So it’s Saturday mid morning and I go on the NSS website to check the schedule for tonights racing events…I get to the front page and see in BOLD RED LETTERS that the crate model cars have to now weigh 2800lbs tonight. Now mind you that we have worked on our car ALL WEEK to get it ready and it is already loaded on the trailer. Obviously we call the track personnel that would be responsible for making such a decision and he explains that at Thursdays practice the crate models were running the SAME times as the LLM cars. SAME TIMES!!! So they decided to make the crate cars add 50lbs. So basically they are telling us that a crate car CANNOT have the same chance to win a race at NSS. When we run at anyother track besides FASCAR we run the ASA rules which are 2600lbs. We run against SLM and LLM and have never heard a complaint. And there are many crate cars running upfront and even winning at other tracks.
I know earlier in the year at OSW Choquette won a SLM race in a crate car and the racers (and i use the term litely)complained so much that they added weight. A SLM has approx 650 HP, a crate car has approx 420 HP and even a LLM has around 490HP. The biggest misconception is that the “crate cars run the same times on the watch” which in reality has nothing to do with being able to race against a SLM or a LLM on the track. It is near impossible to pass a LLM car with a crate car unless you are at least 3-4 tenths faster. ESPECIALLy at NSS. The HP factor there is more prominent than anywhere.
So anyway, we have to unload the car, find and figure out where to put 50 more lbs of weight in, hopefully not undoing all of the work that was done earlier in the week setting up the car, load the car back up and go to the track. I already know of one car that decided not to come, and I can’t wait to see the guys at the track when they find out at tech that they have to add 50lbs to race. The least the track personnel in charge of making this decision could have done is pick up the phone and call the crate cars that had pre registered or even the ones that they thought were coming. I really hope that this did not come about from racers ( again litely) complaining that the cars might be as fast as theirs and gee how would that be fair? I voted not to bring our car but I am not the one who worked on it all week. And besides the fact that not showing up to prove a point would just be brushed under the rug. I really thought that FASCAR was making strides…guess I was wrong.
PS…I will report back Sunday to let everyone know how the “RACE” went!
You were at the “town hall meetings” weren’t you? We all left there thinking Fascar was making some good strides. I guess we cannot expect too much. Good luck tonight, whos driving?
Town hall meetings far preceed NSS or the President . I heard that the meetings Robert had were supposed to eliminate rules changes like this one . But then this isn’t the first rule change i’ve read about from FASCAR this year , so the meetings don’t seem to have solved anything . Fred , if you do end up racing at NSS , please do report on the outcome .
First of all, you have a crate motor, so obviously you are not spending as much money as the other racers, therefore, a weight penalty is in order.
Secondly, I assume NSS is overflowing with race cars, so a few less cars actually will enhance the program.
Thirdly (if there is such a word), you race asphalt in the Southeast, where the grandstands are packed, the pits full and the track owners and promoters actually care how much time, effort and money it takes racers to show up to support their facility.
[QUOTE=SeminoleWind;32574]First of all, you have a crate motor, so obviously you are not spending as much money as the other racers, therefore, a weight penalty is in order.
Secondly, I assume NSS is overflowing with race cars, so a few less cars actually will enhance the program.
Thirdly (if there is such a word), you race asphalt in the Southeast, where the grandstands are packed, the pits full and the track owners and promoters actually care how much time, effort and money it takes racers to show up to support their facility.[/QUOTE]
WOW, Rose Colored Glasses!!!
Ran last night in NC, Subtract the 6 vintage and the 12 mini sprints they had 9 cars in four classes. I counted 19 people in the stands from down on the track.
Things could be worse, or could they be? :ernaehrung004:
Hi George, I was attempting to make a humorous point. I initially thought 2009might be a turning point for short track racing, particularly asphalt. Instead, I believe I am witnessing the begining of the end of weekly asphalt short track racing in the southeast… Myself, as well as many others have been pleading, on this board, for almost a decade, that asphalt track owners have to figure out how to dramatically cut the costs of racing. Instead, they have decided to cater to the 5 or 6 race teams that show up with toter homes and double stacked trailers. 4 new tires every week, no problem, 8 mandatory gallons of racing fuel, no problem, $35.00 per person pit admission, no problem, sanctioning body license, transponder rental, pit vehicle admission, weekly rule changes, no problem.
Here is the problem. If you make a thousand bucks a week, after taxes, not too shabby. The weekly cost of running a mid to upper level asphalt short track car is approaching $700.00 per week, that does not include the cost of the car, tow equipment, pit equipment, safety equipment or crash damage. Now, if you win, outstanding, you may pay for half of your expenses. The rest of the racers are left with a couple of hundred or so dollars in the purse. So, a racer, making way above the average American salary, has to be able to budget 50 to 60 percent of his take home pay to race weekly on his/her local asphalt short track. The track operators all stand around scratching their heads wondering why the tracks 9 divisions are averaging 3 cars per and thus they have 50 people in the grandstands.
If anyone thinks that this is a problem exclusive to Florida, go on whowon.com next week and pull up the weekly asphalt track results in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, even the Carolinas.
Friday we ran Hammerdown Speedway in Red Springs N.C. I caught the JOKE that is why I said Rose Colored Glasses because I SWORE some tracks have them on when looking at the pits and crowd.
We paid $12.50 to race, vintage everyone else paid $25.00. The track would be a place that could pack the stands and pits IF they went with the divisions that could AFFORD to race for $250.00 to win. Their big class where the 270 mini sprints they had 11. This is the sign of the REAL TIMES not the “BIG CHANGE” that the BS people in Washington gave us.
