When one car dominates a class...

[UREZ2PASS]

The track should tech the fast cars. If other drivers don't think the track is doing a good tech, reach in your pocket and pull out some money and protest. It will be alot cheaper in the long run to spend money in the tech shed if he is found cheating. You will spend more trying to make a legal car keep up with a cheated up car. If he is found legal then you are just getting beat. Buy a better car, work on yours, or maybe the weak link is holding the steering wheel. I've had different drivers in the same car and it had different lap times. Proof that the driver is the key component in a racecar. To win it is usually a package deal, driver-car-setup-tires-maintenance-teamwork.

[Bigbuck]

Just a question, if you protest and the car is found illegal, do you get the protest money back??

[Boneman]

Steve, the original question I raised is general in nature. It is not directed at anyone, or even at a specific track. This situation has been around the sport since the early days, and I believe it is more visible now as the car counts continue to shrink.

It is also true that you are one of the cars that wins every race in 2011. The fact that I raced in your class last week may lead you to believe that I directed this at you. The fact is, there are several classes at NSS (trucks, E-mod, minis, strictlys, super stocks) that are won by the same car. Orlando has the same problem, and I bet this happens in a class or two at most tracks.

I think this is a good conversation to have, and that it would benefit the sport if tracks took steps to improve their shows. I see that most who responded to this post did not agree with me, but that is cool, everyone can have their say.

See 'ya out there.

[weekend racer]

Steve, the original question I raised is general in nature. It is not directed at anyone, or even at a specific track. This situation has been around the sport since the early days, and I believe it is more visible now as the car counts continue to shrink.

It is also true that you are one of the cars that wins every race in 2011. The fact that I raced in your class last week may lead you to believe that I directed this at you. The fact is, there are several classes at NSS (trucks, E-mod, minis, strictlys, super stocks) that are won by the same car. Orlando has the same problem, and I bet this happens in a class or two at most tracks.

I think this is a good conversation to have, and that it would benefit the sport if tracks took steps to improve their shows. I see that most who responded to this post did not agree with me, but that is cool, everyone can have their say.

See 'ya out there.

I agree with you bonerman.But at orlando in the super stocks there has been a diffrent driver to win every week not the same.Now thats some good racing!!!leave the tech stuff to the tracks to figure out or PROTEST you all must have faith in your tech guy or guys!

[Boneman]

Mr. weekend, just to clearify...I said this is a problem in some classes. You are correct regarding OSW super stocks, they even had a new winner last week.

For all you readers who say "just protest", here are a few facts from the FASCAR rule book. Protests must be specifically spelled out before hand. There appears to be procedures only for formal protests of the engines, and nothing on the car itself. It costs $500 to take an engine half way apart, and the track keeps $75 of that. A whole engine tear down costs $1000 and the track keeps $150.

Protesting is a risk; you have to hope that the inspector is interested enough, and is familiar with what you want looked at, and you go in with the understanding that you will loose either the whole protest fee, or at the very least the track fee.

Has there been a single competitor protest this year at my home FASCAR tracks? Does anyone know for sure? I am not aware of any.

Remember, the car counts tend to be small (at most tracks) and the show is certainly suffering at my home tracks. I raised this question of class domination because I think it is related to anemic shows that don't draw fans.

[Dana Barlow]

Having a cost of $500 on any from of Protesting=we don't wish there to be any for any one,so cheat like hell cus no way any one will do any thing. Let your sents of right and wrong be your guide
Extream lazy on the tracks part,a total car Protest every thing should be $500 maybe.
I been Protested many times ,never found wrong,there was nothing to fine, had my motor rip apart for $ 75 ,and allways took the time to go thank whoever Protested me for the extra $50 I got to take home and giving the track $25, that's was how it worked at Hialeah. Enjoyed the idea anyone thought the only way I could of gone the fast was to cheat more then they were in most cases,I knew what they were doing wrong,but as long as they were slower I didn't care $75 wroth. still the track should check the top 3 or more on any big show for free. Winners should always start last the next week.
Some sportsmanship and show savy is good for anyone with a very well set up fast car that drives it good,it's just not needed to run off with the show,just a few feet in front of #2 is still #1 and don't stink up the place for fans or the other racer.

