jaymancds
Member
There is no telling how many millions he threw away with this whole deal. Probably in the hundreds of millions over his lifetime.
Kyle Larson fired by Ganassi racing.
- Thread starter racing promotor
- Start date
Honestly. I don't think he was enjoying the lower powered packages. Guys like that are built for the high power stuff. With the power to weight ratio way up there.
Even someone like Jimmy Johnson who drives off his right foot and right rear. Just not really built for momentum racing.
jaymancds
Member
I definitely agree. If you look at the guys who love to really hang it out, like a dirt track guy, these low power high downforce cars are junk for them. I hate that I can build a stronger engine in my garage than what the "pinnacle" of the sport can. NASCAR might as well be running 604 crate motors.
I think Larson was bored, otherwise he wouldn't be racing all the dirt he did. It was the only thing he enjoyed about it. Personally I'm happy to see him back on the dirt, I just wish it wasn't this situation making it happen.
racinnut15xm
Member
IMO He will never run the top of the food chain in racing again. His reputation is too damaged. He has already made millions in nascar, he will cut costs and not live the celebrity life but he will be comfortable and race what he seems to love and his wife will continue to shotgun beers with the best of them.
XXX#40
2A supporter
I think someone will pick him up, they brought back a woman beater but everyone was ok with that
CarlsonMotorsports
Site Supporter
He looked pretty good in a sprint car at Pevely over the weekend.
Sure wasn't the pay that he got used to in Nascar, but I'm thinking he's probably not too worried about that at this point. Between he, Stewart, Kahne, & Stenhouse...competing in WoO sprint car racing just got a whole lot more expensive.
Thanks,
Brian Carlson
Sure wasn't the pay that he got used to in Nascar, but I'm thinking he's probably not too worried about that at this point. Between he, Stewart, Kahne, & Stenhouse...competing in WoO sprint car racing just got a whole lot more expensive.
Thanks,
Brian Carlson
Ted Hamilton
Helmet Painter / Racer
^^ How much does the extra money help? ie. since it's "old" technology anyhow, can a good motor and ballsy driver still bring it against that type of spending?
jaymancds
Member
I would just say, look at the cars in Knoxville every August. The guys who make the feature have the best of everything. A good motor and a good driver aren't bad, but at this point the spending that those guys have is astronomical. Teams of engineers running calculations, new cars or engines several times a year. It would seem hard to keep up with out the best of the best equipment.
CarlsonMotorsports
Site Supporter
Ask the teams and drivers.
Open wheel drivers bringing their Nascar fame and fortune back to their roots in sprint car racing has been the best, and worst, thing to happen to the sport in my opinion. It's definitely good for the popularity of the sport and puts fans in the stands at local fairgrounds tracks when the WoO or AllStars comes to town with Kasey, Kyle, Tony, and Ricky as the headliner.
Not so good for the guys who are trying to make a living (or even a name for themselves) driving one of these cars (unless you're employed by one of these owners.)
$65,000 engines that are good for 6-8 races, then an $8-10K rebuild? Complete rotating assemblies scrapped after 15 races due to ultra-light cranks, rods, and pistons. Cylinder head designs are constantly changing. Now we've got Ford back in the mix with some serious corporate (dough) effort.
Racing a WoO caliber sprint car is not cheap.
Here in South Central PA is one of the few areas where the locals are competitive with the WO when they come through. Was privy to a humorous interview on the financial side of 410 sprint car racing around here a lot of years ago (maybe 2006?). Todd Shaffer had not yet retired and he went on a tear over the 6 or 8 weeks ending about the first week in July, giving the car a total of $115,000 in winnings so far that season, and a local reporter was interviewing his car owner. The reporter's basic comment was, "Wow, $115,000 and we're just coming into the middle of the season!" Todd's owner just smiled and replied, "Yes; if he wins another $165,000 by the end of the season, we might break even." And this was in the days of high level teams running 12 race engines that cost $38,000-$45,000 and $3500-$5000 to rebuild. Speed has never been cheap, especially for those that regularly finish in the top 10 and win with some regularity, and it just keeps getting more expensive.
jaymancds
Member
A personal friend of mine runs a dirt super late model team, he has told me many times about how many $75k engines they've burned up. I think this year he had 4 built with a refresh cycle planned, and 2 new motors in July. He actually told me the shutdown actually helped him pay the bills. saved him a couple hundred grand on engines and tires and such. However, he funds his racing off of a manufacturing business he started, so the team still got paid.
CarlsonMotorsports
Site Supporter
He didn't do too bad the rest of the week either. 
Even if you just go through the FloRacing highlight videos from each night, it's pretty amazing stuff.
I highly recommend it! You will not find that kind of racing/passing in Nascar, Indycar, F1, etc.
Gotta love open wheel racing!
Even if you just go through the FloRacing highlight videos from each night, it's pretty amazing stuff.
I highly recommend it! You will not find that kind of racing/passing in Nascar, Indycar, F1, etc.
Gotta love open wheel racing!
jaymancds
Member
I bought a subscription to Flo just for midget week, but man am I glad I did. Floracing may be the best streaming for dirt racing ive seen.He didn't do too bad the rest of the week either.
Even if you just go through the FloRacing highlight videos from each night, it's pretty amazing stuff.
I highly recommend it! You will not find that kind of racing/passing in Nascar, Indycar, F1, etc.
Gotta love open wheel racing!
CarlsonMotorsports
Site Supporter
I don't have time to post all the links to the free highlights footage, but they really are worth watching.
I'm lucky, due to a deliberate choice for relocating after I retired. Williams Grove and Lincoln are less than a 25 minute drive and BAPS (used to be Susquehanna Speedway) is about 18 minutes, and traveling a bit longer (30 minutes to an hour and a half), you can throw in Trail-Way, Path Valley, Port Royal and Selinsgrove; to say we can be in near overload for open wheel racing every weekend is an understatement. But I've still been known to drop in at my buddy's place to watch a non-local race on FloRacing.
jaymancds
Member
Based on what he has said in his interviews he has never had more fun. He just goes wherever he wants and races whatever he feels like. Oh, and hes absolutely killing it.