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Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
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Topic: The Best Race I Ever Saw
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AJ_81
December 09, 2022 at 08:28:37 AM
Joined: 01/14/2014
Posts: 86
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Somebody recently asked me, “what is the best race you ever saw?”.  The best race I’ve ever seen in my life . . . . what a tough question.  When you’ve been to as many as I have, it’s hard to pick just one.  I’ve seen a number of last corner passes to win main events.  I’ve seen cars come from the tail of the field to win.  I had to really think on this, but eventually a few specific races came to mind.

In 1989 we took a trip out west to the Dakotas.  We caught up with the Outlaws twice during our vacation.  One of the races was at Black Hills Speedway.  My favorite driver was Doug Wolfgang.  In those days he was one of the “big three” of sprint car racing, along with Sammy and Steve.  Wolfgang had a white car with a green number eight that year.  During the main event Doug took off like a rocket to the early lead.  He whistled around the track at a pace none of the other drivers could match that night.  What made the performance stand out, beside it being my hero in the lead, was that nearly every lap he was picking the front end of the car up coming out of turn 4!  Then toward the end of the race there was even a moment when the car hooked up on the right rear, and he had three tires off of the racing surface!  I’ve attended 200+ sprint car races in my life, and I’ve seen all manner of wheel stand, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a car spend so little of the race on the ground as Wolfgang’s that night in South Dakota.  I was able to meet him at the old Hales Corners track in Milwaukee one year when I was still just a boy.  I got my picture taken with him, and he autographed a hat for me.  He was still recovering from one of his bad crashes, but he took the time to ask how we were doing and where we were from.  We mentioned that race at Black Hills and to our surprise he remembered the specifics of his wining effort just as we had!  That hat also carries autographs from other famous drivers, but when I walk through my rec room at home, it’s Wolfgang’s name that always catches my eye. 

About a decade or so later, when I was old enough to drive to races myself, my cousin and I attended the Jerry Richert Memorial Race at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI.  It was our first trip to CLS and we were impressed by how racey the track was.  The IRA was the sanctioning body, but there were drivers from all over the Midwest.  The car count was great and boasted names like Brooke Tatnell, Terry McCarl, Wayne Johnson, Mark Dobmeier, Joe Roe, Kim Mock, Donny Goeden, Mike Reinke, Scotty Neitzel, Travis Whitney and the list goes on and on.  There was also a young leadfoot by the name of Justin Henderson.  As the night wore on, several cars were fast, but it was the 14 of Johnson, and the 35 of Henderson that seemed quickest.  The A-main got off to a fast start and before we knew it there were only a few laps left.  Johnson and Henderson were in a league of their own and swapped slide jobs at opposite ends of the track.  Neither one appeared to have an advantage.  Henderson would dive into turns 1 and 2, and Johnson would rip the cushion.  Then the 14 car would use momentum to hit a slider in 3 and 4 to take the lead back.  This went on all the way down to three laps to go.  The two battled out of turn 4 once again and by now the crowd was expecting the slide job in turn 1, but instead somewhere near the flagstand Johnson’s motor blew up!  The 35 dove to the bottom of 1 as the 14 coasted straight off the front stretch and into the pits.  Henderson went on to claim the victory which I think was one of the first 410 outlaw wins of his career.  You hate to see a race end like that, but those last few laps before Johnson’s engine expired were some of the best dirt racing I’ve ever seen. 

One of my favorite tracks is the Beaver Dam Raceway.  We normally make a trip to the high banked dirt oval each year.  This track has provided amazing finishes over the years with regional and national touring series.  Besides Wolfgang, my second favorite driver was the 27F of Frank Filskov.  I had met frank at Wilmot Raceway one year before during the Wilmot Open.  That was the biggest race of the year for Wilmot, and the car count was so high, haulers were lined up down the county road leading to the track, waiting to sign in.  That was an All Star and IRA show and I spent the afternoon running from hauler to hauler getting autographs from the likes of Danny Lasoski, Frankie Kerr, Aaron Berryhill, Dave Moulis, Mike Frost, and a host of other drivers.  The last autograph of the day was from a scruffy looking driver pulling in with his car on an open trailer.  I ran over to the white car with the blue 27F on the wing and asked for an autograph.  Frank got out and asked my name and where I was from and commented about all the autographs I had already received on the shirt I was carrying around.  He signed the shirt and I said “thank you”, but he told me to hold on a minute.  He went back to his truck and started writing on something.  He walked back over and gave me a 5” x 7” picture of his car with a note that read “Best Wishes Adam, #27F Frank Filskov”.  He told me to enjoy the show and headed into the pits for the evening.  I sprinted back to my family’s picnic area and showed my parents and sister and the older gentlemen parked next to us who’s nickname was “Buttons”.  Buttons had been telling me who each driver was as they pulled into the fairgrounds, so as I ran up to request an autograph, I knew who I was speaking with. Another fun note from that day, when Lasoski’s hauler came in with the light blue #47 on the side the man driving the rig opened the door and asked me to stand on the running board and hand my t-shirt into the cab.  Danny was sitting shotgun and I asked “Mr. Lasoski, could I have an autograph please?”  He grinned and told me “you can as long as you promise me one thing, don’t call me mister, just call me Dude!”  I said “you got it Dude” as he handed the t-shirt back to me.  To this day, that’s one of the coolest racing stories I have. 