[chipper]

Rex I was just defending the comment you posted about the price of mod minis being $20,000. I know for a fact you can build a new car that can win for around $12,000. The class is a great class to be in because they are in expensive to repair and loads of fun.I think the economy is the major reason why there is not alot of people at the track racing like it used to be.Heck the rules are pretty much the same now as they were in 2001 when we used to get 50 -60 cars at NSS for the 100 lapper at the end of the year.Times are tough for alot of people right now including the tracks so I choose to come to NSS because in my mind the track is run correctly by making the previous weeks winner start in the rear for the feature.Maybe they should offer an extra $100 to start in the rear for the feature if I were to win it from the rear.I would go for it.Every week we have gotten more and more cars so I think they are doing a good job and thats not just because i am winning.Hope the car count keeps rising like it has been.Im just defending my post and not pointing any fingers here.See ya at the track Rex

[Boneman]

I like minis too, they make you drive like a lead-foot. I'm not wild about the engine expense (mine are around $5k too), but I like the tube frame cars the way they are. The old days of fighting with rusty, unibody stuff from the junkyard were a pain.

Who posted a comment about them costing $20k? It wasn't me, I would never blow through that much $$.

[Bigbuck]

May of been me

I MAY of been the one saying $10,000-$20,000 for a mod mini. Was just making a point that I agree, I think they are WAY to expensive and actually no more or even less fun to watch because there are so few, at least at FASCAR tracks because no one can afford them anymore. Boneman is right though, the old minis are obsolete now, rusty unibodies and antique engines. I do not know the answer but they used to put on a good show, 4-5 running neck to neck every week, now there lucky to get 4-5 in the entire field. Someone needs to figure out how to lower the cost of all these cars or the sport is going to die. When I was a kid every other house had a 56-57 chevy race car behind it, I mean the tracks were full f them, they were cheap to build, 10mph or more slower than cars in the same class today are and the field was full, the stands were full, the drivers were very competitive, mostly friends and the show was great. Heck if you had a little bit cheater intake that gave you 5 h.p. That was a major talk of the ton, a major accomplishment! But today the average Joe can't even afford an engine for a cheap super stock. Good for the engine builders I guess but half of them don't ever get paid, they can't afford them. So if I said $20,000 for a mini I may of been wrong but I guarantee there's plenty that are close, it's ridiculous.

[Casteel Racing]

$12,000 to build a winning 4cyl mini stock thats funny..

[timesplitter]

i believe Chipper said $12,000 to build a MOD-MINI STOCK , not a 4cyl stock or scrambler type car . plus you have to consider the cost of building ANY racecar depends on whether you have your own shop and tools or you (choke ) pay a raceshop to build it for you . for instance , WHY pay someone $12,000 to build one when you can buy one like Chippers for $5500 ? no-brainer there . theres plenty of front running mod-minis out there for sale in that price range . easy boys .

[Casteel Racing]

Mod mini was what i was talking about i use to race an build them myself white #9 thunderbird at NSS.It can be done cheaper an still have a winning car but if you have big money then no problem.Thats what happened to the class you have to have one built at a race shop on a jig with a 5 to 8 grand engine if you cant do it yourself.

[weekend racer]

Agree with most of what is said.seams to me that the tracks are not to willing to help with some changes.they need to keep there strickly stock class stickly stock and no more than that.Some of there super stocks need to be super stock not sportsman.and sportsman not limited.All this will do is drive the cost up even more for the drivers to race each week.they should help incourage crate motor from ford or gm that too will help with cost and they may have many diffrent drivers winning each week.