Kyle Larson Back In A Midget, Back On Dirt

[CIRF]

The best dirt track driver of the past 10 years is going to return to dirt track racing this winter off season. Really glad to have bought Chili Bowl tickets this year. Larson is especially hungry and determined to win the Chili Bowl and I hope we're there to see it!

Larson Planning Winter Dirt Return

CONCORD, N.C. — Fans of NASCAR driver Kyle Larson who are hoping to see him return to his dirt racing roots this offseason are in luck.
Larson confirmed to SPEED SPORT that he will contest a schedule similar to the one he ran last winter, beginning with the 75th annual Turkey Night Grand Prix midget race Nov. 26 at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway.
Larson also plans to race his winged sprint car during the early January Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown at Cocopah Speedway in Arizona before turning his attention to the Jan. 12-16 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla.
“As soon as our season is done I’ll go to Perris to do the Turkey Night,” Larson confirmed while at Phoenix Int’l Raceway over the weekend. “I’ll do the first three nights at Cocopah Speedway and then I’ll do the Chili Bowl. So that’ll be my open-wheel schedule for the offseason.”
Last year Larson ran the same group of races and was fairly successful. He finished third in the Turkey Night Grand Prix, won a sprint car feature during the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown and won a Chili Bowl preliminary feature after racing his way into the feature from the C main.
Larson’s focus the last few years has been on his career in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, so he hasn’t done nearly as much open-wheel racing as he did while climbing the racing ladder. He said in the future he hopes to do more open-wheel racing when his schedule allows, but he said he needs permission from his team owner Chip Ganassi in order to do that.
“I’d like to (run more open-wheel races), but I just don’t know about that. I’d have to get permission,” Larson said.

[oldfart50]

Maybe he can win something. They really should quit calling them Midgets in this day and age. I also would not say he is the best dirt track racer in the last ten years.

[CIRF]

Well, let's see here. Larson has won races run on dirt tracks ranging in size from 1/5th mile to one mile while driving 5 different types of race cars. Midgets, winged 410 sprints, winged 360 sprints, wingless 410 sprints and USAC Silver Crown.

He won the Belleville Midget Nationals having never seen the scariest fast dirt track shorter than 1 mile in length. He won at Du Quoin on the mile in Keith Kunz' USAC Silver Crown car. He won all 3 USAC national touring series (midgets, wingless sprints and Silver Crown) races at the 2011 4 Crown Nationals at Eldora and he'd never seen the place before. Jack Hewitt is the only driver to win all the events that comprise 4 Crown and he'd been racing at Eldora for 20 years and probably had more laps in competition at Eldora than any man alive at that time. Jack even admitted that what Larson did at The 4 Crown Nationals was probably more impressive than his 4 feature wins in one night because Larson had never seen the place before.

Larson won the 72nd running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix in November of 2012 being one of 80 midgets in the pits at Perris that Thanksgiving Night. He's won A-mains at the Chili Bowl on several occasions, has won a preliminary a night A-main at The Knoxville Nationals in a winged sprint car. He swept the both nights of the Gold Cup in 2011 and came back and won the Gold Cup again in 2012.

And top it all off with a few facts concerning his early stock car asphalt career, Larson won the first stock car race he ever competed in and won the K&N All Pro Series championship in his rookie season.

Plus, he has a Rolex watch which he received for winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona. That is the overall winner, not a class winner.

None of this includes his successes driving outlaw karts or quarter midgets.

Now if you can find anyone who's dirt resume' is better than that in as many different tracks driving as many completely different types of race cars please feel free to name them and list their accomplishments.

I can't wait to learn the name of the driver who's had a better dirt career over the past 10 seasons.

This oughta' be good. Hehehehe!

[oldfart50]

You should really stop calling them midgets...

[CIRF]

You should name the better dirt driver than Kyle Larson over the past 10 years. We anxiously await your stirring revelation cause your attempt at humor just fell on it's face..............again.










That's what I thought.

