Are guys like Kevin Rumley good or bad for DLM racing

[BTExpress]

"I went to a few cup races last year. Hendrick cars were considerably faster than the rest. A lot of drivers could have won in that 5 car. I do like Larson but in cup he only wins with the better car. You don’t see him win with an average car"

Sorry we will agree to disagree. I have been a race fan for 40 years. He is one of the BEST drivers that I have seen in my lifetime. Doesn't matter what type of car he is driving. Cup, Sprint Car, Midget or Dirt Late Model. Heck he even won driving a 600 Wingless Micro Sprint a few weeks ago during Pa 600 Speedweek. Never saw the track or car and bested an 87 car field that night.......

[weatherman85]

Larson's 6 wins in the Chip Ganassi #42 were wins with the better car? Of course he'll win with the better car. Almost every driver that wins is in a better car when it comes to the cookie cutter tracks that you see NASCAR mostly run on. Drivers that win in "inferior" equipment are only going to every now and then when they have great luck, hit it on a great setup that day, or run on a track that allows talent to shine more.

I mean look at the list of previous champions. They're almost all with teams that are considered top notch equipment. The only recent standout would be Martin Truex Jr. with Front Row motorsports and guess what he did right after winning that championship. He signed with Joe Gibbs and left for more money and what he thought was better equipment. All drivers strive to drive for and work with the best.

[chopter33]

its not just rumley. nick hoffman and i think his name is austin kirkpatrick? have kept rulemakers up at night. there are some top level innovators in dirt racing.

[Highside Hustler25]

Larson only wins with the better car?
Do a little research on Chip Ganassi's Cup history pertaining to wins over his career. Then check how many Larson won during his short stay there as a rookie.
Nuff said.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

its not just rumley. nick hoffman and i think his name is austin kirkpatrick? have kept rulemakers up at night. there are some top level innovators in dirt racing.

Kirkpatrick scared them so bad, with an "inferior technology" (mandatory in many forms of racing) that they wrote rules to outlaw his car after it won a single non-lucas, non-woo race. Meanwhile, space ships were racing on both tours every night.

[billetbirdcage]

Are guys like Kevin Rumley good or bad for DLM racing

Kirkpatrick can be an example of being good for the sport. Now I know his results haven't been good since the beam car, but hear me out.

1. Showed you don't need to spend huge dollars
2. Showed you can build your own stuff
3. Showed you can build a car with a harbor freight welder and a hole saw for a notcher
4. Showed it's possible for an unknown guy to do his own thing and be competitive
4A. This is huge as the perception is you can't unless you spend a half million plus a year and have a full time crew and huge stacker hauler and the latest greatest stuff being sold.

I had a big argument with Lucas after they said he wasn't welcome to run their races (many may not know this but it was right after he won and caught everyone eyes) that he was good for a sport when they are struggling for cars. This helps get some lower budget teams saying well if Austin can do that, then I might be able too also and give it a shot.

Side note: His car was 100% legal (ignore his body here as everyone bodies where being pushed and his was no different) to the letter of the rule book for both Lucas and WoO.

Someday the rest of this story will be told but that's for Austin to tell if or when he wants to as it will make several people bad.

On the flip side, you can argue he was bad for the sport. Lets just say for argument sake that his outlawed car was so revolutionary that it was going to obsolete every other car out there. That has to be bad for the sport right? So everyone has to buy new cars to be competitive now, how is that any different then Rocket, Longhorn or whoever making chassis as they change them all the time, year to year or even mid year or quarterly updates to the chassis. Sure that happens at a way slower pace then Austins would have been but top guys are constantly getting new cars. It would hurt the little guys more then the top high dollar teams.

[billetbirdcage]

Also no matter what side the fence you on with Kevin, back in 2015 he posted a picture of his car (JD driving) with 2 other cars from over the years. One was an old wedge car and titled it, the modern day wedge foreshadowing what was to come if they didn't start enforcing body rules. He brought it to everyone's attention but was ignored

[ImCryn2]

Kevin is doing his job, the sanctioning bodies are failing at theirs.

[zyoung25]

Maybe Lucas should try to hire him as tech director? 😀

[GrocMax]

When Larson wins the Indy 500, the F1 title (or a single race), major sportscar/endurance events, along with what he's already done on dirt, then we can compare to A.J., Bobby, and especially Mario. Until then he's Smoke with a much better record on dirt. He's one of those guys can get 90% out of any car he drives right away, and 95% within 10 laps. Hewitt won all four but that's all but forgotten now. And then there's people like Steve Kinser, most phenomenal career in all of motorsports, tried other types of cars and failed miserably.

[fastford]

I think rumley and innovation is good for the sport , with out it , you have nothing but a spec class and there is plenty of them if thats what you prefer , reading between the lines ( innovation ) is how most all improvements in racing has happened for the last 100 years , and if money is a problem for you , then you have the great alternative , crate racing ....lol....

[EvelB7]

When Larson wins the Indy 500, the F1 title (or a single race), major sportscar/endurance events, along with what he's already done on dirt, then we can compare to A.J., Bobby, and especially Mario. Until then he's Smoke with a much better record on dirt. He's one of those guys can get 90% out of any car he drives right away, and 95% within 10 laps. Hewitt won all four but that's all but forgotten now. And then there's people like Steve Kinser, most phenomenal career in all of motorsports, tried other types of cars and failed miserably.

I believe it was 2015 that Larson was a part of winning the 24 hours of Daytona, so check that box....As for Kevin, don't confuse his success with the lack of enforcement of the rules. He would be just as successful either way, the cream will rise to the top.

[Raceready]

Kevin is doing his job, the sanctioning bodies are failing at theirs.

In full agreement with that post .

[grumfan]

Duh, Of course he's good for the sport the same as that radical CJ Rayburn and Ed Howe and so many other innovators were in their day.

[Jking24]

Kirkpatrick scared them so bad, with an "inferior technology" (mandatory in many forms of racing) that they wrote rules to outlaw his car after it won a single non-lucas, non-woo race. Meanwhile, space ships were racing on both tours every night.

I don't really think Austin scared anybody. I think he shot himself in the foot by winning one race and the first time he had a mic stuck in his face he went on a ego trip talking about out smarting everyone. That probably poked hard at a few egos and they made short work of his. But I do agree with most of billets statements about what it showed could be done