52 replies to this topic

[dirtstudent2]

Last night was a fun show to watch and since Lernerville doesn't anymore get a lot of Late Models and their special Stocks because of who cares reasons, here's an idea for what they might run on Fridays next year.

 

Classes:

 

410 Winged Sprints

Big Block Modifieds

305 Winged Sprints

... and yes even a crate class which would be

Crate wingless sprints

 

Drop both Lates and Crate stocks and it would become an all open wheel track on Fridays.  I was at Sharon Friday and even with a super duper WoO Late show they couldn't garner enough cars even without Lernerville running to have a B main.  The stands were half full compared to what I've seen there for a mostly local 410 winged show.  If I had known and was feeling better I'd have and probably should have gone to Thunder mountain for the Big Block/Late show.  There was not one person in the stands at Sharon on Friday I recognized.  It was like a few strangers went there to watch 22 WoO cars put on the track for the feature.

 

A few years back now going to the races it felt like everyone was a Late Model fan.  I think their hay day of a few years past is over and Sprint cars have again taken over the top spot of crowd/fan draw.  The racing at Sharon was fun to watch but the crowd I expected to see there was sparse at best.  I arrived late and had no problem picking a seat top row middle or bottom.  Watching the Late Model race made me feel like I stayed to watch Lates race at Attica years ago after the stands were packed for the 410 feature.

 

I think with the resurgence of both cars and fans to watch Sprints, next year Lernerville might do well to run on Fridays:  Big Blocks, 410 Winged Sprints, 305 sprints and crate wingless sprints.  They could rotate each week between Big Blocks and 410's for who's in the first feature and rotate each week between 305's and crate wingless sprints for who's in the 3rd feature.

 

It sure would end the bickering about why so few Lates and Crate Stocks show up on Fridays.  As far as helping tracks Lernerville because of it's location to so many potential fans would not loose anything by going all open wheel on Fridays and I would have to help Thunder Mountain.  Seems like a win win for both Friday night tracks.

 

 

 

[WannaRace]

Is this what your thoughts are for when you buy the place?

[flash49]

The lineup at Lernerville should stay the same as it always has been.  The crowds were good all year long.  While there may be a few disgruntled fans, don't screw with what works.  Lernerville is not Williams Grove or Lincoln, take away the Late Models, and you would lose quite a few fans.  

[old man d]

flash I see what you are saying, Late Models have been one of the staples at Lernerville. With that being said the car counts are not the way they were. So do you not think Lernerville should change and think ahead and maybe try a change. Don"t get me wrong I like Late Models what I don"t like is were it is going. But making it a 3 sprint car track is not good either. You know as well as I you are not going to please everyone.

[DavyLee2]

Sure it’s fun speculate
But Latemodels are a Premier division and Sprints and BB Modifieds like he said .
I love Sprint cars but the ones with the weedwacker motors are noziatng !
8/24/19
There were 17 Prototype Latemodles and Sprints and 15 Modifies
You people still don’t get it
Latemodels are a reflection of Money in the hands of people and not Government
And that has shifted the other way of the last 50 years in one night in November 2016
It will take a few years but western Pa will become a Mini Houston Texas !
And that means money ! Crates have a significant place and always did way back to when they were called Claimers !
This part is a secret! So don’t tell anybody!
The second biggest crane in the world is at the cracker plant in Monaca pa
The biggest one in the world just showed up in Toledo Ohio from Saudi Arabia to build a Brand New

SteelMill!!,
but don’t say a word about it !
Pa got 280 million last year from extraction fees on Shale oil !, SSShhhhhh!,,,,
Lernerville Prime Sponsor is paying less money for its product GAS! than it did decades ago and still charging the same !,,
Down to 14 claimer sportsman from 20 3 years ago
Crates are a Bandaid on racing with crumbs from Washington DC

[Walt Wimer]

I was at Lernerville the night Don Martin opened the place in September of 1967!!!   And I would just leave things the way they are!!!  One exception, I would change the rules some to open the Pro-Stocks back up to the open engine cars.  The crate engine cars are not getting any new ones!!  There has not been a Pro-Stock car there all year that wasn't there last year and most the year before.  NO ROOKIES in the class!!  Make the rules so both crate and open engine cars are competitive!!  There are only 16 drivers on the point list and one of them was only there once!!   As for the Late Models, this is class problem, not a Lernerville problem. They are forcing themselves out of business cost wise!!  But there are a lot of Late Model fans out there you would loose if you replaced them with a "limited" Sprint Car class!!

