44 replies to this topic

[Parocket]

Sure LM number are down in the super class. When I started racing in 1986 there was one LM class, now there are 3 legitimate classes being supers, crates and 358.

For the most part the only different in these cars is engine output, otherwise every other bit a piece is the same form class to class.

 

What is the car count for all 3 classes?

 

All three classes offer very good racing, perhaps crates are the best at providing side by side action as the motors are so close compared to the other classes.

 

Its getting tough to field a super for a middle class family, chassis prices are up and one motor problem set ya back $6K.

Being a guy who feels he has good sponsor $$, works 60 hours a week at a office job and sacrifices all other hobbies to go racing and it not enough any more.

Having raced both super and crates in the past 4 years, I can tell ya crates are much less to operate even with the smaller purse.

[fastrakpr]

From a person that owns several super late model series and a couple of crate late model series, if you don;t mind I'll chime in here. 

 

1) I have seen it for the last 10 years around the middle of June all car counts start falling off little by little. People simply run out of money. 

 

2) I don't think crates have hurt supers at all. People run crates because they cannot afford to run supers more than anything and proof of that might be the better funded crate teams all move to supers eventually. Damian Bidwell, Mike Legher Jr, Colton Flinner, Matt Latta, Max Blair, Jonathon Davenport, Chris Ferguson, Shanon Buckingham, Zach Mitchell and many more are proof of that. Supers are the natural progression of things and I think every crate driver for the most part wants to run supers in the end. 

 

3) To be competitive it takes 2 super engines at $55,000 - $65,000 now to compete. 

 

4) Shock technology and aero has run a lot of people out of supers. Not many people go to a race knowing they don't have a chance. 

 

5) Coal industry is still off and that limits a ton of funds. 

 

 

It's a tough deal right now guys. Getting better but still tough. One race we have 35 cars the next we have 19 and stand their with our mouths open wondering what happened. lol. Just keep supporting your local tracks and the series races too when you can and we will all be better in the end. 

 

Thanks

[deathpunch]

26 supers at thunder mountain tonight

[flash49]

Only 18 Super Late Models tonight at Bedford for $5,055 to win.  Andy Haus (76) took the win over Jeff Rine (92) and Dylan Yoder (24).

[Walt Wimer]

I wonder how many of the cars at Thunder Mountain are still the same steel block cars that have run there in past years rather than really "super" Lates??  Anyone up that way know??

 

GOOD RACING!!!

 

Walt 

[deathpunch]

Not many Walt a lot of guys coming down from up north now. And bshep and erb showed up for practice as well

[CHEVY1A]

Car @ Thunder Mountain Speedway (United States) • 01 September 2017 by   Thunder Mountain Speedway
LengthBest lapBest SpeedBy Competitor
0.3750 mi5 (00:16.492)81.858 mi/hCharles Powell JR.
All ResultsResults By ClassLap ChartCompare
Pos


Competitor Total time Diff Laps Best time Best lap Best Speed
1 5  Mike Blose 1:15:03.657 0.000 25 16.811 4 80.305 mi/h
2 94  Charles Powell JR. 1:15:05.478 1.821 25 16.492 5 81.858 mi/h
3 11H  Gale Huey 1:15:06.094 2.437 25 17.409 21 77.546 mi/h
4 26H  Paul Kot 1:15:06.334 2.677 25 17.153 20 78.703 mi/h
5 44  Joe Petyak 1:15:06.544 2.887 25 17.506 20 77.116 mi/h
6 27  Micheal Lake 1:15:07.090 3.433 25 16.687 5 80.901 mi/h
7 7Teen  Damian Bidwell 1:15:07.325 3.668 25 17.211 9 78.438 mi/h
8 29L  Johnny Lindenpitz 1:15:09.013 5.356 25 17.470 4 77.275 mi/h
9 5J  Jeremy Ohl 1:15:09.531 1 lap 24 17.409 20 77.546 mi/h
10 75J  Joe Layfield 1:15:12.480 1 lap 24 18.657 22 72.359 mi/h
11 747  Roswell Babcock 42:57.678 5 laps 20 18.638 4 72.433 mi/h
12 W3  John Weaver 1:12:08.323 5 laps 20 18.254 7 73.956 mi/h
13 30  Rick Tripodi 58:30.241 7 laps 18 17.021 6 79.314 mi/h
14 01  Steve Arthurs 58:30.809 7 laps 18 17.998 7 75.008 mi/h
15 23  Rob Middleton 58:34.551 8 laps 17 18.057 7 74.763 mi/h
16 33K  Kyle Knapp 45:00.171 9 laps 16 17.097 7 78.961 mi/h
17 20  Doug Eck 17.052 24 laps 1 16.962 1 79.59 mi/h
18 19  Bob Dorman 18.340 24 laps 1 17.773 1 75.958 mi/h
19 16  Dan Stormer 20.918 24 laps 1 19.336 1 69.818 mi/h
20 88B  Luke Barnett 22.079 24 laps 1 19.648 1 68.709 mi/h
21 75  Jason Dobson 22.642 24 laps 1 19.702 1 68.521 mi/h
22 44D  Dan Smeal 22.965 24 laps 1 19.536 1 69.103 mi/h
23 111L  Matt Lux 23.268 24 laps 1 19.231 1 70.199 mi/h
24 57S  Levi Sikora 24.155 24 laps 1 19.735 1 68.406 mi/h
25 5M  Mike Steck 25.042 24 laps 1 19.914 1 67.792 mi/h
DNS 46  Tom Merryman 10.030 25 laps - 0.000 - -
DNS 11  Curtis Teats 0.000 0.000 - 0.000 - -

