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

I dont live in Wisconsin anymore and heard that Pittman and Balog got in a fight? Did they really?

The Crowd Pleaser IS THE BEST ever!

I wouldn't exactly call it a fight. We were standing down between 3 & 4 talking about who caught a photo of the flip. After Pittman flipped he got out of the car, walked across the infield over to Balog's stopped car and got in Bill's face. After a minute or so of that he bitch slapped Bill up side of the helmet then turned around and walked down the front stretch to the pit area. It was more akin to slapping Balog with a glove and challenging him to a duel than an actual flight.

We photographers were laughing our asses off as the whole thing developed. It was more funny than anything. Three flips and a bitch slap in one Heat race, you can't beat the entertainment value. I saw bumping and banging all night long, that's short track racing. Bill doesn't stand out in that respect. He's not a series regular and he's been working his way into the top ten lately so he's getting their attention. I wore my Bill Balog shirt that night and he had a good run so I made a good wardrobe selection.

Not to be lost in this conversation, the guy that found himself in Victory Lane is called Slammy for a reason. It is what it is but I thought the evening was entertaining and the Feature was wild, lap traffic three wide all over the track with the top guys running up by the wall in 1 & 2 like they do there. It was a fun night and the internet buzz about this so called "fight" over hypes what actually happened x10.

Stan Meissner

Yeah, I have the greatest respect for someone who "slaps" a driver who is belted in his car!

 
I LEARNED ESP FROM MY MOM

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

P.S. Cedar Lake ran radio ads on KQ all week hyping Tony Stewart racing there against the Outlaws and ended up getting egg in their face. The CUP race rained out Saturday night and was run Sunday so the timing for getting him there wasn't good. Word I got from Jamie Nutzmann was that Tony's private jet was in for FAA inspection so he wasn't having any success making a connection on a commercial flight. I was more worried about a riot breaking out in the stands over that than anything that happened on the track.

Seriously though, the Feature was a very good race with cars dicing for spots all over the track. You'd have enjoyed the show. CLS struggled a little early in the year with the late spring and tons of rain. They had some new clay that took them a while to work in but once they got it figured out they've had an excellent track.

Stan Meissner

There have been several drivers "slapped" while strapped in a sprinter through the years. And some of the assailants have underestimated how quickly the strapped-in-driver can release the belts and get back in their face (actually, helmet shield).

The new breed of race car drivers wear their helmets to a fight...

I have nothing but respect for Pittman. My 9 year-old daughter and I caught up to him at his souvenir trailer at Lincoln before hot laps. He was busy moving boxes here and there. I asked him if he had a second to autograph my daughters cast (she had a severely broken arm from falling off monkey bars). He politely said "Sure! Just gimme a couple minutes and let me finish this" which I didn't have a problem with as he was already busy doing something when I asked him. After just a few minutes, he came over with a pen, asked her what she did to her arm, and signed the cast. Class act. He won 2 fans that day.

If you base your opinion of anyone on a single experience, you're not affording that person the same kind of general evaluation you'd want for yourself. Most of us are fairly easy going, but there are times when any of us might get a bit surly, especially if there is a little work-related stress in the air. Surely we can make that same allowance for drivers whose profession is far more bottom-line oriented than what most of us experience. I've watched Daryn Pittman interact with fans in the pits on numerous occassions and would rate him ahead of most of his peers in terms of compliance with autograph requests.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

Might have been a good chance that if I woulda caught up to him in the pits after the race that results may have been different. I know I can be an a-hole to my wife when I'm frustrated with something that she has nothing to do with... there's drool marks on the couch to prove it too!

there was a video of him flipping out in the trailer one night after something happened on the track.....throwing shit, yelling, cursing, ect. i know this stuff happens a lot....emotions get crazy sometimes (TW for example) but i think there are times when even the calmest racer snaps.....some just keep it a little more private.

Balog ran 5th at LaSalle, 11th at Beaver Dam and 6th at Cedar Lake....good for him and glad to see he ain't moving over to let the full time guys by. He's damn quick and it's fun to watch a local guy do well. Pittman has always seemed like a nice guy but it was a pussy move to hit a strapped-in Balog. Glad that Pittman picked up 2 fans in PA, he's lost a few in WI over that little ordeal.

Great night of racing over all but they sure did junk a lot of equipment. What was up with no tires in turn 1 &2??? Some of those guys were cutting the corner so bad and kicking up a bunch of dust, I think Darrah was finding traction in the grass!

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

You're right - that was at the Grove on a nationally-televised race. Pittman made some comments about Lucas Wolfe that weren't to nice on TV. Honestly have to say that when I see Pittman even now I think of his tantrum. People remember that stuff, and like they say one "oh s_it" moment outweighs a hundred good ones.

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

One must wonder about their intelligence as well; a bare hand attempting to inflict damage through a carbon-fiber shell designed to withstand 5 g's. Brilliant

Pittman is the man. I hope the goobers he works for don't change him.

Luna's Ford engine style that won 2 WoO titles and 3 
Kings Royals before a weight rule against the best EVER
in their prime and now DOMINATES super dirt late model
racing is no longer allowed/wanted in a WoO sprint
car.... Was Luna a miracle worker?

Hey Passless, maybe more drivers would like to kick Balog's ass, only one problem, they can't catch him.