[v869tr6]

I met Arnie last year didn't realize he was in his 80s.
I got the chance to do a powerskid with my car, not very easy with the speeds involved and a car full of smoke, you just can't see!

[cgeise]

Originally Posted by Elarson

I have more experience with long, high-speed, high-energy burnouts than most folks. The slightest traction difference left-to-right will kick the car around. I personally have ended burnouts facing sideways and facing totally turned around backwards.

I would advise my PY friends not to get caught up in the chatter of the keyboard experts.

Eric

I agree 100% -- to much wheel speed and a little to much stick on one side or the other and you can be screwed -- been there --

[marks73ta]

I think Arnie is just fine. Go to U tube and you will see burnout after burnout go bad but I have yet to see anyone scream to get the driver out of racing. Like it's been said, Arnie is a showman. He is there for the exhibition and he delivers. If you made as many runs and burnouts as he has over time, in the high horsepower high wheel speed 1/2 track long burnouts, you would find mistakes and wall scratching incidents too. He will know when he has to stop. Are you kidding?? 83 years old and he still drives that kind of car--safely??? I'll be happy to have enough faculty to start a car at 83. Arnie's fine. Mark L

[Elarson]

You really just never know for sure where the car will end up; regardless of who's driving. That's why we 100% refuse to do burnouts in parking lots at car shows, etc. It's just too dangerous. Troy Critchley found that out the hard way when he killed some roadside spectators on a burnout gone awry.

Eric

[Jack Ferris]

We all love Arnie. To most Pontiac enthusiasts and many racers, he is an icon. But, one of these days he is going to hurt/kill somebody or himself and that hero status will be quickly forgotten. Good Lord most his age cant drive a passenger car let alone a Pro Mod car. Hang it up and retire on top.

[GTO Dan]

Originally Posted by T Syron

They're tearing him up on Yellowbullet.

http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=574012

Tom Syron

They tear everyone up over there.

[adam woodmancy]

Originally Posted by Jack Ferris

We all love Arnie. To most Pontiac enthusiasts and many racers, he is an icon. But, one of these days he is going to hurt/kill somebody or himself and that hero status will be quickly forgotten. Good Lord most his age cant drive a passenger car let alone a Pro Mod car. Hang it up and retire on top.

That's pretty much how I feel. I remember at Byron 2006 maybe, he was match racing animal jim in the zephyr and AJ made Arnie look pretty foolish. I'm afraid he will hurt someone before its all over with. It's becoming far to repetitive for Arnie and these incidents.

I admire his longevity and his desire, but it's not worth it.

[warriors revenge]

can someone please tell me what about that video makes anyone think Arnie should hang it up????? from what I seen he was off the throttle before it kicked around and brushed off the wall??? I saw nothing that couldn't have happened to anyone in a race car.... except for those who do their burn out in 1st gear @ 2000 rpm and let the tires come to a complete stop before exiting the water box.... hell he wasn't even that far past the tree when he let off..... from someone who has backed that car up on the race track a ton of times... that burn out was about 1/3 normal length...

[gto406]

Originally Posted by warriors revenge

can someone please tell me what about that video makes anyone think Arnie should hang it up?????

I can try... It seems (from the video) Arnie is still trying to make a pass with half his front fender missing, and shrapnel all over the first 5-600' of his racing surface! I am surprised he did not tear up his slicks backing up over that junk. If you watch, the track official (or perhaps it is a crewman?) tells Arnie to 'shut it off'. Thank goodness he followed their direction!

I really admire and respect Arnie a lot. He means a great deal to me (as a Poncho guy) and the last thing I believe anyone wants to see is for him to hurt himself (once again) or even worse kill a fellow racer, he is racing against.

He could 'step out of the car' and still be a force in the Pontiac community, e.g. advising folks on setups, driving, etc. As someone already stated, he doesn't have to drive to be #1 in our books (he has already achieved that).

[warriors revenge]

a funny story, shortly after getting out of the hospital from his accident, we were at the world drag expo in St. Charles, IL. Arnie had his hands completely bandaged up, and had bandages on his face still. we were walking around, and ran into Joe Penze (a well known outlaw super stock racer) Joe asked Arnie if he was ever going to race again, without hesitation Arnie stepped in towards Joe, lowered his dark eye protecting glasses and replied "are you going to breathe again?"

you will not get him out of his race car alive, and if you did it would kill him

[adam woodmancy]

It's not just the video.. It's a bunch of incidents in recent years. You don't need to be reckless just to put on a show. I've never managed to back over a tree after a long burnout.. It looked to me like he would've staged the car I'm the video had they let him. I mean, really??

