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...