This is the toughest era in sprint car racing's history, and it's not close

[@karltonmickjr.3763]

You are 100% correct sir. I had the pleasure to start watching the Outlaws at Eldora in 78. Kinser's white #11 was a Denny Michell chassis, an old boy from Indiana. They all ran self grooved drag rubber for tires, open trailers towed by a pickup trucks. Steve Kinser and Rick Ferkel won all of the races there the first 2 or 3 years. GREAT RACING!! Tons more competition now for sure.

[@dlbracer56]

From Bloomington Indiana. Let's get that out of the way FIRST. Grew up watching Bob tear up southern Indiana and classmates with Steve and Randy. I AGREE that the level of todays sprint cars are significantly more competitive. The reason COMMONALITY OF CARS. The majority of the fields today have the SAME TYPE chassis, motor and gear. Very little is fabricated these days as they were in the beginning. Is the racing "better" IMHO, yes. But, hell I would watch toddlers on tricycles race just to see who was the best on that particular day, so what do I know. The racing is good the money is better, the talent shows are exciting. The tracks are better prepared (most places) and the safety crews are on the spot (most places) It is STILL DANGEROUS, but better than the earlier days.

[@ARM317]

You're correct about the current era being the most competitive, but you also stated why.....everyone can virtually buy the same components. What makes Steve so great is that not only did he out drive his competition but he built better components, engines, shocks, etc.

[@rayisland23]

Don't like comparing different eras of any sport, including racing

[@dwightanderson365]

You are spot on about the current level of competition in the sprint car world! Crew chiefs like Paul Silva and his contemporaries may even be more important than who’s driving their cars! Set up and ability to read tracks is key these days, keeping in mind that everyone has similar equipment. Looking forward to what should be an epic 2023 season!!!👍💪😎

[@blitzevans4273]

I remember Sammy Swindell coming from the back of the pack at Eldora and nearly winning. Swindell, Wolfgang, Kinser. Everyone else was getting their crumbs. Schatz had a great run in the biggest $ car, but now everyone who starts in top ten has a serious shot if they get a few breaks going their way.

[@johnnyquist8362]

I'm 78 years old and I AGREE WITH YOU. Kinser was good. I watched him many times at many tracks. But the #11 was just so incredibly dominant. He rarely got beat.

[@charlescross4393]

I am 67 and remember watching ESPN and when sprint cars were racing Kinser won. Either he won or Sammy would but seemed 9/10 times it was Steve.

[@DirtTrackRacing410]

Damn that sucks I’m glad I’m 29 I get to enjoy years of racing to cum

[@happywrenching33]

One thing though, this generation didn't have to race against Steve Kinser in his prime.

[@joshpitts7256]

You still gotta put it on the line . And Kinser did just that.. 24/7. And how many races and championships did he win without Karl again🤔.

[@edminas3159]

I am old guy and agree with you about cars being sorta cookie cutters. You can literally buy a winning car. That said to do so is incredibly costly, you need a great crew chief, and of course luck. In a recent interview with History Mystery Man Steve Kinser said he doesn't see how anybody can race with engines costing upwards of $60,000, He also said that engines lasted longer in the day as they weren't trying to squeeze so much out them It was a really good interview. .

[@jameslast7555]

Not when they were allowed to use Nitromethane, that stuff killed engines

[@curbshoppin]

I’m 68 years old been going to Knoxville iowa since I was 6 years old and right now there are more drivers that can win than any other time I can remember and I love the competition 🏁

[@jessejames2546]

I’m more of a sprint car fan, late models are killing it this year though

[@Uphold-your-Rights]

It sure looks like any car can win in the Lucas series. That will be a tough points race.

[@Carlos-of5cv]

Agree with you.Great show.I follow your channel from warrnambool

[@sk8077]

I'm old, I agree. Outlaws are more talent stacked today than 30 years ago. But locally(PA), more talent 15/ 25 years ago than today.

[@lukegrinter6873]

The last nine WoO point scores have been won by just two guys - Sweet and Schatz. Let that sink in. If you order a Citation and a J&J tomorrow, you still ain't Schatz!

[@roberthart1840]

When did the format and point systems change?

[@JardTheRat]

Steve Kinser will forever be the G.O.A.T of sprintcar racing no debate.

