson-A very good Driver, with THE MOST DOMINATE CAR WHEN HE RAN
4) Bill Reichert: Running an A/Fuel car is tough enough, but to be dominate for a few years with it...!
3) DARRELL GWYNN/JOE AMATO-When they ran in Alcohol they were AWESOME.
2) Tom Conway: Ran in TAD for many years, and was ALWAYS a Final Round Car and Driver..also could drive thru tire shake better than most!
and the Number 1 Top Alcohol Dragster Driver of all time:
1) RICK SANTOS: Ok, i'm a bit partial on this one, but Rick and George Santos not only won championships with the Jack O'Bannon car, but also one with the SMALL BLOCK THAT ROARED!! Rick was extremely consistant on the tree, and also could drive thru the shake better than most!

ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR: (in NO ORDER)
-Brad Anderson
-Vern Moats
-Frank Manzo
-Pat Austin
-Gary Scelzi (didn't win too many races, but one of my favorites!)

Super Comp/Gas/Stock/Super Stock/Comp/Brackets: In no Order

-Scotty Richardson
-David Rampy
-Edmond Richardson
-Gary Stinnett (There he is Jenn)
-Peter Biondo
-Johnny "LOOSE CABOOSE"
-Ron Erks
-Dave Mezeire

Either one of these guys could be the best sportsman racer of all time, but when I posted this on Comp Plus....I voted for Scotty Richardson. For many of the reasons that others have stated, but mostly, because of this simple fact....

I have had the pleasure of Watching all these guys race. I have watched them at both the starting line and the Finish Line. THE BEST...and I mean...BEST Finish Line DRIVER I HAVE EVER SEEN IS SCOTTY!!!! He Knows EXACTLY HOW FAST HIS CAR IS GOING, Is so consistant on the starting line, that he knows how much he needs to dump....and when too! I have only (1) Goal in racing...and that's to match up with all the guys on this list...JUST ONCE and see how I'd do against them.

 

[Mr. Jean]

Wow, what's with all the light green, cyan and yellow postings, I can't see them.

Hi Paul. The reason is that it's an old thread and the forum had a darker background when they/we were using those colors. They were easy to read then, but not now.

 

[d'kid]

Talk about rising from the bone yard....

Everyone that's been named so far...

And.... (Drum Roll Please)
I want to throw in my vote for Mr. Jean.... oh, just because....

hard to believe the new mater has been up that long...

d'kid
RoxyNova

 

[Tiny]

I don't know how Gary and Troy Williams names haven't been mentioned yet. Winner of the Million 3 times between the two of em. They have to be up there in the top 10

 

[Draw 3D]

Hi Paul. The reason is that it's an old thread and the forum had a darker background when they/we were using those colors. They were easy to read then, but not now.

Hey thanks Jean, didn't even notice the post dates, I thought something was wrong with my browser and kept refreshing it.

 

[Mr. Jean]

Hey thanks Jean, didn't even notice the post dates, I thought something was wrong with my browser and kept refreshing it.

You're welcome Paul.

Speaking of welcome, I'd like to welcome Wayne Holland to the Mater, good to see him here.

Also thanks to Karl, I'll take a "oh, just because" title.

 

[Pete]

I think one area of the question, that needs to be looked at is; if your going to ask about the greatsest sportsman racer, I believe you can look at Manzo as the greatest TAFC racer of all time and no one can deny or dispute that. However when I think of it, I think of diversity.
What driver has excelled at every class he/she has ever driven in? Peter Biondo, Dan Fletcher and Jeg Coughlin are the absolute greatest in my opinion. Rampy and the Richardson Brothers are right up there also...

My Top 5:

1. Dan Fletcher
2. Jeg Coughlin
3. Peter Biondo
4. David Rampy
5. either Richardson

Also, keep an eye on Mark Faul and Jody Lang. Both guys are racking up wins and if they keep up their pace, they can be up there in the list in the not so distant future.
3.

 

[NONE]

Everybody's got a good point on this subject. There are so many different ways to look at it, how many classes have you run and won in, who was the best in one class, was it a stick or auto. trans. was it "box" or footbrake, etc. Most of my experience is from the "old days", 70's and 80's, in the Southeast. I was a driver myself from 1975 to 1995, running in brackets and the heads-up classes.

The best "stick" drivers I ever saw were Mike Boyles in "Good 'Ol Charlie Brown"(with 8 IHRA World Championships) Dennis Mitchell, Gene Fulton, Ronnie Traffenstedt's "Revenge #2" Chevy Wagon,(I saw him win a $1000 bracket race at Gadsden, Alabama in the 70's with a four-speed). The discussion could go on and on.

Speaking of finishline racers, Johnny Labbous could beat you so close that you'd think you got there first, I know from experience. LOL

Here's a photo from the Southern Nationals in the eighties. Johnny said he beat Sheldon Gecker on this run.

Wayne.

I think one area of the question, that needs to be looked at is; if your going to ask about the greatsest sportsman racer, I believe you can look at Manzo as the greatest TAFC racer of all time and no one can deny or dispute that. However when I think of it, I think of diversity.
What driver has excelled at every class he/she has ever driven in? Peter Biondo, Dan Fletcher and Jeg Coughlin are the absolute greatest in my opinion. Rampy and the Richardson Brothers are right up there also...

My Top 5:

1. Dan Fletcher
2. Jeg Coughlin
3. Peter Biondo
4. David Rampy
5. either Richardson

Also, keep an eye on Mark Faul and Jody Lang. Both guys are racking up wins and if they keep up their pace, they can be up there in the list in the not so distant future.
3.

 

[Rajunz]

My first answer was going to be Frank Manzo, but without a doubt, how can Pat Austin not be considered the greatest Sportsman Racer of all time. Had he stayed with the sport, no doubt that he would be ahead of John Force in number of National Event victories, he just flat out owned the competition.........................................

In fact, in the NHRA Top 50 Drivers List, he was 13th, the highest of any Sportsman Racer.

 

[Nunz]

Well, I believe everyone we can think of has been mentioned. And there is no arguing about Rampy & Scotty and others, they are unreal. So I'm going to just throw out one of my all-time favorites, Dale Armstrong. I know because of his success in the fuel ranks we might not look at him as a sportsman racer, but I really enjoyed his reign of terror back in the '70s in Pro Comp. He opened up '74 with a win at Pomona in teammate Ken Veney's A/FD, beating Ken in the final. Then he wins Indy that summer with a AA/A on alky. The following year, he debuted "the Alcoholic" BB/FC and just terrorized the troops, and not long after that he did the same with what was then a AA/DA. And back then, he did it all, including driving the race cars.

 

[none]

On average Sunday at Englishtown in the 80's you had footbrake racing.

Peter Biondo
Sal Biondo
Sam Biondo
Jim Harrington
Tom Seemann
Frank Mark
Eddie Bannic (Spelling ?)
George Rupert

And I can;t think of all the others. Sundays at raceway park is what made the Biondo's.