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

I could have done without the Econo Stocks, but most of the people where I was sitting were big fans of them

Takes all kinds....

Show being over at midnite wasn't so bad, but how about the DEAD STOP traffic jam getting out? I got smart & got out the back way on Rt. 333, but then got hopelessly lost trying to get from 322 to I-80 West.... oh well

I thought it was refreshing to watch an event with a huge winners share that didn't include the WoO! I think it's fantastic that the local teams had a real opportunity at the top payouts! Sure the All Stars and some potent invaders were there, but the locals still had the best chances. WTG Port Royal! 

Disagree.  Midnight is way too late for an event if it's to be geared towards being family oriented.  Probably TMI, but I'm gonna give my reasons

I brought my 6 year girl with me because I was certain she would like the rides and such at the fair.  She also she likes Sprint car racing too, Win win.  She was actually kinda sad Hodnett missed the transfer in his heat.  Well, she was done with the whole deal by about 11:00 and was asking me to go home.  Just way past her bedtime and she was played out from running around the rides and such.  I obviously wanted to stay and watch the end being we drove 2 1/2 hours up.  She ended up curling up on my lap and fell asleep and obviously missed the entire A main.     

I'm not super pissed about it, but I definately will keep it in mind the next time I consider attending an event at Port Royal.  I hope the Port Royal staff read these posts because I'm being honest and candid here.  Not throwing stones or trying to be offensive or anything.  If you're going to make it part of the fair you have to make it family friendly.  I don't see Midnight as being family friendly particularly when you get people that drive in from some distance away.

I don't want to sound like I'm bitching because the racing was good.  The staff at the fair grounds were great.  A special thank you to the female restroom attendant for keeping an eye on my little girl for the 30 seconds I needed to hop into the men's bathroom real quick.  I know that's not part of your job, and it is appreciated.  Any dad that brings their little girl to the track without any female backup can appreciate this, so thank you.  At that age they ask too many questions, but you can't have them just wait for you unattended with that many people around and no "Family" bathrooms that I'm aware of.  

As far as the racing goes another poster said if you weren't watching the whole field you missed a hell of race.  Lance and crew took the entire field behind the wood shed and performed an old fashioned beat down, but watching Lucas come up through was awesome. 

You are dead on the money. Well stated. A show of this caliber should not have a support class. I realize that this time, they didn't cause much of an issue but if there's a few wrecks or something, that all changes. Between the fair and 60+ sprint cars, there's more than enough to keep everyone occupied. A support class is pointless. Also, the driver introductions were cool and everything but when it's getting late and it's cold outside, it's just a bit too much and really, was a huge waste of time. Anytime you have a massive field like they did, it's unreasonable to expect a quickly run 3 hour show but there was a lot of areas where they could definitely streamline the event and get it over with at a more reasonable hour. You're exactly right. You gotta take the families into consideration here. You're not making race fans out of youngsters when they're asleep on their fathers lap and missing all of the action because it ran too late. They really need to work on that for next year. Otherwise, it was a great event. What the 69K team is doing right now is extraordinary and it couldn't happen to better, more deserving people.

i grew up at the races. Races that take 2 hours to complete and races that take 5 hours to complete come with the territory. Not to sure how this is unknown or why people keep bitching about. Have anyone of you ever wrenched on a sprint car and knows what it takes between runs to get the car ready? Tell the person that hauled $200k worth of equipment to the track they only have 5 minutes between track time to get the car ready. Oh yeah, with $50k on the line, just to make a others happy so they get home before there bed time. 

If you don't like the dust, why go to a dirt track race? Isn't that the venue? Isn't it apart of the experience? Maybe you would have a better time watching some people race on a video game. Perfect track conditions for you, no dust, no wing dances, and you can shut the PlayStation off when it's your bedtime. Better yet, drop a couple million to buy a track, a few million to field some teams and sit back and see what it's like to hear people complain about everything you do wrong. Hell, two weeks ago I saw a post where people were complaining about low car counts, now they bitch there were too many cars. 

Now back to the original post and why I came on here, a huge congratulations to the 69k team. Superb job keeping that car rolling the way you did. This team of old "washed up" o.g.'s schooled them again. 

