Schatz respect

[heinen81]

Everyone bickers back and forth on here if Bloomer is the best driver out there, Shepard, JD.... hands down best driver on the track when he shows up, is Schatz. Just dominates for over a decade in WOO sprints, jumps in a late model a handful of times a year, and is not only fast out of the box but competitive as well. Its a side gig! I bet if he could follow the late model tour for one season, he wins a few shows. 2 cars that couldn't drive more differently. Throw Shepard or JD in a 410 a few times a year, they don't finish on the front end of a LCQ. Not a big Schatz fan but that's impressive. Best all around driver on the track when he is there.

[BTExpress]

Agree....I generally do not root for him in a sprint car but respect the h*ll out of him as a driver. Definitely on Mt Rushmore as one of the all time greats. That being said, he has continued to get better every time he straps into a DLM. He does this for fun as a "sideline" outlet much like Larson when he races a midget and sprint car. As dirt racing fans, we should all be rooting for him to do well with his late model........

[dirt33]

The mention of Kyle Larson makes me wonder how he would do if he ever took a notion to hop in a DLM?

[CIRF]

Great observation and very well said by both of you!

The bottom line is this: a true racer is a racer and the type car a true racer competes in, if the car is of comparable quality, is a manageable variable. Obviously Schatzy is a true racer. That fact was also evident at Tulsa a couple of years ago when he was competitive almost from the first lap. It's a safe bet that Schatzy would be good in most anything much like Larson & Bell.

We're in Florida for Speedweeks this year and we're glad to have had the opportunity to watch Schatzy in a dirt late model. Just wish Schatzy would come up to Bubba and jump in a USAC sprinter. I'd bet he'd be tough very quickly driving one of those, too! Hope Larson follows Schatzy's footsteps to have some fun in a late model somewhere down the line!

[NeedforLMspeed]

I brought this conversation up last year on here. Had some good feedback. If he ran the full WoO LM tour. Over/under on wins and where in the points would he finish.

[Pennsboro32]

I brought this conversation up last year on here. Had some good feedback. If he ran the full WoO LM tour. Over/under on wins and where in the points would he finish.Over or under 1.5 and 9th-10th in points. That's no knock on Shatz, it's darn impressive seeing him jump in a late model and be competitive. Like mentioned above, LM guys wouldn't be able to be competitive in a 410 on the National level so he's definitely earned my respect. I would love to see Larson or Bell run a SLM someday.

[GrocMax]

Schatz is the only guy who out Wolfganged Wolfgang, won Knoxville Nats from way back in a B.

[Stefan2k4]

The mention of Kyle Larson makes me wonder how he would do if he ever took a notion to hop in a DLM?

Probably hit the wall in every spot possible.

As for Schatz, I agree! he's truly a talented driver and has the discipline to be able to adapter to a DLM. If he drove them more often, he likely would be right among the best. I don't think Larson has that discipline. Watching him in the Cup cars he often overdrives his car and smacks the wall.

As for Bell, I think it's going to be most interesting to watch him in Cup this year. I believe he does have potential to do great things.

[fryefan]

The mention of Kyle Larson makes me wonder how he would do if he ever took a notion to hop in a DLM?

Him and Christopher Bell are fast in whatever they drive. They would be winning races in dirt late models in short order, if they ever take it up.

[CIRF]

It's hard to fathom Larson not being competitive driving a dirt late model. He won the very first race he ever drove a stock car on asphalt and he won a Rolex watch driving a Daytona Prototype at Daytona. Can a dirt late model be exponentially more difficult to adapt to and become competitive? Doubtful.

I'm with fryefan, both Bell and Larson would be very good in a modern generic dirt late model and it wouldn't take long for them to start winning races.

[spiderma4]

I always find it funny that people will say a late model guy couldn't be competitive in 410 like its some kind of special talent! If you can run wide open around Eldora in a 2300 lb late model its not that hard to do it 1400 lb winged sprint car!

[lazyifoto]

This would be a good place to propose a super hero of racing. Same 12 drivers run a 1 night show. 4 best by invitation 4 best sprint 4 best late model 4 best modified ....figure out a points package and pay the best.....it would really be an exhibition race .....but maybe fun.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

I always find it funny that people will say a late model guy couldn't be competitive in 410 like its some kind of special talent! If you can run wide open around Eldora in a 2300 lb late model its not that hard to do it 1400 lb winged sprint car!

That Sprint car is going much faster with much more primitive suspension. I don't think it's a guarantee, and I don't like Sprint cars.

Now Schatz, he's run dlm cars for quite a while now. This is the first week I was at all impressed.

[JabberJaws83]

Tony Stewart and Jack Hewitt, could probably win in a powerboat first time out.

[dirtcrazy4u]

Yea in his day Hewitt would show them all how it's done. The 4 crown nationals at eldora proved that. Nobody could do what he did. You can talk shatz, and yes he is good, but in my eyes the driver that could drive any division on a dirt track will always be DO IT HEWITT...

[Josh Bayko]

That Sprint car is going much faster with much more primitive suspension. I don't think it's a guarantee, and I don't like Sprint cars.

