54 replies to this topic

[RocketRide]

Here you go,i just read on another post that marion center is not paying anymore heat race pay,if true another kick in the teeth for racers, when does it end.

[#17RaceTeam]

Legeng is correct "Guys really need to race what ever class they can afford." That is why I run a FWD, its what I can afford and just barely at that. The racing is competitive, gets a bit wild at times, racing the younger crowd can be fun an interesting. It's still racing. How many golfers get the biggest and best clubs when they can't even swing the basics but they still spend, spend.

[ramey36]

Sealed crates would be great if people would leave them alone. Just remove from crate and bolt into car. As soon as one guy massages one it blows the whole concept.

[Express Man]

The track owners aren't making enough to raise pay outs. Guys really need to race what ever class they can afford. If it's that tight they really need to consider moving down a division or 2. And I'm not talking down on those people it's just reality. It's a different era of racing , there's other options for fans and every guy who quits the sport loses his kids and family as future fans

When does any racer ever move down?  Its a fact...."The average racer is racing one...if not two divisions above where he should be"!  And today you don't have to prove yourself in a lower division as was the case in days of OLD!  You run Superlate tomorrow night at any track as long as you can get one to the track!  Everyone racing dreams about being inthe top division!  The only racer I ever saw that had reasonable thinking on that matter was Joe Kelly!  He has allways raced street Stock because thats where he can affford to win.  Joe himself is a much better wheel man than that level...But!  I have the utmost respect for him! 

[Skull]

Trying to protect racers from themselves isn't going to work. It never has in the past. Give them a Crate engine rule where they'll spend $5k for one, then they'll spend another $5k to cheat it up, consequences be damned. Everyone has all of these thoughts about how Crate engines will save racing, but no one has any idea who will tech them. Which is part of the reason why some of these divisions are in the shape they are now to begin with. Less rules that make sense like hard duro tire rules and/or gear rules that level the playing field helps out both the haves and have nots.

 

Dry/slick tracks suck. Period. Fans hate them, and the only drivers that like them are the ones that would rather worry about passing three cars instead of twelve. Why else would you clowns bitch that "everyone is fast when the track is tacky"? Dry/slick tracks do not favor the better drivers, that's just another excuse. The guys that win when it's fast, win when it's slow, show me where I'm wrong. You either adjust and drive accordingly when the track is fast, or load up and go home if the possible consequences scare you. Christ, it's auto racing, not some board game. If you break and bend stuff, that's tough shit, too. No one put a gun to your head to race on it. Maybe selling your $100k Toter home (that never won a race, BTW), would fund fixing all the damage from a fast race track.

 

 

[The Legend]

Fans would probably love to see a demo derby with real late models too !! So should we mandate late models Have to participate in the demo Derbys ?? Big money shows are almost always contested on dry slick surfaces and they draw fans that weekly tracks cream their pants dreaming about

[RocketRide]

I happen to love dry slick tracks, it lets me use my skills of setup and driving, more challenge and usually take my equipment home in one piece, sure everybodys fast on a tacky or heavy track but also not all are in control either.

[midnight toker]

• how about a happy medium?? seems like your choice is lumpy and rough or slick as shit...doesn't anybody know how to prep a track anymore? And don't tell me "well show us how its done"...these tracks around here should be able to provide a decent surface that works for the drivers and fans!
• JMO

[Fwig]

I was just looking at the results for McKean, and I saw seven former super late model drivers now driving crates. Now having 20 Super Lates is good, but with Stateline not running you would think they would have a lot more cars. As for Dog Hollow, this week will tell more when Lernerville runs Super Lates. Weather was spotty last Saturday and I'm sure several teams can't afford to take risk of losing money to tow to a rain out.

 

The days of heavy "hammer down" surfaces are or should be in the past. That is a quick way to cut your car count, especially in the support classes. Legend is correct, race what you can afford. The days of getting quality sponsorship $$$$ is not there in the PA region.  

 

Once a track gets a good surface, there prep should be about a two or three inch deep disc cut, watered, rolled back in with a sheeps foot, and then watered through out the course of the week. It is up the driver, crew, chassis support to figure out the fast setup for the track you are racing at. If you can't do that, then you will be mid to back of the pack crash victim. All Late Model chassis's get their info from national touring teams and changes are made to improve the chassis from them ALL racing on a slick surface.

