Talkin’ Sprint Cars with The Postman

Steve Post joins the podcast to preview the Knoxville Nationals and give his view on the state of sprint car racing.

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Midwest Racing Central Today is hosted by Pete Pistone and produced by Mia Pistone

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Hi everyone, and welcome to this week's edition of Midwest Racing Central. Today I'm Pete Bistoni. It is Knoxville Nationals Week, the biggest sprint car race in the country, and we thought we'd bring in a guy that you all know very well. He is the lead pit reporter for the Motor Racing Network. He also hosts Wing Nation at MRN.com. It is the Postman, Steve Post, with us here on Midwest Racing Central today. How are you, Posty?

SPEAKER_01 0:33

I'm doing well, Pete. You really, really, really had to twist my arm to talk Knoxville Nationals. You know, I mean, you had you were savage on this. No, always uh always a pleasure, especially this week.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

Yeah, and Postman uh on his way up to Richmond. You'll hear him on the MRN broadcast up there on Friday night and Saturday night. I want to talk a little big picture. Again, for you, you have your finger on the pulse of the spring car world. And I'll I'll be honest, when I first heard about the split, not split, but having uh the high limit series and the world of outlaw series, I was a little bit skeptical. Is there room for two big 410 sprint car series tours? How has that been working on your mind, Postman?

SPEAKER_01 1:09

I was with you, I looked at this thing as a split. Uh, it's turned into a doubling. Um, it really truly has. It's been absolutely amazing. And uh, one of the drivers I talked to uh last year as this thing was trying to formulate itself is Brian Brown. Brian, of course, a multi-time champion at Knoxville Raceway. And Brian is one of the um vehemently and proudly independent racers, he does not run with high limits, a high limit, he does not run with world of outlaws. He'll he'll run their shows when they roll through his area in the Midwest, but he is not aligned with either one of them. And I think Brian was probably in the same category, but then when you look at um Brian talked about a show at Peavely where there were 35 full-time touring teams, and Peavely on a regular World of Outlaw show or anything, nobody can support 35 teams. And Brian was like, you know, this really has worked out well because you've got you've got 15, 16, 17 teams at World of Outlaws, you got 14, 15 teams with high limit, and then you've got another 10 or 12 or 15 teams that are independent that are out there. He said, you know, we get together at Knoxville, we get together at Eldora. That was a situation where there was rain all spring long and everyone was just dying to go racing. He said, We can't handle 35 full-time teams. No way that can be managed from uh from a touring series standpoint. Well, we've got 35 full-time touring teams now, and so the bottom line of it is is that this thing, I I really thought this is a split. And yes, it is a split, but it's turned into a doubling of full-time teams, and we're still navigating where you know where things go. All of the crown jewel races, the big crown jewel races, the big historical crown jewel races all fall under the world of outlaw category. But high limit is also creating other ones. They have a hundred thousand dollar wins show at Skadget. The the Gold Cup race of champions out in Chico, California is a high limit race. So um, they're kind of carving out their own, and and it seemed like things, everyone I hear, everyone I talk to, seems like things are pretty healthy.

