WOW only 4 pro-trucks @ NSS , What is going on with the trucks???
It was strange… Considering I did see a couple more truck owners/drivers in the pits…
It very sad but there may be a lot of car / truck setting this year the math is just not come out right for the owner/driver to go racing at all. I hear well they will come racing no matter what well this may not be true fact this year.
I understand cost has gone up and the owners of the track have to make money. Cost has gone up for the owner/driver to go racing too. Track owners have to start thinking without the entertainer we dont have a show either so something got to be fixed. It can not be just one sided.
Here is the math for a Pro truck to go racing today I love racing and I am asking myself is it really worth it anymore.
30.00 gas to get to track with hauler (which is a low side for many)
400.00 set of racing tire ( the 400 is on the low side too)
40.00 Racing fuel
120.00 4 people in pits
40.00 food and drinks at track
630.00 total (this is just the basic to go raing without troubles)
At this time tracks are paying 500.00 to win or less.(Depending on laps)
So in today times 500.00 for frist place truck your 130.00 in the hole to go to the race just think of what it cost you if your 5th place truck,
In the past few years the purse was up some so you could make a little money down to 5th place or break even.
What has to be looked at is yes if the track close there is no place to race and if all the cars are parked do to can"t afford to take them to the track then the track will not be open either.
Just my thoughts
Other Ownrs/Drivers what are your thoughts on this Matter??
Gary Laplant
Any local, weekly division that has to have four new tires a week is using the wrong tire. Although the tracks are in the tire business, they would benefit more from having a hard, long-lasting tire, some even get better with age, to keep the expenses down.
By the way, who needs four crew members? Lots of guys run by themselves, myself included. For some reason, most of these truck teams act too big for their britches.
Bonemen
It was just using the Pro Trucks as a example there are other classes in the same boat OWM is one good other calss too. Also who says that everyone you take in the pits are crew memebers you may have a family that wants to be with there dad at the races. You have to look at the whole picture some family go racing together.
Gary Laplant
What help?
I usually paid one guys way in and towed with an open trailer and a diesel POS. That was also when we used treaded Goodyears and you could get at least 3 races out of the right sides.
Family sat in the grandstands…BUT, that’s just me!
What about the single dad that cant have them in Family grandstands
We are all missing the point here racing use to be a thing for the family to do togtether and could afford too have fun together, When you go to busch garden do you go one way and the other family members go the other?? Beside busch garden is on 99.00 for a year pass.
This part of the problem too the tires are more money but dont last as long either.
Just something to think about I understand if you go by yourself to the pits you can save money. Its hard to change a tire if your in the driver seat and have to get out and change it yourself to finish the race,
Gary Laplant
[QUOTE=gary laplant;61189]
We are all missing the point here racing use to be a thing for the family to do togtether and could afford too have fun together, [/QUOTE]
You must be a youngster. When I was growing up, kids and women weren’t allowed in the pits. Of course we have kids and women driving now. It’s a different world and culture. However, I will say there are too many unnecessary people in the pits now. Sorry, I just do not believe the pits is a place for 5 year olds to be driving ATV’s, or kids playing football while cars are going back and forth. Just a couple things I see on a regular basis.
Thanks I wish I was a youngster.
This post really was not about kids and wife going into the pits
The main post was a question why was there only 4 trucks at NSS.
Let try and answer this why was there just 4 trucks at NSS???
1 was it the payout to low?
2 was it because it not a points race ?
3 was it wrong time of the year for a race?
- are racer out of money to race with the high prices to races?
Lets be honest on the matter we need more car/truck count at many track here in Florida. Also to get the fans to the tracks.
Gary Laplant
Trucks
Yes, the question was about the trucks. Yes, the big problem is cost, especially tires. yes as Boney I believe said, you CAN run 2-3races on one set of tires. Doing so almost automatically drops you several spots in the finish, that is, as long as there are several trucks competing. The average guy can nit afford new tires every week, so they can not compete with the money teams. The track is the only one that has the power to do something about this, one way is a tire rule. That way everyone is on a more equal playing field. After that is taken care of tech needs to be more impartial. As it is now the money teams are buying the wins, I don’t blame them, I would too if I had the money, I guess. Sorry, the track has to make the changes before the field will fill, its up to them.