Anyway, back to Beaver Dam Raceway.  The first time we went to Beaver Dam was for a Triple Crown race in the mid-90’s.  There were 410 sprint cars, Badger Midgets, and modifieds.  The main event was of course the sprint car show and perennial favorite Joe Roe in his black and purple #61 seemed to be the car to beat.  However, as the race went on his car seemed to be losing momentum.  Eventually Roe lost the lead to Jim Melis.  Melis looked poised to take the win when a white car with a blue 27F emerged from the rest of the field.  The battle was on!  Filskov and Melis battled back and forth but on the last lap Frank really hooked up and took the win with room to spare.  The following Summer a track near my home (Escanaba) re-opened and hosted a show.  Before the races two competitors parked their cars in front of the grandstands, and signed autographs.  One of them was Donny Goeden and the other was Frank and his #27F.  I waited in line for an autograph and couldn’t believe my ears when Frank looked up at me and said “Adam, how are ya?”  I couldn’t believe he had remembered me from the year before at Wilmot.  That solidified him as my favorite driver.  I was devasted to find out that we lost Frank not long after that during an outlaw show in lower Michigan.  I can’t explain how lucky I feel to have met Frank when I was a young racing fan.  The older I get I see fewer and fewer drivers who sincerely give their fans their attention before or after a show.  Frank was a true ambassador of the sport, and just a great sportsman and human being. 

Another Beaver Dam finish was in Spring of 2003 when the World of Outlaws came to town.  Kraig Kinser was a rookie on the WoO tour back then, and he was really turning some heads in his white and red #11.  The night was cool and the track was tacky.  In qualifying Daryn Pittman set the track record in the #21 Pepsi car.  That was a record that would stand for many years.  Joey Saldana was also running well that year in a white car with a dark blue or black #17.  During the A-Main, those three cars methodically made their way to the front of the field.  As the white flag fell you could throw a blanket over first to third.  The lead trio stayed close and to the excitement of the crowd, came out of turn 4 three wide to take the checkered flag!  The crowd cheered and clapped loudly without even knowing which car won.  Then Johnny Gibson’s voice came over the loud speaker and said our winner was . . . . Pittman!  I had the pleasure of seeing all three drivers go on to have successful careers.  I was luck enough to have been present when Kraig won the Knoxville Nationals in that same white and red #11 car just two years later!

Speaking of the Knoxville Nationals, I’ve been lucky enough to have seen some great racing during that event as well.  I wish I could say I was there to see Jason Johnson muscle his way to victory over Donny Schatz, but I was at home listening to that one instead.  I was there a few years after that to see Brad Sweet take his first Nationals victory.  With as loud as the roar of 410 sprint car engines are, that was one of the few times I can say I heard the crowd cheering louder than the cars!  The pyrotechnics lit up the front stretch as Sweet piloted the #49 Napa car to the popular win. 

There have been so many great races and I’m getting to the point now where some of them from my early years are difficult to recall.  Some of the finishes I remember the most, are the ones I missed!  Going back to Beaver Dam, there was a race several years ago where fan favorite Bill Balog “The Northpole Nightmare”, defeated the World of Outlaws.  That year we decided to attend other shows and skipped the WoO at Beaver Dam.  I was thrilled for Balog and his team, but I was very bummed out I wasn’t there to see it.  I was there a couple years later to see Balog race against the IRA in September.  We had reserved one of the VIP tables above the bleachers that year, and I remember thinking I needed to snag those seats every year from now on.  We enjoyed beautiful weather and great racing from the comfort of our patio chairs.  Balog was the favorite, but there was a strong contingent of fast drivers that night.  Mike Reinke, Scotty Neitzel, Steve Meyer and Scotty Thiel were all quick that night.  In the feature Thiel was leading the way for most of the event as Balog worked his way back into contention after a mishap in his heat race.  With the laps winding down Balog worked his way to second place!  The white flag fell and there were lapped cars between Thiel and Balog.  As if he found a groove nobody else had seen, Balog flew through the middle of 1 and 2 and passed the back markers prior to turn 3!  He nailed the cushion and pulled even with Thiel as the two were in sight of the checkered flag. The drag race was on and at he line it was . . . . Balog with the win!

I’m so grateful my wife is a racing fan and joins me on several “race trips” every year.  I’m on a mission to visit 50 different tracks in my life, and I’ve hit 38 so far.  Besides the finishes I mentioned earlier, there have been dozens of others that made my heart rap in my chest as the checkered flag fell.  Speaking of flaggers, quick shout out to our favorite flagman Jim Barr.  We got to know Jim at a meet and greet in Beaver Dam one afternoon before an event.  We instantly hit it off and enjoyed visiting with Jim a few times a year for the next decade.  So as a salute to him, I hope everybody cracks open an iced cold Coors Light after reading this! 

It’s only December, but we’re already planning our racing schedule for 2023.  Knoxville and Beaver Dam for sure, and maybe our first visit to Husets.  I hope that like us, all of you get out there and visit your favorite tracks next year.  With the world turning the way it has lately, who knows how long we’ll be able to enjoy all these wonderful racing facilities we have.  Sadly I’ve witnessed some great ones close down (Hales Corners, Oshkosh Speedzone, Manitiwoc County).  Watching online is a great resource, but nothing beats the sites and sounds and memories you’ll have from actually being at the track.

Thanks for reading and maybe we’ll see you at the track sometime!  Happy Holidays!