SPEAKER_00 3:27

And it feels like on the high limit side now, from a business standpoint, right? They're going into and NASCAR fans that listen to to us, whether on Sirius XM or MRN, know the word charter. Is that sort of the same idea, Postman? What they're trying to do with the High Limit series as well.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Yeah, and it's really been in the forefront this week when Chase Briscoe announced that he has purchased Brent Mark's team and charter. Um, there's a there this thing is modeled after the NASCAR charter system. And what the goal is is for NASCAR. What the goal is for High Limit is when a team owner decides that they need to get out, whether for business reasons or or just just lack of interest or retirement or whatever it is, historically there's been no value in anything. Uh Pete, I remember I did Ricky Rudd's PR, and when he sold his team, Rudd Performance Racing, he auctioned it off. And he said it was the most depressing thing in the world because you're auctioning it off for pennies on the hundreds, you know, not pennies on the dollar, pennies on the hundreds. And so the charter in NASCAR was a way that team owners get value. And I think we're starting to see that thing, same thing with sprint car racing. Brent Marks, I think Brent is very early in this, and he had to look at his driving career and he signed like a five-year agreement and that sort of thing. And but I think when you look at this, uh Brent Marks um speculation is he got anywhere from 300 to $500,000. And again, that's all speculation. He's not getting that. You know, he's he's he's not getting that if there's not a charter attached to it. Uh, Chase Briscoe talked that white that Iowa about what he believes ultimately will be the value of the charters, and that's why he invested in one. That's why he bought a team, that's why he bought a team with a charter, and he believes in it, and he believes that streaming with high limit. He also believes network television, they have races on on on um, you know, FS1. They they actually have races on the NASCAR channel, which kind of cracks me up that uh high limit racing is on the NASCAR channel, and they believe Chase believes that that streaming is going to generate more revenue so that the charter becomes more valuable. So, yeah, the charter system in high limit is is very much like what we have in NASCAR.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

All right, before we get to some nationals predictions and some discussion with you, that so those are the two kind of national tours on the regional level. Um, how what are you seeing there? There are some tracks that run 410 sprints as a weekly show. We got here in the Midwest, the IRA bumper to bumper series. I've been to a couple of their shows, pretty good, pretty healthy. How do you see some of the other 410 sprint car racing around the country, Steve, outside of those two high-level divisions?

SPEAKER_01 6:09

Yeah, it's interesting because we we have the two national tours. You know, there's a hotbed in the Midwest with Knoxville and Houston's, uh, that really are weekly racing tracks. There's a couple of small trucks. There's a small truck in Butler, Michigan. There's one down in the St. Louis area, Farmington Empire, that just seem to run four, 10 races and don't seem to be impacted too much by this. Occasionally the big boys will come through town. We have the regional tours, like you mentioned. IRA is just a Wisconsin-based tour, is just a phenomenal tour. Um, Ohio seems strong. There's two regional tours over in Ohio and some weekly tracks over there. Pennsylvania seems like it's going all right. There's a lot of concern in Pennsylvania almost about the opposite problem, oversaturation. And I think that uh I think that there's a lot of people starting to subscribe that less is more over in central Pennsylvania. But but I would say overall, it it it seems like it seems like across the board it's fairly healthy uh across the board with with the regional tours and with just some whether they're mom and pop Saturday night local tracks or local regions that that that highlight Fort 10 sprint cars.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

All right, let's talk about the nationals. It started on Wednesday, it comes to a head on Saturday with the main event, kind of going in, Steve. What are some of the bigger storylines for you for the 2026 Knoxville Nationals?

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Well, I just think that the storyline to me is the sheer number of people that I think you could make a case for that could win this thing. I mean, uh, you know, Ryan Timbs is a defending winner. Now he's got some work to do after his prelim night. He was on the Wednesday prelim night and had all kinds of problems and shenanigans, if you will. Um, but he um but he uh he he's gotta be a favorite. But then you look, you look at like a David Gravel or a Carson Masito, uh, you look at Rico Abreu or Corey Day, and then there's just a whole bunch of guys. Sheldon Hoddenschild jumps up into mind, Darren Pittman driving a Pennsylvania car, the Kreitz car. Um you have uh, you know, you you you have the the Brian Brown from out there in Knoxville, who uh would not surprise anybody. And I think you're sitting here, I think you're sitting with probably, you know, eight to ten drivers you could make a case for that if they win it, you're like, hmm, not really surprised. And then there's another dozen or so, uh some that won't even start the A main. There's another dozen or so that, you know, okay, I could see the stars aligning and then putting themselves in a spot. So I think to me, the big story that I see right now is just the sheer depth of quality. And I think that goes back to your original point. You know, we we used to have a dozen World of Outlaw touring drivers. Now we have 14 World of Outlaw drivers and 14 or 50 high limit drivers. So there's 28 cars. Half of them are capable of running and qualifying in the Knoxville Nationals, not on a not on a good run. That all the rest of them can make it in if you know if the if if the cards align right. And I just think the depth of the field is part of the Knoxville National story is the sheer volume of uh of talent that is out there. It's absolutely amazing the talent level out there, absolutely amazing the money that is being spent on these teams and uh the skill of the the crew chiefs have become the the crew chiefs have become like NASCAR crew chiefs, and that you know there's there's there's the good ones and there's there's the ones that are struggling. And I just find it's a fascinating time. But to me, the big story of Knoxville is just the sheer depth of uh quality equipment out there, it's an amazing field of cars.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

