87 replies to this topic

[sle21]

these people do still exist, I'm one of them.  it's actually cheaper for me to build and maintain my own engine then to buy into the crate deal, however there isn't an option for this at lernerville where I prefer to race, so it is what it is. 

[old man d]

Thanks sle21 this has been my bi-ch all along. When they came and said crate motors only in Pro Stocks you had to choose their way or don"t race here. That's what I do not like, that is one of the reasons I left. They made their decision and I made mine and you are right it is what it is. Anyways Good Luck and Be Safe.

[dirtstudent2]

What's gone because of expensive entry level speck engine racing is there's no more "all I need is to find a couple of pistons and I'll have my engine back together".  The entry cost keeps many racers away from speck racing and if speck racing replaces their opportunity to race, those cars are gone.  

Edited by dirtstudent2, 23 March 2018 - 09:35 PM.

[D1RT]

I have nothing to do with Rush. But in the last year tracks continued to close. PPMS had 5-7 SLM. Lernerville had 9-11 most nights. Guys are dropping out of the sport every year. So now PPMS has a chance to have 20-24 Crate Lates weekly (some of which put up faster times than said 5-7 SLM on slick nights) and Lernerville has 20 ish stocks and this is a BAD thing in racing? Would you rather watch the tracks close or keep drivers in the sport? And if you think the track survives off the front gate for weekly shows you are mistaken. Tracks need cars to survive and keeping guys from retiring by giving them cost friendly options is the only way to do it. Its not 1975 anymore.

Local SLM guys still have the option to travel and support local series (Jared Miley).

Local open stock guys still have the option to travel and support the Penn Ohio Series.

Rush Mods have replaced emods or supplemented 2 barrel mods at the northern tracks.

How is any of this bad for the survival of racing?

If you dont think the sport is dying, let me say:
Challenger, Latrobe, Mercer, Hickory, Motordrome, I79, WVMS, Pennsboro, 250, and whatever is going on at the Knob.

Me personally, Im thankful I have boring Crate racing at PPMS versus remembering the good times i USED to have there.

Come on Racer17L...
The two idiots that should still be in jail killed Challenger.
Asphalt and mismanagement killed Motordrome.
Pennsboro was nothing but a reason to party because you seen better racing at the local RR switch yard.
WVMS was too damn big and access sucked for big haulers.
I-79 was shut down because of the car auction.
Mercer poor management and too worried about fighting with Sharon.
Roaring Knob is well on it's way too because of poor management.

[Racer17L]

These tracks are gone, so are the fans and cars that supported them. No new tracks are opening to replace them. I’m well aware of the history of them and supported them all over the years. Tracks close, cars get sold and people move on. This is why it’s important to support what is left and give guys options to stay in the sport.

[Racer17L]

I also wanted to respond to a few posts above. I 100% agree it was BS that Lernerville came in and FORCED guys to go Crate. I didn’t support that. However creating a class that uses Crate motors (rush mods, rush sprints) from infancy is fine with me if it allows guys to keep racing. There’s a big difference.

[FanJim24]

I also wanted to respond to a few posts above. I 100% agree it was BS that Lernerville came in and FORCED guys to go Crate. I didn’t support that. However creating a class that uses Crate motors (rush mods, rush sprints) from infancy is fine with me if it allows guys to keep racing. There’s a big difference.

IMHO, this is the whole crate controversy, and exactly what my problem has been.

 

I'm not at all a big fan of kick it to the firewall, never lift, hang on tight, hope it sticks and follow the leader--that's not racing, but if you want to go see that, may it be enjoyable to you, and yes, I know I oversimplified it a bit. Yes, I also know that that's been every division at Lernerville with this surface. And yes, I've seen some good cratemodel races, but they were about the leader hitting his marks perfectly every time in the one groove to not let the faster car by. 

[FanJim24]

I'm sorry that Pittsburgh isn't getting latemodels anymore, but the promoters have done it to themselves, and it is exactly what I am saying is the future of Rush and for the same reasons. Front load a bunch of money so that the promoters can't see past the shiny $$$ to the loss of fans and drivers, then when it comes to fruition you have no one in the seats and not enough money to keep going. With the late models it's been the front loaded tire deals, but it's Rush's entire business model, and it's not good for racing, or in the long run, anyone. How long will Rush be able to rent track time and drivers? From what I'm hearing on this board they're hauling in short-term money by the truckload, but for how long? Somebody's got to pay for it somewhere. The trade off used to be the front gate and eyeballs for sponsors, where I pay some money for entertainment and I see all the pretty signs and lettering and may actually shop with those sponsors. All the money for Rush and the tire/equipment deals is a self-shrinking closed circuit environment where the money all changes hands among the same people and nothing real is given in exchange. That is never sustainable, ever! It's why pyramid schemes don't work but Mary Kay and Avon do--they bring in outside money in exchange for something, (product). What's exchanged with the outside world in crate racing? Good racing? not often enough to sustain.