JVan
December 09, 2022 at 09:26:56 AM
Joined: 11/08/2006
Posts: 206
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Great stories. It sounds like you have lots of good racing memories. For me determining the best race that I ever saw is fairly easy. It was the during the SCRA midwest tour in the year 2000. I had never been to the Terre Haute Action Track before and was already excited to see it. What occurred was a race that I will never forget. The track was perfect that night with three grooves that were equally good. For most of the main event, California driver Mike English, who was running the bottom and Frankie Kerr, who was running the middle traded the lead back and forth lap after lap. Meanwhile from deep in the pack came Jac Haudenschild running the cushion. By the end of the race the three were running neck and neck and really putting on a show and each sticking to his chosen line. The crowd was going crazy. Ultimately Kerr won followed by Jac and Mike English. It was definitely the best race that I have ever seen.



Paintboss
MyWebsite
December 09, 2022 at 11:26:28 AM
Joined: 12/02/2004
Posts: 2098
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Great post! This is the kind of forum stuff I like to see. 



kossuth
December 09, 2022 at 12:16:36 PM
Joined: 11/02/2013
Posts: 529
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Reply to:
Posted By: AJ_81 on December 09 2022 at 08:28:37 AM

Somebody recently asked me, “what is the best race you ever saw?”.  The best race I’ve ever seen in my life . . . . what a tough question.  When you’ve been to as many as I have, it’s hard to pick just one.  I’ve seen a number of last corner passes to win main events.  I’ve seen cars come from the tail of the field to win.  I had to really think on this, but eventually a few specific races came to mind.

In 1989 we took a trip out west to the Dakotas.  We caught up with the Outlaws twice during our vacation.  One of the races was at Black Hills Speedway.  My favorite driver was Doug Wolfgang.  In those days he was one of the “big three” of sprint car racing, along with Sammy and Steve.  Wolfgang had a white car with a green number eight that year.  During the main event Doug took off like a rocket to the early lead.  He whistled around the track at a pace none of the other drivers could match that night.  What made the performance stand out, beside it being my hero in the lead, was that nearly every lap he was picking the front end of the car up coming out of turn 4!  Then toward the end of the race there was even a moment when the car hooked up on the right rear, and he had three tires off of the racing surface!  I’ve attended 200+ sprint car races in my life, and I’ve seen all manner of wheel stand, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a car spend so little of the race on the ground as Wolfgang’s that night in South Dakota.  I was able to meet him at the old Hales Corners track in Milwaukee one year when I was still just a boy.  I got my picture taken with him, and he autographed a hat for me.  He was still recovering from one of his bad crashes, but he took the time to ask how we were doing and where we were from.  We mentioned that race at Black Hills and to our surprise he remembered the specifics of his wining effort just as we had!  That hat also carries autographs from other famous drivers, but when I walk through my rec room at home, it’s Wolfgang’s name that always catches my eye. 

About a decade or so later, when I was old enough to drive to races myself, my cousin and I attended the Jerry Richert Memorial Race at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI.  It was our first trip to CLS and we were impressed by how racey the track was.  The IRA was the sanctioning body, but there were drivers from all over the Midwest.  The car count was great and boasted names like Brooke Tatnell, Terry McCarl, Wayne Johnson, Mark Dobmeier, Joe Roe, Kim Mock, Donny Goeden, Mike Reinke, Scotty Neitzel, Travis Whitney and the list goes on and on.  There was also a young leadfoot by the name of Justin Henderson.  As the night wore on, several cars were fast, but it was the 14 of Johnson, and the 35 of Henderson that seemed quickest.  The A-main got off to a fast start and before we knew it there were only a few laps left.  Johnson and Henderson were in a league of their own and swapped slide jobs at opposite ends of the track.  Neither one appeared to have an advantage.  Henderson would dive into turns 1 and 2, and Johnson would rip the cushion.  Then the 14 car would use momentum to hit a slider in 3 and 4 to take the lead back.  This went on all the way down to three laps to go.  The two battled out of turn 4 once again and by now the crowd was expecting the slide job in turn 1, but instead somewhere near the flagstand Johnson’s motor blew up!  The 35 dove to the bottom of 1 as the 14 coasted straight off the front stretch and into the pits.  Henderson went on to claim the victory which I think was one of the first 410 outlaw wins of his career.  You hate to see a race end like that, but those last few laps before Johnson’s engine expired were some of the best dirt racing I’ve ever seen. 

One of my favorite tracks is the Beaver Dam Raceway.  We normally make a trip to the high banked dirt oval each year.  This track has provided amazing finishes over the years with regional and national touring series.  Besides Wolfgang, my second favorite driver was the 27F of Frank Filskov.  I had met frank at Wilmot Raceway one year before during the Wilmot Open.  That was the biggest race of the year for Wilmot, and the car count was so high, haulers were lined up down the county road leading to the track, waiting to sign in.  That was an All Star and IRA show and I spent the afternoon running from hauler to hauler getting autographs from the likes of Danny Lasoski, Frankie Kerr, Aaron Berryhill, Dave Moulis, Mike Frost, and a host of other drivers.  The last autograph of the day was from a scruffy looking driver pulling in with his car on an open trailer.  I ran over to the white car with the blue 27F on the wing and asked for an autograph.  Frank got out and asked my name and where I was from and commented about all the autographs I had already received on the shirt I was carrying around.  He signed the shirt and I said “thank you”, but he told me to hold on a minute.  He went back to his truck and started writing on something.  He walked back over and gave me a 5” x 7” picture of his car with a note that read “Best Wishes Adam, #27F Frank Filskov”.  He told me to enjoy the show and headed into the pits for the evening.  I sprinted back to my family’s picnic area and showed my parents and sister and the older gentlemen parked next to us who’s nickname was “Buttons”.  Buttons had been telling me who each driver was as they pulled into the fairgrounds, so as I ran up to request an autograph, I knew who I was speaking with. Another fun note from that day, when Lasoski’s hauler came in with the light blue #47 on the side the man driving the rig opened the door and asked me to stand on the running board and hand my t-shirt into the cab.  Danny was sitting shotgun and I asked “Mr. Lasoski, could I have an autograph please?”  He grinned and told me “you can as long as you promise me one thing, don’t call me mister, just call me Dude!”  I said “you got it Dude” as he handed the t-shirt back to me.  To this day, that’s one of the coolest racing stories I have. 

