the curious behavior of Tony Stewart

[Bob Riebe]

Tim:
Who was the other sprint car star that raced at indy.
He was older than Kinser and finished sixth, if I remember right.
I know I will think of it after I post this, but I was wondering why after such a good rookie finish he never came back?

Do you remember Sheldon Kinser way back in pre-CART days. He finished sixth in a car even Al Unser said was ****.
I remember reading an article about him that said, had he gotten better breaks he would easily have been an Indy car star.
Bob
PS-Does the name Smokey Snellbaker ring a bell at all?
Back when USAC and CART both ran series he drove a dirt track Champ car at the Pocono Indy car race.
He was quoted in OPENWHEEL saying "there I was going down this long straight at 170 in a car not designed to go over 140."
Racing has lost more than it will ever know.

[GP Racer]

All this talk about NASCAR drivers "coming home" to their roots in open wheel racing, and new teams entering, has me wondering if there could be a resurgence for IndyCar in the near future.

I've said it many times, and others here have also, that NASCAR would someday over-expose itself and just get to big for its own good, and we may be beginning to see that. I'm certainly not ringing its death bell, but it appears that many of its drivers are looking to branch out abit. Yes the money is very good there, but the driving satisfaction of a stock car cannot match an IndyCar, and the constant pressure to not only be a driver, but a TV star also, has to get alttle old. And hey, it doesn't look like any of the IRL stars are starving!

If we can get a few NASCAR stars to cross over to the IRL, where the schedule is far less grueling, with less pressure, less TV over exposure, it would do wonders for the series IMO, and with those drivers would come the fans. NASCAR has alot of fans that are new to racing, and would follow these guys over, and hopefully get them interested in the IRL.

I'm not expecting miracles, bringing back this series is going to take alot of time and work, but I must say, I'm feeling optimistic about the future...

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally posted by Bob Riebe
Tim:
Who was the other sprint car star that raced at indy.
He was older than Kinser and finished sixth, if I remember right.
I know I will think of it after I post this, but I was wondering why after such a good rookie finish he never came back?

Do you remember Sheldon Kinser way back in pre-CART days. He finished sixth in a car even Al Unser said was ****.
I remember reading an article about him that said, had he gotten better breaks he would easily have been an Indy car star.
Bob
PS-Does the name Smokey Snellbaker ring a bell at all?
Back when USAC and CART both ran series he drove a dirt track Champ car at the Pocono Indy car race.
He was quoted in OPENWHEEL saying "there I was going down this long straight at 170 in a car not designed to go over 140."
Racing has lost more than it will ever know.

Many, many drivers who have run well in sprinters came to run in the Indy cars....that was the main feeder series for USAC Champ Cars for decades.....

Do you remember the decade that this guy finished 6th????

late 1960s?

early 1970s?


Yes, Smokey rings a bell, but a small one....and I was at many of the races that Sheldon Kinser ran in the early-mid 1970s....

[Bob Riebe]

---"Do you remember the decade that this guy finished 6th???"---

It was the early IRL years, about 4 (?) years ago?
He was another big name in the Outlaw series.
Jack, I think his first name was Jack.
Arrrrrhhhh.

[rustyfan]

Take your pick;


Sixth-place finishers 1980-1995;

1980 - Pancho Carter
1981 - Sheldon Kinser
1982 - Don Whittington
1983 - Howdy Holmes
1984 - A.J. Foyt Jr.
1985 - Johnny Rutherford
1986 - Michael Andretti
1987 - Dick Simon
1988 - Jim Crawford
1989 - Scott Brayton
1990 - A.J. Foyt Jr.
1991 - Gordon Johncock
1992 - Bobby Rahal
1993 - Scott Brayton
1994 - Michael Andretti
1995 - Mauricio Gugelmin

Sixth-place finishers 1996-2003;

1996 - Eliseo Salazar
1997 - Davey Hamilton
1998 - Kenny Brack
1999 - Robbie Buhl
2000 - Robby Gordon
2001 - Tony Stewart
2002 - Richie Hearn
2003 - Alex Barron



Steve Kinser finished 14th in the 1997 race (same race in which supercross ace Jeff Ward finished third as a rookie).

