[racegal]

Originally Posted by Russ Ray Kenens is my all time favorite driver. I have photos of him in the #35, #55 and #1 cars. I wish I could find a photo of him in the old #9 supermodified.

The Kenens' are the greatest!!! We have been friends since we were little kids!!

[Russ]

My fantasy feature would be filled with the guys I grew up watching at the old Kokomo Speedway.

Ray Kenens - Ron Fisher
Don Walker - Allen Barr
Tim Bookmiller - Paul Joyce
Jim Elliott - Harold Mouser
Butch Wilkerson - Ed Angle
Mark Caldwell - Louie Mann
Bobby Kinser - Steve Kinser
Tony Solomito - Dick Gaines
Paul Grimm - Danny Milburn
Chuck Amati - Van Gurley

Honorable Mention: Bill Fortune, Charlie Sarver, Rex Mitchell, Red Bledsoe, Bobby Adkins, Dave Ragan, Kerry Norris, Andy Hillenburg, Jim Bucher, Randy Kinser, Danny Smith, Rick Hood, Jerry Gappens, Terry Shepherd and Jerry Priest.

[racegal]

Some of those guys were on my list too but I ran out of room!!!
Man!! Great memories!!

[Jerry Shaw]

Originally Posted by Wrench Turner Here's what I read in the Brazil Times the other day... It was a great day in beautiful downtown Putnamville. Sunny and 75 degrees with a slight breeze in the air. Thirty-five of history's best sprint car drivers showed up for a wild night at the races. Mike and V Farrar had a well prepared and heavy track for the beginning of the night with some very fast times being turned in qualifying. At the end of the time trials, fast time went to Dave Darland with a time of 12.675. Five heats started off the fantasy night with only the top four tranferring. On this night, there would be no B-Main. It was a tough evening for the drivers, but made for some very competitive and exiting to watch heat races. The heat one transfers in order consisted of Bob Kinser, Roger McClusky, Chuck Amati and A.J. Foyt. Bryan Clauson appeared to have the heat in the bag until a blown motor threw a rod and puked oil over the track causing a bit of a clean-up delay. Heat two trasfers in order consisted of Parnelli Jones, Dave Darland, Sheldon Kinser and Steve Butler. Chris Windom was making a hard charge to the front when he drove it a bit too deep into one in an attempt for a slide job on DD. Sadly, the car spun and he went to the tail causing him to miss the transfer. Heat three transfers in order consisted of Robbie Stanley, Tony Stewart, Rich Vogler and Pancho Carter. Jerry Coons Jr. appeared to cut a tire on lap three and his night was ruined. It was sad to see indeed. Heat four transfers once again in order consisted of Jon Stanbrough, J.J. Yeley, Kenny Irwin Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Gary Bettenhausen had been putting on a clinic until lap 6 when caught his left front one of the inside tire barriers breaking the front end and causing him to pull off. Heat five transfers contained Tony Elliot, Jack Hewitt, Mike Bliss and Levi Jones. Larry Rice was making a very respectable run into second place until he climbed Hewitts wheel and flipped out of turn one. He was OK after the nasty spill, but his car was a different story. Starting order for the feature went by qualifying times with an invert of the top six. Starting positions were as follows. Inside Outside Chuck Amati Rich Vogler A.J. Foyt Bob Kinser Dave Darland Steve Butler Parnelli Jones J.J. Yeley Jon Stanbrough Pancho Carter Tony Elliot Sheldon Kinser Tony Stewart Jeff Gordon Levi Jones Jack Hewitt Kenny Irwin Jr. Robbie Stanley Mike Bliss Roger McClusky Chuck Amati started led the first lap of a very tight race where three wide racing was observed between himself, Rich Vogler and Bob Kinser. After lap five Rich Vogler took the lead with Bob all over his tail. This didn't last long though, as Bob once again took the lead back on lap seven. The hard charger was Jack Hewitt dominating his way through the field, finally taking the lead away from Bob Kinser on lap twelve. However, Jack's night would come to a sad end on lap fourteen when he slammed the cushion flattening his right rear whilst cowboying around the top. This put Bob back in the lead with Steve Butler riding behind him after making a great move on Vogler. On the white flag lap, Bob Kinser looked poised to take the win. But in turn one, Steve Butler attempted to pull a daring slide job, clipping Kinsers left front and sending them both over the bank. Rich Vogler took a last hard lap around the top with Amati challenging him from the pole. It became a drag race to the line with Vogler taking the checkered from Colonel Tommy Sanders and edging Amati by a bumper. Bob Kinser had the last laugh of the night after making his way over to Butlers pit after the race. His cigar hit the floor and Butler left with a Black right eye and a mouse over his left that made Hasim Rahman's look like a grape. As you can see, I had some fun with this. Nothing bad natured toward any driver intended.

