-
Home
- TV Shows
- TV Schedule
- NASCAR
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
More Racing
CHIAPPELLI: Sprints’ Top 10 of 2010
Here are the Top 10 items from 2010 that stood out among all others destined for my time capsule.
Steve Kinser’s comeback was one of sprint car racing’s biggest stories in 2010. (Photo courtesy Justin Leedy).
From the season’s dawning on a crisp February night in Florida through a sweltering summer swing to its conclusion in unseasonably frigid Charlotte, major league winged 410 sprint car racing made an indelible mark on the sport in 2010.
Every fan who bought a ticket and every driver or crew member who signed-in at the pit shack will have special memories of this past season.
Coast to coast and north to Canada, there was no shortage of news to cover.
Here are the top 10 items from 2010 that stood out among all others destined for my time capsule.
10. BEST OF THE WEST: Kyle Larson, who turned 18 in July, became the youngest King of California by out-gunning his car owner, 13-time Golden State Challenge Sprint Car Series champion Brent Kaeding. Not long after Jason Meyers secured the $50,000 victory at the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico in September, a new series emerged with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series primed to take sprint car racing to a new direction in 2011.
9. JESSE HOCKETT 1983-2010: The most sobering story of the year unfolded in May with the sudden loss of one of the sport’s most versatile drivers. “The Rocket” was electrocuted in an accident at his race shop in Missouri, leaving behind a legacy as a fierce competitor and friend to many.
8. SHAFFER SHINES AMONG FEW STARS: Tim Shaffer cruised to 16 wins and his second consecutive title in O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions action, which, aside from points runner-up and fellow two-time champ Greg Wilson, was void of brand-name competitors on a consistent basis after Dale Blaney left the flock. However, as we will later see, Shaffer claimed an even bigger crown in 2010.
7. THE OLD GUARD: Geriatric drivers, particularly those ages 50 and older, continued to shame the kids and veteran drivers alike. Twice in June, the podium finishers in World of Outlaws features at River Cities Speedway and Lakeside Speedway were comprised of Hall of Famers Steve Kinser (56), Jac Haudenschild (52) and Sammy Swindell (54). Collectively, that is 162 years of wile, wisdom and experience. Danny Lasoski, Fred Rahmer, Keith Kauffman and Brent Kaeding were among other drivers from that generation to find victory lane in 2010.
6. OUTLAWS CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE: 2010 seemed to be Joey Saldana’s best opportunity to earn that elusive first title for both himself and owner Kasey Kahne with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. All season, he dueled with Steve Kinser and Jason Meyers in a tight three-way fight that threatened to displace the one in 2009 as the closest ever. Despite posting a season-best 13 wins while competing for months with a broken left hand, Saldana’s fortunes spiraled downward after he sustained a concussion in a crash at Eldora Speedway in September. That allowed four-time defending champ Donny Schatz to close the gap, resulting in the closest four-way points battle down the stretch. However, Meyers was the model of consistency, and made the World Finals a bit anticlimactic by sweeping the Charlotte weekend, bringing his victory total to an even dozen and becoming the first Californian to take the title.
5. PA POSSE VS. THE OUTLAWS: The best rivalry in winged sprint car racing continued to play out at Williams Grove Speedway in 2010, where members of the Pennsylvania Posse successfully defended their turf against the invading World of Outlaws regulars amid huge crowds. Posse members Chad Layton and Fred Rahmer shared the glory on back-to-back nights in May, which resulted in plenty of carnage and hard feelings. July’s pair of shows at The Grove’s Summer Nationals was split by Lance Dewease and Greg Hodnett. When Hodnett took the preliminary A-main at October’s National Open, it pushed the Posse’s winning streak to nine. With Sammy Swindell capturing the 50-grand finale, the rivalry continued to simmer. Although a Williams Grove regular failed to win, Swindell, who runs a “true outlaw” schedule without pledging allegiance to a particular sanctioning body, declared that he in fact is “not an Outlaw.”
4. GOODYEAR TIRE TAKEOVER: It is typically wise to follow the money, which is what the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company brought to the sport by the trailer-load in 2010. Most major sprint car series and tracks across the country were smitten with the business propositions offered by the guys who manufacture the big black doughnuts. What followed was the customary bitching and moaning about compounds and tire wear that accompanied a blame-game involving allegations that teams were using improper tire pressures and mismanaging their precious treads. Aside from the blowout that cost Sammy Swindell his first Knoxville Nationals crown in 27 years, the defining night of this battle was played out at Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Oklahoma in April. The World of Outlaws feature was nothing short of a debacle. A series of popped tires on two-thirds of the cars in the field resulted in numerous yellow and red flags and time in the work area, causing delays which required 75 minutes to complete the last five laps, and 45 minutes to run the final two circuits. Jason Meyers was in front when the event came to a merciful end, and even the final results had to be reviewed before being made official.
