You could make the argument
 

As I have posted many times, I prefer non wing, however with or without, they are both sprint cars in spite of what many on iow would like to believe (and I have to remind my dad of that also). That said I think, after BC banked 25k tonight in Perris, you could argue he is the best sprint car racer in the country. He's won with and without a lid amongst the best in both, not to mention midget wins. Much to the shagrin of the non wing crowd, I submit that his wing experience has made him even faster without. Anyway Bryan Clausen is the best sprint car racer going right now!

Just because he wins the high dollar race of the year he is " The Best" is a bit of an overstatement. Ballou is on pace to set the all-time USAC single season record decimating the competition on more than one occasion. Claussen has shown great versatility this year winning on many platforms but he has not won enough of either to warrant that title at this time.

Re: You could make the argument
 

I believe you could have said that about Bryan Clauson for a while. I think the schedule he has put together for next year could bring more attention to the sport than it has had in years. With that being said, if I was still a HARF board member, my vote for driver of the year would go to Robert Ballou. That is taking nothing away from the great season that Brady Short had. He would be a candidate just from his drives at the Smackdown alone.

Poor Donnie Schatz wins 31 WoO races this year and isn't mentioned yet?

Did anyone else read the article on how much money Donnie made this year close to $800,000. Not trying to get off topic.

Re: You could make the argument
 

Rico Abreu would be my 1st pick. A lot of wins in different types of cars. Pavement and dirt. Clauson would be 2nd for being in wing and non-wing cars. Also has a 500 start. Schatz would be 3rd for the total number of wins in one type of car. Ballou has less wins in one type of car, in what is a regional club for the most parts of the year.

Re: You could make the argument
 

That is what makes racing unique when compared to other sports. One can compare hockey player to hockey player, soccer player to soccer player, basketball player to basketball player, etc., for the respective game is the same across the board.

When it comes to racing there are so many variables - pavement, dirt, open wheel, tin top, oval, road course, not to mention the different styles and formulas of the cars involved. With all of that, a direct comparison can rarely be made unless drivers jump to different cars.

I personally think Schatz would be fantastic in a non-wing car. Just like I think Dave Darland would have been tops in a winged car had he chosen to go that route. But these are just projections of what will more than likely never happen.

And one always has to factor in the equipment the driver has been using in his career and money behind it and him.

So, direct comparisons are out there for the debate of those involved. A never ending topic. Like judging drivers from different eras against each other - for example, would Jimmie Johnson had won all of his titles racing against Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough in their primes? How would Jackie Stewart fare if he was in his prime at the same time Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna were?

Us fans will debate until we die.

With his IndyCar efforts along with his sprint car success, one can make a good argument that Clauson is #1 in sprints. However, the way Schatz dominated this year...... I will default to a dead heat. A tie.

Yes, I know...... the coward's way out.... :17:

I feel confident in saying that if BC had ran the full USAC schedule Ballou's win total would be considerably less!

Clausen has attributed some of his midget success at least this year to racing the winged car with the NSL.

Whatever you want to say about which is better or which is harder to drive, one thing that can't be argued is that there is more money in winged racing and therefore there are more competitive cars. That by itself makes it harder to dominate.

I'd put Rico at the top right now only because schatz doesn't run non-winged. If he did I'd give him no more than 10 races before he won a usac race.

Re: You could make the argument
 

Originally Posted by PIT CART:
Did anyone else read the article on how much money Donnie made this year close to $800,000. Not trying to get off topic.

That is what the team made, but what did they spend? Donnie flies to most races. I would guess Ballou spent less than they did, by a lot. As for USAC being a regional series, I have a hard time calling a series that starts in Florida, ends in California and Arizona, goes to Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin regional. Sure, they don't travel as much as the Outlaws, but I would say they are more national than anyone else. I also think the it may be as hard to win a USAC race as it is an Outlaw race, minus Donnie Schatz. They got beat by locals a few times this year.