Anyway, back to Beaver Dam Raceway.  The first time we went to Beaver Dam was for a Triple Crown race in the mid-90’s.  There were 410 sprint cars, Badger Midgets, and modifieds.  The main event was of course the sprint car show and perennial favorite Joe Roe in his black and purple #61 seemed to be the car to beat.  However, as the race went on his car seemed to be losing momentum.  Eventually Roe lost the lead to Jim Melis.  Melis looked poised to take the win when a white car with a blue 27F emerged from the rest of the field.  The battle was on!  Filskov and Melis battled back and forth but on the last lap Frank really hooked up and took the win with room to spare.  The following Summer a track near my home (Escanaba) re-opened and hosted a show.  Before the races two competitors parked their cars in front of the grandstands, and signed autographs.  One of them was Donny Goeden and the other was Frank and his #27F.  I waited in line for an autograph and couldn’t believe my ears when Frank looked up at me and said “Adam, how are ya?”  I couldn’t believe he had remembered me from the year before at Wilmot.  That solidified him as my favorite driver.  I was devasted to find out that we lost Frank not long after that during an outlaw show in lower Michigan.  I can’t explain how lucky I feel to have met Frank when I was a young racing fan.  The older I get I see fewer and fewer drivers who sincerely give their fans their attention before or after a show.  Frank was a true ambassador of the sport, and just a great sportsman and human being. 

Another Beaver Dam finish was in Spring of 2003 when the World of Outlaws came to town.  Kraig Kinser was a rookie on the WoO tour back then, and he was really turning some heads in his white and red #11.  The night was cool and the track was tacky.  In qualifying Daryn Pittman set the track record in the #21 Pepsi car.  That was a record that would stand for many years.  Joey Saldana was also running well that year in a white car with a dark blue or black #17.  During the A-Main, those three cars methodically made their way to the front of the field.  As the white flag fell you could throw a blanket over first to third.  The lead trio stayed close and to the excitement of the crowd, came out of turn 4 three wide to take the checkered flag!  The crowd cheered and clapped loudly without even knowing which car won.  Then Johnny Gibson’s voice came over the loud speaker and said our winner was . . . . Pittman!  I had the pleasure of seeing all three drivers go on to have successful careers.  I was luck enough to have been present when Kraig won the Knoxville Nationals in that same white and red #11 car just two years later!

Speaking of the Knoxville Nationals, I’ve been lucky enough to have seen some great racing during that event as well.  I wish I could say I was there to see Jason Johnson muscle his way to victory over Donny Schatz, but I was at home listening to that one instead.  I was there a few years after that to see Brad Sweet take his first Nationals victory.  With as loud as the roar of 410 sprint car engines are, that was one of the few times I can say I heard the crowd cheering louder than the cars!  The pyrotechnics lit up the front stretch as Sweet piloted the #49 Napa car to the popular win. 

There have been so many great races and I’m getting to the point now where some of them from my early years are difficult to recall.  Some of the finishes I remember the most, are the ones I missed!  Going back to Beaver Dam, there was a race several years ago where fan favorite Bill Balog “The Northpole Nightmare”, defeated the World of Outlaws.  That year we decided to attend other shows and skipped the WoO at Beaver Dam.  I was thrilled for Balog and his team, but I was very bummed out I wasn’t there to see it.  I was there a couple years later to see Balog race against the IRA in September.  We had reserved one of the VIP tables above the bleachers that year, and I remember thinking I needed to snag those seats every year from now on.  We enjoyed beautiful weather and great racing from the comfort of our patio chairs.  Balog was the favorite, but there was a strong contingent of fast drivers that night.  Mike Reinke, Scotty Neitzel, Steve Meyer and Scotty Thiel were all quick that night.  In the feature Thiel was leading the way for most of the event as Balog worked his way back into contention after a mishap in his heat race.  With the laps winding down Balog worked his way to second place!  The white flag fell and there were lapped cars between Thiel and Balog.  As if he found a groove nobody else had seen, Balog flew through the middle of 1 and 2 and passed the back markers prior to turn 3!  He nailed the cushion and pulled even with Thiel as the two were in sight of the checkered flag. The drag race was on and at he line it was . . . . Balog with the win!

I’m so grateful my wife is a racing fan and joins me on several “race trips” every year.  I’m on a mission to visit 50 different tracks in my life, and I’ve hit 38 so far.  Besides the finishes I mentioned earlier, there have been dozens of others that made my heart rap in my chest as the checkered flag fell.  Speaking of flaggers, quick shout out to our favorite flagman Jim Barr.  We got to know Jim at a meet and greet in Beaver Dam one afternoon before an event.  We instantly hit it off and enjoyed visiting with Jim a few times a year for the next decade.  So as a salute to him, I hope everybody cracks open an iced cold Coors Light after reading this! 