Steve, how important to the listeners and viewers who maybe don't follow the Nationals in your mind, is it to kind of watch how the week progresses? Because I think I saw a stat. We haven't had someone win this race for what, like three years who wasn't on the front row. So getting a great starting spot, right, is so important to how this leads up to Saturday night over these preliminary events.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

Yeah, I think so. And I but I but I think um that that stat is an interesting one because the first time I went to the Knoxville Nationals, Donnie Schatz won it from 21st. You know, I mean, it was like I think I think that's a little cyclical. I think um Corey Day last year just hit the number. He he hit the setup, okay? And the year before that, it was some guy by the name of Kyle Larson. Uh, you start Kyle Larson on the poll anywhere in the country, he's gonna win a race. No matter if it's a 50 laper in Knoxville or a 25 laper in Peavely. You know, so I I I agree that getting a good starting spot up toward the front of the field is important. I'm not going front row. Uh, I just I I almost think that I almost think we've had a couple situations that have made that the case. And I I tend to think you probably need to be in the first three or four rows to give yourself a good shot. You know, we deal with in sprint cars like we deal with in NASCAR, the dreaded clean air and and not being mired back in the pack. But I think that, you know, if you're in the first three or four rows, uh you're in good shape, which does mean your preliminary nights need to need to go off well. Uh, you know, just they they they need to be solid. You need to get up there in the front of the field.

SPEAKER_00 11:09

Another thing I've seen spoken about this week, and then Casey Kane talked about it. You mentioned Rico Abrew, the length of the race and a fuel stop. Maybe again for the viewers who don't follow this, can you explain how that is? And is there some decision to be made about maybe you don't make this race longer any longer? So you don't have to have fuel stops, Steve. What do you what are you gonna land on that discussion?

SPEAKER_01 11:28

Yeah, uh Pete, it's called sprint car racing. Okay, sprint is the key word into it, and there's a lot of controversy with the 50 laps at Knoxville. Uh the 50 laps at Knoxville, this is the 56th running, I believe it is. The 50 laps at Knoxville came about on the 50th anniversary of Knoxville, and it never went away. Well, with the fuel tanks on these cars and the amount of methanol they burn, there's no way you can do 50 laps. So that puts us in a fuel stop. Old school traditional sprint car fans can't stand this, do not like it at all. Um but you gotta have a show too, you know. I mean, you're 25 laps could go off. You your Knoxville Nationals could be 11 minutes, you know. If but you know, I mean, and so it's that balance, and and honestly, it's the balance we talk about in NASCAR, it's the balance. Short tracks talk about it's the same balance that we have of I'm not going all the way to Knoxville for five days for 10 minutes. Well, you might be, you know, then there's the old school traditional people that was like, yeah, but that was the best 10 minutes of my life, and I'd do it again next year. And so we're in this quandary. I don't, you know, the the pit stops, you know, the sprint car racing gets accused of trying to be like NASCAR. So you throw pit stops in, uh, here we go. They're trying to be NASCAR. It's it's a fascinating discussion. We've landed on 50. The discussion happens every year. Uh, thus far it's stayed on 50. Um, but I wouldn't be surprised if going forward it doesn't drop back to a 40 lap race where you, you know, you got to make sure you have enough fuel in the tank and and and get going. Um, the you know, the crazy thing about a measure about a meas is Knoxville uh has all of this drama with a 50 lap race. Over in central Pennsylvania at Port Royal, there's the Tuscarora 50, which is historical Tuscarora 50. It's been 25 and a fuel stop and 25 forever. And if you dare change that, some of the same traditional people that can't stand Knoxville would wring your neck for changing it at Tuscarora 50. You know, it's race fans being race fans, but it is a huge discussion that happens every year. And um I I don't it would not surprise me if it doesn't change at some point to drop back to a 40 lap sprint car race. Uh where you would whatever you have, whatever you have at the beginning, that's what you have. You can't adjust your race car and you just go out and let the let the best man, let the best crew chief, and the man and crew chief win the race.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Before you go, last point, you use the word quandary. I kind of feel that that applies to Kyle Larson, right? Because he his his day job is going to be with you guys up at Richmond on Saturday night, but uh he's still there running the preliminary events, even though he won't be able to be in the main event on Saturday night. I'm sure that's killing Kyle talking to him last week at Iowa.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