 

GOOD RACING TO ALL!!!

 

Walt  

[racefan62]

In my book, Lernerville has lost all the hype, that was once associated with it. Lernerville is nothing but another Friday night track, that runs specials, now and then. All the fame and fortune with the Lernerville Speedway name has been worn out.

My questions is this, if I was a car owner or driver, what would entice me to tow to Lernerville weekly?

[Walt Wimer]

And where else would you go???  Of course that depends on what class you are running!!!

[jo73]

And not 1 person has mentioned that stupid tire rule. Don't say it doesn't keep cars away. Some have flat out said they would race there if it wasn't for that.

Let's not forget lernerville at one time only had butler to compete with on Friday nights and Don Martin put a end to that.

In past years you have had dog hollow and thunder mtn competing for cars on Friday nights. So let's make are track run a tire that is only for are track. Brilliant.

Let's keep running the big 3 divisions in racing. Let's let other tracks have a better purse structure than us.

It pains me to say it. They need to drop 1 of the big 3. I would drop the Slm, they won't toss the tire rule, so more cars are not coming.

Take the money and raise the purse in the sprints and big block mods. add the 305 sprints on a weekly card and tell the sportsman guys were letting open motor cars back in. Give the racer a choice.

[WannaRace]

Isn't this the last year they have an agreement on the tire rule ?  Make it go away. I talked to several teams the last couple weeks that said they would go back if it weren't for that damn tire rule. 

[bhhracing]

For the last fn time late models are not going anywhere as long as WRG is involved with the track!

[3 link]

As a novice to WRG....what's the big hold they have and why are they wielding  such a big stick with any track.....and do they own a tire company !!!!!!....... what tire is the one used at lernerville ? ...as you can see I'm in the dark.....

Edited by 3 link, 02 September 2019 - 07:30 AM.

[D1RT]

As a novice to WRG....what's the big hold they have and why are they wielding  such a big stick with any track.....and do they own a tire company !!!!!!....... what tire is the one used at lernerville ? ...as you can see I'm in the dark.....

WRG holds Lernerville hostage with those "precious" WoO sprint car dates.

As far as the WoO sanctioning the Firecracker.
No big loss.
IMO if Lucas Oil sanctioned the race it would be more successful and draw more cars.

[jo73]

D1RT, can't say I disagree with you. Screw the woo, it is a great show don't get me wrong. I'd bring the all stars in for that same purse. I think you'd pull in more cars without the woo showing up. They hold there drivers hostage so the true outlaw racer has been gone for a long time.

[flash49]

I'm neither a detractor nor a big fan of WoO, however, Lernerville was always primarily a Sprint track prior to the Firecracker being established, even though the Late Models and BB Mods were always a part of the show.  The WoO Sprint shows fill up the place every time they come to town, so some of you Late Model fans may not like that, but it's any economic reality.  Regarding the state of Late Model racing at Lernerville, their counts are very much in line with both Thunder Mountain and Bedford.  Thunder Mountain averaged 15 for their regular shows and 22 for their specials.  Lernerville averaged 14 Late Models for regular shows and only had one special which drew 46 cars.  Bedford only averaged 11 Late Models on regular nights of racing, with their three big specials averaging 27 cars.  Why aren't these "true outlaw racers" showing up at Bedford and Thunder Mountain?  The WoO Sprint shows are a big part of Don Martin's legacy, and anyone who tampers with that does so at his peril.  No one is being held hostage, if racers don't like the rules at a certain track, they race elsewhere, as many have done.  

