Sprints (1 Viewer)

[willy]

Since we have so many people that follow..or have followed sprint cars..thought I'd start a thread.

I lived in Knoxville from 1978-98 and went to a dozen Nationals and weekly couple times a month..usually as the passenger in a push truck. Had a blast and saw my fair share of tragedy as well..Gary Scott being the worse.

Was there when Sammy got his olny one in '83 and one of the original Outlaws..Bobby Allen in '90.

Kinser's domination with I think 12 and Wolfie's 5..unreal battles.

It's funny but the wings added so much speed, but made them safer.

Without a wing the record is 18.7..with the wing it is a jaw dropping 14.4 !!!! And this is 1/2 mi on the inside..it's one of the premier facilities anywhere. Suites..and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. But it's survival is different than most. Knoxville Raceway is owned by Marion County and the 4 days of Nationals bring in somewhere around 8 million $ to local and surrounding areas. 2008 will pay $150,000 to the winner. 3 grueling days of qualifying and the final Sat night.

 

[Joker]

I've always been a fan of the WoO. Matter of fact, I have a 1/24 #11 Green/White Quaker State one in my office. My little tribute to the King. I dont follow it as much anymore since they have quit coming to Houston but I still read about it here and there and wish all the guys well. They do put on a great show.

 

[clwill]

Not to lo-jack this thread, but doesn't it drive everybody crazy that NASCAR has changed the Winston/Nextel series to "Sprint Cup"? I would think the people who've raced sprint cars for decades have to be livid. I'm constantly confused -- and even wondered why this thread wasn't in the NASCAR forum. Ugh...

 

[Al smith]

there is only one opportunity to see the WOO here in NJ and if they rain out. Thats it. You wont see them for another season. i saw them for the first time about 10 or so years ago At Bridgeport Speedway in the southern part of the state. Saw Sammy Swindell win for about three years straight. Then the NJ state police had a problem with the way they routed their fuel lines through the cockpit and they left the state. During that three year hayday they also appeared at the now defunct East Windsor Speedway. so in one season I got to see them twice. Bridgeport changed management and the WOO nor the 410 open sprints car shows nor the empire state 360 circuit or the URC 360 series no longer appear there. However after being closed for a number of years New Egypt Speedway reopened and they stripped the old asphalt away and reconfigured a 4/10 mile clay D oval. the WOO appear there again once a year and I was lucky to see them last season and took a beautiful video of Kinser winning his first of that season passing Jason sides who led most of the race. I got all but the last lap when my mini DVD became full on the first night i had my new video cam. If anyone would like this video i can probably uploads it somewhere but its in 383,664 KB VOB format only. I have an 74,489 KB avi version but it's got a watermark as the conversion software was trial version.

 

[willy]

Not to lo-jack this thread, but doesn't it drive everybody crazy that NASCAR has changed the Winston/Nextel series to "Sprint Cup"? I would think the people who've raced sprint cars for decades have to be livid. I'm constantly confused -- and even wondered why this thread wasn't in the NASCAR forum. Ugh...

Yea at first I was miffed..but after realizing it was the Sprint phone thingy..I was cool.

Same way with open wheels and the Champ car series..duh..Champ cars are just bigger sprints with starters..

 

[clwill]

Same way with open wheels and the Champ car series..duh..Champ cars are just bigger sprints with starters..

Well, that problem was solved this year, right??

 

[willy]

Well, that problem was solved this year, right??

How's that Chris?

My first introduction to sprint cars was Hawkeye Downs..mid 60's (when it was dirt..big mistake going to pavement imo)

The #2 Bardahl Special..unreal..kicked everybodies as$..different driver every year..didn't matter..the car smoked.

I'm fortunate to grow up with a racer minded Dad..took me everywhere with him..stuck in Iowa all we had was NEITA in Waterloo..and Cordova of course. Raced go-karts till I was 12..sh!t I went 90mph when I was 11..hehe.

But the dirt was always special to me..1st turn Knoxville..32oz Coors cups for a buck..halfway through hot laps 1/4 in of dirt in your beer..traffic slowed outside of turn 1 because of the dirt clods..1978..nachos that are still the best around.

Great times..and the more this goes..the more I'll remember.

 

[.]

I had an opportunity to attend the Knoxville Nationals in probably 96 or 97. My friend's girlfriend was in charge of getting the tickets for everyone in our group and when it came tome to order I said "yeah, get me a ticket. I suppose I'll go with this year" Well, fast forward about 2 or 3 months and it became obvious that the race in Knoxville fell on the same weekend as the Brainerd Nationals. Needless to say.... I missed the Knoxville race! I told my friend's girlfriend "I'll pay for the ticket because I asked you to get it for me but I'm not going to miss Brainerd so just give my ticket to someone else"

Brainerd has been a tradition for a long time and I wasn't about to miss it!

Maybe some day....

(Don't get me wrong, I've seen the WoO in person at other tracks and they are bad a$$ but not as cool as NITRO in my book!)

