Forum: SCRAFAN.COM Forum (go)
Moderators: ljennings

The board has gone quiet so I thought this question might be an interesting way to get things going again. I believe something similar to this question was asked on the IOW Board. Name your top five all-time sprint car drivers.

Here's mine (in no particular order):

Jan Opperman

Tony Jones

Gary Patterson

Nick Rescino

Sammy Swindell

"Ralphie, Senor, muchas gracias por una mas cerveza"  -
Scott Daloisio @ the PAS

DAMION GARDNER

RICKY GAUNT

COLE WHITT

JESSE HOCKET

ROBERT BALLOU

Dean Thompson

Brad Noffsinger

Jimmy Oskie

Leland Mcspadden

John Redican

Everyone is a little Crazy in their own unique way...

Its the one's who Don't think they are Crazy you have
to Look Out For!!!!

Luke Warmwater

Jac Haudenschild

Brad Noffsinger

Bubby Jones

Jon Stanbrough

Rip Williams

I could go on but you said 5.

Danny Sheridan

Kevin Kierce

Dan Tedrick

Dean Thompson

Lealand McSpadden

Richard Griffin

Gary Patterson

Jack Hewitt

Honorable mention, Chuck Gurney

Ron Shuman- A great racer who was nice to young fans and Hobby Stock racers like me as a teen. His style and finesse and headiness make him my all-time fav...

Jan Opperman- got to see him race at Santa Maria while recovering from the first big wreck befor he went back east. WOW was he in another world compared to the NARC greats, even Gary Patterson, Johny Anderson & co.

Rich Vogler- who raced out here a few times and impressed me but became one of my all-time favs one Indy bump day...

Jac Haudenschild/Jack Hewitt- both were the most fun to watch go from an E-Main or so to get into a field. They could go from the back to the front of anything as good or better than anyone. I called Hewitt's Outlaw win at SMS the year before he did it by his wall scraping run the year before.

My 6th Guy but personal fav. is the great "Junkyard" Jimmy Thompson

All (except Vogler) ran with or without wings...Like Bandits Davey Pombo and Peter Murphy....hmmmnnnn!?!?!?!

But how do we leave off all of the good ones running today!?!? Kruseman? or Rip, Or others who have stopped like the Gasman??? McSpadden??? Ace Duncan??? or all of the great NARC and CRA/SCRA/USAC-CRA guys during the 70's and on I watched and enjoyed!

Doug Wolfgang

A J Foyt

Greg Weld

Bob Hogle

Darren Clayton

There are so many more, I could be here for days, but you said five. Kinser, Lasoski, B K, Rip, Sills, and on and on.

1 - Dave Darland

2 - Owen Shaw

3 - Kerry Jones

4 - Alan Wakeling

5 - Jimmy Sills

Luke Warmwater,,, I almost forgot about him. I wonder how Sills is doing?

Never argue with an idiot, they drag you down to their
level and beat you with experience!!!! 

Eddie Leavitt

Tiger Bob Williams

Bill Utz

Poncho Carter

Jay Woodside

Eddie Wirth

Ray Lee Goodwin

help me I can't stop!!! Danny Sheridan, Mike Spencer, Bubby Jones. Kenny Weld, Jan Opperman.

Ziggy control yourself!!! Remember Breathe in count to 5 then breathe out.... lol.... So many drivers so little writing space

Everyone is a little Crazy in their own unique way...

Its the one's who Don't think they are Crazy you have
to Look Out For!!!!

Jack Hewitt is my hero,

I was a huge Bubby Jones fan as a kid and I am still stoked to see him and have the

oppertunity to sit and chat with him for a while.

Jimmy Oskie,

Jimmy Sills

the best part is that I have raced with all of these guys as well as refeer to each of them as a friend.

There are too many;

Mario

Parnelli

Hurtibieze (I can't spell for s&%t)

The Wild Child

Smoke

Gordon

Back 'm in Bob

The Gas Man

The Deamon

I'll be back later!

Bob Meli

Ronny Shuman

Billy wilkerson

Chuck Gurney

Jim G The "tooth doc"

Stan McElereath

Mike Sweeny

Verne Sweeny

Max Sweeny

Don Hawley

Billy Felts

The Goli PoP Dude that gave out The free loli pops after the race at ascott ??? What was his name, He was my favorite.. My brother and I used to run straight to his car after the race....

Paul Jones

Bart / Todd Noffsinger

Dick Atkins

Bart Shaw

Clarke Tempelman I and II

Harry Vonderspuy The South African

Everyone is a little Crazy in their own unique way...

Its the one's who Don't think they are Crazy you have
to Look Out For!!!!

Damn near everyone that has strapped in one of these beasts could be considered a favorite. Past, present, and future!

Lealand Mc Spadden Jac Haud Jack Hewitt ( My brother Carl Shockley & Verne Sweeney I used to crew for them)

I should have added on the original post, "and you had to at least seen them drive more than once." As an example I saw A.J. Foyt and Parnelli at the Sacramento Fairgrounds back around 1966-67 (the night after Don Branson was killed @ Ascot) but I can barely remember the race and another time at Altamont Speedway when it first opened. One other time I saw A.J. in supposedly his last race at Phoenix in a taxi cab, but I didn't feel as either driver qualified as a favorite of mine (though both were) because I didn't get to see them on a regular basis. Idaho's Terry Crosure was another favorite, who really shook up the racing @ the Gold Cup in West Sacramento back in the early 70s, but he also failed to measure up as a result of seeing him race only twice. The CRA drivers that some have mentioned were all great, but I really never had the opportunity to watch them regularly. Opperman and Swindell barely made it into my top five (I may have cheated a bit here) because I was able to see these drivers more than two times. Anyway its interesting to read all of the favorites. Sprint car racing is truly amazing - because of these drivers that make an impact on our lives.

"Ralphie, Senor, muchas gracias por una mas cerveza"  -
Scott Daloisio @ the PAS

1. AJ Foyt

2. Lealand McSpadden

3. Bubby Jones

4. Tony Elloitt

5. Ron Shuman