[@garyk76]

When I think of sprint cars I think of Steve kinser and that green Quaker state Sprint car

[@manga12]

@@garyk76 yes but he also had the 11 valvoline car earlier on

[@joshpitts7256]

And Coors Light and Maxim

[@miketowell3674]

Hey Justin I wasn’t trying to be nasty or start a controversy I’m just a 64 yr old dirt race fan I was born and raised in Indiana a mere 20 miles from Steve’s hometown of Bloomington. I watched Steve from the time he started until he retired I actually quit following the Outlaws when Steve retired I’m still a dirt fan and follow USAC. Yes I’m old school and really dislike change. I love your KZbin shows

[@DIRTRACKR]

All good, I'm always up for a debate!

[@RegularJoes]

Just a comment for the algorithm

[@kylekeech7047]

Absolutely. Racing is as competitive as it's ever been

[@Bergnutz]

Drivers have provisions now

[@toddfletcher64]

It’s a different smart now . Get your cookie cutter parts and figure out how to make it work. Back in the day there was creativity that was held close to your chest and if you engineered something by yourself you had the secret until everyone figured it out. Now most everything is almost common knowledge. Most of the drivers are drivers and that’s it . I miss the old creative teams. But it’s like everything nowadays evolution never stops.

[@lamondracing9832]

Truth, this is why I believe that having a great driver matters more now than ever before. When everything is cookie-cutter, the only thing separating you from the competition is the guy behind the wheel.

[@toddfletcher64]

@@lamondracing9832 you’re exactly right. No greasy hands in the cockpit 😉

[@oneninerniner3427]

I think, and it's been eluded to here, team chemistry always has been very important too. I did some amateur dirt sprint car racing and did well till I lost my main two guys. It was really nobody's fault, just life happens.

[@lilolme69]

Not only am I an old guy but Steve is my favorite sprint car driver.... you are correct, I've known that. If Sammy would have stayed in the same car he might have won way more. I think if Doug had been there every race he would have won more. If Mark had stayed on he would have been at the top, no doubt. And back in the day, Carl was going to get you. If you beat him a few weeks in a row you could expect him to pull something out of his (*). The same can be said for Richard Petty. Dale sr didn't win 7 championships by running legal and neither did Jimmy. Nowadays in sprint car racing and Nascar, it's a whole different world. I think 20 time is safe unless somewhere down the road, only 1 guy runs the whole series.

[@barryallen6612]

I'm older guy but Karl kinser was the best in my book he never had a driver that didn't win and I'm going back to the Larry Miller days and dick Gaines

[@joshpitts7256]

Facts

[@jimbobinman]

I agree it definitely is more competitive today, but I am not sure you can say anyone is better than Kinser in a winged sprint car. I loved sprint cars then and I love them now.

[@dennisbrown8108]

That's an awful big paddle your stirrin with. 🤣

[@daleolson3506]

I don’t think you are wrong,but the back of the field brings a lot of spectators. These guys could at times smell the front not any more. It’s money and lots of it.

[@edminas3159]

I will add that drivers are important. I was at the Gold Cup race in the early 1980's in Chico California and Steve Kinser flipped his car in Time Trials. He came back to win the A main. That was a feat in itself but what was a amazing is the car was severely twisted. The next morning at the hotel Karl and he were building a new car with a new frame in the parking lot. The old frame was there and it was six to twelve inches off the pavement on one of the front corners. How he won the race with a chassis that damaged is a mystery to me, but that was Steve.

[@charliewhite3992]

Your right on the sprint car stuff and it's all up to the crews to dial it in and now you have all the shock adjustment in the cars now and they didn't have that back in the day

[@sprintcarfan87]

I think that your analysis is correct. Kinser was great, but his competition was not the same.

[@Erocwolverine42]

Huh? He had some of the greatest drivers in sprint car history at that time. Wolfgang, Swindell, Ferkel, Hewitt, Haudenschild, M. Kinser, Joey Saldana (who has a lot of wins in both All-Stars/WoO competition), Jacobs, Blaney, Allen, a young Donny

[@sprintcarfan87]

@Erik W Of course he did, but not consistently. I'm not diminishing his talent, but how many of those guys ran full time with the Outlaws for anywhere near as long as he did? How many years were there where he maybe had 2 or 3 guys who could challenge him on a regular basis?

[@joshpitts7256]

🤦🏻‍♂️🤣

[@Uphold-your-Rights]

Justin: I'm gonna pick a fight with the sprint car fans... Me: grabs popcorn Also me: if you really want to pick a fight, challenge the late model fans to the "greatest driver of all time." (Spoiler, it's Bloomquist). Me: reloads popcorn.