It’s only December, but we’re already planning our racing schedule for 2023.  Knoxville and Beaver Dam for sure, and maybe our first visit to Husets.  I hope that like us, all of you get out there and visit your favorite tracks next year.  With the world turning the way it has lately, who knows how long we’ll be able to enjoy all these wonderful racing facilities we have.  Sadly I’ve witnessed some great ones close down (Hales Corners, Oshkosh Speedzone, Manitiwoc County).  Watching online is a great resource, but nothing beats the sites and sounds and memories you’ll have from actually being at the track.

Thanks for reading and maybe we’ll see you at the track sometime!  Happy Holidays!



My contribution. https://youtu.be/3VNeCK1j5i8



StanM
MyResults MyPressRelease
December 09, 2022 at 04:55:27 PM
Joined: 11/07/2006
Posts: 5548
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Kossuth, I would have been in the infield taking photos at that Jerry Richert Memorial that Justin Henderson won.  They have some great Sprint Car races at Cedar Lake.  I hung up the camera for good a few years ago but have every JR Memorial up until around 2016.  Cool that you mention that race.  These days I watch most weekends from home but it was fun chasing them.

As far as the best race I have attended it would have to be the Eldora Million.  I think that was 2003.

 


Stan Meissner

baltimore
MyWebsite
December 09, 2022 at 07:00:26 PM
Joined: 11/30/2004
Posts: 90
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Reply to:
Posted By: kossuth on December 09 2022 at 12:16:36 PM

My contribution. https://youtu.be/3VNeCK1j5i8



very impresive 



alum.427
December 10, 2022 at 07:49:45 AM
Joined: 03/16/2017
Posts: 1599
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Don Martin Silver Cup. To old to remember the year, but I always liked the drive west to see this race. Lernerville holds a lot of fans and the place went absolutely nuts. Ed Lynch jr. and Mark Kinser lap after lap trading sliders coming off turn 4. They kept pounding what little cushion was left before contacting the gaurdrail.  The white flag lap Mark passed Lynch off 4, there wasn't a person sitting in a seat, that last lap going into 3 Kinser gassed er up and I thought he was going to do. Problem was Lynch did to, and made the move under him off 4. I thought both were going into the wall and going to crash. Obviously Lynch won and nobody left that place early. I was told the family still has that winning car the way it came off the track, can't confirm that but cool if they do.



BC_The Bandit
December 10, 2022 at 10:54:36 PM
Joined: 04/14/2017
Posts: 27
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2003 WoO race at Hartford, MI....first time Outlaws had been in the area in many years...perfect Michigan summer night and the stands were packed and crowd was buzzing...Kinser set quick time...first lap of the first heat race had a car flip out of the track in the first turn (local driver Jeff "Long Hair" Rankin)...Brian Paulus wins his heat race, the Dash, and comes back from about a 1/3 lap deficit and rides the rim in the final 2 laps to catch Schatz who got held up in traffic to pass him coming out of turn 4 for his first WoO win.  Crowd went completely crazy!  Added bonus was the chance to have my first interaction with SLS Promotions and Larry and Sharon Hillerud which resulted in working with them to organize large groups of us (50-80 each year for many years) from my workplace.  Coming up on the 20th anniversary of that 2003 race and still remember many of the details.....that race started a streak of 17-18 straight years of WoO events in SW Michigan and lots of other great memories....



texdel
December 11, 2022 at 10:42:51 AM
Joined: 05/29/2007
Posts: 326
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Lawton Speedway, Oklahoma June 23, 1984

Jeff Swindell was on a roll. He swept the 2-day show at Devil's Bowl the previous 2 nights driving the B&L Electic #80.

He had an epic battle with fan favorite Ron Shuman in the Oklahoma-based Ofixco #21. 

Shum hounded Swindell the entire race but just could never get around him on the tight quarter mile.

On the last lap, Shuman pulled along the outside of Swindell on the back straight and road the RR up on the wall and never lifted.

Swindell held on for the win.

The next night at Oklahoma City, Lee Osborne blew an engine and immediately retired. I was standing along the pit fence, and after he pulled off the track, he walked up and stood next to me to watch the race. After Sammy took the checked flag, Lee commented, "That's it, I'm going home."

 



HardTopDave
December 11, 2022 at 02:20:18 PM
Joined: 03/21/2021
Posts: 307
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This message was edited on December 11, 2022 at 02:23:06 PM by HardTopDave

Western World Championship race 1983, Manzanita,during the course of that race, 2 nights?.....  Just about everything that could possibly happen at a sprint car race, happened over those two nights.  No wing Steve Kinser ran the whole field down after an early incident, it was pretty incredible.  Shit happened in the infield, the junkyard dogs ended up happy....



MandGRacing96
December 12, 2022 at 11:04:58 AM
Joined: 01/19/2009
Posts: 583
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Reply to:
Posted By: HardTopDave on December 11 2022 at 02:20:18 PM

Western World Championship race 1983, Manzanita,during the course of that race, 2 nights?.....  Just about everything that could possibly happen at a sprint car race, happened over those two nights.  No wing Steve Kinser ran the whole field down after an early incident, it was pretty incredible.  Shit happened in the infield, the junkyard dogs ended up happy....



82 Gold Cup Wolfgang won and Schatzs first WoO win at Cottage Grove



UTRockets
December 12, 2022 at 12:42:04 PM
Joined: 06/22/2015
Posts: 128
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Elodra Nationals in the mid 80s. Jac Haudenschild went last to first in non-stop 20 lap WoO preliminary night feature driving the Watson 78

Millstream I think '89 or 90...Steve Kinser running away about midway through a 30 lap WoO feature and the thing starts missing and belching flames and he stops on the backstretch, gets out and fixes the thing himself, and restarts tail. He catches Sammy Swindell for the lead with two laps to go and they make contact going into turn 1 sending Kinser flipping and Swindell keeps going. They upright the car and push him the pits (before they even had a work-area) and Karl take a look at it and calls for a pushtruck and they push him off. He restarts tail again wthis time with a crushed top wing and in two laps actually passed 4 or 5 cars and ended up with a top 10 finish. 