[kidrock]

Well, let's see here. Larson has won races run on dirt tracks ranging in size from 1/5th mile to one mile while driving 5 different types of race cars. Midgets, winged 410 sprints, winged 360 sprints, wingless 410 sprints and USAC Silver Crown.

He won the Belleville Midget Nationals having never seen the scariest fast dirt track shorter than 1 mile in length. He won at Du Quoin on the mile in Keith Kunz' USAC Silver Crown car. He won all 3 USAC national touring series (midgets, wingless sprints and Silver Crown) races at the 2011 4 Crown Nationals at Eldora and he'd never seen the place before. Jack Hewitt is the only driver to win all the events that comprise 4 Crown and he'd been racing at Eldora for 20 years and probably had more laps in competition at Eldora than any man alive at that time. Jack even admitted that what Larson did at The 4 Crown Nationals was probably more impressive than his 4 feature wins in one night because Larson had never seen the place before.

Larson won the 72nd running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix in November of 2012 being one of 80 midgets in the pits at Perris that Thanksgiving Night. He's won on A-mains at the Chili Bowl on several occasions, has won a preliminary a night A-main at The Knoxville Nationals in winged sprint car. He swept the both nights of the Gold Cup in 2011 and came back and won the Gold Cup again in 2012.

And top it all off with some a few facts concerning his early stock car asphalt career, Larson won the first stock car race he ever competed in and won the K&N All Pro Series championship in his rookie season.

Plus, he has a Rolex watch which he received for winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona. That is the overall winner, not a class winner.

None of this includes his successes driving outlaw karts or quarter midgets.

Now if you can find anyone who's dirt resume' is better than that in as many different tracks driving as many completely different types of race cars please feel free to name them and list their accomplishments.

I can't wait to learn the name of the driver who's had a better dirt career over the past 10 seasons.

This oughta' be good. Hehehehe!

I would agree especially in Midgets and Sprints he is probably the best I have ever seen.

[oldfart50]

It would be more politically correct to call them Little Sprint Cars...

[kidrock]

It would be more politically correct to call them Little Sprint Cars...


and why would that be?

[oldfart50]

The term midget is not politically correct.

[CIRF]

I would agree especially in Midgets and Sprints he is probably the best I have ever seen.
I don't know Kid, from my perspective Stan Fox and Rich Vogler might have been as good or better but it's really hard to compare in an objective way. I will say this, Larson is as thoughtful in the heat of the moment as anyone I've ever seen. We watched him win the Turkey Night Grand Prix out at Perris, CA and he flat out willed himself to stay in front of his opponents the last 25 laps of that race. There were some heavy hitters trying to pass him, too. Tracy Hines and Bryan Clauson just to name a couple. Keith Kunz said in a Sprint Car & Midget Magazine interview that Larson was the best he's ever had, in his cars anyway, and only a flaming fool would dispute what that guy says under any circumstances.

I also watched Larson and Bryan Clauson in the Ted Horn Memorial USAC Silver Crown race at Du Quoin put on a show on the mile that still will raise goose bumps just at the thought of it. They were interlocking wheels getting into turn 1 almost every lap for about 30 miles or more. To this day it's the single most impressive performance I have ever seen involving Silver Crown cars and we've seen a lot of 100 milers over the years.

The term midget is not politically correct.
Oh, I see!! Midgets=offensive to little people. Got it. However, I don't believe the little folks are offended by the use of the term midgets as it pertains to race cars but if you feel as if you're making comedic points then please, carry on.

Have you come up with that driver who's resume' is more impressive than Larson's over the past decade?

Hurry, the interest and tension is building!! Hehehehe!

[oldfart50]

I am glad he is so good on dirt. He will have something to return too in the next few years. He is an also ran in NASCAR so its good he will have a future.

[CIRF]

Come up with a name yet? Hehehehe!

[kidrock]

I don't know Kid, from my perspective Stan Fox and Rich Vogler might have been as good or better but it's really hard to compare in an objective way. I will say this, Larson is as thoughtful in the heat of the moment as anyone I've ever seen. We watched him win the Turkey Night Grand Prix out at Perris, CA and he flat out willed himself to stay in front of his opponents the last 25 laps of that race. There were some heavy hitters trying to pass him, too. Tracy Hines and Bryan Clauson just to name a couple. Keith Kunz said in a Sprint Car & Midget Magazine interview that Larson was the best he's ever had, in his cars anyway, and only a flaming fool would dispute what that guy says under any circumstances.