Edited by flash49, 02 September 2019 - 09:34 AM.

[WannaRace]

From what I heard, the Tompsons failed to buy the rights to the Firecracker, and the Silver Cup. And with the contract with WRG being up this year, who knows what will happen. I suggested to the priest when they bought the place to toss the WoO out and bring in Lucas and the All Stars. I feel it would be a great move, and bring a better field of cars. And f@%k the tire rule.

[dirtstudent2]

There's only a few times a year across the country where you can go to a 410 race and expect to see WoO, Allstars, others to include some cars from out east, around the country and locals race.

 

The September 28th weekend would be a great weekend for Lernerville to have their race on Sunday instead of Saturday going head to head for cars against the Allstars at Eldora.  I would expect Eldora would use Sunday as a rain date if needed but there's no indication on the Lernerville schedule about maybe using Sunday as a rain date.

 

I think it would be great if Lernerville had the WoO Sprints there on Sunday instead because they might draw cars from the Allstars and elsewhere.  

 

410 sprint car wise the WoO is still on top of the food chain with 13 cars making all shows so far this year and the Allstars having just 4 cars in all shows.

 

If Lernerville went to Sunday for their WoO sprint show I think Tony would kiss WoO butt to have them also sanctioned or allowed at Eldora on Saturday.  I think he'd even give Lernerville a combined date with the WoO the next day on Sunday.  410 Winged Sprint Car fans live for the few times a year when they can go to a race and expect the WoO, Allstars and other cars from around the country to be there.

 

A few times that happens I can quickly think about is Charlotte in november, Volusia in February, the kings royal, Knoxville and I think the rained out Brad Doty classic at Attica was another,  you all can add more. 

 

What a great weekend it would be for fans in this area and across the country to go watch a combined show at Eldora on Saturday and then the following day at Lernerville.  Both places would be packed.   Personally I'd like to go to both but can't because there on the same date and will probably go to Lernerville because it's closer 

 

Asking again about which races you can go to during the year and expect to see both Allstars and WoO?

 

I'd bet Tony as owner of Eldora would work under, around or over the table with the WoO to have a combined date next year on September 28 weekend.  His place would go from a very good crowd of fans to PACKED !  If the same would go for the following Sunday I think Lernerville would also be packed, but Lernerville would be hard pressed to get a potential rain date away from Eldora.

[dirtstudent2]

410 sprint car wise the WoO is still on top of the food chain with 13 cars making all shows so far this year and the Allstars having just 4 cars in all shows.

 

 

edit:  http://www.allstarsprint.com/points/

 

 

 

https://www.worldofo.../series-points/

 

 

But bringing both together a few times a year is very special to both fans for viewing and racers for the prestige of just making the show.

Edited by dirtstudent2, 02 September 2019 - 09:39 AM.

[flash49]

Don Martin was always cognizant of the surrounding community when operating his race track.  This is why after the early 70s he stopped running on Friday nights in September because he did not want to interfere with the local high school football season.  And unless it was absolutely necessary, Lernnerville never ran on Sunday, just good public relations.  Since Eldora is literally out in the middle of nowhere, maybe they would be better suited to a Sunday show. 

[dirtstudent2]

Don Martin was always cognizant of the surrounding community when operating his race track.  This is why after the early 70s he stopped running on Friday nights in September because he did not want to interfere with the local high school football season.  And unless it was absolutely necessary, Lernnerville never ran on Sunday, just good public relations.  Since Eldora is literally out in the middle of nowhere, maybe they would be better suited to a Sunday show. 

 

Yes they would.  I can't see Tony Stewart giving up Sunday which could be used for a rain date for both his speedway Eldora and his Allstar season ending race.  I might, maybe could though see him giving it up for a combined Allstar/WoO show on Saturday which would totally pack the place beyond what I expect will be a good but not great crowd.