3. KINSER’S COMEBACK: When the sport’s biggest star is successful, it is a sign that the sport is healthy. After undergoing off-season neck surgery to repair bulged discs, The King, Steve Kinser regained his regal form, rolling to nine wins in his new ride with Tony Stewart Racing and tying Saldana with an Outlaws-best 38 top-five finishes. Kinser’s finest on-track moment was winning the Kings Royal at Eldora after an epic battle with Kerry Madsen. Kinser used every inch of the track, emitting sparks from his no. 11 machine as he scraped the wall while chasing the Mad Man. Aided by a late-race caution, the 20-time champ used a textbook slide job to steal another crown. However, Kinser’s unflappable mettle was tested in June when his wife Dana underwent 11-hours of life-saving open-heart surgery. Steve dedicated his memorable season to Dana, and admitted to being overwhelmed by the support and concern shown by fans of his around the globe.
2. DOUBLE-FILE RESTARTS: This rule was a game-changer. Implemented by the World of Outlaws just before February’s season-opener at Volusia Speedway Park, it fulfilled its goal of improving the on-track product for fans not just during features, but during all events. The absence of the orange cone put pressure on drivers to maintain aggressive takeoffs without tearing up equipment. The result was drivers coming from deeper in the field to the front. Jason Meyers’ win from the 18th starting position at Las Vegas in February was one of the most impressive runs of the year. Benefitting from the rule, he edged Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz at the line with the trio separated by .04 seconds. Fred Rahmer’s victory at Williams Grove in May from the 24th spot on the grid was also noteworthy, although he was aided by a red flag on the opening lap that caused him to line up 14th for the complete restart. By comparison, the furthest an Outlaws feature winner started in 2009 was eighth.
1. KNOXVILLE NATIONALS: No event moved me like the 50th Annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals. I became choked-up with pride at the sight of Chad Kemenah lined-up in Saturday’s A-Main driving the family colors during the four-wide salute to the fans. The thought of Knoxville regular Brian Brown pulling an upset win from the pole position crossed my mind as Doug Clark dropped the green flag. I marveled at the prowess of Sammy Swindell, winless at sprint car racing’s biggest event since 1983, as he sped to the front of the pack and set a blistering pace with four-time and defending winner Donny Schatz on his tail. Disconcerting as they were, the rare pit stops near the halfway point were something to behold, with unlimited changes permitted within a five-minute period. When the racing resumed, I felt for Steve Kinser, who lost an engine while running third, as well as for Brown, who later encountered a flat tire while in the show position. The roar of the crowd as Swindell and Schatz swapped the point was exhilarating, soon to be replaced with gasps of disbelief as Sammy’s left rear tire exploded with three laps to go, causing his no. 1 to tip over backward in turn four. The cagey veteran then played to the crowd, climbing atop his wrecked ride and pointing to the empty wheel, then storming away to the pits, but not before taking a bow to the throng of fans chanting his name like a rock star. Throughout all of the drama, Tim Shaffer quietly worked his way into the runner-up position, then raised the decibel level to new heights when, coming to the white flag, he pulled a successful slider on leader Schatz, whose engine had soured from the strain of trying to keep up with Swindell. My jaw dropped. Sixteen seconds later, the Cinderella story was complete. Shaffer, seemingly in shock, could hardly speak during our post-race interview in victory lane. His wife sobbed uncontrollably, while crew chief Brian Kemenah dished out hugs.
Wild, unpredictable competition and emotions such as those that overflowed at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway are what help make sprint car racing so wonderful, together providing my favorite memory of the sport in 2010.
Jim Chiappelli is SPEED’s News Director and Coordinating Producer of The SPEED Report and Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain. Jim has worked in broadcast journalism since 1986, producing or overseeing the production of thousands of newscasts and sportscasts in a career that began at network affiliates in Johnstown and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania before shifting to the NBC station in Pittsburgh, where he spent 11 years, leaving as Executive Producer in 2001, when he joined SPEED. A Duquesne University graduate, Jim briefly competed in the limited late model division in Western Pennsylvania for his family, which has been involved in racing for nearly 35 years and continues to campaign a 410 sprint car team.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
Every fan who bought a ticket and every driver or crew member who signed-in at the pit shack will have special memories of this past season.
Coast to coast and north to Canada, there was no shortage of news to cover.
Here are the top 10 items from 2010 that stood out among all others destined for my time capsule.