Sorry I hijacked the thread. It’s too easy to do. I was just responding to your post.
Citrus had a race just before Christmas and they had decent car counts in most of the classes. They have another coming up in a few weeks and I expect the counts to be reasonable. There are some that may not have cars ready at that time but many will.
Let’s look at trucks separately. Citrus tried running trucks last year. There were only 2 to 4 trucks that showed up most weeks. I believe they dropped them eventually. Obviously there are trucks out there, if Rick’s charity race is an indicator. How does the cost of a truck compare to a Late Model or OWM? How does the payout compare? I don’t know anything about trucks. I admit that. Is a truck chassis comparable to a Late Model or modified? Maybe it’s time to eliminate a class so it can be absorbed into another. There are too many classes in this state anyway.
Same problem, today at Lanier in Georgia. 20 late models and only 3 trucks. Only 1 truck was local as Cale Gale brought 2 kids to race his developemental program. 1 of Roush Racing’s crew members, Eric Wallace, took the win.
Personally, I did not show up because of the cold temps. Too tough to expect the wife, my 73 year old dad and any other crew to spend 6 hours in windy sub-freezing weather.
I try to make at least 6 to 8 races during the regular season. Payouts do not mean a whole lot to me as you always wind up spending more than you make regardless of the purse size.
Lanier has limited the Trucks to 2 new tires per race. I would prefer 1 new tire, but understand those who want 2. Run a GM 602 Crate, so 93 pump gas works just fine. Most of the more dedicated Truck racers have left Lanier to run at Gresham, where the purse is more than double (compared to Lanier).
I agree, There are way to many class’ in my opinion. As for comparing trucks with another class, I would think that they compare more to a sportsman than to an OWM or LM. They have stock clips with wedge bolts,a shock claim, and use crate motors,with automatic transmissions. They are not allowed to use a QC rear,and they are on 8" tires. They where supose to be an economy class, but we all know how that goes. As for tire rules, I heard that in the Carolinas they inpound tires at the end of the night, and allow you to buy 2 new tires the next week. I have also heard that some tracks lease tires for the night. Don’t know exactly how that would work,but its an idea :ernaehrung004:
Pro Truck owner/drivers
Lets hear from some of you on this matter what are your thoughts?
Let try and fix this so we have 15 to 20 truck racing each race.
Gary Laplant
Not every class can enjoy a ‘‘Main Event’’ class pay off.
One of the things that has happened with the trucks in the last few years is that it is an incubator division to the late model divisions for the kids… It isn’t like it used to be where people start out in Strictly’s or Super/Street stock cars, then to other divisions…
They start them out young in Carts, then go to trucks, and on to late models… If you really think about it, alot of the drivers we have had in the trucks for the past few years have been the kids and alot of them last year and this year have been moving up… In addition over the last few years, the rules have been changing and they have been allowing more and expensive parts into the division (ex: JW trannys, 9 in vs Stock rear ends, motors, etc. etc.)
It is a great division and I am sure that when the season starts we will find more trucks out there and running… Don’t forget, technically this is the “Short Track Silly Season”… I really would love to see more adults getting into trucks as I think it would be a great division if more “experienced” drivers would get into it…
Have a great day all…
Tire rule
There are tracks in N.E. That allow to buy 8 tires at start of season, then1 a week thereafter. I know, there’s pro and cons but at least everyone is on equal tires, the big dollar does not enter the equation, at least as far as tires go…But thenagain if you,re selling tires I guess that’s a bad idea.
Wow talk about a good idea.
trucks got priced right out of affordable. why is it when someone comes up with a good idea, it gets messed up. i remember showing up to lanier ga.
and having 70-80 trucks and in florida with the fast series with around 40-50.
but oh no lets change the rules.
There still could be good truck count if the track owners would listen some on how to get the trucks back to the tracks, Running them as a truck class will not get them all out to race anymore at one time. Alot of drivers want a small traving series with a good set of rules and a good payout
Gary Laplant