O.K., so I’m watching the NASCAR Whelen Mods at Bristol tonite and happy for my old friend Woody Pitkat running up near the front in the whole event. I was thinking how cool it would be to run in a big event at OUR big high-banked half mile with my Sportsman car. Well, since the Pro-Trucks are no longer a division at NSS and have been part of the World Series the past number of years, why not replace them with a Sportsman event? It seems like a logical fit. Now I wouldn’t care what night or how many laps the event would be, it would just be an honor to be able to be a part of this short-track spectacle that is known to just about all real stock car fans nationwide. I know that just having Sportsman added to the card one night wouldn’t be anything to write home about for the average fan, but here’s the kicker. I’m just about positive, if someone offered up a quality Sportsman ride, I could talk my buddy (and 2013 World Series Tour Mod Champion) Woody Pitkat into racing in the event with us. He still races similar type cars weekly at our old home track Stafford Motor Speedway in CT, so his car owners wouldn’t mind. I’d love the opportunity to trade some paint once again with Woody! I know the event is a LONG ways off and rumors are swirling that with the new MUSCO lighting the possibility of televised NASCAR sanctioned Whelen Tour Mod and K & N East/West may be coming. But how cool would it be for the Sportsman drivers to once again be honored with an invitiation to the party and for us Blue Collar racers to be able to run against a national pro racer, like Woody? Mr. Hart, Kim Brown and Mark Keeler can you guys make this happen? I know we could get a lot of Sportsman guys to support an event like this AND it’s only one night. It’s really no gamble. Whattaya think???
No offense Scott, but every year, the support division guys want to be part of the World Series. And several times, the track has included them. And guess what happens EVERY time…? Lousy fields.
It doesn’t get the support you’d think it would.
I’d be surprised if anything like this were to happen. NSS has been burned many times over promises to bring a great field of cars, and then for some reason, most of them never show up.
No offense taken Jerry. But I think something like this would be different. Sportsman haven’t been included for a long time and there have been very good fields all over with our class lately for big events. And like I said, it’s no gamble with the kind of purse Sportsman garner. You could even have the dreaded car count requirements. So there’s nothing to get burned on. They have had Pro-Trucks and Super Stocks the past couple of years so they will probably have to include a weekly division on some night. They always have. Add the gimmick of having a pro driver in the field and at least there is some interest. Like I said, as a fan it is probably not that exciting to see Sportsman added. But aren’t you at least slightly interested to see how someone like Woody would stack up against some of the best Sportsman drivers like Donny Williams and Patrick Thomas???
Just look what happened for the open MOD race last Govenors cup. A $5000 to win brought them from all over. We started 38 cars and 3 failed pre-tech… 41 showed up to race. If the Sportsman race has a good purse, they will come.
-JIM-
Keep in mind Jim, that $5k was put up by Mod racer, Kevyn Terry… not the track itself.
If you can get a private, or corporate sponsor for that kind of cash, I’m sure it WOULD be a nice field. But to have any kind of turnout, it would have to be one of the 2 Saturdays of that 9-day stretch. The Sportsman are a ‘working mans’ class, and they won’t show up on a weekday.
But don’t anyone kid themselves that Robt. Hart is gonna put HIS money out there for this.
Woody not to happy
This isn’t saying much but the last time Sportsman ran at NSS during speedweeks the field was better than the tour mods.
Yes jerry, I’m aware that Kevyn was the purse ‘sponsor’ for our race. Most BIG purse races have a sponsor… like Brighthouse for instance.
It would be nice if the track could afford a big purse every now and then since big buck sponsors are getting hard to find…
-JIM-
If you wanted to guarantee a big field all you would have to do is offer up the regular FASCAR 50 Lap Sportsman purse. The Sportsman 50 at OSW last year drew 28 cars, the Sportsman 50 this year at NSS drew 19 cars despite that it was scheduled on the same day as a FUPS Sportsman event at A-Dale. Schedule it, we will come with a good field!
and out of all those cars how many finished , how many cautions were there?
I can remember dragging my sportsman car with the motor home 3 or 4 years in a row. We had decent car counts and what a blast!! After I moved away from the area it was a real treat to go back to the track where I started…BUT, that was then and this is now…
We used to run speed weeks in super stock and strictly stock. We had great fields and ran both Saturdays (at the end of night and loved every minute of it) if your money’s good enough the rest of the year it should be good enough for speed weeks) after all there called support divisions for a reason. Also the little people kinda feel cool for a week cause we got to run speed weeks with the big dogs!
Sounds great if you have 25+ cars but most 50 lap races at NSS get spread out and are not very entertaining.
Well, make it a 25 lap shootout then. Like I said, I don’t care what night or how many laps, I would be there! I doubt we need 50 laps with all the racing on the card anyway. How 'bout this? BASE THE LAPS AND PURSE ON THE CAR COUNT!!! Like 2 laps x cars, $50 to win x cars. No risk, just reward. 
Scott, that is a pretty cool formula…maybe FUPS should run that formula…it would be interesting to see if the racers would help get guys out of the shop to come run so the purse and lap count would increase.
I am sure if someone went out and found a sponsor to pay whatever purse you thought would draw cars…Robert would have no problem putting them on the schedule…no skin out of his pocket.
I sure as heck would try and get all of my fellow competitors there. We would support this, I’m sure of it. If we can get the go ahead from New Smyrna, I’ll contact Woody and get his commitment. Then we just gotta find him a ride. Even though he’s a Modified champion, he’s pretty damn good in a “fender car” winning multiple Late Model championships. So, Mr. Robert Hart, whattaya say???
Pro Trucks were on the card this year for the last three nights of the World Series, the last night being a 75 Lapper. Each night had a good purse with the 75 paying $1200 to win! Is it that much to ask to get the Sportsman on the card for one night??? 
Yea but there were 6 trucks what’s the point if there will only be 6 sportsman.
Sportsman Race
The Campers Paradise Sportsman will be there if they have a sportsmans race. We had a blast the last time we ran thier. Got some of there cash to…lol
Thanks for the vote of support Kyle! Kinda figured you would with the remarkable run you had there in the Sportsman 50. Unfinished business…
@ Cake-That’s just the point, Pro-Trucks are not Sportsman. NSS has eliminated Pro-Trucks as a stand alone class due to small car counts. The Sportsman have shown strong car counts past and present. The last time Sportsman were part of the World Series was 2006, averaging 17 cars a night for their three night run. Like I said the Sportsman 50 at NSS (in which Kyle Maynard, 20car, came from the back twice in to finish 2nd) drew 19 cars despite there being a FUPS Sportsman event scheduled the same night down the road at A-Dale earlier this Summer.