10. BEST OF THE WEST: Kyle Larson, who turned 18 in July, became the youngest King of California by out-gunning his car owner, 13-time Golden State Challenge Sprint Car Series champion Brent Kaeding. Not long after Jason Meyers secured the $50,000 victory at the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico in September, a new series emerged with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series primed to take sprint car racing to a new direction in 2011.
9. JESSE HOCKETT 1983-2010: The most sobering story of the year unfolded in May with the sudden loss of one of the sport’s most versatile drivers. “The Rocket” was electrocuted in an accident at his race shop in Missouri, leaving behind a legacy as a fierce competitor and friend to many.
8. SHAFFER SHINES AMONG FEW STARS: Tim Shaffer cruised to 16 wins and his second consecutive title in O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions action, which, aside from points runner-up and fellow two-time champ Greg Wilson, was void of brand-name competitors on a consistent basis after Dale Blaney left the flock. However, as we will later see, Shaffer claimed an even bigger crown in 2010.
7. THE OLD GUARD: Geriatric drivers, particularly those ages 50 and older, continued to shame the kids and veteran drivers alike. Twice in June, the podium finishers in World of Outlaws features at River Cities Speedway and Lakeside Speedway were comprised of Hall of Famers Steve Kinser (56), Jac Haudenschild (52) and Sammy Swindell (54). Collectively, that is 162 years of wile, wisdom and experience. Danny Lasoski, Fred Rahmer, Keith Kauffman and Brent Kaeding were among other drivers from that generation to find victory lane in 2010.
6. OUTLAWS CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE: 2010 seemed to be Joey Saldana’s best opportunity to earn that elusive first title for both himself and owner Kasey Kahne with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. All season, he dueled with Steve Kinser and Jason Meyers in a tight three-way fight that threatened to displace the one in 2009 as the closest ever. Despite posting a season-best 13 wins while competing for months with a broken left hand, Saldana’s fortunes spiraled downward after he sustained a concussion in a crash at Eldora Speedway in September. That allowed four-time defending champ Donny Schatz to close the gap, resulting in the closest four-way points battle down the stretch. However, Meyers was the model of consistency, and made the World Finals a bit anticlimactic by sweeping the Charlotte weekend, bringing his victory total to an even dozen and becoming the first Californian to take the title.
5. PA POSSE VS. THE OUTLAWS: The best rivalry in winged sprint car racing continued to play out at Williams Grove Speedway in 2010, where members of the Pennsylvania Posse successfully defended their turf against the invading World of Outlaws regulars amid huge crowds. Posse members Chad Layton and Fred Rahmer shared the glory on back-to-back nights in May, which resulted in plenty of carnage and hard feelings. July’s pair of shows at The Grove’s Summer Nationals was split by Lance Dewease and Greg Hodnett. When Hodnett took the preliminary A-main at October’s National Open, it pushed the Posse’s winning streak to nine. With Sammy Swindell capturing the 50-grand finale, the rivalry continued to simmer. Although a Williams Grove regular failed to win, Swindell, who runs a “true outlaw” schedule without pledging allegiance to a particular sanctioning body, declared that he in fact is “not an Outlaw.”
4. GOODYEAR TIRE TAKEOVER: It is typically wise to follow the money, which is what the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company brought to the sport by the trailer-load in 2010. Most major sprint car series and tracks across the country were smitten with the business propositions offered by the guys who manufacture the big black doughnuts. What followed was the customary bitching and moaning about compounds and tire wear that accompanied a blame-game involving allegations that teams were using improper tire pressures and mismanaging their precious treads. Aside from the blowout that cost Sammy Swindell his first Knoxville Nationals crown in 27 years, the defining night of this battle was played out at Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Oklahoma in April. The World of Outlaws feature was nothing short of a debacle. A series of popped tires on two-thirds of the cars in the field resulted in numerous yellow and red flags and time in the work area, causing delays which required 75 minutes to complete the last five laps, and 45 minutes to run the final two circuits. Jason Meyers was in front when the event came to a merciful end, and even the final results had to be reviewed before being made official.
3. KINSER’S COMEBACK: When the sport’s biggest star is successful, it is a sign that the sport is healthy. After undergoing off-season neck surgery to repair bulged discs, The King, Steve Kinser regained his regal form, rolling to nine wins in his new ride with Tony Stewart Racing and tying Saldana with an Outlaws-best 38 top-five finishes. Kinser’s finest on-track moment was winning the Kings Royal at Eldora after an epic battle with Kerry Madsen. Kinser used every inch of the track, emitting sparks from his no. 11 machine as he scraped the wall while chasing the Mad Man. Aided by a late-race caution, the 20-time champ used a textbook slide job to steal another crown. However, Kinser’s unflappable mettle was tested in June when his wife Dana underwent 11-hours of life-saving open-heart surgery. Steve dedicated his memorable season to Dana, and admitted to being overwhelmed by the support and concern shown by fans of his around the globe.