Looks like a lot of quantity, but how much quality?

[flash49]

There are quite a few Steel-Blocks in that line-up, but 27 cars is 27 cars.  

Edited by flash49, 02 September 2017 - 12:21 PM.

[beerdrinker]

Thus the carnage.

[CHEVY1A]

There are quite a few Steel-Blocks in that line-up, but 27 cars is 27 cars.  

Tell that to the guys that were tore up by the idiots in the steelblocks. Doesnt look like a lot of quality in that lineup. Id rather watch 10 good cars race than have a large field with a bunch of assclowns tearing everyone else up.

[Hans Solo]

Huey has a pretty good steel block.  Never really competed for the lead.  Powell had the fastest car in lap times but I think Lake would have won the race had there not been so much contact and door slamming creating the carnage.  I thought some of the racing was excellent,  but you gotta move a race along faster.  One tow truck was crazy!!  Had a Quad pushing 2200 lb SLM.  As hard as the guy on the quad worked,  it wasn't enuff!!   Hope there is support for the track on the 16th,  effort seems to be there

[D1RT]

Hearing there are 47 late models at Dog Hollow tonight for their $4k show.  

[jo73]

47 cars for a 4K show is very good. To me it shows how bad that ump tire deal is.I don't care what the incentives are.

[scruffy1a]

47 cars for a 4K show is very good. To me it shows how bad that ump tire deal is.I don't care what the incentives are.

Sunday night, few people working tomorrow, little competition for cars (WoO 3 hours away), points racing finished, widespread rainouts earlier in the weekend.  Think those factors have anything to do with it, or just UMP tire rule?

[714d]

It's a well supported race for a good cause. The Bobik family puts a lot of work into it. I think they'd get the same support if it paid half the money. Sometimes to get a field of cars, I think you just have to ask, not just post a purse and hope someone comes. Promoting pays.

[jo73]

scruffy, yes I do. your in the hole 1000 to 1500 before you even pull the trailer door down, and I think that's a conservative number. So not to many are going to do it

[Walt Wimer]

   Two big races in western PA over the weekend.  Dog Hollow pulled 45 cars, but Bedford only 18 and the Bedford race paid more to win.  I rarely get to either track, but wondering if some of those who do know why so much difference in car counts??    BTW...The Selinsgrove WoO race only drew 25 cars.

 

GOOD RACING!!!

 

Walt

[CHEVY1A]

   Two big races in western PA over the weekend.  Dog Hollow pulled 45 cars, but Bedford only 18 and the Bedford race paid more to win.  I rarely get to either track, but wondering if some of those who do know why so much difference in car counts??    BTW...The Selinsgrove WoO race only drew 25 cars.

 

GOOD RACING!!!

 

Walt

True, not many lates at Bedford, but for the most part they were all quality drivers. Might have to do with  a lot of drivers dont like inverts?

[Benny K]

Bedford was a 55 lap race. A lot of wear and tear on that big of a Track. Same deal for Selinsgrove as it's so big it keeps people away especially when national series is around. Potomac raced yesterday as well paying 4000 to win that's where Lathroum, Covert, Hollidge and a few of the guys who woulda went to Selinsgrove where.

[CHEVY1A]

Potomac had 12 lates for the 4 grand to win show