Wings off for Calistoga sprint cars at
Vermeil Classic – By Bobby Gerould – Calistoga, CA.
It was
In the late
1970’s, there may not have been a bigger hotbed for non-wing sprint car racing
than the Napa County Fairgrounds which houses Calistoga Speedway (70 cars
jammed the pits for the final race of the 1978 season). National Sprint Car
Hall of Fame inductees Leroy Van Conett, and the late Gary Patterson are
drivers who furthered their legend with their mix of skill and bravery in
Calistoga Speedway exploits.
While not all
veteran railbirds think safety was the key issue in the demise of the non-wing
car at Calistoga, it is undeniable that the 1983 racing death of the iconic Patterson
at Calistoga shook many racers to their core. Patterson died in a violent
non-wing crash directly in front of the main grandstand.
But with
time comes change. Tommy Hunt, Vice President of Western Operations for USAC
says, “A modern sprint car is better and safer than it was over twenty years
ago. The (roll) cage structure, full containment seats, the Hans Device, all
help keep the driver in a better situation in case of an accident.”
Plus, says
Hunt, the cars handle better in the turns. “The shock packages on the sprint cars
of today coupled with wider tires and wheels make the car more stable than it
was when they last raced at Calistoga in the mid eighties.”
USAC has,
in recent years, successfully campaigned non-wing sprint cars at half-mile
tracks across the
As a former
driver, Hunt also knows that despite any and all gains in safety, racing a
sprint car is inherently dangerous. “A sprint car is a serious racecar that can
bite you. Winged, without wings, it doesn’t matter. “
So who will
be brave enough to strap in without a wing on Labor Day weekend?
A new
generation and a few from the ‘old guard’ are ready to test the wicked half-mile
in the 21st century. Leading the entries for the extravaganza are Tim
Kaeding, Hall of Fame driver Brent Kaeding, Damion Gardner and current USAC-CRA
points leader Mike Spencer.
Both
Kaeding men run without a wing only a handful of times per season. Tim is
entered in the very potent Roth Motorsports #83 jr. Brent Kaeding is the second
ranked driver on the Calistoga Speedway all-time feature win list. “BK” of
The confirmed
midget drivers generating a buzz include Robby Flock, 16 year-old Kyle Larson,
Johnny “Lightning” Rodriguez, Shannon McQueen, Travis Berryhill, Justin Grant,
Scott Pierovich, Nic Faas, Michael Faccinto, and ‘double duty drivers’ Golobic and
Hansen.
The fun
starts at
Cars are
scheduled to be on the track by
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