Ocala notebook

[ocalasp76]

My Observations Also

Having a head set on,my take on the x-tra caution laps was to get the correct re-start order and be fair to the drivers. Lisa was taxed in trying to see numbers through the dirt covering numbers on the cars and drivers not following instructions from officials on the track. I even saw asphalt cars that still had windshields.....Time was saved by not running 'heat' races for the mini's and gladiator classes. Those drivers were not happy with that decision but it would have made for an even longer night.
All in all it was a great night for everyone I think. We were overwhelmed with cars and new drivers and new employees(myself included), but we did our jobs and learned avenues for improvement at the same time. My job description did not include breaking up fights, but I did one in the turn 4 stands and cooled off a few drivers in the pits. I had a great time and got paid too. What else could any one ask for ???????
----JIM-----

[ocalaisback3]

speaking of which jim just curious why exactly were there no sheriffs deputies like there used to be im was kind of surprised to see the absence of law enforcement on such a big night with so many people not bashing just wondering :c)

[ocalasp76]

Answer To Matt

Mike peters is proud of the fact that NO LAW ENFORCMENT WERE NEEDED IN 2007. Ocala Speedway started handling its own problems( besides MCSO wanted a ton of money for their presence). If we need them, we will call them. Diplomacy is the first act to a trouble spot, and it worked again last Friday night. Show of force is a last resort.
Thanks for the question Matt. It needed to be asked.
----JIM-------

[Old Sunshine Fan]

NO COPs

NOW you tell me...
Hell, I was on my best behavior for NUTTIN...
Sure wish I knew dey bee no cops in da area...(heck, I eben paid 2 git in - didn't climb ober no fence dis time).

NOTE: Seriously... can you see my big butt tryin to cllimb over a fence, I'd be better off trying to go through it than over it.

OSF.

GREAT RACE NITE AT OCALA,

[ocalasp76]

Hey Bob.......

Glad you clarified that fence stuff. You couldn't climb a fence if it was laying on the ground.......LOL Glad you had a great time. Come back anytime.
----JIM----

BTW Police presence tends to scare some families away. It says we are expecting trouble. But we are all

[Chaplain Bill Ross]

Thanks Mike and Angie for a great night of racing. I finally got to meet some of the people on this board . Again Jerry Binner thanks for a super reunion at NSS. Hey Jim I met OSF and if the trouble starts I got his back. Have you seen the size of this man he blocks out the sun. OSF thanks for introducing yourself. Boneman, sorry I missed you. It was good to see Rich Pratt's Mom and finally meet Jim. See you all soon someplace. Be safe and God Bless. Chaplain Bill Ross

[Egoracing]

What a night! I love to see a standing-room crowd at a Florida short track. The surface looked great, but so did the concession area, the bathrooms, the playground...everything! I wish them much success with their track during this time when so many say that "it can't be done".

A few observations: the show was too long. Four hobby stock heats and a two B mains ate up too much time. Why not dispense with the heats and just run 2 B mains that transfer the top 10 or 12 to the feature? Even the late models had too many heats. Instead of 5 heats with 10 cars, please consider say 3 heats with 17 cars, then transfer the top 7 or so.

Also, there were too many yellows! Over and over, the some back-marker would spin out and sit there until the yellow came out. The starter fell for this almost every time. In the future, black flag anyone who draws a caution intentionally, or take the judgement out of it and just automaticly black flag anyone who brings out a second yellow. Another option is to just race around them if you can. One of the yellows was for a spun LM that was 20-30 feet in the infield. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Can they get rid of the "one to go" signal? Every caution period had an extra minute or so added because the field always got the one to go. Train the drivers to watch the lights. When the lights are out, be ready to fire. It is easy and would save a lot of time.

Kudos to race control for getting the next race out while the previous one was driving to the pits. They were really on top of that point.

Regarding the hole in turn 4: I was sitting at the end of the stands in that corner, and noticed a very smooth track near the completition of practice. I think the LMs could run all night without digging it up. However, in the final practice session, a Gladiator car dug a rut in the corner. It was a heavy, front wheel drive car on street tires. The driver had it full lock to the left and the RF tire dug in and cut a groove that I watched turn into a substantial hole that affected the racing.

I know that dirt tracks develop holes. They always have and they always will, but I can't help but think this type may be avoidable in the future. Is there a minimum air pressure for the Gladiators? Wouldn't it help if the track crew filled it in when it was still a small cut?

Finally, I enjoyed meeting KARNAC reader Randy. Hey, you are a guy who gets to a lot of Florida tracks and sees a bunch of racing. Get on here and post with us, I just hope you can't photoshop pictures!

Great job Ocala! Clearly, this track will be a real asset to Florida racers and fans.