I also watched Larson and Bryan Clauson in the Ted Horn Memorial USAC Silver Crown race at Du Quoin put on a show on the mile that still will raise goose bumps just at the thought of it. They were interlocking wheels getting into turn 1 almost every lap for about 30 miles or more. To this day it's the single most impressive performance I have ever seen involving Silver Crown cars and we've seen a lot of 100 milers over the years.

Oh, I see!! Midgets=offensive to little people. Got it. However, I don't believe the little folks are offended by the use of the term midgets as it pertains to race cars but if you feel as if you're making comedic points then please, carry on.

Have you come up with that driver who's resume' is more impressive than Larson's over the past decade?

Hurry, the interest and tension is building!! Hehehehe!

Well I never had the pleasure to see Stan Fox or Rich Volger so, I can't make the comparison.

[CIRF]

Well I never had the pleasure to see Stan Fox or Rich Volger so, I can't make the comparison.

If you never watched Fox, Vogler, Sleepy Tripp or Jeff Gordon drive a midget then Larson is probably the best you've ever seen. A case could be made for any one of those 4 guys to be ranked ahead of Kyle Larson.

And you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned not having the pleasure of seeing those aforementioned drivers. All of those guys were definitely a pleasure to watch. Although, no more so than Larson.

[Dante Toledo, OH]

I think the best dirt racer in the last 10 years is Donny Schatz. But I like Larson a lot. He is really good.

[CIRF]

I think the best dirt racer in the last 10 years is Donny Schatz. But I like Larson a lot. He is really good.

You'll get no argument from me on that, Dante. I don't know much about Schatz due to the fact that we don't follow winged sprint car racing all that much, although I probably should. What is undeniable is that Schatz wins, and wins A LOT! Wins the big races, too.

The only advantage I'd give to Larson is that he won the big races regularly driving 4 or 5 different types of racecars. Midgets, wingless and winged sprints and USAC Silver Crown cars on all size dirt tracks from the smallest 1/5 mile to the big ol' 1 mile dirt tracks of Springfield, Du Quoin, The Indy Mile and everything in between.

[Dante Toledo, OH]

I am with you on that. I have a lot of respect for the guys that can get in anything, anywhere and run up front.

[DoubleZero]

Larson was Tony Stewart's choice to be his NASCAR replacement, but the legalities did not work out.

[CIRF]

Larson was Tony Stewart's choice to be his NASCAR replacement, but the legalities did not work out.

DZ, we've read that story many times. It seems I read that Ganassi got Kyle's name on the dotted line before anyone else, namely Stewart, could get to him. I have no proof that is how it came down but that's how the story goes.

I see where Rico Abreu signed a driver development deal with Ganassi, as well. That really surprised me since Rico and Stewart appear to be very close. Of course Rico and Kyle Larson are very close friends and Kyle may have had a hand in Rico signing with Ganassi. Again, I've got no proof, just a hunch.

[Late_Model_Mark]

Somehow the author of this post forgot to mention Ron Shuman. I attended every single Turkey night from 1966 until I moved out of California. The Turkey nights at Ascot were the best. The key to the authors post was in the last 10 years, very important fact. Overall my choices would be Vogler, Shuman, and Hewitt. Kyle Larson is one bad hombre.




Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track Announcer

[CIRF]

Somehow the author of this post forgot to mention Ron Shuman. I attended every single Turkey night from 1966 until I moved out of California. The Turkey nights at Ascot were the best. The key to the authors post was in the last 10 years, very important fact. Overall my choices would be Vogler, Shuman, and Hewitt. Kyle Larson is one bad hombre.




Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track Announcer

I've only attended 2 Turkey Night Grand Prix's, both at Perris. We would have attended several more had Turkey Night not been run on asphalt for 13 years prior to 2012. Nothing against asphalt, it's just not my thing.