Re: You could make the argument
 

No doubt Clausen is a terrific driver. But his win last nite had a major element of luck, with KT Jr. wrecking & collecting TMez. Hard to name "the best"....Schatz, Rico, Clausen, Ballou???? That's what makes it interesting

Re: You could make the argument
 

Please Folks. CLAUSON with a O :) for Oval Nationals Winner :)

Everyone needs to download the race monitor app, then you can see the live lap times of a race! Take into account it was a 40 lap race and luck wasn't the determining factor!! Remember its the car that takes the checkers 1st not who leads lap 1..

Schatz....hands down. Numbers don't lie.

I seen with my own eyes Clauson was the best car all race. I think a guy who was overlooked for best overall sprintcar driver is Brady Bacon. He had at least 11 wins this year racing with USAC, MOWA ,USAC West Coast 360, USAC Southwest Series, WoO,All Stars,PA Sprint Week,Knoxville Nationals,Powri midgets.

Originally Posted by oppweld:
I seen with my own eyes Clauson was the best car all race. I think a guy who was overlooked for best overall sprintcar driver is Brady Bacon. He had at least 11 wins this year racing with USAC, MOWA ,USAC West Coast 360, USAC Southwest Series, WoO,All Stars,PA Sprint Week,Knoxville Nationals,Powri midgets.

Plus he almost won a Woo and led most of it with his own car if I'm not mistaken.

Originally Posted by PIT CART:
Plus he almost won a Woo and led most of it with his own car if I'm not mistaken.

If you're referring to Bacon, then yes you are correct. He was in his 99 at Tri State Speedway and had he not banged the right rear off the wall when making an attempt to get back by Paul McMahon who had just passed him for the lead, he very well may have been able to get back by. I think hitting the wall put him pretty far behind Paul, but he did hold on to finish second.

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk:
I believe you could have said that about Bryan Clauson for a while. I think the schedule he has put together for next year could bring more attention to the sport than it has had in years. With that being said, if I was still a HARF board member, my vote for driver of the year would go to Robert Ballou. That is taking nothing away from the great season that Brady Short had. He would be a candidate just from his drives at the Smackdown alone.

I'm glad someone brought up Short's Smackdown nights! They should invent some sort of award for him as impressive as those drives were ha

Re: You could make the argument
 

The age old question "who is the best"! The only true way to gauge would be to put drivers in identical cars on the same track week in and week out and run a complete season. Run winged and wingless on dirt and pavement. Oh and we need to alter time to place each driver in this series in the prime of their driving career. Some drivers have yet to hit their prime while other may be a bit past it. If that fantasy could happen the racing would be mind blowing.

Re: You could make the argument
 

I've been lucky enough to watch BC from the time they came in with the Armstrong Car to the old Burg. He was good then and while there are many good at one discipline. I see in BC all the determination and talent of Vogler and still got time to say Hello to everyone he sees in a night. When hes in the car, He's going forward and nothing else matters.

There's no doubt in my mind if BC was in a winged car with the same crew chief for 20 Plus years he could pull off 30 outlaw wins. Im just so glad he doesn't limit himself to that.

There is only one winner per night and that person on that night is the best, Its what I love about this sport because Thursday it can be someone else.

Originally Posted by Slider20:
Schatz....hands down. Numbers don't lie.

I am sure I will get jumped on for this, but IMO the level of competition Schatz went up against was less then what Ballou, Clauson or Short had to race against. Schatz is a great driver with great equipment, but the level of competition on the WOO tour this year was not at great as in previous years.

Originally Posted by KMS2683:
I am sure I will get jumped on for this, but IMO the level of competition Schatz went up against was less then what Ballou, Clauson or Short had to race against. Schatz is a great driver with great equipment, but the level of competition on the WOO tour this year was not at great as in previous years.

That's tough to call. Shane Stewart was pretty quick this season and the KKR duo of Sweet and Pittman was always tough. Where I think Schatz' talent really stands out is at knoxville. You get everyone there. It's the best of the best, but nobody can beat him. That drive from the B in I think 2013 was amazing.