EasyE
December 12, 2022 at 08:07:45 PM
Joined: 10/29/2017
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Posted By: AJ_81 on December 09 2022 at 08:28:37 AM

Somebody recently asked me, “what is the best race you ever saw?”.  The best race I’ve ever seen in my life . . . . what a tough question.  When you’ve been to as many as I have, it’s hard to pick just one.  I’ve seen a number of last corner passes to win main events.  I’ve seen cars come from the tail of the field to win.  I had to really think on this, but eventually a few specific races came to mind.

In 1989 we took a trip out west to the Dakotas.  We caught up with the Outlaws twice during our vacation.  One of the races was at Black Hills Speedway.  My favorite driver was Doug Wolfgang.  In those days he was one of the “big three” of sprint car racing, along with Sammy and Steve.  Wolfgang had a white car with a green number eight that year.  During the main event Doug took off like a rocket to the early lead.  He whistled around the track at a pace none of the other drivers could match that night.  What made the performance stand out, beside it being my hero in the lead, was that nearly every lap he was picking the front end of the car up coming out of turn 4!  Then toward the end of the race there was even a moment when the car hooked up on the right rear, and he had three tires off of the racing surface!  I’ve attended 200+ sprint car races in my life, and I’ve seen all manner of wheel stand, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a car spend so little of the race on the ground as Wolfgang’s that night in South Dakota.  I was able to meet him at the old Hales Corners track in Milwaukee one year when I was still just a boy.  I got my picture taken with him, and he autographed a hat for me.  He was still recovering from one of his bad crashes, but he took the time to ask how we were doing and where we were from.  We mentioned that race at Black Hills and to our surprise he remembered the specifics of his wining effort just as we had!  That hat also carries autographs from other famous drivers, but when I walk through my rec room at home, it’s Wolfgang’s name that always catches my eye. 

About a decade or so later, when I was old enough to drive to races myself, my cousin and I attended the Jerry Richert Memorial Race at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI.  It was our first trip to CLS and we were impressed by how racey the track was.  The IRA was the sanctioning body, but there were drivers from all over the Midwest.  The car count was great and boasted names like Brooke Tatnell, Terry McCarl, Wayne Johnson, Mark Dobmeier, Joe Roe, Kim Mock, Donny Goeden, Mike Reinke, Scotty Neitzel, Travis Whitney and the list goes on and on.  There was also a young leadfoot by the name of Justin Henderson.  As the night wore on, several cars were fast, but it was the 14 of Johnson, and the 35 of Henderson that seemed quickest.  The A-main got off to a fast start and before we knew it there were only a few laps left.  Johnson and Henderson were in a league of their own and swapped slide jobs at opposite ends of the track.  Neither one appeared to have an advantage.  Henderson would dive into turns 1 and 2, and Johnson would rip the cushion.  Then the 14 car would use momentum to hit a slider in 3 and 4 to take the lead back.  This went on all the way down to three laps to go.  The two battled out of turn 4 once again and by now the crowd was expecting the slide job in turn 1, but instead somewhere near the flagstand Johnson’s motor blew up!  The 35 dove to the bottom of 1 as the 14 coasted straight off the front stretch and into the pits.  Henderson went on to claim the victory which I think was one of the first 410 outlaw wins of his career.  You hate to see a race end like that, but those last few laps before Johnson’s engine expired were some of the best dirt racing I’ve ever seen. 

One of my favorite tracks is the Beaver Dam Raceway.  We normally make a trip to the high banked dirt oval each year.  This track has provided amazing finishes over the years with regional and national touring series.  Besides Wolfgang, my second favorite driver was the 27F of Frank Filskov.  I had met frank at Wilmot Raceway one year before during the Wilmot Open.  That was the biggest race of the year for Wilmot, and the car count was so high, haulers were lined up down the county road leading to the track, waiting to sign in.  That was an All Star and IRA show and I spent the afternoon running from hauler to hauler getting autographs from the likes of Danny Lasoski, Frankie Kerr, Aaron Berryhill, Dave Moulis, Mike Frost, and a host of other drivers.  The last autograph of the day was from a scruffy looking driver pulling in with his car on an open trailer.  I ran over to the white car with the blue 27F on the wing and asked for an autograph.  Frank got out and asked my name and where I was from and commented about all the autographs I had already received on the shirt I was carrying around.  He signed the shirt and I said “thank you”, but he told me to hold on a minute.  He went back to his truck and started writing on something.  He walked back over and gave me a 5” x 7” picture of his car with a note that read “Best Wishes Adam, #27F Frank Filskov”.  He told me to enjoy the show and headed into the pits for the evening.  I sprinted back to my family’s picnic area and showed my parents and sister and the older gentlemen parked next to us who’s nickname was “Buttons”.  Buttons had been telling me who each driver was as they pulled into the fairgrounds, so as I ran up to request an autograph, I knew who I was speaking with. Another fun note from that day, when Lasoski’s hauler came in with the light blue #47 on the side the man driving the rig opened the door and asked me to stand on the running board and hand my t-shirt into the cab.  Danny was sitting shotgun and I asked “Mr. Lasoski, could I have an autograph please?”  He grinned and told me “you can as long as you promise me one thing, don’t call me mister, just call me Dude!”  I said “you got it Dude” as he handed the t-shirt back to me.  To this day, that’s one of the coolest racing stories I have. 

