Great re-opening night at Bronson Speedway

[LetsGoRacin]

When I spoke to the owner about it- because we were all wondering why they were running 25 lap heats, pulling in the winners circle and getting pics made (of course they were running features and not telling anyone)- I was told "no one does it like this but this will be the way we do it".
He was very set on THEIR way of doing things and didn't care that someone was complaining. It was a "it's our way or no way" kinda reply.

When I asked if they would reconsider this if drivers/fans started complaining his answer was "we MAY consider it but I doubt it would get changed".

On their Facebook page when asked why, they replied "it was cost effective for drivers". Which makes no sense because they will be running heats at the end of the night so they're running just as many laps. And I am sorry but if you race you're not too worried about saving a few gallons of fuel (which they do not have. My husband was told by the techman to go across the street to the gas station and buy gas. Ummmm, you don't put pump gas in a $10,000 motor). Also that all drivers coming to race will race in the feature. People come to watch features and if their kids get tired they can leave and not worry about missing the features (I raised 3 kids at BMS and if they got tired, they layed on a blanket and went to sleep). Running heats first puts wear and tear on tires, cars, and burns expensive fuel. LOTS OF EXCUSES!! You can search them on Facebook and read the rest.

As a wife of a racer. a fan, and a resident of Bronson, I HOPE their plans work and it turns into great racing!! I LOVE Bronson Speedway!! I love that it's at our backdoor. My kids were raised there and now our grandchildren will attend. It's a family affair for us. And I don't want to see it closed down again.

[Bigbuck]

Lots of good points

I just always looked at heats as a kind of warm up, practice session, getting it dialed in deal. Running them last is kinda like having the world series and then playing a warm up game after its all over. I know if I had a car I wouldn't bother with a heat race after I just ran the feature, whats to gain? After all you don't HAVE to run them I don't think. I have heard of some tracks making you start at the rear if you don't run the heat, but in my opinion if you're so good you don't run the heat you probably should start at the rear, makes better racing. Also I agree, if someone quits racing just because they don't "like" the rules, he probably isn't a racer. But USUALLY the reason is he can't afford, for example" a new set of wheels and tires in the same week, especially when he bought new tires a week ago. A lot of these guys are racing on a shoe string as it is. Differant rules at every track is crazy, like trying to keep MY cars here. Some tracks race a division every other week, differant tires, H.P. whatever rules they cant go someplace else, the downside to that is no one can come to your track either. Couple yrs ago I helped a guy with a truck, we talked about going to Ponta Gorda, I have relatives there, it would of been fun. Now we would have to change tranny along with probably tires and who knows what else. You wont see many visitors there with a truck

[openwm53]

Bronson

Is deffinately trying to be different??? really not sure why ?? I am curious if the modified guys all ran the heats ? how many actually ran them of the ten cars that were there?? Hey benny what type of car are you thinking about running ? Ever raced citrus ? They are getting fairly good car counts in all classes. And there is alot of good people there.

[gator81]

get off the northern thing people

I was raised in FL & have been here my entire life, I think they are really just trying to do something different & why not. the idea is if you race there weekly your finish in the heat will determine your start spot in the feature. I raced there for 2 seasons, In my opinion it will keep the drivers from crashing cars in the feature so they can make the heat & have a good start spot for next week? I remember when you would have 2 or 3 sportsman go on the hook in the heat & be done for the night & it would happen every 2 weeks

[Camaro guy]

Unfortunately, I couldn't make it last week to the re-opening. At first, I thought that running heats after the features was crazy, but after thinking it over, it does have two advantages:

1. For families with kids, it gives you the option of seeing the features before the little ones get too tired and if you have to leave early, at least you've seen the main show.

2. If your car is damaged during the heat race, you have all week to fix it before the next main race. With heats just before the feature, you may have to skip that week's feature if the damage is too bad.

I'm willing to give the new owners the benefit of the doubt and see how this works out before making a judgement.

On a related note, is there a track web site with the upcoming schedule? I've Googled around, but haven't come up with anything so far.

[openwm53]

So your

Telling me thatthey are running the next week heat races??? So any car that wasnt there the first week will start in the back of the feature the following race ??

[Bigbuck]

I was raised in FL & have been here my entire life, I think they are really just trying to do something different & why not. the idea is if you race there weekly your finish in the heat will determine your start spot in the feature. I raced there for 2 seasons, In my opinion it will keep the drivers from crashing cars in the feature so they can make the heat & have a good start spot for next week? I remember when you would have 2 or 3 sportsman go on the hook in the heat & be done for the night & it would happen every 2 weeks

OK Gator, someone else said "We don't care how they do it up North". Don't be so defensive. Tracks in the North can learn from the South and vise versa. Are you sure thats why they ran the heats last or just a guess? Sounds like others talked to management and weren't given that reason. Personally I don't really care but this IS a discussion board, thats what I was doing. Making a suggestion. Sorry. I've watched Fl Racing go way down in just the last 5 yrs, you don't have to go back 30 yrs. People in other areas of the country have other hobbies also. I guess you're right about crashing, at least if you crash in the heat AFTER the feature at least you have a week to make repairs, maybe a good idea after all.