 

[Toejam]

The only thing that has kept me from seeing more Major league Sprint car shows is the heads-up format! Seeing Kinser win all those races without having to pass one car just isn't right!

About 10 years ago they were in Las Cruces, NM. And would you believe on the first two Green flag starts of the feature, just about all the Major players ALL got caught up in yellows! Without even one lap down Kinser, Bobby Davis jr, Sammy Swindell, Dave Blaney, Jac Haudenchild and Andy Hillenberg were all 10-12 rows back! That is worth the price of admission!

 

[Mike]

Non-winged sprints at Perris Auto Speedway is a awesome saturday night show

 

[BF]

WoO got rained out here this year. Same as above, have to wait until next year. They run so many dates that it is nearly impossible for them to reschedule, especially way down south. I did get to see the USAC Sprints at The Action Track in Terre Haute while we were in INDY for the 500. We saw the USAC midgets a couple days later at Raceway Park. The Cajun Sprinters put on a pretty good show as well. We saw them at Long Beach, MS a couple of weeks ago.

 

[paoldtimer]

Born and raised on sprint cars. Back here in the East, we're so fortunate to have so many dirt tracks.
Met my husband at the racetrack - he was a mechanic on a sprint car.
I stopped going to WoO shows years ago when the admission prices started getting outrageous and the Outlaws were starting in the first 2-3 rows. Our regular features, the top dog started 18th. He had to work his way through the field for that win..
Never made it to Knoxville yet but have seen shows at Manzy and Ascot. With wings and without...lost good friends in racing accidents and took pictures at the edge of the track...had a car do a 180 around me and keep going
I could write for days about sprint cars and what they mean to me but I would be writing forever

 

[Al smith]

Born and raised on sprint cars. Back here in the East, we're so fortunate to have so many dirt tracks.
Met my husband at the racetrack - he was a mechanic on a sprint car.
I stopped going to WoO shows years ago when the admission prices started getting outrageous and the Outlaws were starting in the first 2-3 rows. Our regular features, the top dog started 18th. He had to work his way through the field for that win..
Never made it to Knoxville yet but have seen shows at Manzy and Ascot. With wings and without...lost good friends in racing accidents and took pictures at the edge of the track...had a car do a 180 around me and keep going
I could write for days about sprint cars and what they mean to me but I would be writing forever

my son and I Detoured my dads trip to gettysburg via lincoln speedway back in 1999 IIRC. got to see my PA favorite Fast Fredie Rahmer take the win that night. We all enjoyed it even my dad who was never too much of a racing fan in his later years.

 

[BaldyLochs]

Great topic. I challenge each one of you to.... A) be able to attend a NASCAR Nextel Cup race and get into the pits; and B) be able to actually talk to Tony Stewart for more that 10 seconds when he's not walking, scribbling his signature with a Sharpie (Note: both items A & B are 100% accomplishiable by almost anyone by simply purchasing a general admission ticket to your nearest NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series national event! ) And best of all, C) ASK Tony - one of the most successful, influential and colorful characters in NASCAR history.... as him, who TO THIS DAY he has a sore spot in his gut for,,,,, ask him, who personally kicked his ass in 1994 when Tony drove on the USAC Sprint Car series...... ASK TONY, which one man, single handedly RUINED his shot at the Championship that year. ASK! He'll immediatley, without hesitation - and with visible, obvious grimmace answer you, "DOUG KALITTA"!
In hindsight, it sure would have been exciting to see Doug and Tony migrate up to the Cup class together. And you think Tony Shoe & Doug Kalitta have a rivalry???? Man, can you imagine the Mac Tools Nextel Cup Car trading paint with the Home Depot car??? !!!!!
Let by gones be by gones though. I like Dougie right where he is, carrying on the family tradition..... and I think Tony does, too!

 

[.]

WoO used to visit Santa Maria speedway, where I used to live.
You could here them throughout the city they were so loud!

Had a business on the main drag and caddy-corner was a carwash.
They used to show up there and wash the mud off everything.
Stopped by to see em up close and that made me want to go to the track to watch em.
Great fun.
I guess they(the series) got too demanding and the track could not afford to bring them anymore.
That was many years ago.

Would love to see em again sometime.

 

[The Swegian]

The WoO comes thru the Twin Cities annually right before the 4th of July. I was plenty impressed with it the first time I went. Only form of motorsports I've ever attended where wearing safety glasses is a good idea for the spectators.

 

[willy]

The WoO comes thru the Twin Cities annually right before the 4th of July. I was plenty impressed with it the first time I went. Only form of motorsports I've ever attended where wearing safety glasses is a good idea for the spectators.

LOL...yea it was even worse without the wings..sideways and all.

Mid 80's Knoxville had $1.00 quart cups of beer..we'd sit halfway up entering turn 1..and after hot laps there'd be 1/4 in of mud at the bottom..hehe. The road outside of turn 1 & 2 would be layered.

Best nachos around as well. Fond memories for sure.