Remember when there where Touring Series and there was car count and FAN count?

[Bobby Diehl]

Let's see how many different Touring Series we had from the 90's on. I remember the Fla All Pro late Models, SARA Late Models and Modifies, Southern Pro Trucks, Classic Cars, Sun Belt Super Late Models, CFSCS, TBARA, CFWS, FAST Mini Cups, American Race Trucks, and oh yeah the FASTRUCK Pros, FAST Late Models, FAST Sprints & FASTKIDS. Remember there always were lots of cars, and the FANS would follow. Florida needs to go back to have Series that bring the Cars and FANS back to the Tracks. I remember the Series going on radio, TV,and even News Papers covering the races. Having Car Shows and Display outside the shopping centers. The Series would go out and PROMOTE the their own Series and the Tracks would get the FANS. They would have their own set of rules and Officials to keep a level playing field. Heck some of them even have TV Shows covering the races and the TRACKS where in a WIN WIN program.

Who am I leaving out?And what's your 2 cents worth?

[ocalasp76]

Southern Sportsman Series........I had a good time racin' with them a few times years ago. One set of rules everywhere they went and a decent car count too....GONE....
Now that I'm into a MOD, there is a series around that races and will have a race at NSS and Bristol as well as other tracks in North and South Carolina. They are looking at a track in Alabama now for a venue. 8 race dates and working on 9. I have signed up with them and look forward to a final schedule.
-JIM-

[jacko241]

......NASCAR...............G000000 NASCAR G0000000...

[UREZ2PASS]

......NASCAR...............G000000 NASCAR G0000000...

This has to be one of the top ten post of the year.

[sprinter15jr]

USA Sprints.......................had agreat thing going, good car counts, good fan base, great shows and top name drivers. GONE!!!!!!!

[BVS40FL]

Florida Mini Stock Challenge Series

I remember that when I first went to race this series there was a great car count. The regular touring group would be at all races and the best of the local track guys would race at their home tracks . It was a very good time to be Mini Stock racer. We weren't used to being treated like that. They made us feel like we were something other than filler for the late model show.
Thanks Todd and Debbie

[Darren]

I am sure that the drivers that joined the different series enjoyed going to the other tracks. However, I remember full stands and great car count at the local track that I went to before series started. When series started to take cars from the local classes, because not all drivers would follow the series those classes had low car count which esp. in the late model class meant drop in fans coming out and a lot of thoses local fans were not traveling to other tracks to watch.

[Rusty the 50/50 Guy]

Don't forget about
FOWL
OWL
FMCRA
PBG Legends
FASCAR Pro Trucks
Good Year
Sunbelt
What was the group with the mod 4 cyl open wheel?
THAT was a GREAT show!!
TBARA
FWSCA


Hmmmm maybe there are more and maybe I duplicated a few

Ohh and the Police car series..I liked that one!
Oh Oh and Crash-A-Rama

[gary laplant]

Florida Suncoast Outlaw Street Stocks

[fascar27]

Top Cops Race

This race was formly ran at Sunshine Speedway in the 90`s. If you all remember, I do. Are we still doing it. I live in Tampa area, did you know that we had 8-9 cops killed in tampa in 11 month times. 2009 -2010. 1 from Hernando County this year. Hit a tree in Manatee County. Travel 4 County high speed chase. 3 in St. Pete Polices shot. 2 last year, 1 this year. Can`t remember rest of it. It was bad here.

[Winger]

I am sure that the drivers that joined the different series enjoyed going to the other tracks. However, I remember full stands and great car count at the local track that I went to before series started. When series started to take cars from the local classes, because not all drivers would follow the series those classes had low car count which esp. in the late model class meant drop in fans coming out and a lot of thoses local fans were not traveling to other tracks to watch.

