The Myth of the Posse vs. the World

How good really is the Pennsylvania Posse?  It's a subject that has been debated over and over on message boards so much that you get sick of it.  You hear from certain people that the Pennsylvania racers are the best in the country, and that they can beat anyone, anywhere on any given night.  And then you'll hear from fans elsewhere how that's not true.  It's just a bunch of chest pounding that has no merit or is not based on facts.

The take I have on this is that there is really nothing wrong with knowing that the drivers that run regularly in you area are really good like the Posse drivers are, but just because you are a big Posse fan, which I am, there is no reason to not admit that there are great sprint car drivers across this country that are capable of beating the Outlaws on their home turf.  Pennsylvania drivers are not the only ones.

Look at California for instance, Rico Abreu has beaten the Outlaws on numerous occasions, and just last year Shane Golobic picked up a WoO victory as well.  And the California racers usually do tremendously well when the Outlaws invade their territory.

Pat Miller Photo

Also the Midwest drivers are tough to handle.  You can make the argument, and I would agree with this argument, that the Knoxville regular show field is the best field in the country for a regular show on a weekly basis.  Drivers like Brian Brown, Terry McCarl, Danny Lasoski, Tim Kaeding, Bryan Clauson, Davey Heskin, Ian Madsen, and Justin Henderson just to name a few really boast their fields on a weekly basis, and I would argue that Brown is as good as anyone in the country right now with the exception of Donny Schatz.

Ohio drivers are no different as there are plenty of Ohio regulars with great talent.  While Dale Blaney might be an All Star, he is a Ohio guy who is just about as good as any guy in the country.

Now the Pennsylvania drivers have a very good track record when it comes to running against the Outlaws and other touring series in their area.  The All Stars for instance have never won a All Stars show at Williams Grove, and I think just one at Lincoln, and a couple at Port Royal.  And when the Outlaws come to town, the Pennsylvania drivers have plenty of victories.  But even this past weekend, Cody Darrah, who is an All Star right now even though he has PA roots picked up an All Stars win at Port Royal, and during the Fred Rahmer Promotions show at Path Valley this past Sunday, Chad Kemenah (All Star) picked up the win on a track that PA drivers don't run at weekly.  And he picked up that win against an incredibly stacked field for an unsanctioned event.

Pat Miller Photo

But when it comes to big shows outside of Pennsylvania like the Knoxville Nationals and the Kings Royal, the Pennsylvania drivers do not have the best performances over the past number of years.  It's been a long time since a PA regular has taken to Knoxville and won the Nationals.  That doesn't mean that they're not capable of winning those shows, it just means that it's been a long time.

Look, there are great regional sprint car drivers across the country.  Feel great about that fact, and know that wherever you go there is a chance that the locals can defeat the traveling Outlaws.  But the chest pounding and the putting down of other regions should stop.  It's not productive and has no basis behind it other then your own opinion.  And while this is just my opinion, I bet if you stopped and thought about it, you would realize that there really is great regional talent across the country.