I remember back in the old dirt VSP days and some when it was aspahlt. when the street stock division was as good or better than the SLMs. We would go to the weekly show and looked forward to it. There were 20+ cars, with 5-10 that could realistically win and ran the hell out of them each week.
Those guys tend to race closer, the cars are less sensitive to contact and as a result the races can be much better.
I will travel for a SLM/Sprint/etc show as much for the spectacle and the people - I will attend a weekly show for good supporting divisions and quality racing.
I won’t argue that that lower divisions often put on a better show than the big guys… but it’s very rare that I would go out of my way to see them. I go to see fast, colorful race cars with chrome… Not bondo, duct tape and primer.
I remember the place would be packed for the Street Stock 100 at Volusia… Over 100 cars and awesome racing over a two-day period… Nowadays the rules are so screwed up from track-to-track that running a race similar to it is darn near impossible…
SO far the only cars that have supported the race track with cars have been the Bombers and legens. And of coarse one of our best nights were when the supers raced there. Every one else needs to show up and race or stop complaining and go some were else. One person can not turn things around it takes everyone. Sitting on hear complaining about it does not help anything.
I think a race track’s success or failure comes down to the strength of its entry level class. They’re the cars you see on open trailers and the cars you see in your neighbor’s driveway.
We, the drivers, are a track’s BEST form of advertisement. If Orlando comes out with a rule package that favors easily obtainable cheap cars, ( 6cyl fwd lumina, GP, Monte Carlo type cars would be my choice) they will have fighting chance to survive.
Most of us on here remember the first time we saw a race car on a trailer. We we were lucky… It was a late model, modified or maybe a sprint car. Young folks now a days see bombers. Jerry is right. We need to make em look good.
The “Idiot Cup” would be a riot and I’d buy a ticket to see it!
Palmbayer is right, the entry level class needs to be stronger. It is what gets new racers hooked and hopefully feeds them to higher classes. I’m not sure why the Speedworld Bombers don’t have a ton of cars. There were problems in recent years with racecars in the class; maybe it scared a bunch of others off.
I used an open trailer for 20+ years, and have just recently switched to an enclosed. Yep, I feel a little guilty too, but there is just no match for the security and convenience, especially when traveling.
Let me clarify myself about “Junker” cars. What I meant was the appearance of the majority of them are unrecognizable. Some of them seem to run the same body for several seasons. You need a tetnus shot just to walk by them in fear you might hit a jagged piece of metal sticking out. Some of them never even attempt to even try and straighten them out. A few years ago there was a car at Orlando that was beat up so bad the track told him not to bring it back until he did something with the body. Talk about the cars representing the track? That car was far from a example of how I want my track represented. I mean there is a point to which you must draw a line. And some of the lettering! Shessh!!! I guess I just take too much Pride in my cars. Probably too much.
[QUOTE=Frasson118;135966]I know a LOT of race fans around the state, and around the country… Not ONE of them is wondering where the next Bomber or Strictly Stock race is gonna be.
To say that those ‘entry level’ classes are “what the crowd comes to see” is a ridiculous statement.[/QUOTE]
I realize that this forum leans toward asphalt racing and I am always amused by the broad brush statements
That’s totally true about the asphalt tracks/fans…Not the dirt tracks/fans…The asphalt tracks do not promote the supporting classes and drivers and the result is exactly what you have today,0 excitement/interest.
Volusia just had a $1250 to win thunder stock race,28 starters and took 4 heats to run them…2 weeks ago,NFS had a $2500 to win thunder stock race with 50+ cars entering.Some of these racers move back and forth between upper classes based on budget/economic times and the equipment is top notch,not junk.
You are not going to attract entry level drivers to spend $ on tires and fuel for only a trophy when 12 year olds are walking around with I-Phones…Time to get with the times before it is to late.
Heck,a few weeks ago a super stock thread was started on this forum…1st one I have seen here in 2 years
What will save asphalt tracks is to build them back from the bottom up,not hoping that the economy may some day improve and a few more rich kids in super late models will fall out of the sky.Until then,asphalt tracks will continue to run 6-8 car features and be thrilled that there is a battle for the lead.
So if the high top dollar fast cars (late models) are what the people come to see then why are the stands not packed at every Friday/Saturday night weekly super late model race? I’d rather go to Speedworld and watch a 15-20car bomber race then New Smyrna for the 7-10 car late model feature.
But all the problems would be solved with 2 feet of dirt on top…
False. The speedworld super late model race a few weeks back. No offense toward the Hester clan but the entire field of bombers looked better then all of their super late models.
And why not call the super stocks Junkers some of them are pretty bad too.
I can remember the dying days of Hialeah and up to the point of the final night the cyclones and pure stocks ( which ultimately were the same class) were bringing 15-25 cars each week. And every month they ran a " Limited Late Model 50 lapper" which entitled them to combine the street stocks and limited late models to make a 12 car field. Pure stock/hobby stock/bomber/road warrior is where the action is. You know what would put butts in the seats… A stock enduro class that collects points but only runs once a month. Bone stock just like Bubba is running in a month. Give the racers time to fix and prep their car. Correct if I’m wrong but didn’t sunshine run a stop/go enduro class every week?
Two cars I distinctly remember as a child at Shasta Speedway in California, a sprint car driver named George Bragg who always won and a pure stock that never won painted like the General Lee.
George was awesome to watch and all around good guy, always put on a show and the General Lee driver Bob (can’t remember his last name) was a family friend but he drove a really cool car. I don’t think it’s so much the class of cars as it is what you do with them. As a child I always picked the best looking cars as my favorite drivers. When I was racing I wanted that child in the stands to pick me as their favorite driver.
[QUOTE=cake;136012]So if the high top dollar fast cars (late models) are what the people come to see then why are the stands not packed at every Friday/Saturday night weekly super late model race? I’d rather go to Speedworld and watch a 15-20car bomber race then New Smyrna for the 7-10 car late model feature.
But all the problems would be solved with 2 feet of dirt on top…[/QUOTE]
Exactly…
I have seen e-mods in the classifieds dirt cheap.Simple fact is that a fan isn’t going to come out of the stands and decide to race one.Whether you like the support classes or not,this is where the future drivers come from that eventually move up to the elite classes.
There is no reason to believe that going to dirt would change anything at all at Speedworld. What it would do is insure that the track require continual maintenance during the week to keep the surface groomed. If you haven’t noticed, the maintenance capacity at Speedworld is very, very small, so adding a large, never ending task makes no sense.
Do you think that all dirt tracks are successful? Ask the guys who started the year at Putnam, it has since closed. Or ask the people at Bubba’s, which is a modern, well-funded facility that appears to be spiraling downward for some reason.
Excuses get us no where. BS artists will run their mouths from the sidelines and contribute nothing. More central Florida racers need to start showing up and running at Orlando, or it will disappear. I don’t care if you have some minor complaint; sorry everything won’t be perfect for you. Don’t you realize that you have a much louder voice if your car is actually in the field?
The last time I was out there I was amazed, and disgusted, at how a few guys love to complain. The dedicated Speedworld racers deserve better competitors.