Ascot was just a bit before my time and I'd love to have seen any kind of race there but Turkey Night would have been the ultimate. I guess I need to clarify that Ascot wasn't technically before my time, it was before the time when I had enough disposable income to make the 2000 mile trip to SoCal. Personally I think Ventura would be a great place for Turkey Night. Only been there once but it looks like it would be a great midget track. Prolly need to wear a snow mobile suit to stay warm but that's another story.

Shuman would be in the top 3 or 4 of all time along with the other two previously mentioned, Vogler and Jack Hewitt and one could add A.J. into that elite group. Shuman was similar to Larson in that he never won a USAC National touring series championship but Shu sure owned Turkey Night and CRA and SCRA. I think he won a bunch of Western World Championships, too. How many TNGP's did he win, something like 9 or 10, wasn't it?

I gotta' believe that Shu would have had a chance at NASCAR if his career was unfolding now like it did in his day. Timing is everything.

[DoubleZero]

Although he will have a new crew chief next year, I'm not sure Kyle Larson's potential will be realized at Ganassi. The Tony Stewart assignment would have put him (more) under the Hendrick umbrella.

[Late_Model_Mark]

22 cars last night, pitiful turnout.


Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track Announcer

[CIRF]

22 cars last night, pitiful turnout.


Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track AnnouncerYep, not good. It may have been that they decided to do heat races, etc. 98 laps on the short 1/2 of Perris is hard on equipment and some might have stayed away for that reason. However, that doesn't account for all of the no show's. Another factor may be that the car count as a whole in California and Arizona, et al, is much lower than in the East and Midwest and owners may feel that they can't justify a 1500 to 2500 mile pull for just one race.

The first year at Perris, 2012, and our first year at TN they had 80 cars. What changed in just 3 short years?

What we saw while watching the internet PPV of TNGP is that all 22 cars were very good cars, most of which were capable of winning which made up for the low numbers.


The fact that Perris only gets 22 cars for this year's TNGP and Belleville had 34 cars this past July/August but The Chili Bowl draws in excess of 300 is also a bit of a mystery.

The Chili Bowl draws almost 100 cars more than the largest car count ever at the World Hundred.

It isn't because the cars aren't out there. Something else is going on.

[Late_Model_Mark]

Agreed. Back in the day as people say, the Turkey Night race at Ascot was ultra, repeat, ultra tough to make. Also back in time USAC would have shows for the boys at Ventura, in Arizona, and other tracks out West. Heat races did not have a dog gone thing to do with the lousy turnout, it was tougher to make the show with the old format, the midget folks knew the turnout would be low so they wanted the fans to get more racing, plus Perris, a track I hit more the 50 times, is a complete wallet drainer. High cost to park, get in the grandstand, $50 dollar on some event pit passes and outrageous concession prices. Still. such a great event should have more cars.



Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track Announcer

[CIRF]

No doubt about that, a better car count should be expected. Turkey Night has to be one of the oldest running dirt races in the country at 75 years and is considered a crown jewel of conventional open wheel racing. Mark, your point of Ventura and other venue's no longer hosting midget racing around Thanksgiving hurting car count is a good and valid one, as well.

But, having said that, what has changed in the past 3 years? There were 79 or 80 cars in the pits for TN back in 2012. I was there and it was one of the better nights of racing we've seen in the recent past. Did the shine come off the apple?

Right or wrong I believe a significant detriment to car count has to do with a dwindling number of active midgets on the West Coast these days and $35,000.00 engines being twisted up tight for long periods of time on the half mile. Both of those aspects obviously go hand in hand. At 35 large a copy for a midget engine that is competitive with Keith Kunz and a few others I believe there is a significant financial component at play here. I've been looking at a couple of open wheel boards the past couple of days and the added laps of the heat races has come up in conversations involving some midget owners. I'm only going by what they're saying.