In my brief time in Florida, this is what I noticed also. There were and are so many different traveling series and classes of cars that the car counts are diluted in all of them. IMO, this hurts the racing in Florida. Racing does not need all of these different classes, particularly since many of them are redundant. (Granted some of the series that have been mentioned were successful and are now gone.) I also believe it would benefit the series and the tracks regular racing program if the special series ran special midweek shows. That way cars could run the series and also race at a regular track for points during the regular season. If a series can't support a mid-week show, why should they be invited to race on a regular racing night? I know that some of these series contribute to the back gate and I also know having some of these series hurts the front gate. I guess as long as track owners try to make their money at the back gate, the mediocre series will continue.

[Rusty the 50/50 Guy]

Here is where the problem comes in....a Series starts to work then *BING* someone has a better idea and starts their own! I watched it happen over and over and over again! Here is one example, and I am not picking on any one group.

One night at OSW we had 31 Open Wheel Lites, that week they split up..again... and then you could not get 8 to show up. 8 went one way 8 went the other and the others stood back and watched what was going to happen!

In my thoughts contininuity is KEY! When I heard about the FUP stuff I thought hmmmmmm If everyone is going to be on the same rules and pay for all classes, he who treats the competitiors the best wins! Well I must have misunderstood...the lower divisions are still different. Here is an eye opener..the lower..so called...divisions are what keep the tracks ALIVE! YES we all love the fast cars and they are GREAT to watch but NEVER EVER count out your other divisions as they are the backbone of the system! JMO

[Winger]

Well said Rusty and right on the money. I have noticed the same thing, most recently with the sprint cars. It use to be the TBARA was "THE" sprint car asphalt series in Florida. Then along came a wingless series and another wingless series and next thing you know there are at least 3 different series competing for the same number of cars. No one won and the asphalt sprints are struggling now.
I also thought the same thing when I first heard about FUPS. I thought there would be a unified set of rules for all the tracks, payouts, etc. It turned out to be only for the late models, so that was rather disappointing to me. The so called lower classes, or support divisions, do actually support the tracks. When a track has 4 or 5 classes, those support divisions will have the largest car counts and will bring the most family and friends to the tracks. The "headline" divisions will bring the hardcore racing fans, but usually bring fewer family and friends than the support classes. I think these support divisions are often taken for granted and are under appreciated. As you said, they are the backbone of this industry.

[dd38]

As you all say. "Support Division"! They "Support" the track!

[Frasson118]

Of all the groups that have been out there, only 1 has been around through all of it..... the TBARA.

One of the reasons for this, in my opinion, is that is run as a club, not a dictatorship. They tend to make rule changes, scheduling, etc based on what's best for the majority of themselves.

Most other sanctions are run by a single person, or maybe a small group of individuals. They make decisions based upon what is best for themselves.... deals with tire companies to mandate their brand, running fuel concessions, high entry fees, parking slab fees, ad nauseum.......

Instead of having a track owner telling racers "at my track, these are the rules you are going to follow", the Clubs say "here is our rule book, no matter where we go". The rules are made by elected officials, who are racers themselves, and tend to know (or at least try to) do what's best for themselves as a group.... not what's best for 1 persons own interest.

At TBARA events, I know as a fan what to expect. I'm gonna see a pretty good field, heat races not time trials, handicapped starting lineups, and the fastest cars starting in the middle of the field. For a fan, that's great entertainment.

Great shows put butts in the seats. Too many sanctions do all the same lame old things... snoozefest time trials, pretty much straight up starts, fast cars starting up front, and freight train races. Not much entertainment there.

I believe that if some of these sanctioning bodies would change the WAY the stage their races, they might PUT some asses in seats. I loved the Southern Sportsman Series, in the fact that the previous race winner could not start anywhere better than 12th, and the cars up ahead have been inverted. It GUARANTEED an entertaining show to watch before you even walked through the entry gates. Too many times I look at a starting lineup, and ca already tell you the top 5 finishers in which order.... too predictable.... not much excitement.

When your sanctioning body comes to my local track, I want to walk away going "that was cool, can't wait til they come back"... not "$20 bucks for THAT show???".