2. DOUBLE-FILE RESTARTS: This rule was a game-changer. Implemented by the World of Outlaws just before February’s season-opener at Volusia Speedway Park, it fulfilled its goal of improving the on-track product for fans not just during features, but during all events. The absence of the orange cone put pressure on drivers to maintain aggressive takeoffs without tearing up equipment. The result was drivers coming from deeper in the field to the front. Jason Meyers’ win from the 18th starting position at Las Vegas in February was one of the most impressive runs of the year. Benefitting from the rule, he edged Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz at the line with the trio separated by .04 seconds. Fred Rahmer’s victory at Williams Grove in May from the 24th spot on the grid was also noteworthy, although he was aided by a red flag on the opening lap that caused him to line up 14th for the complete restart. By comparison, the furthest an Outlaws feature winner started in 2009 was eighth.
1. KNOXVILLE NATIONALS: No event moved me like the 50th Annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals. I became choked-up with pride at the sight of Chad Kemenah lined-up in Saturday’s A-Main driving the family colors during the four-wide salute to the fans. The thought of Knoxville regular Brian Brown pulling an upset win from the pole position crossed my mind as Doug Clark dropped the green flag. I marveled at the prowess of Sammy Swindell, winless at sprint car racing’s biggest event since 1983, as he sped to the front of the pack and set a blistering pace with four-time and defending winner Donny Schatz on his tail. Disconcerting as they were, the rare pit stops near the halfway point were something to behold, with unlimited changes permitted within a five-minute period. When the racing resumed, I felt for Steve Kinser, who lost an engine while running third, as well as for Brown, who later encountered a flat tire while in the show position. The roar of the crowd as Swindell and Schatz swapped the point was exhilarating, soon to be replaced with gasps of disbelief as Sammy’s left rear tire exploded with three laps to go, causing his no. 1 to tip over backward in turn four. The cagey veteran then played to the crowd, climbing atop his wrecked ride and pointing to the empty wheel, then storming away to the pits, but not before taking a bow to the throng of fans chanting his name like a rock star. Throughout all of the drama, Tim Shaffer quietly worked his way into the runner-up position, then raised the decibel level to new heights when, coming to the white flag, he pulled a successful slider on leader Schatz, whose engine had soured from the strain of trying to keep up with Swindell. My jaw dropped. Sixteen seconds later, the Cinderella story was complete. Shaffer, seemingly in shock, could hardly speak during our post-race interview in victory lane. His wife sobbed uncontrollably, while crew chief Brian Kemenah dished out hugs.
Wild, unpredictable competition and emotions such as those that overflowed at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway are what help make sprint car racing so wonderful, together providing my favorite memory of the sport in 2010.
Jim Chiappelli is SPEED’s News Director and Coordinating Producer of The SPEED Report and Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain. Jim has worked in broadcast journalism since 1986, producing or overseeing the production of thousands of newscasts and sportscasts in a career that began at network affiliates in Johnstown and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania before shifting to the NBC station in Pittsburgh, where he spent 11 years, leaving as Executive Producer in 2001, when he joined SPEED. A Duquesne University graduate, Jim briefly competed in the limited late model division in Western Pennsylvania for his family, which has been involved in racing for nearly 35 years and continues to campaign a 410 sprint car team.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
DTM Zandvoort
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
VIDEO: Dyson Tech Talk - Tires 101
The art of going fast: what kind of feedback does a driver want from… -
VIDEO: SPEEDing Through Hinchtown, Episode 2
Andretti Autosport IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe utilizes the… -
LE MANS: Driver Lineups For LM24 Finalized
Seats at Delta-ADR, Morand Racing, JMW Motorsport and others confirmed… -
PHOTOS: V8 Supercars COTA Gallery
UPDATED: View more than 150 photos from Austin as V8 Supercars Austin… -
GT: Black Falcon Mercedes Wins Rain-Soaked Nurburgring 24
Sean Edwards, Bernd Schneider, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Nicki Thiim… -
DAGYS: A Bright Future For V8 Supercars In America
John Dagys reflects back on the successful inaugural Austin 400 and… -
GT: Sofronas, Lee Win Sunday's WC GT, GTS Races At COTA
GMG Racing's James Sofronas takes Audi R8 LMS to third Pirelli World… - More News