The same thing happened with the Hut Hundred when it was run at Terre Haute. Track was too big. It's happening in all forms of short track racing. The people putting out the money for the racing equipment are becoming more and more sensitive to track size and configuration and it's effect on component durability. It's obvious you can't have it both ways. You can't have peak horsepower and torque curves and expect them to last as long on a big ol' half mile as a little 1/4 or 3/8's bull ring.

I would agree the cost of competing and spectating at Perris is much higher than many other venue's and I would agree that Perris' pricing may be a factor as well. Welcome to Southern California! But in our case, flying from the Midwest, renting a car, paying for decent and safe lodging along with Southern California food and drink prices and attending the race was not going to be a regular yearly occurrence so we were probably less sensitive to the costs as we would be if it was a yearly occurrence. A couple bottles of Temecula wine country vino adds up in a hurry, too! LOL!

[Late_Model_Mark]

Once again I fully agree with your solid points, especially the engines. I liked the Midgets of the 70s' the best including the VW powered cars of the day.


Late Model Mark
TST Announcer

[oldfart50]

So even with a weak field the greatest of all time was only able to be the first loser? That just doesn't seem right...

[CIRF]

Although we weren't able to make the trip out to Perris this year for Turkey Night we watched it on internet PPV. Don't get the idea it was a weak field. Any time Keith Kunz has 5 or 6 cars in a race you can be assured the field isn't weak. I would say there were at least 15 or 16 cars in the field that could have won the 98 lap A-main. Quantity does not always equate to quality.

In 2012 when we were at Perris for Turkey Night there were 80 cars and I'd say the quality of the starting field of the A-main was not much, if any, better than the starting field Thanksgiving night.

Not sure who you're referring to as the greatest of all time. That covers a lot of territory.

[Late_Model_Mark]

CIRF, how would you rate Stewart Friesen in this view about Larson being the best overall in the last bunch of years? That question will certainly jar your knowledge. Very curious on your answer.



Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track Announcer

[CIRF]

I must admit I'm not all that familiar with Stewart Friesen. What I know about Friesen off the top of my head is that he is a DIRT big block modified competitor (a pretty good one, too) and has won the Super Dirt Week Finale' at Syracuse this year and last year and 2 or 3 other times. Those win's are a pretty impressive driver resume' all by themselves. Friesen may have had some success in winged sprint cars IIRC but we don't follow the winged cars as much as some other types of cars.

If Mr. Friesen has ventured beyond, and has been successful driving, other types of racing besides a BBM and winged sprint cars I humbly plead ignorance.

Syracuse SDW was a bucket list destination similar to Ascot Park, Langhorne and the beach road course race on the sands of Daytona Beach. We never attended any of those 3 venues since they were before my time. Syracuse always fell at a very busy time of year for us and will sadly fade away without us having attended.

[Raceready]

Its not as if you missed a lot if you are one that likes good racing as I suspect that you do. The Miller 300 races tended to be a long drawn out 1 lane affair. Usually the winner was on the front row and the only hope for advancement was through pit stops or attrition.

[CIRF]

Its not as if you missed a lot if you are one that likes good racing as I suspect that you do. The Miller 300 races tended to be a long drawn out 1 lane affair. Usually the winner was on the front row and the only hope for advancement was through pit stops or attrition.

Raceready, how many pit stops were necessary in the 300?

[Raceready]

1stop I believe. Some made 2. If I recall correctly everyone had to do a mandatory after the 150th lap. there were several that lost the race over the years with 5 or less laps to go because of running out. It was the mid 90s when we went there for a STARS race. We were less than pleased because it was so late in the year and there was another higher paying race somewhere so a bunch of the boys that couldn't advance in the points didn't make the long tow there. Donnie Moran won and there were about 4 or so in the top 10 that would have struggled to qualify in any regional series event. Dusty and no passing. The type of race where you could go eat in the middle of it and come back and find the same cars in the same positions. P.S. I believe the last race or so was writhe in scandal because the winner had a fuel cell over 3 gallons bigger than everyone else. It was the same who had won the previous year so most feel as if that win was tainted as well !

[CIRF]

Hmmmm, interesting side note on the fuel cell capacity. Thanks.

It sounds as if we maybe were just as well not to make it out East for SDW.