 

The economy right now struggles to support weekly racing in areas that have multiple tracks, and racers are going to choose the tracks that they feel they can be competitive and minimize damage and repairs. Remember Late Models of today are designed for slick tracks.  

[D1RT]

I was just looking at the results for McKean, and I saw seven former super late model drivers now driving crates. Now having 20 Super Lates is good, but with Stateline not running you would think they would have a lot more cars. As for Dog Hollow, this week will tell more when Lernerville runs Super Lates. Weather was spotty last Saturday and I'm sure several teams can't afford to take risk of losing money to tow to a rain out.

 

The days of heavy "hammer down" surfaces are or should be in the past. That is a quick way to cut your car count, especially in the support classes. Legend is correct, race what you can afford. The days of getting quality sponsorship $$$$ is not there in the PA region.  

 

Once a track gets a good surface, there prep should be about a two or three inch deep disc cut, watered, rolled back in with a sheeps foot, and then watered through out the course of the week. It is up the driver, crew, chassis support to figure out the fast setup for the track you are racing at. If you can't do that, then you will be mid to back of the pack crash victim. All Late Model chassis's get their info from national touring teams and changes are made to improve the chassis from them ALL racing on a slick surface.

 

The economy right now struggles to support weekly racing in areas that have multiple tracks, and racers are going to choose the tracks that they feel they can be competitive and minimize damage and repairs. Remember Late Models of today are designed for slick tracks.  

 

Add to that some of the Marion Center regulars went to Hummingbird to support the John Reed memorial race....

[Express Man]

Fans would probably love to see a demo derby with real late models too !! So should we mandate late models Have to participate in the demo Derbys ?? Big money shows are almost always contested on dry slick surfaces and they draw fans that weekly tracks cream their pants dreaming about

Gee.... I never said that fans want to see name drivers????LOL  And how do you get name drivers????  Big purses  As far as the track surface....Extra cars plus extra laps usuaully is what dries out the surface and makes it slick!  For the record....I HATE track surfaces that are mudd boggs and full of holes that ruin equipment!  I like a happy medium.  That has bite to it!  I guess a surface like Jennerstown Dirt used to be!  or like Latrobe has!  Smooth Tacky and fast!

[turducken]

Agreed legend!  Rough driving is a huge problem!  Tracks don't want to address it because it allways causes a "Blood Letting"  Meaning some team isn't comming back next week and we"The Track" loose 4 pit addmission and how many stands!  Its allways about the money!  I do think racing in general is screwed!  Enjoy it while it lasts!  I don't think the promotors are making money either!  Yes it should pay $500.00 for a $100,000.00 race car to start a race!  You forget I raced for these same purses with a $15,000.00 car, 35years ago!  How much would you of got paid for a deck Job 35 years ago???  Could you work for the same money today????I know not!  But we are suppossed to race for the same money!  Racing has allways been done with money...not for money!  But you have to be able to get your expenses back!  Not all of us are making the kind of money you are!  Kudos to you!  But don't compare your financial position with the average racer!

I work at a central pa track where car counts are not great in any class but the racing has been fine.  Track owner will not put up with nonsense and has driven off a few cars over the years however the guys that are regulars really appreciate the fact that the meat heads are no longer coming.

[The Legend]

Turdurksen that's absolutely right , people who have no affiliation with racing are stunned in disbelief seeing what goes on at a race track between intentionally wrecking people and fighting in the pits .... The part they are most stunned by is that nothing is done to stop it. Maintaining a safe environment on the track and in the pits is critical to the facility being taken seriously

[turducken]

Turdurksen that's absolutely right , people who have no affiliation with racing are stunned in disbelief seeing what goes on at a race track between intentionally wrecking people and fighting in the pits .... The part they are most stunned by is that nothing is done to stop it. Maintaining a safe environment on the track and in the pits is critical to the facility being taken seriously

No doubt.

 

What the hammer down guys also don't want to address is look at the damage done to cars at lernerville when it's  hammer down.  at that speed with kind of bite cars really get "into" each other and tear up stuff whereas on a slick track you can bounce off a car and it does little damage.  I don't care if you're going 110 or 85 mph as long as it's racy.  I've been to Lernerville for hammer down with no passing and when it was dry slick and Lynn and Dave Satterlee swapped the lead and lines for 10 laps.......

[dirtstudent2]

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Edited by dirtstudent2, 15 May 2014 - 01:46 PM.