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

If the world isn't strange enough already , so strange that I actually scimmed over the Press Releases-  which I never do, and found this one:

Ten-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion, Donny Schatz, left the Sunflower State with another consistent weekend to his credit, this time securing back-to-back top-ten performances during action at Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City, Kansas, on Friday and Saturday, September 11-12

A Press Release of Donnie Schatz - yeah, that Donnie Schatz - "consistent weekend to his credit....securing back-to-back top ten finishes"..........

That, my friends, is STRANGE!

     Public relations department for a sponsor earning their fee. The person writing it has no idea what the press realease is about.

     We deal with a company that bombards us with e-mail 'updates' that  always start out "XYZ Corporation is pleased to announce...." Even the updates about layoffs, supply issues and a temporary factory shutdown started that way.

No doubt

Especially at Dodge City where he's been very good in the past.

Yeah - that's what makes it so weird. It sounded like the rest of them - a PR person spicing-up a lackluster performance.

The 15 car doesn't usually need a Press Release. He's usually in the headlines of the race results - best press release there is.

When was Schatz's last mediocre year? Gotta be a long time ago - 10 years or more???

I'm OK with it, but it's still weird.

I think 2010 he had 5 wins and really struggled with the Goodyears. But he still was really quick at Knoxville and nearly won the Nationals. This year outside of the weekend at Volusia and that one week where he won Lernerville and was really fast at the Grove, he's been an also ran pretty much.

Yep. An also ran who is 3rd in WoO points and less than 100 out of first place. Are there only 2 good sprint car drivers now, and the other 1000's are also rans? Sometimes you people have to think before you hit submit. LMAO

Just sayin' it's weird, tenter - like 3rd in points in the middle of September is weird.

To add to the strangeness we actually experienced a weekend where Kyle Larson didn't win a Feature race.  I was beginning to o think that was not possible.

Stan Meissner

Resurrecting this one. Schatz 19th at Eldora after reportedly "going backward". It's a good thing there's only a few races left. I can't  see Donny Schatz standing for much more of this - one way or another.

Lots have gone backwards when they are racing from lap 1 with a nose wing upside down from contact on the initial start. "Reportedly" you got only part of the story 

Yeah, true. I didn't know why he went backwards. But it doesn't make it less strange -  Donnie Schatz has avoided contact on the start, middle, finish for so many years....as well as other common demises.

How bout a win at Plymouth? I wouldn't bury him yet.

It's the 300 win threshold, it's in his head.

But just 2 more to go and he'll do it this season still imo.

Even though I may not know you, I 
care what most of you think!

Funny. You guys do realize he is 3rd in outlaw points ? After Plymouth last night he may be within 75 to 80 points of the 49 team.  I doubt if he catches them, due to covid 19 the outlaw schedule took a hit also. I'm still pulling for team shark, Bobby is a legend and I believe it would be great to see them get er done. 

Who's Donnie Schatz?

Frank

While I don't know wolfie, I don't think this thread is meant to be a slam on Donny.  Donny is still among the top sprint car drivers in the business.  I think there is another championship out there for him plus a Nationals win and I'm not even a Donny fan.  However, whatever the reason, his performance isn't what it was a couple of years ago.  Maybe it's him and his skills, maybe it is other stuff in his life or maybe the car or team isn't what it was.  I don't know Donny so I can't pretend to know which of these is it.  Probably some of all of them.  It is just the changing of the guard. 

I recall a few years ago watching a reporter interview the King at the Nationals about his starting place in the C Main.  The King in the middle of the C Main, not the result of a mechanical or wreck?  He hadn't won a WoO title in 9 years or a Nationals in 10+.  That was a reminder that it was time and he said so himself.  Donny isn't that far along, but he's alot closer to the end than the beginning.  Enjoy the next few years he is on tour, knowing you have seen one of the all-time greats and let him know that.

You're absolutely right, rolldog, I'm in no way writing-off Donnie Schatz. I'm just sayin how strange it is. And second in points, or third in points - doesn't matter - Mr. Schatz is not running for second or third.

Maybe they turned the corner last night that they usually turn in July every year - if not sooner. 

18 races without a win is an eternity for the 15 car. If that has happened over the last 10 years, it sure hasn't happened too many times.

And I'm still putting my money on no Ricky Warner every night vs. the new engine. But the combination of those sure doen't help, either.

In yet another strange twist: in his comments after last night's race, it sounds like they figured out how to handle the extra power of that new engine. I would never had imagined that Donnie couldn't figure that out on the first night

I'll likely never own a Donnie Schatz tee shirt, but there's no denying he's one of the best ever - out of two. And when the mojo returns, perhaps the best ever.