4 replies to this topic

[ramsey31]

A couple years ago, I ran an enduro at Ransomville Speedway in NY.   I believe there was something like 200 cars separated into 4cyd, 6cyd, and v8's.     Windows out, screen in the windshield, and doors welded/chained, etc.    Didn't need to move the tank, didn't need a cage, just run.    While I was running, there was NO red flag, cars burnt in the track and you raced around them (not too safe)   This was the itch that I needed to build a car.    I spent $250 bucks on a beater and had....FUN.   The stands were jam packed, and it was January 1st in Niagara Falls freezing cold.  My point is this.  Back in the 80's and 90's they were a dime a dozen.   Whether ran as a "feature" only, or on a Sunday, enduros were everywhere.   People could compete and enjoy themselves.   People didn't go broke, and your average joe doesn't need to cash in his/her 401k to build a car.  

 

We have a big problem here.  Todays younger crowd, the ones who can keep the sport alive, have never tore an engine apart, they have probably never even driven a rwd car, and the fear of dumping a decent chunk of money into even the out-of-control fwd class is enough to make many people second guess. On the opposite side of the coin, people attitudes at the track have went down the pot.  Everyone is fighting, everyone blames the next guy for a spin, etc, etc.   Yes this is nothing new, but Ill bet its gotten worse over the last couple years.   I have seen it get worse.

 

I bet if you ask 20 people who have driven both a junk enduro car, and a race car....they had more fun when they had nothing to lose.  The fans have more fun when they are not waiting 10 minutes to line up a field, to get 1 lap in and do it again.

Edited by ramsey31, 01 September 2015 - 11:45 AM.

[T-440]

From a safety aspect, the old style enduro's of leaving broken cars on the track for the drivers to navigate around probably wouldn't fly these days.  I remember the late 90's when CPS was asphalt and they ran the FWD 4cylinders once or twice a month.  They  usually had over 30 cars, and sometimes more than 40.  I think they ran something like 40 laps or 45 minutes whichever came first.  Those were some fun races to watch!  When the added the class to the weekly card, the counts dropped dramatically.  I talked to a few of the drivers at Sheetz one night and they all said that they couldn't afford to race every week or didn't want to race every week, so they still only ran once or twice a month, and that most of the other teams were in the same boat. 

 

I often thought that a track could have a once a month FWD enduro.  $25 for the driver and one crew member gets you entered into the nights event.  No heats, feature only, line up in the order that you signed in to the pits that night.  50/50 split of the entry fees.  Winner gets half, track gets half.  Winner takes all.  If you got 40 cars the winner would get $500.  Even if you had 25 cars it would be over $300.  Heck, you could almost do a summer tour of local tracks.  Get a sponsor to pony up the championship trophy and cash award for winning the points. 

[714d]

The enduro at the stampede at Lernerville is usually the most entertaining race of the weekend. I think it's absolutely a great idea to do maybe once a month. Like you stated, absolutely stock cars. Keep it all for fun. I bet just about every team would have a crew member or two in one.

[K.H.]

Until one rolls over and the roof collapses.

[ramsey31]

Demolition Derbies have been around for years, and they too can collapse a roof.   Im not saying there is no risk, but a lot can be minimalized.    The angle I am looking at is this.   Demolition Derbies started in Islip NY by a promoter who saw the crowds go crazy when the cars wrecked.   They are now mainstream, and fill the fairgrounds seating no problem.  Overall people don't go to the races to see 20 caution laps, they go to watch those drivers who run on the edge, and risk a wreck every lap.   The adrenalin junkie in all of us.   Over the last 26 years I have been on both sides of the fence, either watching or driving.  Sitting among the fans makes me realize how unhappy people are.  The only time you really hear people get involved is when either someone does something that make people boo, or the show starts taking too long.   I am confident that 3-4 events a year at a track is the ticket that people need to just let loose.   Not get bent out of shape because so and so did this, and my driver wrecked your driver.  

 

For a potential new driver, it puts them on the track, period.  Nothing else is more important to saving our sport than putting people on the track.  You can imagine the thrill from the stands, you can dream of the day, but until you actually FEEL that feeling from the seat you cant compare.  Look at some of these tracks.  Lernerville for instance.    The lowest class will still set you back what 15-20k plus to put a car on the track.   How or better yet why would anyone shell out that kind of money to "try" something?   People get so excited because they have 20 cars in a class, yet there are 20 times that many in the stands who would like the chance, but will never do so.

 

Lure them onto the track with junk, sell them on the thrill of passing another car, losing the handle, and being competitive. Give the kids something to do with their buddies, make it fun again!  Ill put $$ that it results into people willing to spend more to go faster, and build a race car.  The thrill is the same, but youll never know if you don't try.

Edited by ramsey31, 02 September 2015 - 11:06 AM.