Press Release from Punta Gorda Speedway

[gar352]

Press Release from Punta Gorda Speedway

The current Pro Truck points will conclude with there final race September 10, 2011 at Punta Gorda Speedway. And a Champion will be crowned at our season ending banquet. The Truck counts around the state have been down a bit so the Owner Kevin Williams is trying to think outside the box. He has decided to create a the new Super Truck Division beginning Oct 1, 2011 at the Punta Gorda Speedway.　

The new rules are as follow:

1. Standard Transmissions 3-4 speed Muncie or Saginaw 3 Speed from Speedway motors.com, Part# 91029020. No Jericho or high performance allowed. Automatic transmissions are still allowed.

2. Holey 4412 Carburetor 500 CFM 2 Barrel must pass track gauges.

3. Carburetor adaptor 1.625 inches including gaskets.

3. 10” Steel Flywheel , NO aluminum. Stock clutch or 71/4 multi disc ok.

4. Goodyear 8” grooved tires on 8” steel racing wheels.

All other rules remain the same.

Automatic transmission will still be allowed to run in the Super Truck Class.

Rookie Trucks will still run automatic transmissions only.

As for the Rookie Truck Division starting in 2012 the age limits are 10-16 years old.

[Rick B.]

Don't think that is the answer !

The truck counts have been down because of a few things, in my opinion.

First the difference and non policing of the rules. The engine issue has gotten way out of hand and it has taken the fun out of the series.

Secondly the Trucks were brought in as a touring series, it was never a track class to start with around here. The fun of traveling around to different tracks and racing against real good fields of trucks made it exciting.

The starting of tracks running them as a class, letting the rules go trying to attrack trucks has actually hurt them. The trucks were competitive, fun to watch and paid pretty well as a series. The tracks have lowered the purses, abandoned rules or seperated the trucks by having different rules at their track. Now PGS will create another varience of rules that will seperate the trucks even more. I do not think this helps at all.

The Economy has hurt all of racing, lets be honest although many do not want to hear it, it has. And as the economy has been tough the tracks have cut purses but raised costs this too hurts. Yep there are some successful tracks and dirt seems to be doing better than asphalt.

We have had good fields of trucks each year for the Charity 200 deal. People say well it is just a one time of the year deal so.....well I know the charity part helps some, but they are still racers. I think the reason they show (we have averaged 31 for the 5 years to date) is Pay, how there treated, we tech the trucks pretty hard and it is good fields to race with.

Maybe if (oh hear we go again right ) the tracks would actually work together on this one, stick to a basic set of rules, enforce them. Pay decent purses without making it cost a ton more to race. Have some one in charge of actually promoting the truck series (ok, yes I will volunteer ). Have different distance races a each track like a 50 a 75 a 100 or maybe twin's etc. Someone working to get race & award sponsors, prepare media info, ptomo spots for tracks to play for weeks before the trucks come. If tracks would support it, let it be run with rules enforced and promotion. I really feel the trucks could be great again, but if something is not done soon, I feel it may be to late, and those that know me, know I love the trucks. I am willing to meet and talk with track owners and promoters to try to make this thing work again, but it has to be done right, and ego's left at the door.

Please know I am not knocking Kevin, I just do not think more rules variations is the answer.

[Bigbuck]

is it true the zz4 is/or will be the only engine allowed at FASCAR tracks? How can this help?

[Alan]

Let me start by saying that I do not own or drive a truck nor have I ever had more than a couple of "conversations" with Rick. I thought this idea was cool at first but, I have to agree with Rick after reading his post. Also, I think he would be a GREAT promoter if anyone would put in back in that position.

[Winger]

Let me start by saying that I do not own or drive a truck nor have I ever had more than a couple of "conversations" with Rick. I thought this idea was cool at first but, I have to agree with Rick after reading his post. Also, I think he would be a GREAT promoter if anyone would put in back in that position.

I agree with Alan and, thus, Rick. When I first moved down here, the fasttruck series was one series I actually enjoyed watching. They would come in and put on a good show with decent car (truck) counts. If I remember correctly, they also had a series for the younger drivers also. I went to the first Charity 200 that Rick put on and it was a good show. All of a sudden, the truck series seemed to disappear and the little truck racing I saw had very low car counts and was very disappointing. I was never able to make another Charity 200 event so I can't comment on that. I wasn't sure whether it disappeared because Bobby Diehl tried to run his own track and let the series go or something else happened. I guess something else happened, if what Rick says is true. I agree with Rick, the only way to save truck racing in this state is to do as he recommends. Otherwise, I think it will continue to struggle and should probably be eliminated all together. If you try to change the rules again so they will run at your track, you will just be diluting the series further and hurting truck counts around the state more. You would be further ahead to eliminate the class altogether and have those drivers participate in one of your existing classes to build the counts up in those.