[Brian Baker]

I just hope that, because of who Arnie is, he is not getting a free pass from the tracks he performs at in regards to his physical and licensing requirements.

[twooldgoats]

The quick backing up and the apparent desire to stage are no doubt part of the show. It's better to have someone shut you down than to just appear to give up (when you're getting paid to perform). It's sorta like saying "Let me at him" while your friends restrain you from a fight in the bar.

Jim

[Tom Vaught]

Arnie has a tremendous amount of experience behind the wheel of his race cars.

That being said, most have probably never heard of all of the times his cars have had "issues" over the years. Stuff can happen to anyone:

"During elimination's today at the Fun Ford Weekend 2002 season opener in Orlando, Florida (The Spring Break Shootout) well known Pro 5.0 racer, Steve Grebeck, was killed during elimination's. Mr. Grebeck, who was in the right lane, was pitted against another well known Pro 5.0 personality, Bill Rimmer, who was in the left lane. During the run, about 1000 feet out, Steve Grebeck's car suddenly veered to the left and shot across the track and went air born in front of Bill Rimmer's Pro 5.0 car. Rimmer's car hit Grebeck's race car at over 200 MPH, causing a huge fire ball and Grebeck's car to be hurled 15 to 20 feet into the air nose up. Amazingly, Rimmer's car then crossed the finish line slidding and still light the time boards with a 7.19 elapsed time.
Emergency personnel rushed to the scene, but we are told that Steve Grebeck was already dead from massive head and bodily injuries. Regardless, Mr. Grebeck was air lifted to the hospital, while Bill Rimmer was not seriously injured."

So Bill survived and Steve did not.

In Arnie's case, he does a burn-out, the car gets loose, and he taps the wall. Knocked off some "plastic" on the car. He would have been able to tell if the chassis was hurt when he backed up with his years of experience. So maybe he could have made a pass but really what would it have proved? He probably sold more T-Shirts after the "incident" than if he had made a clean burn-out and run.

Write it off to "Chit Happens" and leave the man alone. Even in his 80s he can outdrive 98% of the people on this board.

Tom Vaught

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by Jack Ferris

... Good Lord most his age cant drive a passenger car let alone a Pro Mod car. Hang it up...

So, with that reasoning- we gonna' yank Karamesines out of his top fueler?

[adam woodmancy]

If it were joe blow having all these issues, I highly doubt most of you would defend so blindly.

[triathlonx13]

[QUOTE=

Write it off to "Chit Happens" and leave the man alone. Even in his 80s he can outdrive 98% of the people on this board.

[/QUOTE]
Agreed

This stuff happens to the best. Bashing the guys on top - is typical - goes with the territory

[adam woodmancy]

I'm not bashing anyone.. I just hope he doesn't hurt someone else or their property. I have no objection to what he chooses to do In regard to his own health and safety. We all make that choice when we get in a Racecar... But when I have to struggle to get a license because I'm deemed unsafe because of diabetes, but Arnie can crash into, and back over stuff every single year... It just rubs me wrong.

As far as Arnie being on top, well, that's subject to great debate another time, another place. It's not 1967 anymore.

As far as the post about the Greek earlier.. He keeps a 7000+ hp monster between the lines every time.. It's not about his age.. He's under control.

Arnie, not so much. The fans go wild when NASCAR has a big pile up because its entertaining, that doesn't necessarily make it a good thing.

[adam woodmancy]

I have a lot of respect for Arnie and what he has done and achieved. He has done a lot for Pontiacs in Motorsports. I've met him several times. I admire a lot of things about him, so this is not a bashing Arnie vendetta. It's just an honest .02 from some random guy. One of the guys who taught me a lot when I was younger had been backed over by a car on the track in the old days and he survived, but the damage was done, so maybe I'm more sympathetic, empathetic about the subject than most.

Another one of the guys I learned a lot from is the guy who sat me down at probably 6 or 7 years old and taught me about Arnie and used to tell me stories from the old days.. So to say that Arnie doesn't have a significant spot in my heart would, would be incorrect.

I wish him nothing but the best

[Jack Ferris]

Originally Posted by Jack Gifford

So, with that reasoning- we gonna' yank Karamesines out of his top fueler?

I dont know....Are we?