[Bigbuck]

OK Gator, someone else said "We don't care how they do it up North". Don't be so defensive. Tracks in the North can learn from the South and vise versa. Are you sure thats why they ran the heats last or just a guess? Sounds like others talked to management and weren't given that reason. Personally I don't really care but this IS a discussion board, thats what I was doing. Making a suggestion. Sorry. I've watched Fl Racing go way down in just the last 5 yrs, you don't have to go back 30 yrs. People in other areas of the country have other hobbies also. I guess you're right about crashing, at least if you crash in the heat AFTER the feature at least you have a week to make repairs, maybe a good idea after all.

Gator, just courious, what does "I was born and raised here" have to do with anything???

[LetsGoRacin]

We were told the time to get your car dialed in was during practice....not the heat race. So there's the answer to that one.

As for where you will start if you weren't there for the feature everyone is trying to figure that one out. Sportsman drivers are trying to figure out what they will do with them next week since the track didn't let them run heats because there was only 3 cars to run it.

To answer how many modifieds ran in heats.....I believe 4 (??).

If you run Bronson bring your own fuel. I was just told they don't want the "bother" of offering fuel!! So another track will get our fuel money.....I am sure they'll love the extra $$$ in their pockets.

I'll give the new owners the benefit of the doubt too. Like I said before I WANT it to work out!! I am not here bashing the new owners....just posting FACTS that were told to me by the owner his self. If it doesn't work out we'll go to another track....just like we've done in the past.

[Bigbuck]

Letsgoracin

Some people don't get out of work in time to get to practice. Some work nights, so for these people the heats are a great time to dial the car in. But either way they do it at least the track is open again and this discussion is good. I hope it works out. Good luck to you.

[John Berti]

Telling me thatthey are running the next week heat races??? So any car that wasnt there the first week will start in the back of the feature the following race ??

Yes. The qualifying heats they held were run to determine the field for next week, August 6th. If you go to Bronson this week you will pick up at the rear of the field.

You will definitely be in the feature. Heats run next week will be for a position in the feature race to be run on August 13th.

Their concept is to assure everyone that they will run in the feature without risking damage to their car in a qualifying heat. Heats run later on will always be for the next week's features.

This should have been explained to the fans before the race program was started, but for one reason or another it wasn't. Perhaps the overwhelming crowd had something to do with the omission. You know, just as well as I, that things never go perfect for anyone who is just starting out in a business, especially the grand opening, so let's give the Youngs some lead way.

[openwm53]

Im Glad

They Had a good turn out of fans. Im glad to see that a track has re opened. I understand that running a track must be difucult. I dont understand there thinking. The fans will go away if they do not get cars. What happens when you get wrecked in the feature and dont have time to fix it before your heat races ? DNF one race and start last the next ? What happens if ten more cars show next time how will they start them ? I dont get it. Have they changed the head rule about aluminum heads running 54% left side ? or are they adding 50 lbs in front of flywheel ? I also am willing to work with them but they are isolating good cars that are out there. Many of my fellow mod racers run aluminum heads and a handful run fabricated front clips. They said 53 % for them?? Are the sportsman rules different also ? Can we bring our citrus legal sportsman to bronson ??

[Don Nerone]

I alwase say that noone can think up anything new....heats after the feature now that is new.
Still trying to digest that one.
the fule i get... You might sell 50 gal at bronsson on a good night. the track might make $1.00 a gal and someone has to sell it. how much of the $50 SHOULD YOU PAY THEM FOR WORKING?

don62

[Benny The Mule]

Is deffinately trying to be different??? really not sure why ?? I am curious if the modified guys all ran the heats ? how many actually ran them of the ten cars that were there?? Hey benny what type of car are you thinking about running ? Ever raced citrus ? They are getting fairly good car counts in all classes. And there is alot of good people there.

I live in NC now, i definitely visit Citrus whenever i come down because it is the closest track to my family and i think it's a great track also.

I ran hobbystock and sportsman at citrus on many occasions but was not a regular Saturday night racer there.

I am looking into dirt LM racing up here.

[LetsGoRacin]

This should have been explained to the fans before the race program was started, but for one reason or another it wasn't. Perhaps the overwhelming crowd had something to do with the omission.

The drivers weren't even told this until the last minute. My husband didn't even know they were going to run heats until I told him at intermission.
I completely understand things aren't going to run too smoothly on opening night but I do think there's some mis-communication.


Are the sportsman rules different also ? Can we bring our citrus legal sportsman to bronson ??

Different from what? My husband is running his sportsman that was built for Bronson 2 years ago. I may be wrong (because he has 4 cars) but I THINK he has ran his sportsman in Citrus. They have their rules posted on their Facebook page.
I do know their purestock rules are not the same as what their streetstocks used to be (they have omitted that class). The suspension is way too much for their purestock class and that is why my husband can't run his streetstock there without re-doing the whole car.