And a huge thank you to all of the support classes that run these shows. Many of you work very hard to put these races on and spend a lot of money doing so. Many of you are the future of the sport and deserve your chance to hone your craft whether you are the headliner or not. 

Fast is sweet but, sweeter on dirt.

I can totally understand that. Like I said, takes all kinds, you had your daughter to worry about. I'm single & a nite owl.

Can't please everybody

I would have preferred no support class myself, but PR has lots of LM & stocker fans

Nobody got killed or seriously injured, good race, I'm OK with the whole thing

I don't think Lance even broke a sweat, he could race the bottom, middle or top and be just as fast as the rest.  In that sense he is like Mr. Schatz who has that part figured out.  If you car can run anywhere without losing speed it's over folks.  Lance is still the class act he has always been, never afraid to give the kudos where they belong, it's a shame he didn't come and run Knoxville this year he could have made a difference.....

I doubt that, he would have run no better than 5-10 at knoxville. 

high attendance at good paying regional races will redefine 410 racing

PORT ROYAL and MANSFIELD OH join the fray in a big way...

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

Don't think so, Brown and Madsen weren't even the picture on Saturday night, he was so far ahead and coasting.  You can never discount Davey Brown and Lance's ability to wheel a sprinter, Kreitz has been to a few rodeos as well.  We'll never know but he won 50 Large easier than anyone I've seen in a very long time.....

Against a field that save for Madsen (who was buried starting in 14th due to a lousy format and finished 5th) did not have winning speed at the Nationals. There is a real difference between the speed Gravel, Larson and Schatz had at Knoxville versus the rest of the field. 

Not to take anything away, 69k is awesome at Port, but to take that as evidence he would win Knoxville is a real stretch.

I understand this is all hypothetical, but Hodnett was running as high as 7th in this years Nationals A- main before dropping out with mechanical issues. 69k has been significantly faster than the 27 all year. Not saying Lance would have won, but imo it's a mistake to think they wouldn't have been a factor.

Remember it like it was yesterday: took a bunch of laps for the big dogs to catch that low, low budget 2D on a Sunday afternoon at Williams Grove in 1985 or 86. 

You could tell the kid was gonna go places if he found the equipment. Sure it was a dry, dusty afternoon race, but Al Hamilton, Bob Weikert, and just about everybody else had more money in their tow truck than the Dewease brothers had in their entire operation. 

3 years ago fans were wondering if Lance was washed up....now he's got the Golden Touch

I think the same applies to Hodnett, he'll be back eventually

We'll never know what he could have done at Knoxville, will we? Being selective about when to race seems to be the perfect formula for these old pros.... that said, I was hoping he'd go there myself

Not a mistake.....they weren't there, so not a factor plain and simple. They (the 69k team) are the ultimate "porch" racers....therefore not to be mentioned in the same breath as those that competed at the Nationals!

I don't doubt Lance would have been in the hunt for a top 5, but to beat Schatz and this year Larson and Gravel is a major deal. 

Also Hodnett is actually quite good at Knoxville,and spent 10 days there getting hooked up. 

Its a good debate.

I know they weren't there, it's a hypothetical discussion.  At my advanced age the brain synapses don't always connect so could you please explain what you mean by "not to be mentioned in the same breath as those that competed at the Nations!"

Oh for fuck's sake, here we ago again with the "porch"...........

Attempting to be a voice of reason in a world full of
irrationality. 

I have been going to the track since I've been born, minus the four years in college where all I did was drink to crazy excess and chase tail, but that's another story for another day. I can distinctly remember as kid falling asleep and not seeing the feature, and being mad at myself for not being able to stay up "like the grown ups do." 

Even though I was little I still thought it was cool to go to the track and be with my family and skirt my usual bedtime. I thought, Hell, this is cool..... loud noises, racing, food, I get to stay up way past 9, and afterwards I get to go into the pits and sit in cars, watch the grader, and kick empty beer cans all over. Kids are crazy simple like that. At least I was.

Im sure your girl still had a blast just hanging out with you, eating food, and watching the cars go round. She'll still remember it when she gets older. 

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