48 replies to this topic

[Racer65x]

I've seen allot of posts on message boards and Facebook bashing local racetracks. I've spent the last three and a half years in the Navy and one of the many things I have learned in my three and a half years is that 90% of the problem is caused by 10% of the people. This fact transcends the Navy and applies to life and even racing. In my short time in the Navy I have had the opportunity to spend some time in allot of different places. I can tell you for a fact the western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and West Virginia has more racetracks within a four hour drive of wherever you are standing than any place I have ever been combined. That's a fact. This isn't a bad thing but in my three and a half years away from Pittsburgh I have realized that allot of race fans in the Pittsburgh area are spoiled. This is where the aforementioned 10% rule comes in. I really don't think is everyone but the spoiled ones are the most vocal and do most of the bashing. I'm 27 years old and my dad, brothers and I have been going to racetracks for as long as I can remember. We have been to the most premier faculties there are. (I was actually at Bristol when they covered it with dirt) I have also been to some of the most backwoods, grass roots tracks there are. (Interstate 79, 250 Speedway, ect.) never once has my dad, brothers or myself ever walked out of a racetrack without one good thing to say. I've never been to a racetrack that I didn't want to race at myself or want to go back to. In this day in age racing seems to find itself in trouble and there is no clear cut path to success for the promotors. However there is a definite path to failure. Please if you really do have something bad to say about a certain track or another driver keep it off of the internet. You're not doing any good but you certainly are doing allot of harm.

[racepace]

How RIGHT you are! The people that complain about the concessions never went to a track where the only food at the concessions were Balony or egg sandwiches, and potato chips sold off the tailgate of a pick up truck. Restrooms where the women had 1 toilet in an old tin shack and the men peed into the bushes. Where the  boards on the bleachers was rough cut lumber. Or the starter stood on the track to flag because there was no flag stand. SCORE BOARDS ?? Nobody had them until they started to show up at NASCAR tracks, now a days people cry and whine if 1 light bulb is out on the whole scoreboard. Nobody was in the lot to park the fans cars because everyone that was smart enough to work hard enough to buy the ticket had enough common sense to figure it out. People didn't complain that the track didn't take the welfare ACCESS card because people were far too ashamed to let anyone know that they were on it. People that got disability because they were so crippled up that they were in a wheelchair were far too ashamed to let anyone know that they were disabled. Now there are peopled that are considered disabled because they were dopers and they expect to park in the handicapped section and whine if they have walk an extra 20 feet as compared to the poor working sap that just put in a 12 hour shift and paid a higher tax rate because just to keep them laying around at home every day, Also the ones that whimper about the dust at a track that has had always been prepared the same way and there were no complaints but when they install a $1000,000 or more lighting system that is many moons brighter then the few old fashioned small round street lights around the track they all of the sudden when a little dust is able to be seen then they attack the track management ! I have people that cant believe that the racers had to provide their own lighting in the pits !

Edited by racepace, 02 August 2016 - 02:43 AM.

[old man d]

First off Racer65x, Thank You for your service. My Dad started taking me to the races in the mid 50"s when you came home pretty much covered with dirt. I can remember hearing people saying they could not until next week. Oh, and the food there where times i questioned if the food was good for humans. Through the dust, food,lighting and rest rooms when they had them people still came back with no complaints. Times change the tracks got better and the racing is da#m good. Just be thankful we have the tracks in western Pa. As i see it the future of racing as we know it is looking dim in this area. so, instead of BASHING and COMPLAINING try saying Thanks to tracks and the promoters,it won"t hurt. As for the 10% your key word was SPOILED, you will always have that but on the bright side at least they are going and spending their money.

[polish2]

Racer65x, Thank you for your, and everybody that has served in our military. Unfortunately the 10% of the people you are talking about make up a majority of this board. This board is for entertainment only, I visit it a lot and it is the same people posting all the time, I post very little, just read and sometimes get a laugh. There are some very knowledgeable people on here, you will soon be able to tell the ones, so don't get caught up in the drama, sit back and read, and maybe get a laugh. Thank you for your service again.

[Radical]

Some people just want to create drama and start trouble. That's what category a lot of the posters here fit into. Then you have those who expect everything to be perfect at a racetrack and they think every night should be the best they've ever seen. It doesn't always go that way, and they will be the first to complain. Then you have those who've got no clue all the work that goes into keeping a track going, and (as you said Racer65x) don't appreciate what they have. Thank you to those who DO understand, but that 10% minority is much more vocal. And, yes, THOSE are the ones who deter others from going and that's what is killing the sport.

[Walt Wimer]

I have to agree with much of what has been said here!!   From everything that I hear, we have at least three area tracks that are in serious trouble, and those who continue bashing them will be the first to cry when they shut down and they have no place close to home to go to the races.   Unfortunately, all the bashing probably doesn't move the owners/promoters to improve their operation as such are set in their ways and all the complaining on here will do little good!!

 

GOOD RACING TO ALL!!!

 

Walt

[FanJim24]

Well, as one who has criticisms of some of the local tracks, I also appreciate most of the tracks in the area.  We have great tracks.  One of my biggest frustrations is that the track that I think the best is not as good as it used to be and it did not seem as though the one who could make improvements cared in the least what the drivers or fans thought.  My criticisms on here have never been intended to bash.  We do have track staff on this site.  

