86 replies to this topic

[Walt Wimer]

I think anyone opening Mercer will struggle unless Sharon and PPMS back down from all the Sprint Car races they had this year.  Mercer needs Sprint Cars to survive!!!

 

GOOD RACING!!!

 

Walt

[DavyLee2]

" what they were supposed to . Put young talent in slm's "

 I will agree with that

 That was the selling point !

 but it turned out just like ... 

 " If we get government gambling ... we will eliminate property taxes"

[sicario]

I agree with Walt in that whatever the other 2 do will dictate what Mercer should do. Idk what will happen with Sharon next year but if they do this split program again Mercer would be smart to mirror that and have emods a the top support class since Sharon used to have a lot and then they stopped paying them. 410's/big blocks, Emods, Rush sprints, and idk what else. Rush sprints mainly because they don't have a home. The semi late class at TM is really growing but idk if it's big enough to run at two tracks yet... it would be kind of intriguin if Sharon and Mercer ran opposite healine classes but made it a series with some cheese at the end of the season. If Eriez does indeed close the doors next year tri city would be wise to adopt eriez schedule as is and try to run an actually weekly program again.

Edited by sicario, 03 September 2018 - 05:17 PM.

[94.3-RADRACER]

if eriez closes, anybody who bought mercer or tri-city is a damn fool.

[spike]

Love that one.  Rush sprints mainly because they don't have a home.  Something like the Green Flag sprints.  Or the Ohio Sprint Warriors.

[sicario]

I agree. Someone was allegedly interested in tri city and looked at it very seriously but said they want too mych

[Walt Wimer]

With the exception of the Northen Tier, the E-Mods appear to be a dying class!!!  Tri-City had them 3 times this year and never drew more than 9 cars.  Dog Hollow had them 4 times with the best car count at 13 and last night it was under 10.  there just does  not seem to be enough of them around anymore to draw good fields except up north at Raceway, 7, Stateline and Eriez!!

 

GOOD RACING!!!!

 

Walt

[sicario]

That's the thing with emods. They support the weekly tracks. When dog hollow has them the same day as eriez nobody shows. I would think Engles, Potosky, potentially Watson, and the guys who used to run Sharon, (Johnson, Kinney, probably Eicher) would run mercer on Saturday. I think there are plenty of emods in the area just depends on where they want to run.

Edited by sicario, 03 September 2018 - 07:08 PM.

[dirtstudent2]

" I think there are plenty of emods in the area just depends on where they want to run. "

 

yep and there are plenty of different kinds of emods in the area

[jo73]

Mercer. Look at the open wheel program lernerville just ran. I'm not saying do what they did. Your job is to make money, get out there and talk to car owners, drivers, and sponsors. With the tracks in your region it will be a uphill battle. Many thought, me included, the place would never sell with the price that was put on the place. My question is? What was that figure ? Someone had to have investors or really deep pockets. Pay a good purse and run it correctly and the die hard will come back. Hopefully there is enough of them left.

[dirtstudent2]

jo73, I don't care who bought it, what price was paid or even if it is being leased and it was not sold.

 

My understanding is a RACER is involved and the GOODNESS for us racing fans and racers is it may again open for racing.  I personally would like to see them race on Sunday's with sprints and bigblock type cars being the main attraction.   What I've been told about Sharon is when the sprints are there the stands are at least looking full or well filled.  But when it's just a regular show with bigblocks etc. the fan crowd is sparse.   That makes me think sprints will be scheduled at Sharon as often as possible next year or maybe even be part of the weekly show next year.  If Mercer opens up and runs sprints on Saturday next year then it's the same old same old splitting sprint car count between two closely located tracks with neither getting a decent car count for the fans.  There may be a reason Mercer cannot run on Sundays.   But if they can and run bigblock type cars along with sprints and two other classes, fans will pack the place on Sunday's the same as TriCity use to be packed on Sundays.  What a great thing it would be for racers if they could run Lernerville Friday, Sharon Saturday and Mercer Sunday instead of how it use to be TriCity on Sunday.  I know IMHO for fact there would be a large contingent of sprint racers which would run all three tracks all season.  

 

Wouldn't it be great if Sharon and Mercer got together next year and ran the same >>4<< classes next year?  Sprints, bigblock type cars with 350''s given a weight break, along with maybe 305 sprints or full blown real emods and penn ohio rule stocks.  For back gate car count I can also see them maybe adding front wheel drive cars or dwarf cars for a fifth type of car.   All providing a place to race for crate stuff and even 305 sprints does is cut into and screw up car count wise regular sprints, Bigblocks and now stocks and emods.  What better thing to do for race fans and racers then to provide solid base Friday, Saturday and Sunday racing?  I'm sick of so many now promoters slicing and dicing into car counts and regular saturday night type shows grabbing their little or big piece of the action away from fans and >>> tracks <<< . 

[spike]

jo73, I don't care who bought it, what price was paid or even if it is being leased and it was not sold.