I dearly love the 1 mile dirt tracks but there are certain types of cars that aren't suited for the long dirt tracks. Dirt late models, midgets, winged and non winged sprint cars are just a few that traditionally never were all that exciting on the mile tracks. Those divisions were never meant to go as fast as they are capable of going on a mile and the drivers generally aren't accustomed to going that fast and the racing generally suffers as a result. The big block modified's also may be one of those divisions. But having never seen them on a mile I really don't know.

The ARCA stock cars, USAC Silver Crown cars generally put on a good show on the mile dirt tracks. Surprisingly enough, the econo mods, or whatever they call them these days, (UMP Modifieds maybe?) usually put on a pretty good show on the mile tracks.

[Raceready]

The mods sure have changed a lot since I watched them a lot back in the day. They had the Gremlin style bodies on them and the body of the car just sort of flopped to the right entering a corner and then slowly it leveled out and then flopped over again when the driver sat it up for the next turn. lol !

[CIRF]

Raceready, are the big blocks required to run mufflers at all venues throughout the season?

[Raceready]

I don't know for sure now. I think at one time there were a few tracks that were too close to certain towns that they had to have them on.

[Late_Model_Mark]

I ask the author about his thoughts of Matt Shepherd and his exploits. Or Mark Noble and or Jason Hughes? How many track championships has Larson won and sanctioning titles? Just asking as I don't know about any track titles for Larson, my ignorance on that. Friesen won 34 races, in Big-block Mods, 358 Mods, WoO sprints and 360 sprints. Shepherd won 31 shows and the SDS title.


Also the author may have looked over Mr. Bloomquist or Mr. Lanigan Just my view and mine only, but I feel that the competition in the overall Late Model scene and certainly the Big Block Mod arena is quite brutal compared to other disciplines of dirt. I may be wrong but that is how I view it after all the stuff I have viewed thru the years. No disrespect to other forms at all, I also respect CIRF view as the man loves this sport.



Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track Announcer

[CIRF]

I ask the author about his thoughts of Matt Shepherd and his exploits. Or Mark Noble and or Jason Hughes? How many track championships has Larson won and sanctioning titles? Just asking as I don't know about any track titles for Larson, my ignorance on that. Friesen won 34 races, in Big-block Mods, 358 Mods, WoO sprints and 360 sprints. Shepherd won 31 shows and the SDS title.


Also the author may have looked over Mr. Bloomquist or Mr. Lanigan Just my view and mine only, but I feel that the competition in the overall Late Model scene and certainly the Big Block Mod arena is quite brutal compared to other disciplines of dirt. I may be wrong but that is how I view it after all the stuff I have viewed thru the years. No disrespect to other forms at all, I also respect CIRF view as the man loves this sport.



Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track Announcer
Appreciate the kind words, Mark. I do love dirt racin' of all kinds. I hold your opinions in deference to my own since I haven't been involved, other than being a bleacher jockey, in any type of racing operation for over a decade now.

I would be interested in where you would rank diverse drivers like Jack Hewitt, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell among the drivers you mention.

To my knowledge Larson has not won any sanction titles or track championships. However, I can't speak for his days driving outlaw karts in California. It appears that he focused on winning races. Races that would get him noticed and build a resume'. Mission accomplished, I reckon.

I have no doubts that 1 or more of the aforementioned drivers has the talent and dedication, if given equal equipment, could possibly build a driving resume' equal to, or better than Larson or Bell.

I believe if the guys mentioned, Freisen, Shepherd, Noble or Hughes had won races and track championships in addition to driving and winning races in USAC Silver Crown cars, winged and wingless sprints and midgets at marque' events such as the 4 Crown Nationals, Du Quoin, Indiana Sprint Week, The Belleville Midget Nationals, The Knoxville Nationals (a preliminary A-main), The Chili Bowl (several preliminary A-mains), Turkey Night Grand Prix, the WoO Gold Cup and in a Daytona Prototype sports car at the Rolex 24 at Daytona I firmly believe we'd be talking about their budding NASCAR careers. However, it's very near impossible to do both at the same time. That statement is not meant to diminish the accomplishments of the aforementioned drivers, not by any stretch of the imagination. But, winning those events turn heads and get a driver noticed. Just ask Tim McCreadie, who was successful in both big block modifieds and dirt late models but what got him a shot at NASCAR was winning The Chili Bowl.

