62 replies to this topic

[D1RT]

If I owned a track myself, I would do specials only. I understand theres going to be a lot of people saying if it aint broke dont fix it, but weekly racing is close to broken. I know I have very little interest in attending a regular show unless it was free and I had nothing else to do. Im sure there are others who feel the same.

I dont see why the Working Man race got removed from the schedule or why they couldnt or shouldnt add a regional Late Model series show like the ULMS or Ultimate Northeast. Also given their relationship with Dirtcar and the fact that one of their weeks in July is dedicated to Mod Mania, why that race isnt a Super Dirt series race is a little confusing. I know it wasnt well attended in the past, but I would have to think it would be more attended than Mod Mania featuring the BRP Mods. Lastly, Ive always thought the Steel City Stampede is a tremendous waste of a great idea. Im certainly not expecting them to ever turn that event into the World Finals, but I think they could attract better fields if they paid better than 3,000 to win for the big 3. Overall, I think the prestige of Lernerville and the median income of the average race fan in their location certainly affords them the opportunity to be a little more ambitious with the schedule than they have been recently. I think the status quo theyre currently on is on a steep downward trajectory.

Jack Lentz at Challenger done it right when he went to specials only.
It gave you something to look forward to, usually some of the best racing of the season and the place was packed with cars and fans.
Just a shame two idiots ruined the place with their antics and forced its closure.

[Vigoda Motorsports]

Trying to find or remember what Fall Fest paid to win and cant. I know they had enough Late Models to run D Mains.

Theres no reason the Stampede shouldnt be equal to or better than what FallFest was considering you also have Sprints and Modifieds on the card on top of the ton of Rush Lates they already get. Just a really underwhelming event IMO.

[Skull]

The concept of a big season ending event has turned into a back gate cash grab. I've been to nearly every Stampede, and the overall quality of racing and the individual big three fields have slowly decreased over the years. The whole event needs to be rewrorked. All the purses are top heavy and there is far too much racing on Saturday for the surface.I

I agree with trying to get another SDS race, Abe. The attendance they had for them was low years ago but, I think if they scheduled it right and promoted it like they do with the Firecracker, it might do okay.

Edited by Skull, 27 January 2020 - 10:44 AM.

[D1RT]

Trying to find or remember what Fall Fest paid to win and cant. I know they had enough Late Models to run D Mains.

Theres no reason the Stampede shouldnt be equal to or better than what FallFest was considering you also have Sprints and Modifieds on the card on top of the ton of Rush Lates they already get. Just a really underwhelming event IMO.

Comes down to the BS membership and spec tires teams have to buy for one race.
Drop the DirtCar membership and run open tires in all divisions for the Stampede and watch the car counts rise IMO.
Didn't the last few Fall Fest's pay $20k to win??

[mod110s]

There is way to many classes for the stampede to work regardless how you look at it. You shouldnt have 2-3 different types of the same class. I ran the stampede two years ago and dont plan on running it again. Way to long of an event and to many laps on the track each day. They need to get stock car rules back to stock cars or at least equal to other tracks or with other dirt car sanctioned tracks.

[blue by you]

all that stampede is is a MONEY GRAB at the end of the year nothing more.......they can stick there stampede.

[FanJim24]

I LOVE the Stampede. It's almost too much racing for me--almost. Yeah, there are a bunch of turkey events, but I'll sit through those to watch the good races. 

[WannaRace]

I just received word that Mercer's schedule will be out this week. 

[jo73]

Almost every promotor out there has had some sort of cash grab at seasons end. Those events at the end of the year are always cold weather events and promotors have added as many classes as possible to get that back gate up. They figure if each added class and car brings 2 to 3 people with them they get you. Hot coffee and burgers are always big sellers. The stampede when first started was a good deal, car counts were good and the racing wasn't bad. Fall fest up at challenger was a huge sucess. Lernerville needs a schedule revamp, it's getting stale. They need a better surface, the Firecracker when it's not raining, just has to many laps overall. The headliner is suppose to be the late models and you have the crates showing up for one of there bigger payouts for the season. But they keep packing the place and nothing is going to change.

[Walt Wimer]

It seems many of you are against the race tracks and promoters making any money!!   Sure some of the season ending shows can be considered a "money grab", and most tracks in our area now have an event of some sort like that at the end of the season.  However, if tracks don't make money they will close down and then the race teams will have no place to race and the fans will have no place to go watch races!!!   

 

GOOD RACING TO ALL!!!

 

Walt

[Vigoda Motorsports]

It seems many of you are against the race tracks and promoters making any money!! 

On the contrary, Id be more inclined to pay Lernerville more money than it currently costs to get into a regular show if they added more special events in their place. Id pay much more money than it currently costs to get into the Stampede if they could format the payout in such a way that it draws the top regional Late Models (think Eckert, Covert, Max, Satterlee, Ziegler, etc), some of the Mods from NY and Canada, and some of the Sprints from the Central part of the state and Ohio. As it is, Im not ever going to pay an elevated price to see the same cars from the top 3 divisions that are there every week and a metric f-ton of back gate classes.