The moving of the wealth from those who own the businesses to those who sit on the there butt to COLLECT from the business will kill this country period.
I and and couple of other business owners are shutting down or cutting back so we do not need to hire or KEEP the part time people.
AS long as there is a place to race people will go without to race. I knew families that lived i a travel trailer so that they could race one night a week.
Guy has the papers, he owns it free and clear all 145 acers of it. Just likes racing. Has a 270 mini sprint and races that plus drivers the water truck and goes around to meet everyone at the track. That is why I will tow 230 miles to race for a Hot Dog!!
Yep george the pits had over 100 cars in the pits at every track and had standing room only in the grandstands when George W. Bush was in office. None of this crap with tracks acting stupid and low car counts and no one in the stands happened till this year when Obama took office. Yall cry that he gave all the money away. Let’s see, wall street money was set aside and started to be passed out last year by Bush. UAW and auto industry money got put into place last year and some was passed out last year by Bush. Stimulus package was ok’d by alot of republicans too. But if it makes you feel better and sleep better to blame everyone else but where the problem was go at it. Bush had 8 years to do something. He did, HE RUINED THIS COUNTRY. The pieces are being picked up from it now.
Has not yet but as a business owner when CAP AN TRADE and CARBON TAX kicks in you will understand what redistribution of wealth is. Busch made mistakes and every one of them do but this high speed agenda is nothing but frustration on not getting all the pet project funded over the last 20 years.
If you think it is bad NOW save a copy of this and read it in ONE YEAR you will think how GRATE IT WAS NOW.
Sorry I am not a party person I vote for the most qualified person but the last election Alfred E. Neumann was not on the ballot.
Let’s see, wall street money was set aside and started to be passed out last year by Bush. UAW and auto industry money got put into place last year and some was passed out last year by Bush. Stimulus package was ok’d by alot of republicans too.
gosh, i’ve never made the point that all Obama is doing economically is the Bush program on steroids. nosiree, that hadn’t crossed my mind at all until you brought it up.
Todd , you gotta quit getting your " facts " from Rush .
George , do you have a dollar figure on how much the Cap and Trade is going to cost your company ? I did some reserch for my company and didn’t see that it would cost us very much if anything at all . But we may have overlooked something in our figures .
I can’t wait for the re-distribution of wealth to kick in . Reversing the Bush money grab for the rich , and giving it back to the middle class is a great idea . Lower taxes for the rich will mean more productivity and more jobs ? Only Ronald Raygun could have dreamed up a scheme like that . Lower taxes for the rich just means one more vacation house or a new Mercedes for the wife .
[QUOTE=AJ14;32642]Todd , you gotta quit getting your " facts " from Rush .
George , do you have a dollar figure on how much the Cap and Trade is going to cost your company ? I did some reserch for my company and didn’t see that it would cost us very much if anything at all . But we may have overlooked something in our figures .
I can’t wait for the re-distribution of wealth to kick in . Reversing the Bush money grab for the rich , and giving it back to the middle class is a great idea . Lower taxes for the rich will mean more productivity and more jobs ? Only Ronald Raygun could have dreamed up a scheme like that . Lower taxes for the rich just means one more vacation house or a new Mercedes for the wife .[/QUOTE]
Our paid for bean counter said that since we have locations in 5 countries plus Canada it will be someplace in the area of $250K to $650K. Biggest hit will be on the raw material shipping to the Far East and Australia. Our business s does not fit under a lot of the no effect area at all. The other killer will be Carbon Tax which will catch everyone.
The BIG PROBLEM is that people think the RICH will just Not buy the vacation house or Not buy the Mercedes that is the problem with not understanding it. We WILL BUY the Vacation House and WILL BUY The Mercedes, sorry I prefer a Rolls and will just make the company smaller and leaner to make the SAME PROFIT we do now. When we HAVE extra money we PAY bigger salaries and SPEND on improvements to our company by getting things replaced BEFORE they are worn out but when we have to tighten our belts we just FIX what we have till things get better.
This is my last comment about politics since it is a never ending thing that just makes things worse instead of better.
PS Ask the NASCAR teams about the LOSS of the EXTRA MONEY that they got to run their teams. We will no longer sponsor some cars on open wheel circuits if we have to cut back.
:ernaehrung004:
[QUOTE=AJ14;32642]Todd , you gotta quit getting your " facts " from Rush .
George , do you have a dollar figure on how much the Cap and Trade is going to cost your company ? I did some reserch for my company and didn’t see that it would cost us very much if anything at all . But we may have overlooked something in our figures .
I can’t wait for the re-distribution of wealth to kick in . Reversing the Bush money grab for the rich , and giving it back to the middle class is a great idea . Lower taxes for the rich will mean more productivity and more jobs ? Only Ronald Raygun could have dreamed up a scheme like that . Lower taxes for the rich just means one more vacation house or a new Mercedes for the wife .[/QUOTE]
and you should quit getting your facts strictly from Cnn and Msnbc.
I only wish the extra money always went to bigger salaries for the employees . Too many times , the lower taxes are simply put into the trust fund instead of actually being spent , and thereby helping the economy . I do know of several very wealthy company CEOs who use the tax savings to increase salaries ( for the lowest paid employees , not the managers ) , or benefits , or infrastructure , or repairs , or expanding . But many times they just put it in their pocket . And that doesn’t do a thing to improve the economy , many of them keep their money overseas .
That does not work anymore with the bad US Dollar. You do not make as much as we did in the 1960’s doing that. Just a waste of time and not very good if you need to use any of it.