Excellent!! That was so good, I could picture myself there.

Jerry

[jim goerge]

Originally Posted by Jerry Shaw So far, Mike and myself are the only ones to offer up lists. Other than the One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest entry. Come on, race fans, let's see what you got. A little criticism isn't going to kill you. It's not easy, though. You only have 20 spots. Jerry

Now thats FUNNY LOL

[PushEm!]

Originally Posted by Sprints! I am not even going to attempt this,..... but I do have a question about all the older drivers, :2:where can I watch, if possible, some of these guys in videos, if that is even possible? I would love to see the old timers. I began watching sprintcars in 1994, from Hewitt on up. Any ideas on the Kinsers, Rice, Vogler,etc.? Thanks in advance!!!

Here is one good video to watch. I grew up watching these guys.

YouTube...

[ThrowbackRacingTeam]

Well chris, being from Iowa I'm going to have my dream race at Knoxville circa 1979 when they used to add manure to the track to make it stickier and there were no wings. Here's my 22 car line up starting with a few of the wildest driver's I've ever seen......

Cary Faas - Bobby George (CRA guy from Hawaii)
Mark Cassela - Daron Clayton
Rich Vogler - Johnny Parsons
Lealand McSpadden - Tim Green
Doug Wolfgang - Jan Opperman
Mike Brooks - Roger Rager
Steve Kinser - Sammy Swindell
Jack Hewitt - Jac Haudenshild
Ron Shuman - Rip Williams
Bubby Jones - Jay Drake
Tony Stewart - Steve Butler

I kept it to the roll cage era and still left out a ton of great ones.

[jim goerge]

WOW This was hard with only 20.

---------- Post added at 09:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:39 AM ----------

Chuck Amati Jud Larsen
Don Branson Rich Vogler
Bob Kinser Sheldon Kinser
Bubby Jones Robby Stanley
Tommy Hinnershitz Jan Opperman
Gary Bettenhausen Larry Dickson
Kenny Weld Dick Gaines
Butch Wilkerson jack Hewitt
Ron Shuman Steve Butler
Jimmy Oskie Dean Thomason

1st Att Don Nordhorn


---------- Post added at 10:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:39 AM ----------

This would be at Haubstadt after Tommy prepared the track

[FishBurger]

In an attempt to keep the number halfway manageable (I've been at this for 50+ years), I'm limiting my lineup to 1) drivers I have actually watched many times, and 2) USAC events.

-1. Sheldon Kinser......Jay Drake
-2. Robbie Stanley......Don Branson
-3. Tracy Hines..........Richard Griffin
-4. Larry Dickson........Gary Bettenhausen
-5. Dave Darland........Roger McCluskey
-6. Greg Weld............Rollie Beale
-7. Pancho Carter.......Jon Stanbrough
-8. Sammy Sessions....Lealand McSpadden
-9. Jack Hewitt..........Cory Kruseman
10. Tom Bigelow.........Rich Vogler
11. J.J. Yeley.............Levi Jones
12. Lee Kunzman........Johnny Rutherford (Provisionals )

+This would be a two day deal...Saturday night at Eldora, Sunday afternoon at Dayton.
+Hated to leave off A.J. Foyt and Parnelli Jones but they were about done with sprinters when I started. Didn't see them that much
+No particular order except for The Gasman in 6th. Seems he was FQ at every race he was in that I watched.
+I put some value on diversity (dirt and pavement) but some were just so darned good (Hewitt, McSpadden, Griffin, Stanbrough, Kruseman, etc.) that I couldn't leave them off in spite of limited pavement success.
+While this is limited to USAC'ers, I could easily do another list of midwest bullring greats which would give me just as much trouble in limiting the number.
+I had fun with this, reading others picks and then doing my own. Thanks Chris.

[TommyTipover]

New Bremen 30-lapper:

Row 1 Gary Bettenhausen Rich Vogler
Row 2 Larry Dickson Pancho Carter
Row 3 Sonny Ates Cy Fairchild
Row 4 JerryPoland Charlie Masters
Row 5 Rollie Beale Lee Kunzman
Row 6 Robbie Stanley Bud Tinglestad
Row 7 Johnny Parsons Tom Sneva (rear-engine)
Row 8 Tom Bigelow Steve Chassey (roadster)
Row 9 Larry Rice Billy Englehart
Row 10 Billy Cassella Sheldon Kinser

DNQ Duke Cook

Winner: Gary Bettenhausen