J.J. Yeley finished 9th in the 1998 race.

As for a "Jack", Dr. Jack Miller and Jack Hewitt are the only "Jack"'s to have raced in the Indy 500 during the IRL era (neither finishing very well).

[Tim Northcutt]

the guy you're thinking of didn't finish 6th if you're thinking of:

Jack Hewitt....

A long time sprint car driver, who finally got his chance to run at Indy and made the 1998 race...

Now from that list of 6th place finishers, there are lots of sprint car drivers...

Pancho Carter
Sheldon Kinser
Howdy Holmes
A.J.
Johnny Rutherford
Scott Brayton
Gordon Johncock
Davey Hamilton
Robbie Buhl
Tony Stewart

But Jack was probably the guy you were thinking of, wasn't he???

[Bob Riebe]

Jack Hewitt
I was wrong, but I thought he finished sixth.
Perhaps Davey Hamilton, was the person, and I got them mixed up.
Isn't he the one who did very well when they used to run the super-mods at Phoenix?

What year did he run?
If I can, I want to see where he was in the race that made me think he finished that high.
At least I got Sheldon Kinser right, and that IS a long time ago.

Dr. Jack Miller was the lone Nissan guy for some time, they really owe him for sticking with it.
Bob

[rustyfan]

Hewitt finished 12th in the 1998 race, after starting 22nd.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally posted by rustyfan
Hewitt finished 12th in the 1998 race, after starting 22nd.

Well that was not too bad really.
I wonder why he did not come back, or do more races?
Bob

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally posted by Bob Riebe
Jack Hewitt
I was wrong, but I thought he finished sixth.

What year did he run?
If I can, I want to see where he was in the race that made me think he finished that high.
At least I got Sheldon Kinser right, and that IS a long time ago.

Dr. Jack Miller was the lone Nissan guy for some time, they really owe him for sticking with it.
Bob

Hewitt raced in 1998....


I remember Sheldon Kinser's rookie year...1975...and the car he drove...

The Spirit of Indiana...

People could buy a piece of the action by signing their names to the car in certain locations depending on how much $$$ they gave to help his effort...

[Tim Northcutt]

From what you wrote originally, I assumed it was a driver who raced only once at the 500, because you asked why he never came back after such a good rookie run....

Hamilton raced in more than one Indy 500....

and yes, Hamilton really made his name in the Super Modifieds....

[rustyfan]

Originally posted by Bob Riebe
Well that was not too bad really.
I wonder why he did not come back, or do more races?
Bob

Perhaps age was a factor? He was, after all, 46 years old when doing the 1998 race.

[Tim Northcutt]

Also, $$$ had something to do with it as well, I'm sure...

Davey Hamilton placed 6th in 1997...

and he raced in 6 different Indy 500s....

[jhansen]

Davey was something else in a Super Modified. He definitely knew how to drive a car. Sure wish he could have at least got a win out of his time in the IRL. Now he's even finding it hard to drive a sprint car or super due to insurance troubles. I remember one year (the year they ran under CART regs), perhaps his first attempt at making the 500. He was making his qualifying run, and putting together a great run on bump day, only to have the pop-off valve ruin his run. I believe he ran out of time eventually. I was bummed that year. Of course, just to mention we've had a few west-coast super modified pilots make the 500. The late Billy Vukovich 3rd and Paul Durant. Supers rock!

Look at what you made me do Tim...I went on a tangent.

[Bob Riebe]

---"The late Billy Vukovich 3rd "---

Who was his father, now I am grabbing at decades old info, but wasn't his father one of what was called by Autoweek (a long time ago) the missing generation of Indy drivers.
That would be the ones who would have taken up right after the Foyts, Unsers etc..
Johnny Parsons was another in that group, along with Mel Kenyon, and a super mod. driver from the east (Dam-, I am going to have to down a shot of tequila to get my memory going.) Ah-Bently Warren and a few others.