Anyway, back to Beaver Dam Raceway.  The first time we went to Beaver Dam was for a Triple Crown race in the mid-90’s.  There were 410 sprint cars, Badger Midgets, and modifieds.  The main event was of course the sprint car show and perennial favorite Joe Roe in his black and purple #61 seemed to be the car to beat.  However, as the race went on his car seemed to be losing momentum.  Eventually Roe lost the lead to Jim Melis.  Melis looked poised to take the win when a white car with a blue 27F emerged from the rest of the field.  The battle was on!  Filskov and Melis battled back and forth but on the last lap Frank really hooked up and took the win with room to spare.  The following Summer a track near my home (Escanaba) re-opened and hosted a show.  Before the races two competitors parked their cars in front of the grandstands, and signed autographs.  One of them was Donny Goeden and the other was Frank and his #27F.  I waited in line for an autograph and couldn’t believe my ears when Frank looked up at me and said “Adam, how are ya?”  I couldn’t believe he had remembered me from the year before at Wilmot.  That solidified him as my favorite driver.  I was devasted to find out that we lost Frank not long after that during an outlaw show in lower Michigan.  I can’t explain how lucky I feel to have met Frank when I was a young racing fan.  The older I get I see fewer and fewer drivers who sincerely give their fans their attention before or after a show.  Frank was a true ambassador of the sport, and just a great sportsman and human being. 

Another Beaver Dam finish was in Spring of 2003 when the World of Outlaws came to town.  Kraig Kinser was a rookie on the WoO tour back then, and he was really turning some heads in his white and red #11.  The night was cool and the track was tacky.  In qualifying Daryn Pittman set the track record in the #21 Pepsi car.  That was a record that would stand for many years.  Joey Saldana was also running well that year in a white car with a dark blue or black #17.  During the A-Main, those three cars methodically made their way to the front of the field.  As the white flag fell you could throw a blanket over first to third.  The lead trio stayed close and to the excitement of the crowd, came out of turn 4 three wide to take the checkered flag!  The crowd cheered and clapped loudly without even knowing which car won.  Then Johnny Gibson’s voice came over the loud speaker and said our winner was . . . . Pittman!  I had the pleasure of seeing all three drivers go on to have successful careers.  I was luck enough to have been present when Kraig won the Knoxville Nationals in that same white and red #11 car just two years later!

Speaking of the Knoxville Nationals, I’ve been lucky enough to have seen some great racing during that event as well.  I wish I could say I was there to see Jason Johnson muscle his way to victory over Donny Schatz, but I was at home listening to that one instead.  I was there a few years after that to see Brad Sweet take his first Nationals victory.  With as loud as the roar of 410 sprint car engines are, that was one of the few times I can say I heard the crowd cheering louder than the cars!  The pyrotechnics lit up the front stretch as Sweet piloted the #49 Napa car to the popular win. 

There have been so many great races and I’m getting to the point now where some of them from my early years are difficult to recall.  Some of the finishes I remember the most, are the ones I missed!  Going back to Beaver Dam, there was a race several years ago where fan favorite Bill Balog “The Northpole Nightmare”, defeated the World of Outlaws.  That year we decided to attend other shows and skipped the WoO at Beaver Dam.  I was thrilled for Balog and his team, but I was very bummed out I wasn’t there to see it.  I was there a couple years later to see Balog race against the IRA in September.  We had reserved one of the VIP tables above the bleachers that year, and I remember thinking I needed to snag those seats every year from now on.  We enjoyed beautiful weather and great racing from the comfort of our patio chairs.  Balog was the favorite, but there was a strong contingent of fast drivers that night.  Mike Reinke, Scotty Neitzel, Steve Meyer and Scotty Thiel were all quick that night.  In the feature Thiel was leading the way for most of the event as Balog worked his way back into contention after a mishap in his heat race.  With the laps winding down Balog worked his way to second place!  The white flag fell and there were lapped cars between Thiel and Balog.  As if he found a groove nobody else had seen, Balog flew through the middle of 1 and 2 and passed the back markers prior to turn 3!  He nailed the cushion and pulled even with Thiel as the two were in sight of the checkered flag. The drag race was on and at he line it was . . . . Balog with the win!

I’m so grateful my wife is a racing fan and joins me on several “race trips” every year.  I’m on a mission to visit 50 different tracks in my life, and I’ve hit 38 so far.  Besides the finishes I mentioned earlier, there have been dozens of others that made my heart rap in my chest as the checkered flag fell.  Speaking of flaggers, quick shout out to our favorite flagman Jim Barr.  We got to know Jim at a meet and greet in Beaver Dam one afternoon before an event.  We instantly hit it off and enjoyed visiting with Jim a few times a year for the next decade.  So as a salute to him, I hope everybody cracks open an iced cold Coors Light after reading this! 

It’s only December, but we’re already planning our racing schedule for 2023.  Knoxville and Beaver Dam for sure, and maybe our first visit to Husets.  I hope that like us, all of you get out there and visit your favorite tracks next year.  With the world turning the way it has lately, who knows how long we’ll be able to enjoy all these wonderful racing facilities we have.  Sadly I’ve witnessed some great ones close down (Hales Corners, Oshkosh Speedzone, Manitiwoc County).  Watching online is a great resource, but nothing beats the sites and sounds and memories you’ll have from actually being at the track.

