Gov Cup weekend... my perspective

FLORIDA STOCK CAR RACING KARNAC's FLORIDA STOCK CAR RACING
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First off, I loved the Sunday date for the finale. From the looks of the crowd, and testimony from a few I talked to, many fans came that wouldn’t have made it on Saturday.

The Saturday rain out sucked, and I believe was a bad choice. Lots of racers that supported this never got their chance at all. If this same format is used, I suggest that the Saturday portion be run on Sunday AM. Start at 10 for $50 admission until the races are over, and charge $30 for the Sunday portion after that point. I’d have gladly paid for both that morning.

Great run by Cope to overcome a LOT of adversity to get that win. Had to feel horrible for Bobby Good though.

Harrison Burton was impressive in that battle with a surprisingly clean Steven Wallace.

Very impressed by the runs of Chris Davidson (first time he’s even seen the track), TJ Duke, and Bobby Good. All 3 showed more than I thought they were capable of.

Disappointed that Choquette’s impatience got to him and ruined a lot of racers day. Too early to be THAT frustrated. He’s usually a LOT smarter than he showed that early.

Got to see a BUNCH of old friends, and met some new ones. Spent a few minutes with former Gov Cup winners Bobby Brack and Jim Fenton. Met for the first time Wally Finney & Jimbo Chadwick. Usual suspects included Palmbayer, Cake, Derf, Diamond Jim & his adorable wife Virginia, OSF, Announcer Dave Westerman, Kim Brown, Gary Willis, AB195 and his folks (over 80, first time visitors that had a BLAST), Duane… and most of all my girlfriend Eileen who was also a NSS virgin that loved it. It didn’t hurt when she won 2 out of 3 of the race pools we had.

Overall… GREAT weekend, even with the lousy weather. Can’t wait to do it again for the umpteenth time…

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After seeing the line up of drivers that showed up for the Governors Cup, i’d have to say i was impressed. That’s as good a Super Late field as you’re likely to see.
I don’t see why they didn’t run the OWM race on Sunday. Couldn’t they have gotten that race in earlier in the morning?
I was told there was a big crowd for Sunday, maybe tracks should consider more Sunday afternoon racing as a regular thing.

3

Hey Jerry. I sincerely apologize that we couldn’t make it over for the BBQ. The logistics of the event, how my race went and my life made it impossible. After having to make repairs to be able to load our wrecked racecar into the trailer and wait until after 8 pm for the payout I had to head straight home since I had to work the next morning and had a 3 hr plus tow home (on which we blew 2 trailer tires, but that’s another story!). I missed talking racing with you and meeting some living legends, like we did last year (and of course Virginia’s Tator Salad). Sounds like the BBQ was a huge success and y’all had a good time. Next year I’m taking Monday off so that I can join the festivities (if were racing or not). I’ll catch up with you at the Modified Reunion at the World Series! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

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so was there a big crowd there on sunday?
I looked at the pic and it looked a bit light to me.
also heard that less than 50 people showed for the sun race in lakecity.
Please let me know if this info is not right.
So if the governers cop wont draw a big crowd on sun what will ??

don62

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As usual, the guy who wasn’t there, has criticism to throw around.

There was a very nice crowd. I didn’t see anyone that wasn’t having a great time. Robert Hart & his accountant are probably the only ones that can confirm this, but this crowd was better than any of the years you were in charge.

There have been years with higher car counts, but never has the quality been better.

If the root of your statement is that “Sunday shows won’t work”… a point you’ve been trying to prove for years… you are once again dead wrong.

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[QUOTE=Don Nerone;153063]so was there a big crowd there on sunday?
I looked at the pic and it looked a bit light to me.
also heard that less than 50 people showed for the sun race in lakecity.
Please let me know if this info is not right.
So if the governers cop wont draw a big crowd on sun what will ??

don62[/QUOTe\

The biggest crowd I’ve seen at N.S in a long time. Great weather, great racing. too bad the real race(sportsman class) was rained out. :slight_smile:

Lake City did have about 50 people (maybe less) in the grandstands. I was told that the main reason there even was a race was so they could retain their zoning permit(?).

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Icebreaker…Super Late Models…Sunday February 8th…Desoto Speedway…30th

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Correct. Had to have 2 races in order to maintain the CO as a race track. Wise decision to have back to back races and satisfy the gub-ment.
Bronson had problems reopening because it sat vacant for over a year.
-JIM-

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2 things I didn’t like about the Governors cup weekend,

1- The 5 minute break instead of live pit stops, also why would the break be at lap 125 instead of 100?

2- The decision to draw for positions for the Sportsman race really bothers me. The wrecks that happened would not have happened without drawing for positions.

Patrick Thomas 25

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Patrick, I couldn’t agree more about not qualifying us. Drivers need to get together and take a stand on that!

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I have to agree. It’s a shame that so many cars had to get wrecked in the Sportsman race (including the awful damage you sustained Todd). In the early stages of that race we were two-wide and nobody could go anywhere with the mix of slow and fast cars together. It definitely led to risky moves that caused huge wrecks. We had transponders. Couldn’t they have lined us up by lap times from practice (with a few rows inverted maybe)? Something to look at and learn from in the future, I’m sure.

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Just an observation here, but isn’t drawing for positions a pretty normal thing? I’ve seen it done for many years. As for fast and slow cars together, isn’t that going to happen a lot during the actual race?

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Raced all my life with qualifing and inverts. If it was being smart or lucky always qualified top 3 or 4 and the tracks inverted anywhere from 12 to this past year 16 cars for the feature. This way the fans get to see a real race and not follow the leader, when you are running 30 lap features and your starting 13th to 16th you got to get up on the wheel when the green flag flys. Fans keep coming to see real racing and the car count was great all year, 22 to 28 cars , for regular show 30 laps and $600 to win, but a lot of guy would come because they had a chance to start on the pole or at least up front and try to hold of the faster guys coming from the back. My vote will always be for qualifing, a good invert at least 8 or more and everyone gets to see a good race. Always finished in the top 6 and won 5 features for the year, so you can win from the back in 30 laps. Oh by the way most nights the top 10 to 12 cars was with in 2 tenths of a second of each other

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I’m all for handicapping and inverts and feel like it doesn’t happen to a good enough degree here in FL. Also drawing for starting position is usually not an issue either. The problem with it at this event was kind of a perfect sh*tstorm of circumstances that night. The large field of 25 cars (many of whom I’d never seen at NSS before), coupled with antsy drivers who had not been on the track for nearly 7 hours (and only got one practice session in the am and 7 of the cars in the field didn’t make the am session) and sprinkles on my windshield before we took the green (indicating we were likely to have a shortened race) led to a lack of patience and respect with the mix of fast and slow cars together. In this circumstance a draw to set the field was a bad idea. Worst Sportsman race I’ve seen since the FUPS Series…

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live pit stops

[QUOTE=Patrick Thomas 25;153089]2 things I didn’t like about the Governors cup weekend,

1- The 5 minute break instead of live pit stops, also why would the break be at lap 125 instead of 100?

2- The decision to draw for positions for the Sportsman race really bothers me. The wrecks that happened would not have happened without drawing for positions.

Patrick Thomas 25[/QUOTE]

The big money teams will hire a professional pit crew to give them an advantage! Plus the cost of possible bringing in extra crew at 30 bucks per pit ticket can add up. I also think that car count would go down with live pit stops? Just my 2 cents, Vince Patola