Yeah, it's it's fascinating. Um, he'll he'll be running his prelim uh Thursday night here. And um the way Kyle is looking at it, the way he's the way he's positioning it is well, it's a race I could go do, and it's $12,000. So if you know he wins this prelim night, it's $12,000. Now he could lock himself into the front row of the Knoxville Nationals. I I I I think this is long shot, but if weather were to hit Knoxville or weather were to hit Richmond, uh especially Knoxville, I don't think Richmond is because I don't see I don't see I don't see a cancellation at Richmond soon enough for Kyle to be able to get to Knoxville. But if something were to happen in Knoxville and the the event would get pushed to Sunday, then Kyle would be there doing it. Yeah, it's it's fascinating because he'd be locked into the biggest race of the year. I think Kyle, I think Kyle five years ago, this had been, I think Kyle five years ago uh you know would have been a little bit more vocal about this. He's just kind of he he he's frustrated with it, but he's come to the realization that um he likes his day job. Uh he likes running that Hendrick Cars.com Chevy. He likes the paycheck that comes with running that Hendrick.com Chevy. And so he understands. And and one of the things he said in in one of the interviews I saw was, I've been lucky. This thing has been on Sunday races for a number of years. We're just in a cycle this year where it's a Saturday night race at Richmond. I believe next year we're probably gonna be in the same scenario with Bristol on Saturday night. And Kyle's just probably gonna be in the same scenario, and uh just just his his passion and his uh passion is real job conflict, which he you have that in your life, I haven't in my life. We're just not doing it. Uh, we're we're just we're just not doing it as a superstar like Kyle Larson.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

Exactly right. I appreciate the time post, man. Uh it's gonna be fun. We'll be watching, we'll be obviously listening and watching what happens up there at Richmond, and uh it's a great time, but you can't wait for the Knoxville Nationals this weekend. Thanks for the insight and stopping by.

SPEAKER_01 16:16

Yeah, appreciate it. Always good to always good to catch up with you, Pete. And uh I call them the high holy days of spring car racing, Knoxville National Week. It's gonna be fun to see. I I'm I'm really curious as to how this plays out. It's gonna be a fun week. Appreciate the time.

SPEAKER_00 16:30

Appreciate you. That's Steve Post, the postman. You hear him, Lee Pitt reporter for the Moderation Network. He'll be on the call for the truck race on Friday night, the cup race on Saturday night. Of course, he hosts Wing Nation, covering all spring car action at MRN.com. That'll do it for this week's edition of Midwest Racing Central today. Keep it here at Midwest RacingCentral.com. We'll have everything covered from around the Midwest for what's going to be a very busy racing weekend. I'm Pete Pistoni. We'll see you next time at Midwest Racing Central today.