[gar352]

These changes will hopefully help the Truck count, have had many positive calls on this.


Greg R
Team PGS

[Scooter71]

You mean like "all" the positive calls about the modifeds going to slicks this year?? Where are all those guys at. Don't understand why you wanna be so different when everybody else is on the same page. Didn't help the modified count, guess we shall see.

[dd38]

Greg R., How can it help???? Everything the trucks run they have now. This means that now they will probably have to go out and spend around $2000 or more to get the clutch, flywheel if they run a stock type (but who is gonna do that when you can run a 71/4) bellhousing and starter (and you know they will go and buy a reverse mount starter and bellhousing) and the transmission and shifter. Just more money the racers are gonna have to spend and it won't cost the track a nickel.And just another way to seperate tracks. Just what we need. I was thinking about bringing my Modified down when I get back to Florida for something different to do and the fact that you run slicks on them, later this month (i know that this has nothing to do with the trucks), but if you are going to do this to the trucks, what's next? Is the Truck class that low down there????

[Don Nerone]

All pro trucks
nascar trucks
super trucks
Parts pro truck
Fast truck
Fascar trucks
and so on and so forth.
Georga trucks
east coast trucks
new york trucks
joe schmoe trucks
the idea was to keep them cheep.
now racecar parts people can sell more parts to trucks because of rule changes. this will stop the poor guy who cant update and the owner that does not want to change. Its only money and does not coust the track anything. Just about everytime we do this in these hard times we talk someone else into quiting. May bee this time will be different.

don62

[RSB]

Jmo!

I ran with PARTS PRO and FASTRUCK for a couple of years back in the old days and the WORST thing they ever did was to allow crate motors. Almost immediately they were being cheated up!The rules were really simple using the 305 with a spec camshaft and cast iron heads. If they would have used only a stock replacement, four eye brow piston it would have helped too. If I had a truck that I was racing at PGS and saw the "new" rules above I would either put it up for sale IMMEDIATELY or start spending money on a triple disc and Muncie. An automatic against a triple disc is just idiotic!
I just don't understand some peoples' thinking!!

[Don Nerone]

RSB you have to stop agreeing with me on that stuff. You are killing your image... agree with Don Nerone what will your friends think
Buy the way i knew Larry with parts pro trucks well and he though that GM was going to back his TV show like ASA then and i told hem not to do it.At that time he had the best thing going. 60 trucks min per race and it went to 8 trucke in 1 rule change.

Don62

[RSB]

Damn!

You're right about the image thing. I'm gonna call my friend and tell him that it wasn't me...if I can find his number. He keeps changing it for some reason??
I liked Larry even though his tech man spent about an HOUR on our truck when we showed up at Concord the first time!!
I've got a NEW idea: Run features first and THEN heats! You think it will work? LOL!

[Don Nerone]

Larrys teq man was his brother and the crate engine builder...

Run the heats backwards in reverse.. that way you will hvet to run them last or all the cars will be wrecked.... think about this????? If a guy hit you in the frature then you could wreck him in the heat ? he would have all week to fix it. It would help the car count!!! now thats something i never though of!!

don 62

[justpassinby]

re help ?

These changes will hopefully help the Truck count, have had many positive calls on this.


Greg R
Team PGS

no it wont help the truck count . now it may help your sportsman class since now the trucks are basically sportsman . LOWER THE COST BY REVERTING TO THE ORIGINAL RULES THIS CLASS STARTED WITH . remember how many there were when it was affordable and fun ? the only ones you are going to make happy are those with unlimited funds . which are far outnumbered by those just struggling to get by . your pricing the class out of existence for the average racer . we parked our truck for this very reason . the ridiculous costs have taken the fun out of this class for many across the state .

[dd38]

PGS wants to keep their trucks there. So by doing this it will eliminate them from running anywhere else or running special events like Rick Bristol's Charity race he runs every year, unless they do a lot of work to convert back.