A lot of great posts on this thread. If I said who's the best wing racer right now it would be Schatz hands down. If I said non wing I would vote for Robert. But I said sprint car racer which in my world includes both, and also excludes the 2 I've just mentioned from my intent. Apparently a lot of folks don't care about the other one but I love em both and love driver crossover. I was there when woo went both ways and boy I wish it was still that way. Anyway Clauson (Charles I know how to spell his name but my phone keeps telling me I'm wrong, but I changed it for ya) wins in both, and I love that. And I can't agree with Mr Funk more that his ambitious schedule next year will draw a lot of attention and I believe a lot of wins, and even more illustrate my point

Re: You could make the argument
 

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk:
That is what the team made, but what did they spend? Donnie flies to most races. I would guess Ballou spent less than they did, by a lot. As for USAC being a regional series, I have a hard time calling a series that starts in Florida, ends in California and Arizona, goes to Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin regional. Sure, they don't travel as much as the Outlaws, but I would say they are more national than anyone else. I also think the it may be as hard to win a USAC race as it is an Outlaw race, minus Donnie Schatz. They got beat by locals a few times this year.

Starting to sound like South Dakota might be added to the list of states next year!!

I sure hope the big show at badlands produces more crossover

Re: You could make the argument
 

Originally Posted by GYATK94:
That's tough to call. Shane Stewart was pretty quick this season and the KKR duo of Sweet and Pittman was always tough. Where I think Schatz' talent really stands out is at knoxville. You get everyone there. It's the best of the best, but nobody can beat him. That drive from the B in I think 2013 was amazing.

Oh yea, that run from the back was amazing. Actually had me wondering "Maybe I should stop going, I'll never see anything better".... but I started going to more wingless, no Knoxville for me this past summer... Kokomo Smackdown instead!

Re: You could make the argument
 

Tho he hasn't done much sprint car stuff recently, you have to consider Kyle Larson too
Hear he's gonna be at Turkey Nite.... wish I could stay!

Re: You could make the argument
 

Originally Posted by Charles Nungester:
Please Folks. CLAUSON with a O :) for Oval Nationals Winner :)

Oops....I have a friend who spells it with an "e"..... excuuuuuse me!

Re: You could make the argument
 

Originally Posted by mike mcghee:
Everyone needs to download the race monitor app, then you can see the live lap times of a race! Take into account it was a 40 lap race and luck wasn't the determining factor!! Remember its the car that takes the checkers 1st not who leads lap 1..

Usually I discount the luck factor in sports myself. If your opponent screws up, you outperformed him. That applies to KT Jr. who wrecked on his own. But not to TMez, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time thru no fault of his own.
Not to discredit Clauson at all, by the way. He beat a great field of drivers, was out of practice with wingless cars, & I was happy to see him win after engine blew the nite before. Driving to Phoenix & back all nite to get a new one? Amazing, sounds like one of those "good ole days" stories....

Originally Posted by revjimk:
Oh yea, that run from the back was amazing. Actually had me wondering "Maybe I should stop going, I'll never see anything better".... but I started going to more wingless, no Knoxville for me this past summer... Kokomo Smackdown instead!

Yeah I have to admit I grew up as a kid going to the weekly wing shows at Tri State Speedway, so I've always been a little partial to wings, but I love both. I was fortunate enough to attend both the Smackdown and the Knoxville Nats this year. I'll readily admit the non wing cars put on better shows. I go to Kokomo every Sunday that I can, but I love the speed of the wing cars. I make sure I get a pit pass every time I go to Eldora for a WoO show just to go watch hot laps down there, and that experience makes me feel as if I've got my money's worth. Back to the topic though, I'm just really glad to be around to see the likes of Ballou, Schatz, Clauson, Darland, Abreu, etc (I could make a scroll with this list ha).

Saw on twitter this afternoon that the newly crowned usac sprint car champion seems to agree with my theory. He said hands down BC is the best! Validation ;)