As far as Bloomquist and Lanigan are concerned their career resume' speaks for itself but the indisputable facts are that both of those guys, as great as they are, ventured out of the DLM's with very little success. Diversity and success are a powerful combination in today's specialized dirt racing environment and those who can pull it off are a special breed.

[Late_Model_Mark]

Jack Hewitt is a beast!! Got to see him race some, that dude could drive anything. Anyways, a very good and fun discussion.



Late Model Mark
TST Announcer

[CIRF]

Right back at ya', Mark.

As usual your points are well taken and well presented.

Kudos.

[Raceready]

I must admit I'm not all that familiar with Stewart Friesen. What I know about Friesen off the top of my head is that he is a DIRT big block modified competitor (a pretty good one, too) and has won the Super Dirt Week Finale' at Syracuse this year and last year and 2 or 3 other times. Those win's are a pretty impressive driver resume' all by themselves. Friesen may have had some success in winged sprint cars IIRC but we don't follow the winged cars as much as some other types of cars. If Mr. Friesen has ventured beyond, and has been successful driving, other types of racing besides a BBM and winged sprint cars I humbly plead ignorance. Syracuse SDW was a bucket list destination similar to Ascot Park, Langhorne and the beach road course race on the sands of Daytona Beach. We never attended any of those 3 venues since they were before my time. Syracuse always fell at a very busy time of year for us and will sadly fade away without us having attended. Very sad day Saturday 01/09/2016. The grandstands at Syracuse were imploded. A pretty good crowd showed up. Those who there to rubberneck and didn't understand applauded after the last explosion. The race fans that hung around afterwards in the parking lot had a tear in their eye as they raised one last toast to the old girl.

[CIRF]

Raceready, due to career obligations I was never able to attend Super Dirt Week. It always fell at a very busy time of the year for me. It saddens me to hear of the ultimate demise of a great and historical venue. I understand nothing stays the same, time and so called "progress" must march on but sometimes sacred ground and history should be preserves. I believe this is one of those situations.

It's too late now. She's gone and the people who stand to benefit monetarily are no doubt are happy with the destruction of this motor sports icon.

Thanks Raceready for passing on this somewhat sad news to those of us here in the Midwest that wouldn't have otherwise been aware of this sad event.

[MX304]

Larson was Tony Stewart's choice to be his NASCAR replacement, but the legalities did not work out. Anyone know when Larson's contract with Ganassi is up? I'd bet Bowyer's contract is up at the same time...

[Bubstr]

If your talking great Midget drivers, you have to throw in Mel Kenyon Tom Bigalo, Stan Fox and Kevin Doty. But that has been more than 10 years. How time flies.

I got a kick out of the Shoeman fans at Knoxville, holding up their shoe.

[CIRF]

If your talking great Midget drivers, you have to throw in Mel Kenyon Tom Bigalo, Stan Fox and Kevin Doty. But that has been more than 10 years. How time flies.

I got a kick out of the Shoeman fans at Knoxville, holding up their shoe.

Buster, you are 100% correct that the drivers you mentioned are the best midget drivers in history. I am inclined to add Bob Tattersall to your list of the greatest midget drivers. Anyone around in the 1960's knows Tat was right up there with the best of them.

However, I originally said that Kyle Larson is the best all around dirt driver of the last 10 years and I solidly stand by that statement. Jack Hewitt was the last driver that can boast as diverse of a racing resume as Larson but Jack spent his whole career achieving all the different wins. It only took Larson just 3 or 4 years.

Late Model Mark mentioned some great dirt drivers from the past 10 years but the record of success that Larson had amassed in 4 completely different types of race cars is unmatched. Larson won big crown jewel races in just about everything he drove..

[hogracer3d]

you could put Bubby Jones and Richard Griffin on that short list too !