Knoxville Nationals WITHOUT wings?

arctic monkey21 · 1/21/13, 5:03 PM

I have no idea what winged drivers would and wouldn't run a non winged race given the chance, but I'm not sure how the WoO guys can fit it into their schedule when they already run 90 times a year. As for Oskaloosa, it works both ways. The bulk of the non wing drivers don't run the winged race there either. The Ultimate Challenge is usually the higest paying race of the year for them just like the Nationals is for the winged guys. Why risk tearing up your equipment running something you don't do reguarly before a really big race in your own discipline?

fish · 1/21/13, 8:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arctic monkey21

I have no idea what winged drivers would and wouldn't run a non winged race given the chance, but I'm not sure how the WoO guys can fit it into their schedule when they already run 90 times a year. As for Oskaloosa, it works both ways. The bulk of the non wing drivers don't run the winged race there either. The Ultimate Challenge is usually the higest paying race of the year for them just like the Nationals is for the winged guys. Why risk tearing up your equipment running something you don't do reguarly before a really big race in your own discipline?

The reality of the situation is also that without the winged Knoxville Nationals, there wouldn't even be a non-winged race at Oskaloosa.

Flatrightrear · 1/22/13, 12:36 AM

Anybody that gets on here and says Steve and Sammy would get their clocks cleaned running non-wing has absolutely no idea of their racing roots or their talent level. They've both won many, many times running non-wing and are two guys you still have to contend with if they show up----anytime and anywhere and racing anything. It's all there in the record books. Didn't Stevie Smith finish very well at the Mopar Million at Eldora and that was the first time he ever ran non-wing? Non-wing is great but it ain't rocket science. Good drivers figure it out pretty quick.

sprinter14 · 1/22/13, 12:55 PM

I think you guys are missing the REAL problem here. It isn't that Knoxville wouldn't try it and it isn't that the wing guys would run without the wing. The WoO will be the ones who WOULD NOT LET IT HAPPEN PERIOD. They would schedule a race against it and penalize a million points lifetime to anyone who ran it. Or some stupid crap. They did it to the million!! Look back and see, I am 100% positive that the WoO and All Stars both scheduled against the million.

And as for wing guys doing well at the million, YES, they did. They also had more laps around that place than anyone running against the fence. I'd like to see a big event like this on a different race track. But Knoxville would also favor the wing guys because the number of laps they have there.

speed bump · 1/22/13, 5:29 PM

KOKOMO SMACKDOWN.....end of story...

cecil98 · 1/22/13, 5:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flatrightrear

Anybody that gets on here and says Steve and Sammy would get their clocks cleaned running non-wing has absolutely no idea of their racing roots or their talent level. They've both won many, many times running non-wing and are two guys you still have to contend with if they show up----anytime and anywhere and racing anything. It's all there in the record books. Didn't Stevie Smith finish very well at the Mopar Million at Eldora and that was the first time he ever ran non-wing? Non-wing is great but it ain't rocket science. Good drivers figure it out pretty quick.

you are correct "FlatRR". I was up at Kokomo in the very early 80's for a 50 lap sprint car show. The Eldora Nationals had rained out early that day and in pulled Sammy Swindell with the Nance rig. They rolled the car out, took the wing off, changed the bars and gear, and won the thing. Chuck Amati, in Briscoe's car, led almost the entire race but, Sammy finally got by with a couple of laps to go. He had no problem running sans the wing!

Sandy Lowe · 1/22/13, 7:00 PM

The Knoxville Nationals (with wings) has been averaging a car count of right around 100 for the last couple of years. Last season the Kokomo Smackdown (sans wings) only had 44 cars. No way a nonwing Knoxville Nationals could draw anywhere close to 100 cars.

treecitytornado · 1/22/13, 7:39 PM

If they paid the same million dollar purse it would have 100 cars plus. JMO!

Posted via Mobile Device

i love dirt track racing · 1/22/13, 9:48 PM

Take it to the Burg

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racephoto1 · 1/22/13, 10:13 PM

WOW 90 races! Big deal, check how many Larson has run this year. As for the purse, I still don't think if it was the same as the nationals they'd run. WoO would make sure of that.

As for wingless guys and halfs.They run Eldora, Terre Haute, The Burg(weekly deal, and it's a lot closer to a half than a 3/8's). Also a bunch of the guys run the miles with Champ dirt cars, so the argument about big tracks is weak at best.

The biggest problem is lack of cash. As everyone knows, the big tracks are harder on stuff, tires, drivelines,motors and the like. The bigger the joint, the longer your on the gas. But if the money is big enough they run.

The Knoxville deal is nice to ponder, but it ain't gonna happen.

1/22/13, 12:55 PM	#24 Re: Knoxville Nationals WITHOUT wings?
sprinter14 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 897	I think you guys are missing the REAL problem here. It isn't that Knoxville wouldn't try it and it isn't that the wing guys would run without the wing. The WoO will be the ones who WOULD NOT LET IT HAPPEN PERIOD. They would schedule a race against it and penalize a million points lifetime to anyone who ran it. Or some stupid crap. They did it to the million!! Look back and see, I am 100% positive that the WoO and All Stars both scheduled against the million. And as for wing guys doing well at the million, YES, they did. They also had more laps around that place than anyone running against the fence. I'd like to see a big event like this on a different race track. But Knoxville would also favor the wing guys because the number of laps they have there.

1/22/13, 7:39 PM	#28
treecitytornado Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 4,016	If they paid the same million dollar purse it would have 100 cars plus. JMO! Posted via Mobile Device

1/22/13, 9:48 PM	#29
i love dirt track racing Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 20,387	Take it to the Burg Posted via Mobile Device

1/22/13, 10:13 PM	#30 Re: Knoxville Nationals WITHOUT wings?
racephoto1 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 4,253	WOW 90 races! Big deal, check how many Larson has run this year. As for the purse, I still don't think if it was the same as the nationals they'd run. WoO would make sure of that. As for wingless guys and halfs.They run Eldora, Terre Haute, The Burg(weekly deal, and it's a lot closer to a half than a 3/8's). Also a bunch of the guys run the miles with Champ dirt cars, so the argument about big tracks is weak at best. The biggest problem is lack of cash. As everyone knows, the big tracks are harder on stuff, tires, drivelines,motors and the like. The bigger the joint, the longer your on the gas. But if the money is big enough they run. The Knoxville deal is nice to ponder, but it ain't gonna happen.