10 cars to a heat are PLENTY!!! Look at it this way, you are complaining about cautions but want to put more drivers in a new track together? You would have not had a full field for the feature! 5 heats of 10 laps is 50 laps, not counting cautions, 2 heats of 23 cars each (there were 45 cars total) would have to be over 20 laps for the cars in the back to have ANY chance. Would you like to start 22nd and have to pass 10 cars in 10 laps???
The heat and B mains was on par with ANY and EVERY dirt track and sanction body that runs dirt. Also I did not see where any single car was the cause of 2 cautions. There were several cautions by a car and later in the race he was in an accident with another car that was NOT his fault so why should he be punished? You cannot carry cautions caused in one heat to the B main or A Main so the point is Mute.
As for the ruts in turn 3 and 4 they were there after the late model heat races and just got worse as the night went on. Again though NOTHING out side of the ordinary for a dirt track, Heck I have seen East Bay with holes that would lift the car off of the ground and the dirt track at Talladega Speedway is known as the roughest track in the country with holes that regularly cause cars to flip over.
First Night of a NEW track and a NEW series and it was AWSOME!! Very little things that need fixed, the biggest complaint I heard was the line at the pits concession stand.

[Boneman]

Hobby stocks #02 and 21c each brought out several cautions. They were both back-markers who waited on the yellow before pulling away from a spin.

The show was too long. It went 4 1/2 hours. They ran 9 heats and 4 B mains before the first feature came out at 10:30. Fans started leaving during the endless Hobby stock heats. Has anyone ever heard during a promoter's workshop to run a 4 1/2 hour show? No way. This show should have been features only for Gladiators, minis and Hobbys, and the regular format for the visiting LM series. Clearly there were too many Hobbys for a single feature, so run two mains with 20+ cars in each.

Carefully go back and read what I have written. No where have I attacked the track. Actually I was very complimentary for the most part, but I did point out the problems. I paid my $25, now everyone gets to listen!

[ocalasp76]

Good points by all. Things will only get better. The lines at the snack bar were why I did not eat all night too. The hambergers at some other tracks I've been to would make a good patch on our dirt track.......
----JIM-----

[Old Sunshine Fan]

FOOD / Long Lines

Hey,,, those burgers and fries were GOOD GOOD...
I got mine early (before races) and then went back... there were sooooo many people at the track and those poor people working the food huts were working their butts off (but did a great job)... it was so busy, they ran low on food, but I saw where they put out a call and had more delivered in no time. (what a great problem to have)... the track probably doesn't even have storage space for what it would have taken to feed that many people.
The track / staff did an excellent job all away around.
I told Mike that I thought it would be great if people and race teams had to park at the truck stop and walk over (Heck, that almost happened).
No complalints from OSF... and dats fer sur.

[Egoracing]

Hobby stocks #02 and 21c each brought out several cautions. They were both back-markers who waited on the yellow before pulling away from a spin.

The show was too long. It went 4 1/2 hours. They ran 9 heats and 4 B mains before the first feature came out at 10:30. Fans started leaving during the endless Hobby stock heats. Has anyone ever heard during a promoter's workshop to run a 4 1/2 hour show? No way. This show should have been features only for Gladiators, minis and Hobbys, and the regular format for the visiting LM series. Clearly there were too many Hobbys for a single feature, so run two mains with 20+ cars in each.

Carefully go back and read what I have written. No where have I attacked the track. Actually I was very complimentary for the most part, but I did point out the problems. I paid my $25, now everyone gets to listen!

I thought you were talking about the Late Models causing multiple cautions the way you had it written. I did not get to see many of the other races.
As for the 2 mains would you be willing to pay the extra money. Figure if it was only a $500 to win $300 for second, $100 for third, 65 for 4th 50 for 5th and only $25 out the back you are looking at a total payout of $1400 for each feature if you only had 20 cars in them.

[The Ocala Speedway]

Hey Boneman I appreciate your comments and accept them as corrective criticism. Your 100% correct the show ran too late. It was making my skin crawl. Our latest night on asphalt in 2 years was 12:30. I actually have a self imposed curfew of 11:30. Hind-site being 20/20 I should of scheduled 2 divisions. However when I sat down to do the schedule I planned 4 and no more than 5 all year. In the asphalt world we sometimes get duped into running 7 and 8 events per night. Thinking we're providing more entertainment when we're not. So when I planned 4 for opening night it was a big scaling back. Who would've thought we'd have 110 cars in only four divisions. Most of the track conditions have been self induced through learning. Our first practice the track was table top smooth all night. Well since then I got our tractor and packer stuck in turn 4 right we're that rut popped up. That was my fault for driving on the track when it was too wet. There have also been other little learning curves along the way so far and I'm sure more to come.
Thank you for coming and joining us. Mike

[Osmosis Jones]

My vote is cast....

This post right here is a prime example of why Mike and Angie Peters would be getting my vote for Promoter(s) of the Year (at least here in Karnac World). I've never met either of them but from the all the posts and responses of the previous couple of years, whether still in the asphalt days or during the transition to dirt, you two have been able to shoulder all the criticisms with an eye towards the constructive angle and not been offended OR felt the need to go on the defensive with ill-advised responses.

You are a class act and several other Florida promoters could and should take a lesson from your appraoch to ownership/promotion of a racetrack.

Congrats on a successful opening night and I can't wait to come up and catch the show. Hopefully. this is just the start of something huge for ya'll.

Good luck!
Matt

[Boneman]

Osmo, I agree, and predict much success for Ocala Speedway.
Mike, I was having a spirited conversation with other readers, so I hope I didn't appear to be in bad temper with you. I'd love to see your track be known as the place that does everything right.

You've got another big show coming up in only a few days, so get back to work. We want you to knock our socks off every week!