Wow 25 cars total . two 50 lappers on the card . nobody in the stands 9 mods counting the the cars that get lapped 10 times . 8 super stocks, 8 strictly stock .
5 tracks in the area, only two raced, New Smyrna being one of them.
Desoto had an event, but you know, it’s a ways over there…so kudos to NSS.
Most importantly, it is my understanding that they did not run out of beer.
And hey, saw Jim Higgenbotham at Thursday night practice and he came home in fifth!
For more detailed information:
https://www.facebook.com/New-Smyrna-Speedway-119140194830393/
[QUOTE=OldSchool+;171267]5 tracks in the area, only two raced, New Smyrna being one of them.
Desoto had an event, but you know, it’s a ways over there…so kudos to NSS.
Most importantly, it is my understanding that they did not run out of beer.
And hey, saw Jim Higginbotham at Thursday night practice and he came home in fifth!
For more detailed information:
https://www.facebook.com/New-Smyrna-Speedway-119140194830393/[/QUOTE
Popped a PS belt with 5 to go. Still not enough motor though. Car handled good with changes. 8 cars started… Yes, car count down and don’t know if any other mod races, but it was sad…
-JIM-
It is my understanding that the Sportsman class now allows “built” motors with vortec heads.
They only allow a 2bbl, but a 4bbl would be a short jump to a possible new mod motor.
Not dirt cheap, but maybe cheap enough to get car count up and improve competition.
I remember when sportsman cars where for the budget racer who wanted a car that looked like a race car but didn’t have to tie up the same amount of money!! Every time NSS changes a sportsman rule the top 4 or so funded teams get the new modification and the budget cars fall behind. I wish they would pick rule book and stick with it.
Some run crate motors.
Some like crate motors enough to “claim” them.
I would suggest that the Sportsman cars are a good way to get into late model-like racing, and are still inexpensive, if looked at in comparison to running a late model.
And they generally have good fields and good racing. The field size is an indicator of relative affordability.
Along with no longer posting results here should help out…
Well if that’s true about allowing built motors with vortex heads . In the sportsman class That’s stupid . they will never learn !! when it is not broke don’t screw with it . Crate motor is what fix this class fact . So if it’s true it will take time this class will go down like the rest it will take time but it will happen history will repeat itself fact!!!
front running sportsman cars were boasting how much faster built engines were, so then they allow vortec heads??? That just didn’t make sense to me, six months later there will be no weight penalty just like every other rule change.it is now just about the same money to build a late model as it is to build sportsman car now, just look at how much they are selling for. At most tracks the modifieds have a lower shock claim rule then a NSS sportsman this also dosnt make sense to me when you remember what a sportsman car was originally meant to be. On another note I believe the super stocks have a lower car count because over the past few years they have been tearing them up because it seemed the penalty for rough driving was way to leanient.
Hit the nail on the head Mike Let a certain few run and do what they want and look now no good super stocks left that want to run there now. The sportsmans allowing vortec heads is crazy. So now you have the same top end as the crate which is what gave them the power with the crappy bottom end they have verse the bottom end in a built motor. So now you got a badass bottom end example of lighter, stronger cranks, lighter stronger rods, better Pistons, bigger cam, and now vortec heads. Makes a lot of sense to me now the guy with big pockets will be back up front and it will take a built motor to run up front.
Camaros…
Sooooo many Street Stock Camaros out there wanting to run, but not allowed at NSS… ??
-GYM-
Should just make it a crate motor only class and leave the big crazy engines for Super Lates and OWM imo… That division is perfect for the crate motor.
Phil
For some reason Florida cant leave a good thing alone…I will never understand why the rules aren’t uniform across the state ? Their are differences in all classes at all tracks. I am not a crate fan but I am a fan of leaving well enough alone. Maybe we need a driver coalition and try to tell the tracks what rules should be run…I know its a long shot and getting all the drivers on the same page would be uh painful.
Okay, so the thread has moved from a light field of mods to Sportsman engines. Fair enough.
My opinions–unaffiliated with any team:
>My understanding is that the vortec heads have been chosen due to availability. Also fair enough.
>I would suggest that it is not “built” engines per se that are “bad”, but less restrictive rules that enable them to become expensive.
>Primarily camshaft specs and valvetrain. That is, limit the cam, and you limit the need for expensive bottom end parts.
>I say skip the crate vs built deal and have one set of rules, and those rules could be darn close to crate engine specs, including flat tappet lifters and stock rocker arms.
>Let them all run 4bbls. 600cfm.
>The overriding “Rule” should be affordability. Affordability = full fields = good racing = good fan attendance.
“Maybe we need a driver coalition and try to tell the tracks what rules should be run…”–OWM53
Seems like a good idea. BUT, I would suggest that it is the racers that are ultimately to blame–for decades.
IMO, the bucks up teams have influenced almost all of the bucks up rules, since, um, forever.
A class gets more and more expensive. Why? Why would a track implement rules to do that? Then car count drops until the class is dropped, or at best run occasionally.
Then, the next class down gets top billing…and…repeat.
Who comes up with crap? They should be fired if it’s a tech guy. because all this does is run the off average Saturday night racer . The whole point of the crate engine was to keep the cost down and everybody can afford to run the same . And the car count had came up dramatically . sportsman class biggest class running now showing up . Or better yet whoever came up with this ideal decided to do this . explain yourself how this will help the class how it’s good for the class I’d love to hear this . And New Smyrna mod class they had 8 cars show for a 50 lapper and like someone said nobody else race Saturday night except DeSoto Speedway so where were the mods parked or up for sale .
Old-school the reason why the sportsman class has grown back so strong was because of the crate engine . it’s working was working that means leaving it alone if it ain’t broke don’t fix it ! Proof proven in the car counts at multiple tracks fact .
ST1–There have also been “built” motors for some time. Many, but not all, of the “fast” cars are currently powered by them.
The Sean Bass car has “Gaerte Engines” on the hood. It ain’t there for looks…
The big change is that the heads previously required for a built motor are scarce and were costing a bunch to re-work for racing, hence the allowance of vortec heads.
The trick, imo, is for a backyard builder to be able to put together a junkyard motor for less money than a crate costs that will run with the crates, not the built motors with vortec heads to obsolete the crate engines.
Old school
[QUOTE=OldSchool+;171293]“Maybe we need a driver coalition and try to tell the tracks what rules should be run…”–OWM53
Seems like a good idea. BUT, I would suggest that it is the racers that are ultimately to blame–for decades.
IMO, the bucks up teams have influenced almost all of the bucks up rules, since, um, forever.
A class gets more and more expensive. Why? Why would a track implement rules to do that? Then car count drops until the class is dropped, or at best run occasionally.
Then, the next class down gets top billing…and…repeat.[/QUOTE]
I do no completely disagree with you about the racers being part of the problem. But its ultimately up to the track to make any changes. Here’s an example…one team crys they have been doing it for years…next year its in the rules but only at one track. The racers in the mod class did not entertain two types of slicks and a grooved tire. Camaro geometry and late model shocks were brought in by the racer …But allowed by the track. So forth and so on…Does anyone know that they are testing another tire at Auberndale ? yep lets bring back the American racer slick…lol. Guess them grooved POS’s are heading out again…oh wait. you can still get grooved Hoosiers at Citrus ??
Doug, Agreed.
The track is in a tight spot, though. They want to keep the fast guys happy that the fans come to see.
It is all kind of short sighted. The tracks want car count, and the racers want to win.
But, again, it kind of is what it is. The tracks can and do set whatever rules they want.
I am just hoping that the prospects of long term viability for everyone are attractive enough to be considered.