 

My understanding is a RACER is involved and the GOODNESS for us racing fans and racers is it may again open for racing.  I personally would like to see them race on Sunday's with sprints and bigblock type cars being the main attraction.   What I've been told about Sharon is when the sprints are there the stands are at least looking full or well filled.  But when it's just a regular show with bigblocks etc. the fan crowd is sparse.   That makes me think sprints will be scheduled at Sharon as often as possible next year or maybe even be part of the weekly show next year.  If Mercer opens up and runs sprints on Saturday next year then it's the same old same old splitting sprint car count between two closely located tracks with neither getting a decent car count for the fans.  There may be a reason Mercer cannot run on Sundays.   But if they can and run bigblock type cars along with sprints and two other classes, fans will pack the place on Sunday's the same as TriCity use to be packed on Sundays.  What a great thing it would be for racers if they could run Lernerville Friday, Sharon Saturday and Mercer Sunday instead of how it use to be TriCity on Sunday.  I know IMHO for fact there would be a large contingent of sprint racers which would run all three tracks all season.  

 

Wouldn't it be great if Sharon and Mercer got together next year and ran the same >>4<< classes next year?  Sprints, bigblock type cars with 350''s given a weight break, along with maybe 305 sprints or full blown real emods and penn ohio rule stocks.  For back gate car count I can also see them maybe adding front wheel drive cars or dwarf cars for a fifth type of car.   All providing a place to race for crate stuff and even 305 sprints does is cut into and screw up car count wise regular sprints, Bigblocks and now stocks and emods.  What better thing to do for race fans and racers then to provide solid base Friday, Saturday and Sunday racing?  I'm sick of so many now promoters slicing and dicing into car counts and regular saturday night type shows grabbing their little or big piece of the action away from fans and >>> tracks <<< . 

" I know for fact there would be a large contingent of sprint racers which would run all three tracks all season ".   Do I dare say, wrong, wrong and wrong?

[dirtstudent2]

" I know for fact there would be a large contingent of sprint racers which would run all three tracks all season ".   Do I dare say, wrong, wrong and wrong?

 

 

You can say what ever you like the same as me.  What I wrote is indeed fact which makes your reply obviously not correct except with maybe a debate about defining what a "large" number is . 

 

My very educated well founded guess is there would be at least 10 sprints contending for points at all three tracks. 

 

10 cars running for points at all three tracks around here would be considered by anyone in this area as a large number of contestants.  It would also cause bragging rights for any driver who may win the points at all three tracks.  Similar to the recognition of being 'good' which went to any driver who won the points in the past at Lernerville, TriCity and either Sharon or Mercer.  Racers sprint, bigblock, emod or anything would love to have three nights of racing at tracks within an hour of each other.  It makes for good racing for all and a way for new racers to learn their craft.   For local sprint racers it use to be you could run 3 nights a week and then travel a little making special shows 1 or 2 other nights during the week.  What's better for racing then for sprints to have three places to race each weekend and HOPEFULLY for good tow and start money and then be able to travel to special shows a couple of other nights a week?

 

With good start and tow money for sprints and places to race a low budget racer can make out just fine racing sprint cars.  Here's another fact for you.  until and except for the bastardizing of sprint car racing by hand in your pocket promoters, 410 sprint car racing is the most economical class for a low budget racer.  If your not too dumb to build your own car out of swap meet parts and throw an engine together either with dumb founded luck or quality, skill and knowledge, you will NOT find a more economical race car to get in then a 410 sprint class race car.   

 

 

edit:  FANS go to see the show !  NOT to see how deep some promoter can get into the pockets of racers and tracks.

Edited by dirtstudent2, 04 September 2018 - 09:57 AM.

[sicario]

sharon's had like 3 big block only shows this year and the last one drew a very solis crowd.

[Walt Wimer]

Yep, Sprint Cars are so economical that several of them get lapped in the heat races every week at Lernerville!!!    And there are less and less drivers racing even two nights a week most places. The last couple of years there only have been about a half-dozen Modified drivers who ran both Lenerville and Sharon on a regular basis.  More and more are one night a week racers!!.      Don't know if there are any laws that would prohibit Mercer from running on Sunday, but it sure wouldn't make the people living in Mercer very happy with the track being so close in town.

 

GOOD RACING!!!!

 

Walt

[Racer17L]

So with Latrobe (most likely) going to weekly racing next year as well where are all these cars going to come from over the winter to support two more tracks without causing others to close? Im glad to see tracks reopening but Im struggling on how they survive weekly versus specials only shows like Tri City?

[dirtstudent2]

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Edited by dirtstudent2, 04 September 2018 - 12:36 PM.

[dirtstudent2]

deleted

Edited by dirtstudent2, 04 September 2018 - 12:29 PM.

[Benny K]

Latrobe re-opening should have little impact on Mercer re-opening in my opinion. Latrobe will be running a Late Model type class and should work on trying to fill the void that Thunder Valley and the collapse of Roaring Knob left in that area.

[Walt Wimer]

How come Dog Hollow is getting twice the number of super Lates as they are crates???   Last week 22 to 11.  The week before 25 to 10.  Being a Lernerville guy since Don Martin opened the place in September 1967, I don't go there, but wonder why so many more supers than crates???

 

GOOD RACING!!!

 

Walt