Forum Activity for @will-cronkrite

Patty:

I appreciate your response. I am not much of a writer, but the biggest reason that I do not post is that It is a little uncomfortable for me to respond to some of the posts that are clearly posted by folks that have NO idea about what is actually entailed in racing.

The single biggest concern in making a car handle is the ability of a driver to determine what his preference is for a front roll couple distribution number. FRCD is the cars ability to prevent body roll at the front axle as a percentage of the cars total ability to resist body roll. Because of the unequal length front control arms the front roll center height is very difficult to control and a large amount of front anti-roll devices are encountered at the front axle. I found that a preponderance of the drivers that I worked with would end up liking a FRCD number between 79% to 84%. This issue becomes a real challenge because a change of as little as .5% can greatly affect the cars ability to control body roll rate while maintaining the drivers preference for a decent ride rate. A soft ride rate provides the cars ability to maintain a suitable tire contact patch thru a wider range of camber change. This constantly changes during a race due to track temperatures, tire pressure and position on the race track, etc.

I bring all this up because it is my opinion that what is contributing to Kyles success is his absolutely innate ability to knowingly determine what he wants for a FRCD and then is able to communicate it correctly to each of the crew chiefs of his many different rides, not only throughout the season and from track to track, but during the unfolding of each race itself. Whatever anyone happens to think about Kyle is certainly their option, but it would only seem appropriate to understand what he has to go thru and what his abilities and skills are before they offer up an opinion that is clearly based on a minute amount of racing knowledge.

Im done for awhile!

I feel the need to respond to this one!

The biggest issue that I have with those that want to comment here is the perspective from which they draw conclusions.

As in most all of sports, those with the ability and the brains actually play, participate and perform. Those with only the intellect tend to be coaches/ car owners, etc!. Those without either the intellect or the ability tend to write about it!

Dale Earnhardt drove for me and then I watched him race for another great number of years as he fought his way thru issues like this, he too was accosted by the fans and some of the media in a negative manner, None of whom have spent even an hour on the phone looking for sponsors, no late nights in the shop working on their car and borrowed grocery money spent on tires. All of this was in an effort to arrive at their dream.

I know there are folks on this site that know EXACTLY what I am talking about and none of them have posted in a negative manner regarding a drivers revelation of their emotions.

There is no way of explaining the intensity that a skilled driver must guide and steer throughout his career. Drivers spend a giant amount of time and effort behind the scenes trying to promote their careers, by attracting sponsors and keeping them happy. You never know what contract might be on the line that night as he is racing. A 2-4 year contract might be under negotiation at the time, etc.

In the old days drivers were racing for grocery money, and todays drivers are certainly driving their asses off in response to a sponsor commitment, job security or employment interviews that will affect their families future.

I guess what I am trying to say is that the comments that I am reading are written by folks that I feel are writing from their computer where there is little sweat involved, no time invested in your livelihood, no planning for a life ending incident, or future family support considerations. The comments written are not the result of years of work, effort and desire, determination and certainly not from any pursuit of a dream, but merely the afterthought from a split second observation that occurred several hours ago and are presented probably with a cool drink in one hand as you type with the other. You get to do your talking from the quiet, concealed confines of your home in an anonymous manner.

Compare that to a driver that has spent those long hours and efforts and years of preparation to get where he is, trying to present his talents to the entire world in public, on national television. In the midst of wrestling a very heavy race car, in 140 degree heat, trying to impress his sponsors, provide for his familys future and intently concentrating on his livelihood, an incident occurs extremely fast and he has no ability to review it on instant replay, and all of a sudden some jerk, knowing of that situation still feels it necessary to intrude on a drivers cool off period and asked a question that is intended to provide controversy. He is offered no cool-down time or access to instant replay, and his gut reaction is judged by those at home on the couch in front of a television.

I am not a personal friend or fan of Kyle Bush, but you cannot take away from him that he is winning races at a faster pace that Dale did, and that he is doing it all types of tracks and in different race cars/trucks. That alone creates jealousy in drivers and fans alike.

At any, rate, that is my perspective. You all are entitled to yours as well!

I know very little about this side of racing / hobby. My contract only calls for a business relationship regarding the likeness of the Ford #96. They would have no reason to discuss with me anything about making blanks.

Good evening,

First, I want to thank those of you that provided some photos per my request several weeks ago.

I was looking for a particular name on the car that I owned in the early 80's. I had been asked by the Lionel/Action group to provide information regarding the possible making of a 1:24 scale race car for their new line.

As it turned out they sent a contract, I signed it and Teresa Earnhardt signed off on it and they are going to build one of my Torino. I'm kinda stoked about it to tell you the truth and I just want to say thanks for you guys help.

The apology is for having to admit that I do not yet understand how to respond to the group invites that you folks have been kind enough to extend to me. I travel as part of my restoration business and do not always see them in a timely manner, and when I do, I am not sure how to reply. Thank you for trying to invite me!

Nice to hear from you again Dave.

I would think what you remember were the 180 degree headers that junior used. For some reason Junior seemed to be interested in my work and would often let me try some of his 'stuff' . Those headers made it sound like you had another 2,000 RPM.

I sure miss some of the sounds and smells of 'the good ol' days'

I remember Junior J running some headers for awhile that made the car sound like it was absolutely screaming when the driver got off the gas. Don't think I ever heard anything quite like that before or since. In Smokey's case, who in the world knows what he may have really had or been turning. Can you imagine having to be a NASCAR inspector when anything Smokey built came through tech?

Dennis Andrews said:

Behind Darrell's 'flashy' exterior is an extremely caring and giving man. We we never close friends, but I was close enough to see and actually witness some of the giving and sharing that he and Stevie did for a multitude of folks. Behind the scenes, they went out of their way to help, give and support and help in numerous ways. They would go about doing this in the way it should be done, without fanfare, without bragging and no telecasting or show boating.

You just can't see any of this from the far side of television.

Dale Sr. was the same way. The only folks that did not like Dale Sr. were the folks that did not actually know him. He spent time and effort to promote his persona, but behind the scene, he was an extremely giving man.

As far as Darrell was concerned, some of the stuff you only got to witness on the TV and read in the papers was a result of things that occurred behind the scenes, in the garage area and in the haulers.

Back in those days the perception you got from the papers and the TV were far from the actual circumstances. Some of those drivers worked at night, or drove long distances and did not stay in fancy motor homes and had to compete without air conditioning, power steering or rest stops and time outs. I personally applauded Darrell for his honesty even when I did not actually see his point of view.

Back in those days, how you finished sometimes made a difference in getting bills paid and payrolls met. It is not like it is currently.

Hooray, for the past racers of days gone by. I salute you all.

Nice picture, I do not have that one. Would you permit me to use it on my personal website?

Thanks for posting.
Bumpertag said:

Hi Jim,

I am no longer in Fort Mill, S.C., but just a little bit west in Rock Hill, SC. I've gotten pretty deep into restoring Model A antique cars. I have a website:

www.mantiquesresto.com

Jim Reep Jr said:

Its great to see you on here Will. I well remember this car when you & Dale ran it. It was a very nice piece. I also recall when you two took it to Daytona for the "Firecracker 400" in '78. There is @ least one pic on this site of the car, but I believe its like the ones already shown in response. I hope you are doing well. If you want you can email me , possum11028@yahoo.com or even call 704-944-8325 or 8326 (bus hrs), Reep Machine Co,Inc. Are you still down by Black Horse Run? What you been doing since your racing days? Hope to hear from you soon.

Jim Reep