Why do they not run the super mods at Phoenix anymore. A few years back Autoweek noted that the pole car for the SM would have been midfield in the Indy field.
Bob

[Bob Riebe]

---"Look at what you made me do Tim...I went on a tangent. "---

Tim only supplies the words to the Indy 500 music which many racing fans dance to. It can connect many various fields of racing like none other can.
Then again it is the Tims of the world that make posting here a joy.
Good job sir!(and to all who have corrected my errors)
Bob

[GP Racer]

Thought this might be an interesting note, being that we were talking about NASCAR drivers coming over.

ESPN/Sportcenter just did a live interview with Roger Penske, and a viewer e-mail asked, "Roger, would you think about asking Jeff Gordon and/or Michael Schumacher to come over and run a third Penske car in the next Indy 500?

Roger replied "no, because they are to involved in other things and I don't think running a third car would be fair to my other 2 drivers. However, I would definetely give a third seat to Ryan Newmann, should he want to try it."

Interesting, and again, telling that some NASCAR guys may be looking for new challenges.

Hmmmm, Michael Schumacher, now that would be something!

[jhansen]

Bob, Billy Vukovich the 2nd, is Vuky the 3rd's father. Vuky the 2nd is the son of the late great Bill Vukovich. All from right here in the Central San Joaquin Valley of California. Vuky the 2nd also ran a few times at the Speedway. I believe he won ROY honors, as did Vuky the 3rd. Amazing family.

[jhansen]

PIR cancelled the supers when Davey Hamilton (who owns the Super Modified Racing League/SRL) would not promise a minimum of 20 cars (I believe it was) for the Copper Classic in 2002 I believe. It's a shame really, those cars looked so beautiful running around that track. The Copper has definitely lost some of its charm for me.

[enemy-ace]

Originally posted by GP Racer
Hmmmm, Michael Schumacher, now that would be something!

Schumacher has said that he has no interest in Ovals as he feels they are too dangerous.

[JohnSSC]

Now I will throw out a name: Dick Simon. I swear one year he ran a team at Indy that had like four cars or something! Fairly talented driver, for some reason wanted to be an owner-driver - that never really seems to work well at the top levels (I know but for every Cheever...).

Anyone know what Mr. Simon is up to these days? According to the Motor Speedway's website he last drove in '88. I know he was an entrant for years.

Also, my good buddy Kevin Cogan - nearly as quick as Danny Ongais but he had a dreadful habit of hitting things or spinning off into the distance. One of the best drivers ever not to win the race.

[mountainstar]

Originally posted by JohnSSC
Now I will throw out a name: Dick Simon. I swear one year he ran a team at Indy that had like four cars or something! Fairly talented driver, for some reason wanted to be an owner-driver - that never really seems to work well at the top levels (I know but for every Cheever...).

Anyone know what Mr. Simon is up to these days? According to the Motor Speedway's website he last drove in '88. I know he was an entrant for years.

Also, my good buddy Kevin Cogan - nearly as quick as Danny Ongais but he had a dreadful habit of hitting things or spinning off into the distance. One of the best drivers ever not to win the race.

Dick simon owns a big boat dealership in California and Kevin Cogan is a businessman.

Use this excellent website for "where are they now" profiles of F1, F3000 and Indycar drivers:

http://www.oldracingcars.com/bydriver/watn.asp

[brightline]

I think Dick Simon ran 6 cars one years, probably 1996 or 1997. Two whole rows!!! I think at that point it was a simon/scandia effort. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[marcus]

it was 1997 and Dick Simon ran a boat load of cars

[ghinzani]

What a great thread this is, best one on here for ages! Thanks for all the great info. Anyone know what Duane Carter and Johnny Parsons are doing these days? Are they still out in the sprint cars? I know Pancho was Hornish's spotter at one point.