“Otherwise, the two hardest guys for me to pass were Doug Wolfgang and Sammy Swindell. The fast guys are always hard to pass.”
Logan Schuchart is on the same wavelength as Kinser.
“Any car off the pace is hard. You don’t know what they’re going to do,” Schuchart said. “Guys who are quick are a lot more predictable.”
Hunter Schuerenberg has two points of reference, having moved to the winged sprint cars from the USAC non-winged sprint cars, and he immediately fingers an unexpected driver.
“Cap Henry,” Schuerenberg said. “He’s the hardest All Star to pass and I don’t really know why. I guess it’s because he’s really good at making his car extra wide. In USAC, Justin Grant was the hardest for me because we’re friends and he’s the last guy I want to boot out of the way. And he’s another guy who can make his car really wide when he wants to.”
USAC kingpin Brady Bacon does not hesitate at all when asked to weigh in on the subject.
“Robert Ballou,” Bacon said. “He makes his car really wide and if you do get by, he might run you over before the end of the race.”
Brent Marks, who led the sprint car world in money won last year, says World of Outlaws regular Carson Macedo is difficult to pass.
“He’s always hard to pass,” said the Pennsylvanian. “If you show him your nose, he’s really good at changing his line repeatedly to keep you guessing.”
“I agree,” said Tyler Courtney. “Carson is just like Justin Grant in the USAC sprints. They’re both really hard racers who don’t give you much and keep changing their lines. You have to get it done the first time because if you don’t make it, they’ll both take your line and block you.”
As for Macedo, he says it’s a simple matter.
“I just don’t like to get passed,” the California driver acknowledged. “If somebody has position, I won’t dirty them up, but I am aggressive. I’m always searching around on the race track so I know how it is if I have to change lines.”
Grant has an even better explanation of why he is difficult to pass.
“Because I’m good at my job,” Grant said. “That’s the entire job description — pass them and keep them behind you.”
Newman, who continues to race asphalt modifieds and in the SRX series, can rest well, knowing he’s not the only “kidney stone” in the sport.
This story appeared in the March 8, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
