When one car dominates a class...

[Boneman]

What is a track to do when the same car wins every race? It is not a new situation, I know it has plagued short tracking since the midget days, but it seems more visible to me this year because of lower car counts, and the because of the tendancy for the fast cars to start the features at the front. My home tracks have the same winners in several divisions. I honestly don't blame the racers who win; they have it figured out, and who can blame them for pushing hard every week?

There are one or two who play around with the competition, but in the end the same cars win.

Bottom line: it is bad for the show, and probably discourages some of the competitors.

I heard a rumor that New Smyrna put weight on #6 (a truck that wins every race), but this was not first hand info. Does anyone know for sure?

So what are the options? Put on weight every time they win? Maybe make a rule: after x number of wins, that car has to start last for the rest of the year. That way they can still run fast, but at least have to put on a show.

Sometimes I hear that a racer should be booted up a class after a certain number of wins. That is an idea that I really dislike because it may put good racers without much money our of the sport...not what we need.

Do we rely on tech to take care of it? (Not gonna happen). Should we scold the non-winners to work on their cars more? I don't think that will help either. If this was purely a sport, no action would be necessary, but we are supposed to be a sport that is also a show, so I think the track could step in to make things more interesting.

Any suggestions?

[ocalasp76]

Back when Ocala Speedway was still asphalt, we would see the same winner in the Street Stock class every week. He would have to start the rear in a 15 plus car field and still manage to come thru the field for the win. Rarely putting any marks on the car and most passes were on the outside. He just had a good car he built and could drive it. Tech would go over the car every week and even a tear down or two. Nothing cheated up. Finally they started adding weight. Pete(Speedy Pete Close) would still win and he told me the added weight only made him faster.
The guy who bought the car does not do as well with it...It was the combination of a good car, and a better driver.
He is looking for a ride now if anyone needs a GREAT driver...dirt or asphalt.
-JIM-

[legendofauto]

I disagree, to a point.

When I was a kid, I loved my favorite driver winning every week. Henry Pens, a midget driver racing at Joliet Memorial Stadium. Didn't bother me a bit. I hated it when he didn't win. There may still be people like me out there!

Anyway, Put a bounty on that driver! Play it up to the crowd!

[Boneman]

Mr. Legend, when your favorite won every week, I suspect he didn't do it in a field of less than 10 cars. If he passed 30 cars a week to win, that would still be a good show. Our problem now is that the car count tends to be small.

[carolwicks]

i disagree.

i think putting a bounty on a driver puts him in alot of danger. let the faster ones start in the rear. or do what they do at DSS... toss the dice...sooner or later the ones that ALWAYS win stop winning. Tony, Jimmie, Jeff....
oz

[derf]

i know the japanese touring car series adds weight to the winners car.i think they do this in the dtm series as well. sometimes it will take two or three wins to before someone else wins.not sure how much is added each time.

[Sideways 49]

Exactly

i think putting a bounty on a driver puts him in alot of danger. let the faster ones start in the rear. or do what they do at DSS... toss the dice...sooner or later the ones that ALWAYS win stop winning. Tony, Jimmie, Jeff....
oz

I AGREE.. OR SOMEONE IN THE CLASS COULD DO THERE HOMEWORK PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.. GO OUT THERE AND SMOKE HIS AZZ.

[Casteel Racing]

Yeah i remember back in the day at NSS the winner had to start in the rear the following week an it was a decent show when they had 15 to 18 cars to pass.I did it an thought it was fun coming through the field but now days in 2 laps you'll be in the front just coasting around.If i were the other drivers getting beat by the same guy every week i would do my homework an maybe have a different driver test the car an see if its the car,driver,or both then go from there.Ive never done it but if your car is topped out an by the rules you can always protest..lol

[Boneman]

The fees to protest a car went way up this year. By making this change, the track is discouraging protests, but not prohibiting them. It is a huge risk to try it, and you have to count on the inspector being interested enough to accept the protest (it is not a sure thing). Also, we have one inspector for 9 classes, so you better hope he is familiar with what you want checked.

How many protests have there been this year at the FASCAR tracks? I don't remember any.

[racer1989]

winners

Well you think that a winning team should not be rewarded for the hard work and effort, I look at it like this if that team is winning alot that should push you to make yourselves look hard for ways to improve your own program. Its not always about the money it has alot to do with your team and how well they work together and mesh, then you have to always be willing to try stuff that may make you faster you can call alot of the car makers and run ideas off of them to help you run better,these guys want there cars to win so if you get in contact with them they will help you. Its about spending money and time in the areas are needed you dont always need the most trick parts find the stuff that works for you and work apon that but make sure you think outside the box to. A driver is only one part of a race team he get sit behind the wheel. The team is so very important

[Boneman]

Well you think that a winning team should not be rewarded for the hard work and effort,

Go back and read again. My main concern is that its bad for the show and bores the fans.

[dd38]

Back in the mid 90's I raced at Sunshine for a couple seasons. The way they did it was not necessarly for the fastest cars but the most consistant front running cars. They did a 4 week average with the high point car for that week starting 15th and the second place car starting 14th and so on. You would drop a week each night. So it was always the most recent 4 weeks. If you missed one night you went back behind 15th where the 16th thru the field started. I had my share of 13th, 14th, 15th place starts.But that's kinda hard to do now since there are not 15 cars in a class hardly anymore. But I thought that worked pretty good. First nite I ran Sunshine, I started 24th and had cars behind me (finished 9th). Because how it works the next week I started 9th and finished 8th. WOW! Those were the days.

[MiniRacer26]

The fees to protest a car went way up this year. By making this change, the track is discouraging protests, but not prohibiting them. It is a huge risk to try it, and you have to count on the inspector being interested enough to accept the protest (it is not a sure thing). Also, we have one inspector for 9 classes, so you better hope he is familiar with what you want checked.

How many protests have there been this year at the FASCAR tracks? I don't remember any.

That's good that protests have gone way up. It costs money to put your engine back together PLUS all the time involved. Its not the tracks job to police the racers....thats the racer's responsibilty. Should a driver who is LEGAL and simply has better equipment and more talent be penalized for being faster than the guy who doesn't put as much into his/her racing program or just can't drive? That answer is no. Our last car had 125# of extra weight on it because everybody wanted to cry because we were so much faster. We are not playing Little League T-Ball and there can only be one winner. If you think he is cheating pool your money and find out. Problem solved, and if he is legal you can at least see what he is doing to be so "fast." Mathmatics is an exact science, if the car is legal you have eliminated one of the two possibilities and I think you will not like the end result. The solution to the show problem would be to work harder on your cars to be able to compete at a higher level. Racing against faster, tougher competition will make you a better driver. The fans will love it!

[Boneman]

That's good that protests have gone way up

It is the protest fees that have gone way up. As a result, the protest activity has gone way down.

Should a driver who is LEGAL and simply has better equipment and more talent be penalized for being faster

That is the question. When the show so anemic and the same winners blast off the front row every week, then I think something should be done. Tracks run by racers will take no action. Tracks run by business people in the entertainment business will do something, and will be much more successful.

[Casteel Racing]

I think its great for a team to have there stuff together and are winning races but the problem is fans.They want to see a race not go there an say well this guys got this race or that guy is going to win that one.Its also great if there not cheating but how do you know an how will you know.If you know how to drive an you've got a good car thats built to the rules an your getting blowed away what do you do protest or cheat really good.I know it would be a pain but to make good races at least try to regulate half the cars to where they would be halfway equal.That shouldnt be to hard with 5 to 8 cars in each class..lol