[@thomaskaech1022]

I'm an old Guy Justin, but you can walk on my lawn if you leave a beer on the porch

[@DIRTRACKR]

😂

[@jeffperry7971]

My earliest sprint car memory is watching Jan Opperman at Terre Haute. I was a kid. So that should tell you something about my age. I’d like to fight with you over this. But unfortunately, I’m not sure I can. The guys back then We’re tougher because the cars were harder to drive and not nearly as safe. But talent? In the 80’s it Steve, Sammy and Wolfgang. The big 3. There were guys that were really good but they weren’t all there all of the time. Heck even Sammy and Doug didn’t race every WoO race. They were more like Opperman. They could show up anywhere. You could be right. I just have to give it a little more thought. Thanks for the challenge. Great show!

[@Greg-nq4dj]

I say you're wrong because the generation before was tougher than this One and so long and so on

[@zorndeslammes]

#1: 100% correct. #2: A lot has changed. A lot lot. Streaming brought money. That's part of it. But just the talent level too. Kasey Kahne was once a contender for the NASCAR Cup title. How many NASCAR cup contenders wound up running midpack in the World of Outlaws a few years later? Back in the 90s, NASCAR teams didn't have the talent development organizations that they've constructed either. We didn't live in a world where someone who was 25 was "too old for Cup" because everyone in the pipeline was a teenager with millionaire parents wrecking pavement late models. Increased exposure and revenue = more money for Sprint cars while NASCAR has been on a two decade decline in both.

[@markpolacek7840]

Just a comment on usac sprints; Justin spot on non- wing guys except you left out the Madman! Seems dialed in pretty well a 2nd one nite and pretty good qualifying Robert should give Grant, Cummins nacho man all they can handle. Thanx.

[@DIRTRACKR]

The only reason I didn't include Ballou was I wasn't sure about his status full time...

[@johnstark5344]

All true,we are just beginning the golden years of sprint car raceing,been watching them for 55 years.

[@williamwagaman9538]

Leave us old guys alone paybacks are a b****

[@mikedegregorio9113]

The Kinser/ Swindell/Wolfgang era required innovation. Today, it's just catalog engineering.

[@manga12]

and money, it always was money and talent, but in the past in the wild west days of sprintcars you had differant set ups, sometimes differant wing styles,some ran even roadster style cars, or ran open top carbs, vs some had differant types of air scoops, vs what is pretty homoginised today save for 1 or 2, but they also said the innovation and guys that could afford to do it had a distinct and clear advantage, like the fact in the 60's you had many things still experamented with, turbines, turbo offenhousers, supercharged cars, like the novi specials of the postwar era, they had attempted diesle cars, the cogsworth engines, and front vs mid engine roadsters, now you have a choice of a few things on the buffet to choose from as to whats approved like 1 or 2 engines to chose from in the attempt to level the playing field, but inventiveness was a big part of it and it was nice to see it,

[@scottrossingnol6034]

If you had the money to hire those capable of "innovation" the driving was easier. Today requires better drivers as the equipment is so much closer. Back then the guys with better equipment won the majority of the events.

[@joshpitts7256]

These Pusscakes today don't add up...

[@oneninerniner3427]

But it's still changing dirt, although they all tend to go dry slick now, so you have to be able to read the track and hit your setup too?

[@manga12]

@@oneninerniner3427 yes but it does get new ruts in it potentially each lap and sometimes hitting a bump in the track can be disaster like the guy from southern indiana that helicoptered and took out several catch fence posts at volusia just a few days ago spun sideways in the air aganst the fence that is there is a lot of unpredictability in it

[@AdamOutlaw87]