Edited by Vigoda Motorsports, 28 January 2020 - 12:34 PM.

[Vigoda Motorsports]

Just realized Im describing what Octoberfest used to be. Do that minus about 150 laps and the daylight racing. Forget Firecracker prices, Id pay Pittsburgher admission prices for that.

[Skull]

It seems many of you are against the race tracks and promoters making any money!!   Sure some of the season ending shows can be considered a "money grab", and most tracks in our area now have an event of some sort like that at the end of the season.  However, if tracks don't make money they will close down and then the race teams will have no place to race and the fans will have no place to go watch races!!!   
 
GOOD RACING TO ALL!!!
 
Walt

No one is against the tracks making as much money as they can. We are simply asking for better programs. Pay a better purse for the top three classes at the Stampede and give the better regional stars a reason to show up. Like Vigoda says, I'd gladly pay more to go.

[Racer17L]

My personal opinion. Yes it is a back gate crash grab of over 200+ cars at $65 a head in the pits over 2 days. The regional guys aren’t going to come 2 days to race a heat then a feature and wait through 10+ divisions each night for $3K.. But if you make it $10K to win SLM you might get 5 more cars (they got about 25 last year right)? Why would they lose thousands of dollars in the hopes Max Blair and Rick Eckert show up? Not gonna happen.

And I agree with Vigoda about the cars that Challenger used to bring. But those days from the late 90s are gone. You’re not going to get SLM D mains outside of Eldora anymore, and the days of 45-75 emods, pure stocks, etc are never going to happen again sadly no matter what you pay.

I’d be shocked to see anything change accordingly, even with the valid points above.

[Walt Wimer]

I would certainly go along with dropping some of the many classes at the Stampede and pay more for the top three classes.  I don't want to slam any class, but there are some at the Stampede that I could well do without in exchange for higher purses for the top three classes!!    A couple of thoughts along that line.  The Central PA Sprint guys aren't going to come unless there is nothing at home and the race pays at least $5,000 as they don't like to travel out of their "comfort zone" anymore.  And even the Attica-Fremont guys would be questionable unless there is nothing out their way.  And for the Modifieds, unless it is an open weekend for the DIRT guys up New York way, they aren't coming either.  If nothing on the NY schedule and the purse is good, look for Williamson and Rudolph to be on hand along with maybe some others.  The Late Models have a much better chance to bring in "outsiders" than either of the two open wheel classes. At 80 I seldom travel to tracks more than an hour away anymore, so I would have to go back and and check to see what else ran that weekend, and track officials would have to do the same!!

 

GOOD RACING TO ALL!!!

 

Walt

[rer07]

I thought Dirtcar was in charge of the stampede at lernerville? If so, whos really making the money from that weekend and why would dirtcar really care to change anything as long as the money keeps coming in.

[Skull]

I thought Dirtcar was in charge of the stampede at lernerville? If so, whos really making the money from that weekend and why would dirtcar really care to change anything as long as the money keeps coming in.

Actually, I think you are 100% correct. I Think DirtCar runs both WoO Sprint shows, and the Firecracker as well. What control the Tomson's have over what is scheduled is anyone's guess.

[Walt Wimer]

Lernerville is a DIRTcar sanctioned race track, but that doesn't stop New York DIRTcar tracks from having an exter paying race that weekend that would keep New York drivers at home.

 

GOOD RACING!!!

 

Walt

[jo73]

As many tracks that I hear are not making money I sure see that when a track does go up for sale the prices are in the millions.

Track owners have every right to make as much as they do. As a fan I don't want to see the multiple classes of cars piled on at seasons end. I always felt MRP did it right with the little guy nationals.

Yes, I'm a fan of the penn ohio series, any track that would put a high paying show for these guys at seasons end I believe would benefit quite well. Yet many think that unless you have 1 or more of the big 3 divisions and multiple smaller divisions it isn't worth it.

[D1RT]

My personal opinion. Yes it is a back gate crash grab of over 200+ cars at $65 a head in the pits over 2 days. The regional guys arent going to come 2 days to race a heat then a feature and wait through 10+ divisions each night for $3K.. But if you make it $10K to win SLM you might get 5 more cars (they got about 25 last year right)? Why would they lose thousands of dollars in the hopes Max Blair and Rick Eckert show up? Not gonna happen.

And I agree with Vigoda about the cars that Challenger used to bring. But those days from the late 90s are gone. Youre not going to get SLM D mains outside of Eldora anymore, and the days of 45-75 emods, pure stocks, etc are never going to happen again sadly no matter what you pay.

Id be shocked to see anything change accordingly, even with the valid points above.

Bring in the Challenger unlimited Barbie Jeeps and the shopping cart races and I'd pay NASCAR prices to see that show!!