45 replies to this topic

[Skull]

i'll come up to Arizona and watch how they run their show.14 he races five features 3 hrs 45 minutes with passing points in the heat racespromoters were upset because they had to start 10 minutes late because of flipping a sprint car in hot laps.

Lernerville is typically done in 3 hours, that's my weekly track, and they run a very efficient show. My comment about Sharon's show is in response to some of the complaints I've seen on here about how long it is.

[Space Racer]

Do the hotlaps pay anything?   Cars never get tore up in hotlaps

[parts'n'stuff]

i hear they are having heat races on special events and sprint car shows 

[Jason24]

Sharon doesnt do hotlaps. This is funny. People that know nothing still post lol

[Space Racer]

Group qualifying = hot laps.   Doesn't pay anything and cars will wreck during the group qualifying.

 

Bottom line is Sharon just made a step toward becoming a go kart track.  Go kart tracks are totally back gate where racers pay their own purse.     When the program doesn't interest fans and is geared totally to the drivers whims, that's where it ends up.    I wouldn't cross the street and pay $5 for a show that doesn't have heat races for the top divisions.

Edited by Space Racer, 17 February 2015 - 10:54 AM.

[GEARHEAD]

I am no longer a fan of Sharon's overall program, but I give them credit for trying to get more people in the stands, and attempting to make the show more compelling for them.

I don't know if it was a consideration for the promoters or not, but this new format might have the side benefit of speeding the show up.

 

Adding time trials and eliminating heats isn't trying to get more people in the stands.  That's called trying to get people to go elsewhere.  The track is in Ohio though, so it was only a matter of time before they jumped on board with all of the other Ohio tracks and started qualifying everything including the grader, water trucks, tow trucks, and run-in vehicles.

[The Legend]

Gear head wants 10 -12 lap heats with passing points and full inverts for each car
To line up a 1000 to win feature then the highest passing points guy starts last !!! But he would want the 75 dollar admission to make it possible to pay drivers for all of those laps . Good move my Sharon . Adding the laps to the feature where money is on the line makes more sense

[Racer17L]

Jon honest question for you. Do you really think the guy running econo mods with a 1998 RLA chassis and a 2 barrel is worried about tearing his shyt up in a heat race and is thrilled the features where the "money is on the line", ie $35 to start are 5 laps longer? I just want to race man, whether it's a 8 lap heat for "free" or a 15 lap feature for a whopping $35 to start. I think this hurts everyone but the top division.

[blaneyfan10]

when Sharon had fans in the stands the track ran sprints bbmods emods and stocks maybe its time to go back to that

[Skull]

when Sharon had fans in the stands the track ran sprints bbmods emods and stocks maybe its time to go back to that

This.

Sharon took a major step backwards when they dropped their Sprint program. I talked with a buddy about this new format, and he's with Vince Laboon in that he'd rather race and, as a paying fan, he'd prefer to watch heats as opposed to group qualifying. I tend to agree. I won't knock Sharon for trying something different, but if I lived in an area where either Sharon or MRP were options, I'd go to Mercer. Furthermore, if I did choose to go to Sharon, I'd time my arrival for about the time qualifying was over, pay my 10$, watch the Big Blocks and leave.

[parts'n'stuff]

I think having group qualifying will actually slow the program down. Qualifying multiple groups of cars will take longer than heat racing. Are the fans going to see qualifying times or are we just going to be told who's first, second, etc.? Will we be surprised by the top qualifiers? Get the fans involved by drawing the invert...let a kid pick the number.

Edited by parts'n'stuff, 18 February 2015 - 11:25 AM.

[Skull]

I think having group qualifying will actually slow the program down. Qualifying multiple groups of cars will take longer than heat racing. Are the fans going to see qualifying times or are we just going to be told who's first, second, etc.? Will we be surprised by the top qualifiers? Get the fans involved by drawing the invert...let a kid pick the number.

We have to wait and see, I suppose, but here is another aspect that no one has brought up. Doesn't this invite sandbagging? You could "miscalculate", like my buddy said and put too low of a gear in the car, and as long as you are in the invert, you could conceivably start within the first three rows every week. How will the feature line ups look any different when teams figure out where they need to be to take advantage of the invert?

Edited by Skull, 18 February 2015 - 12:43 PM.

[Cool1]

Very interesting observation!

[Skull]

Very interesting observation!

I won't take credit for it! My buddy said that very early in our discussion about group qualifying.

[Racer17L]

I was talking to a driver today and he was concerned some of those support divisions, namely Stocks, wouldn't be able to handle the extra laps, especially bigger cars due to overheating.  I know my stock (with a 406) ran pretty hot at the end sometimes in a caution filled race.  Agree?

Edited by Racer17L, 18 February 2015 - 04:41 PM.

[The Legend]

If ur car is overheating something is wrong , 20 laps or 100 laps shouldn't change that

[Jason24]

Agreed most big races are 50 laps. I personally don't mind 25, if u start in back u got time to get to front. I think we gotta see how it plays out

[Dudemandude]

i'm surprised no one is talking about the computerized consession's that have been updated. The food will be the best part of sharons program for the fans without heat races. Unless they raised the prices to pay for the computerized consessions...

[racin4fun]

We ran this format at applefest. I wasn't a fan of the idea I'll admit. But once we ran it and even thinking about it before. its an ok deal for the fastest say 8 or so cars, an ok for the next 9th thru 12 fastest, and for the slower cars in the field, well its going to be a long season for them the way I see it.

 

It seems to me that you're actually trying to qualify 4-8th fastest, as we all know there will rarely if ever not be an invert. unless you win the previous week and have a handicap starting position then might as well not trail brake the exits and save your brakes. that being said it wont be long till the slower cars figure out if they take up the whole track in qualifying or spin it may slow some faster cars and better their chances of starting inside the top ten.

 

I do believe the cautions will be fewer with this format, not real reason for running over someone to get to the front if you draw a bad pill for a heat race. and the features will have cars of like speeds together so there should be less carnage because of this. I do however thing incentives to start in the rear should be considered, extra money, passing points, etc... but it should be voluntary unless its due to handicap from consecutive wins.

 

As for computerized hotdog lines.... I have seen it at sheetz, nothing new there.

 

I personally would like to see more ways either before or during racing for driver-fan interactive events. That I think brings fans back, something they cant get at home watching results. Events such as meet and greet/autograph areas weekly, taped interviews playing in the lobby area or on pa system before racing or intermission, fan tours of the pits (might even make a buck or two with an extended golf cart), maybe even a pit area near autograph picture area for one chosen team (different each week).

 

Dave

[btlfedbu]

dave you have some good points , when I talked to dave blaney and dave Willoughby at the banquet I was told 35 laps and invert 12 , not sure if I like the format as it will cater to rex and cooter and the wellers its hard enough to run them down with out having them start up front every week , guess we will give it a try but I think that your gonna have a lot of people pissed off because they never get a chance to start closer to the front lets face it if all the fast cars are In one heat a few of the slower guys could be up front , that always slows the big dogs down and doesn't let them run away with it

Edited by btlfedbu, 19 February 2015 - 04:32 AM.