Where to begin!!! Start with imo this is the toughest😂😂😂😂 any ole swinging d--- can win now, i cant view that as tough its not even close imo, tough was trying to beat Steve,Sammy,Doug then Mark and Jac And Dave at times were super strong as honorable mention's but mainly at Eldora, it was a real feat to beat them,it was hell to be frank,they were so damn strong and did not anybody enjoy the sport? It had grit and innovation + rivals unlike today where they hold babies in victory lane and they all laugh and hug and kiss in the dash draw line its super charmin soft to the point it gets boring, hell Schatz let Macri run him up some and mess his wing up and what did he do about it? Nothing thats what, do that in the real tough era of Kinser and its a different outcome most certainly.I think your calling today tough because wins are hard to come by in 2023 your thinking,and your right they are because they dont race like they did in Kinser's era its all "World of Win from the front row"63% of the time in 2022 so its tough to win because Woo stupidly has gambling in racing and these drivers now rely on the front row very much to get wins and to do that they got to be good yes but they also have to be lucky with a damn dash draw is that even racing?????? Woo knows its tough to win and they have a messy follow the leader series and to create a mirage that there is competition and parody they have created the dash draw to mix up who wins but its all mirage it truely is. This era is all about everybody has the same equipment that they buy at the sprint car store theres no innovation anymore its all easy spec this and spec that which really gets stale. Talent wise though there is truely only 3 guys that can win and win outside of a dash starting spot that are drivers that can truely race and there talent shows on and on its Carson macedo,Brent Marks,and Kyle Larson...outside of those real racers there all reliant on there starting spots to actually win. Dont take my word for it start writing it down and at the end of the year these so called tougher era drivers wont do anything that will knock your socks off because they need that front row. The Kinser era didnt need front rows to win. Another stat for ya to be bored with every single outlaw heat in 2022 except for 2 was won off the front row only 6 dashes had drivers not win off the front row 🙄 so far in 2023 every heat and every dash has been won from the front row and half the features won off the front row so now to end it please tell me how the hell its a tougher era when drivers cant hardly ever break through to not win off the front row???????? keep up the good job your doing on this channel👍👍

[@tjw3999]

your right except poncho carter and aj foyt were the best sprintcar drivers of all time.

[@joshpitts7256]

I once asked The Great Earl Baltes if AJ and Kinser were to be in the same Era as each other who would win? His exact words were Kinser would kick his ass.. I'll take his opinion over any .

[@tjw3999]

put them in a car without a rollcage and i doubt it lol@@joshpitts7256

[@melabshier5812]

Pot stirrer. 😁😁

[@georgiaracingpodcast344]

I am not sure that sprint car racing is "tougher" now. There is definitely more parity!

[@AK-zw1re]

If you watch videos of Eldora from years past and present day the equipment today is so locked down a rookie can win a Kings Royal but in the past there were few drivers who put there name on that winners list. If you put today's stars in those cars could they have won? Maybe but the records of past show it was much more difficult. In the past it took more than a locked down car it took skill and courage to put it on the fence at Eldora.

[@jameslast7555]

When Kinser was racing, he had top equipement but everyone else had access to the same equipment and yet he Dominated because he had talent and determination. Other drivers just weren't as consistent. Nowadays same deal, access to top equipment is easier but to say because the racing is so close because the drivers are better is a bit of a reach. Now take Kyle Larson, he is in the same category as Kinser . His talent shines through and is obvious to see. Luckily for the World Of Outlaw regulars he has sporadic appearances and not a full time driver.

[@joshpitts7256]

Good thing for Kyle he wasn't in Kinser's Era .

[@Synic08]

....competition.... maybe.... kinzer was just so fast nobody was even close.

[@bobsmyth9776]

FACT...!!! Nasbor in the same comparison from King Richard Petty era also .. Only A. Handful of cars were winning the as well .

[@Bad.bob123]

Dude todays sprint cars don’t have nothing on the past not even close to day its fixed all about the ( sponsors ). Fastest car on the pole. Bye Buy.

[@rogerramsey3143]

You may have a 20 win driver- no we do not want to race as many events! The trend is to run 30 events in a year! When you look back how many races made up the year? How about thinking back; you had to ‘make’ the feature! Now we have provisionals! It is difficult to compare eras of racing but it was not ‘easier’ to win as compared to today!

[@davidburchfield2720]

Doug Wolfgang said he rain 160-180 race's a year !!!!

[@dennysmith5235]

Who is Doug Wolfgang?

[@VarziCampariAscari]

I am an old guy and I am in agreement that some of the predecessors stats are out of proportion with the quality of field. This is a known item from “The King” himself who mentioned times he knew he was up to hundreds of pounds lighter and hundreds of horsepower to spare. They are still owed their due with putting the hodgepodge sport at the time on the map outside of USAC. Steve showed how to win, and always be hungry for it. Sammy showed how to present it professionally. Doug gave everyone the underdog to root for. The sport needed them to get to todays caliber of competition👍

[@gregmccormick21]

The drivers today do not have the Work Ethic and Grit the generation like Steve and Sammy had. No comparison.

[@Checkers_or_Wreckers]

I don't think your opinion is controversial at all. every racing series in the world is deeper and better. makes sense cause there are more people and racing is more popular a whole then its ever been

[@larrysmith8635]

The good old days . Driver and team mates working on the car sitting in motel parking lot. As fans like myself watching and asking questions. The only driver I found rude was Sammy. Wine and moan. LOL never forget the time I found him parking lot near Eldora. I was not impressed. Just saying. Have times ever changed.