I get that it is much harder to keep a track open, and that saddens me.  I am part of that problem too, since I don't have the money to spend at the gate that I would like.  We have lost a lot of good tracks in the last 10 years.  

[oldtime racer]

The tracks are all loosing car.  Look at the car counts.  People can't afford all the tires, carbs, engines etc. to run at certain tracks.  This track says you have to run this size and brand of tire, that track says you have to run a 2 barrel carb.  that track says you have to run this motor.  When I raced, Thurs, Fri. Sat. and Sun., we ran the same car, same motor, same carb, same tires.  Get the point?????  We  built the car, and engine.  We didn't BUY everything.  We knew how to build the motor, repair the motor,  We didn't have to send it back to the builder.  Same with the chassis,  we bent the tubing, did the welding, we replace or repair when damaged.  We made money too racing. Pay-out were much lower then also.  We always ran consi's at all the tracks.  We had 24+ cars every week.  People could afford to build a car a go racing.   Many cars didn't have BIG NAME  backers.   Stop and think, things were better back then.  Ok, that's my 2 cents.

[jo73]

Old time racer. YOU GET IT. The more rules that have been made over the years has only cost most racers to race 1 night a week. Most do not understand that guys sometimes raced Thursday thru Sunday. Some tracks were dusty, some had a curb on them that NO sprint car guy of today would race on. It's why I like the penn/Ohio series. These are mostly grass roots guys that do a good portion of the work on there racers. These guys can get out there and get it done.

[BaconBits]

Glossing over obvious problems isn't doing racing any favors, either. A well run track reads the criticism, sees what is viewed as problems, then works toward fixing those problems. A poorly run track reads the criticism, and blames all of their problems on it.

[oldtime racer]

Bacon bits.  You don't understand.  Why build a racecar to only run one track?  If you want to run at another track and their rules are different, you must buy other tires, carb, shocks, and motor?  If owners would only get together, and have the same rules, you would have more cars.  This idea, that if you have rules for your track only, I sure wouldn't build a car to only run one night.

[LM RACING]

You will never please the people who complain. Racing local was and had never been about making money. The issue is the people who will spend countless money to go fast instead of learning about the cars and engines so that they can compete on the (local) level. These teams spend enough money to tour the regional races and do well if the talent and knowledge is there. Unfortunately these days the same racers have priced themselves and the local low budget guys out of business. The local low budget guys put on way better races for the fans. The way things are going right now, it won't be long before the bottom falls out and those so called (field fillers) that the people in the stands complain about are the ones puting on the show. They are the ones who stood by and stuck it out knowing that eventually the guys spending all this money will run out and it will get back to what it is supposed to be. Fun. You can disagree all you want but careless spending of money to buy wins has ruined local racing and shut down many tracks.

[LM RACING]

Oh ya and thank you for what you are doing rich. We have to get an old day camp trip set up when you get done. It's been a long time.

[D1RT]

Bacon bits.  You don't understand.  Why build a racecar to only run one track?  If you want to run at another track and their rules are different, you must buy other tires, carb, shocks, and motor?  If owners would only get together, and have the same rules, you would have more cars.  This idea, that if you have rules for your track only, I sure wouldn't build a car to only run one night.

 

The cold hard fact is the tracks have never worked together around here and never will.

When some have tried one owner thought the other owner was making more than he was and working together turned into who could screw who the most.

[bhhracing]

Every track is out for themselves, plain and simple!

[BaconBits]

Bacon bits.  You don't understand.  Why build a racecar to only run one track?  If you want to run at another track and their rules are different, you must buy other tires, carb, shocks, and motor?  If owners would only get together, and have the same rules, you would have more cars.  This idea, that if you have rules for your track only, I sure wouldn't build a car to only run one night.

This thread is about complaints about tracks on social media and you're talking about rules. If anybody doesn't understand, it's you. I do agree that tracks should work together on rules, though.

[jo73]

It's also because some track owners today feel if they build there rules at there speedway that guys will stay at one track. And for the most part that is what is taking place in today's racing. Take lernerville, or any other Friday track, out of the 75 to 100 racers they get on a Friday night. How many of these guys are racing saturday nights 10%, 20%. Those numbers are fair I believe, but, those numbers are also what is hurting local dirt racing.

[94.3-RADRACER]

we are just starting in slm's, and have struggled to say the least. tracks having different tire rules makes us stay at one or two tracks. basiclly eriez/stateline. we can't afford to buy tires to run lernerville 3 or 4 times a year, but did get a used set off russ king. we would probably race there more if we could run our 1300's there, but can't. i think they would get alot more cars if these ump tires were not mandatory. just my two cents......

[old man d]

I like the way some on here looks at the big picture. The way i see it when your dealing with the way tracks are run a lot comes into the fray. Yes, the way some promoters run their track leaves us shaking our heads. I also understand rules are to be made and enforced. But, what i don"t understand is why we have tire rules for one track and not the same for another track. It"s not that hard to do just work together. You promoters have to remember this is a week-end sport with hard working people that love to race and giving the fans a good car count which in turn brings good racing. My point is work together and keep it simple. Trust me it is not that hard. Just my take.

[LM RACING]

I would have to say that if all tracks ran the same tire rule that there would no reason for the tire company to put out as much money for point funds or whatever the track decides to do with it. The only tire rule I can agree with is a compound rule across the board with any make or model tire that you choose.