Now Schatz, he's run dlm cars for quite a while now. This is the first week I was at all impressed.

I mean, Donny does have a few regional LM wins.

[WisWildManFan]

All the downforce those wings produce make them much easier to drive than a late model. Perfect opportunity for bell and Larson is hell tour stop at Chicagoland. They can dominate in the midgets and then run in the back of the late model show.

[Josh Bayko]

All the downforce those wings produce make them much easier to drive than a late model. Perfect opportunity for bell and Larson is hell tour stop at Chicagoland. They can dominate in the midgets and then run in the back of the late model show.

Late models are making so much downforce they’re making rules to try and limit it. The two divisions aren’t as far as apart as you think.

Also, Bell and Larson are also crazy fast in midgets and non wing sprints, and those cars make almost no downforce.

[fastford]

This would be a good place to propose a super hero of racing. Same 12 drivers run a 1 night show. 4 best by invitation 4 best sprint 4 best late model 4 best modified ....figure out a points package and pay the best.....it would really be an exhibition race .....but maybe fun.

i like that idea , and lets add a few cup drivers like mentioned above , and bad as i hate to say it , if you put kyle bush in that scenario , my money is on him over any one....jmo...

[WisWildManFan]

$70,000 Toyota engines also don’t hurt Larson or bell when it comes to midget racing.

[lurker]

Late models are making so much downforce they’re making rules to try and limit it. The two divisions aren’t as far as apart as you think.

Just curious on the last sentence, why do you say that?

[dirtcrazy4u]

70,000 midget motors is funny.

[smith19]

Larson said it cost more to run the midget deal than his winged sprint deal...motors$$$ billy "the kid" pauch would be another guy that could wheel them all.

[113mod]

David Scott would win in both on the same night at Lernerville back in the late 90's early 2000's. So there are some who could do it, those with funding for both is a different story.

[NeedforLMspeed]

I would assume Donny gets paid well by Tony right?

[Josh Bayko]

Just curious on the last sentence, why do you say that?

I’m saying the overall downforce difference between super late models and winged sprint cars isn’t as far apart as people think.

[EvelB7]

I haven't driven a sprint car since the early 90's but I can tell you they do not drive anything like a dirt late model. You sit in a different place, pedals work differently, steering feels like you are driving a bus. I didn't get the chance to drive any non-wing stuff, but getting out of the late model into the winged sprint car was a big change.

[dirtybird73]

Like mentioned above, LM guys wouldn't be able to be competitive in a 410 on the National level so he's definitely earned my respect.

I disagree with this, Schatz has gotten a significant amount of seat time in a DLM in the last 8 years. If given the same amount of seat time to adapt I think several late model drivers could be very competitive with the WoO Sprints. McCreadie and Hudson O'Neal are two that come to mind that I think would do very well in a 410 Sprint Car.

[jog49]

If Schatz was the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel, as some of you suggest, when he did come over to SLMs, he would win every race, hands down. I've seen him in some of those races and am pretty sure he won none of them. In fact, I don't recall him even being a contender. He's a talented drivers but so are hundreds of others in various motorsports.

[Pennsboro32]

If Schatz was the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel, as some of you suggest, when he did come over to SLMs, he would win every race, hands down. I've seen him in some of those races and am pretty sure he won none of them. In fact, I don't recall him even being a contender. He's a talented drivers but so are hundreds of others in various motorsports.You do realize how hard it is to jump into another division and be successful?

[Jking24]

Why does every thread on this board go from something worth reading to straight down the crapper in less than two pages. Are people so miserable in their own lives that they can't even recognize someone else's success or talent without trying to tear it apart or get into a pissing match of what local guy could do the same thing if he had the budget. It is hands down impressive what schats does he's not racing two different cars at the same local track every week. He's going from one top tier to another and is competitive im not a fan of his but he definitely has ability

[NeedforLMspeed]

Because people having different opinions makes this go down the crapper? Ok.

[fryefan]

Why does every thread on this board go from something worth reading to straight down the crapper in less than two pages. Are people so miserable in their own lives that they can't even recognize someone else's success or talent without trying to tear it apart or get into a pissing match of what local guy could do the same thing if he had the budget. It is hands down impressive what schats does he's not racing two different cars at the same local track every week. He's going from one top tier to another and is competitive im not a fan of his but he definitely has ability

This forum needs to have some moderators to clean it up. The ones that act like children should be permanently banned.

[dirtcrazy4u]

I agree with bayko, today's SLM gets that huge dished interior wedge and the LR up in the air. SLM are making loads of downforce. Shatz's late model doesn't have the crew chief that's needed today. Yes he has won some local stuff. The comment about a sprint car feeling like a bus is hilarious. I've always been surprised that shatz hasn't tried to get a driller trophy on a more consistent basis. He would go full time slm racing it would not take long for him to be a top contender.

[EvelB7]

I didn't mean they handle like a bus but your body movements to drive are different (use a different set of muscles to wheel a sprint car). At the time I was 20 years old, ran 100 lap late model races but the first time in the winged sprint car 20 laps made it so I couldn't even hold a beer after the races!

[WisWildManFan]

Schatz is too heavy to win a race that has no weight limit.