Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
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Doug had wanted to buy one of those hot new engines that only a few cars were using in 1975, they had heard that a man named Earl Gaerte, a small-type engine builder out east at that time, but soon to be "big time engine bulder", had built this hot fire-breathing engine Kark Kinser was using with Dickie Gaines at the wheel. Even though Wolfgang and Trostle had won 22 races the year before, Doug wanted more. He said that engine even sounded different than any other. Anyway, his owner Bob Trostle couldn't afford one or wouldn' buy one, so they looked at other ways and thought about weight. They weighed their car and it came in at 1,920 pounds. They put it on a diet, not really keeping it a secret what they were doing, but they didn't think anyone knew about them removing weight. They weighed their car a year later and it weighed 1,480 pounds. They could not believe their eyes when looking at the scale. First night out they broke some stuff in the rear end, to weak, strengthened that, and then had that unbelievable 1977 season with the lightweight car. then everyone started their cars on diets.

This from a chapter from his book that was in SprintCar and Midget magazine. Needless to say, I've ordered my copy. This chapter was a great read.

 Lawlessness and liberalism equals Hell.  NY City, 
Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Minnepolis, etc. We saw it. 
Burning hundreds of buildings, a thousand assaults and 
dozens of murders. Getting worser and worser.

That was out of the book Lone Wolf. It is a great read, you won't be sorry!!!

I believe Sammy was so far in front of the competition before minimum weights because of lightweight parts, I know Karls cars were super light, and Steve and Garry Brazier in Australia never carried an ounce that didn't need to be there, dominance was how brave you were to go lighter than the next guy.

I read on

ce that S. Kinser drilled holes in seat belt metal buckle. Simpson saw t

I saw a picture once that showed that S. Kinser had drilled holes in his metal seat belt latch..Simpson saw it and had a fit, they took them out and put new belts in car

I should have added that they won 45 of 90 races that year and as Wolfgang said, "what did I do at the end of the season"? "I left my great friend Bob Trostle because a guy named Speedy Bill Smith was going to get me into Indy cars, nothing is forever".

No Indy, but his long, but too short-lived (the fire) sprint car life is now part of history.

 Lawlessness and liberalism equals Hell.  NY City, 
Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Minnepolis, etc. We saw it. 
Burning hundreds of buildings, a thousand assaults and 
dozens of murders. Getting worser and worser.

Doug Wolfgang is my all time favorite driver, and I've never seen him race, once. Open Wheel and magazines like it bought the greats to us in Australia for years before we got to see them in person, or never.

You are right sprintman11. That book "Lone Wolf" is a great read and a must read by all sprint fans.

Rim Rider

Posted By: Knoxgasman on August 01 2011 at 02:31:47 AM I third it. It is an outstanding book!! I have read it three times

I'll add a fourth. Just finished it last month. Outstanding read. Got a better picture of the man than I ever had before. I can only dream of what sprint car racing would be like today if he had remained fully active. But perhaps by the fire, and the lawsuit, the sport is better off than it would have been now that tracks and promoters have stepped up their game in the interest of safety.

Is this heaven?  
No, it's Iowa....Knoxville, Iowa.

I just re-read it again last week. I started out just wanting to skim a few parts but you can never put the damn thing down!

I still can't believe he used to drive 22 hours one way to PA every week for 3 months. That blows my mind.