Thanks for reading and maybe we’ll see you at the track sometime!  Happy Holidays!



I don't remember what the best race I've ever seen  was and I've seen a BUNCH......BUT...... that was definitely the longest post I've ever seen LOL



Paintboss
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December 14, 2022 at 11:27:17 AM
Joined: 12/02/2004
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Like someone else said I don't know if I can pick just one. My track time is limited to mainly Knoxville, Once in a while 34 Raceway & Eldora. There have been so so many nights I have been thoroughly entertained by some awesome races. And not necessarily with the Outlaws but the local drivers. As Tony B. would say, There has been some Jim Dandys!

If I had to pick one I would say because of the Crowds reaction and just being a part of it I would have to go with Jason Johnson winning the Nationals. I mean when them Checkers flew on the Backstretch the Fans Screaming, hugging, high fiving and even some tears from a couple of people. It was absolute electricity. 



leftturn007
December 14, 2022 at 02:47:00 PM
Joined: 07/29/2012
Posts: 56
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This message was edited on December 14, 2022 at 02:51:11 PM by leftturn007

For me it has to be the 1990 Knoxville Nationals. Being 10 yrs old in the stands and screaming my lungs out for Bobby Allen to win is a lifelong highlight. Oh, and watching my childhood hero run the alphabet up to 5th in the same A feature is equally fulfilling! What a night!!

I was grinning the entire 4 hr car ride home and have forever been hooked on this wonderful sport.

https://youtu.be/0CjICwrOnlo



Paintboss
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December 15, 2022 at 11:14:13 AM
Joined: 12/02/2004
Posts: 2098
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Posted By: leftturn007 on December 14 2022 at 02:47:00 PM

For me it has to be the 1990 Knoxville Nationals. Being 10 yrs old in the stands and screaming my lungs out for Bobby Allen to win is a lifelong highlight. Oh, and watching my childhood hero run the alphabet up to 5th in the same A feature is equally fulfilling! What a night!!

I was grinning the entire 4 hr car ride home and have forever been hooked on this wonderful sport.

https://youtu.be/0CjICwrOnlo



Missed the Bobby Allen Nationals by 1 year. Started going in 1991 and have been to every one since. You know as well as me how much things have changed over the past 30 years. 



sdhuntandfish
December 15, 2022 at 02:10:04 PM
Joined: 08/07/2012
Posts: 71
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2010 Knoxville Nationals. The epic battle between Schatz and Sammy with the crowd on Sammy's side. Dramatic racing with Swindell blowing a tire while leading and Schatz losing a cylinder to be passed by Tim Shaffer for the win. One of - if not the loudest Knoxville crowds I've ever experienced. 

Fun night at the Nationals I'll never forget.



RodinCanada
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December 15, 2022 at 06:04:16 PM
Joined: 07/24/2016
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I dont see many and do t have a favorite but in 1990 I wanted to go to a big race and somehow found this 4 day event 24 hrs from my home. I had no clue what it was other than a big sprint car race and 4 Days long made it easy to get lots without chasing it.

We could only get 3 days of tickets as Sat was sold out. We went and loved the experience and the racing.  We probably only took part in about 30% of the activities as we were so unaware of where we were and what we were at. I may not have been the best race but it was the best experience.

 

Sprint car newbie hooked for life.


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

wolfie2985
December 15, 2022 at 08:25:39 PM
Joined: 07/29/2010
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Posted By: texdel on December 11 2022 at 10:42:51 AM

Lawton Speedway, Oklahoma June 23, 1984

Jeff Swindell was on a roll. He swept the 2-day show at Devil's Bowl the previous 2 nights driving the B&L Electic #80.

He had an epic battle with fan favorite Ron Shuman in the Oklahoma-based Ofixco #21. 

Shum hounded Swindell the entire race but just could never get around him on the tight quarter mile.

On the last lap, Shuman pulled along the outside of Swindell on the back straight and road the RR up on the wall and never lifted.

Swindell held on for the win.

The next night at Oklahoma City, Lee Osborne blew an engine and immediately retired. I was standing along the pit fence, and after he pulled off the track, he walked up and stood next to me to watch the race. After Sammy took the checked flag, Lee commented, "That's it, I'm going home."

 



If I remember right, Swindell's car owner, Merle Thomason, passed away not long after those wins - right before, or during,the Outlaws July PA swing



hiroshimacarp
December 16, 2022 at 06:22:08 AM
Joined: 10/06/2018
Posts: 310
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i was trying to think of my answer for this.  i know it sounds lame...but every race is a little different and a little special...so it's hard to name one.  some of my favorites weren't at big and famous tracks either or at big events...like the speedstr race at kutztown a few years ago where billy pouch, jr. and mike bednar were side by side at the finish.  

there were two races that got me hooked on central pa sprint cars...dewease, hodnett, and i believe dietrich battling for a speedweek win when dewease had a broken wing...and freddie rahmer winning an outlaw race at lincoln.  the freddie win was my first taste of what it's like when a pa guy beats the outlaws.  the atmosphere was awesome.  

i''ll also add...as i'm sitting here thinking...the saturday night speedweek race at lincoln where dietrich took out montieth to clear the way for chad trout winning.  we love chad trout (who doesn't?) so it was awesome to see him win.

nascar wise...i think of the 2001 fall dover race which was the first nascar race after 9/11.  i grew up an earnhardt fan and it ended up being the only race i ever saw an earnhardt win in person.  the last 2 martinsville races have been terrific too.  chastain's move this year will be part of nascar lore.



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