Opening night at Orlando

[Boneman]

Notes from last Friday's season opener:

Of all the classes that needed to put on a good race, it was great to see the Legends cars have a competitive, hard fought and entertaining feature. Years ago, they were a rockin' class at Speedworld, so wouldn't it be great to see the politics and division that have crippled this class finally go away?

I was pretty shocked at the crowd in the stands. It barely qualified as a "group" or even a small gathering. The task of rebuilding Speedworld will be a daunting one.

It was sad to see the year start so rough for Michael Held. He is a good young driver from a racing family, the type of racer we need to cultivate and retain in our sport. Sad to say his new super stock went head-on into the concrete, so its back to the shop for Michael and his dad.

I got fired from my ride after driving two laps! My long-time friend Randy had a "for sale" sign on his #77 car, so I was supposed to run it in the mini stock 50 and show it off. I ran two laps of time trials, but as bad luck would have it, David Russell broke his engine during his qualifying laps. David built the engine in the car I was driving, and he wants to back up his mini stock championship in 2012, so he bolted 4 new tires on the #77 and drove it in my place. Damn, its a good thing I drive my own stuff so I can't get fired so easily!

My friend Andy drove my strictly stock and didn't put a mark on it. Looking back, I remember having a really good time on Friday, and we had a bunch of laughts too. In 5 days we'll do it again.

[ancrdave]

All considered not a bad show... The Legend car race was really good and a nice gutty performance by Donovan Ponder who had his hands full with Becca and Mason... The funniest thing was when Roger Englund ran out of gas... on the pace lap of the heat race!!
The E-Mod race was a dandy until the big wreck... Tore up a buncha equipment and it was a tough break for Jason Swilley, the kid from Lakeland who started in the Auburndale kids club, who was making his first ever start in a Modified and was doing great until being caught up in somebody else's mistake... He was really dejected after it was over despite all of us trying to cheer him up.
The Super Stock race was also pretty good and that was a huge hit for Mike Held... turned his Monte Carlo into an instant Vega... He was gonna be sore Saturday morning but came out of it like a champ... he's a really nice kid.
Pro Lates and Trucks were just out there to run around the track... no competition at all and not enough of them to matter...
Strictlys were again dominated by the same RWD Bomber car that won most of the time last year. Wish this class would go to fwd cars only... would make for better competition and some new winners...
It actually was sorta fun Friday, seemed to be a little "racier" atmosphere in the pits but as Boney mentioned, you could have set off a nuclear blast in the grandstands and not hurt anyone... WHERE IS THE PROMOTION!!!

[exdriver]

Promotion? I've lived down here for 15 yrs., raced at OSW in '05 and '06, and have never heard anybody or seen anything promoting the track. When I lived in NE, there was always a newspaper ad every week, always TV commercials and radio spots for all the local tracks, even a billboard or 2 during racing season. It's a shame that we're only miles away from NASCAR headquarters and the Daytona Int'l Speedway, argueably, auto racings center, and we can't get people into the stands.

[Hired Gun]

Strictlys were again dominated by the same RWD Bomber car that won most of the time last year. Wish this class would go to fwd cars only... would make for better competition and some new winners.

Hey Dave
Just wondering Why you would refer to it as bomber car running in the Strictly stock class. Ive over heard you refering to my old car in the same manner aswell. Just wondering whats a bomber? Bomber is what they use to call super stocks back in the day. Just seems like you might trying to call someone a cheater. Over half the cars are in the class are RWD. At NSS you might have one or two cars a year show up with anything less then a 305 or FWD. Im die hard for this class and the enduro style of racing, hell in 2009 I won two races going backwards "turning right" at NSS and one night they raced us in the rain, it was a blast. I know of a crew "you know them too" are fixing to build 4 full size GM Strictlys/Run a Bouts. I mean should the car thats fast with a good driver feel bad for winning to much?

[Winger]

I think "bomber" might be an age thing. When I was younger we called anything that was older, fairly cheap, and just basic transportation a "bomber". Years later I heard it used as the name of a racing class. The first track I saw it at referred to basic street type cars that has a roll cage stuck in them. Again this is an example of a name that leads to confusion because different tracks have different names for different classes, and us older folks still call older cars on the street, bombers.

[ancrdave]

Actually, the old B-Bomber class was just like what is running in Strictlys now (RWD)... Pretty much just stock... When Nerone ran the place in '86-87 we'd run two features for them every night...
What I'm saying is that we need to start running more cars that are available to the plain old Joe out there who wants to race for fun... Some people have never owned or driven a RWD car! If you come out and race, do pretty good, but still get your clock cleaned by the same car each week, you can easily get discouraged and just quit... I did like that little car Greg Bruce drove... faster in the corners than on the straights!

[Frasson118]

Another division with far too many names and variances. I've heard these basic cars referred to as:

Strictly Stocks
Street Stocks
Enduros
Bombers
Detroit Iron
Gladiators
Thunder Stocks
Road Warriors
Hobby Class
Hobby Stocks
Amateurs
Hooligans

I'm sure there are 100 more. Who can add some names to the list...?

[EJC Engines]

If you dont like getting beat by a rwd car then build one.

[Boneman]

Jerry, how many of those names would help sell tickets to a fan who knows nothing about the class? I suggest that any class that has "hobby" or "stock" in their name needs to be re-named. Why? Because the words hobby and stock describe the class to racers, but sound boring to fans.

[Don Nerone]

I think Bomber cars have been around than some of you have been alive.
I started racing at saramana speedway in a bomber car and that is a long time ago. they were crying about the newer cars that we had. They were to fast and so forth and so on. It was a 55 chevy.
some things never change.
Like ejc said if you think it will make you a winner get one.

don62

[Jimmy McKinley]

What about Hurricanes (Golden Gate), Tornadoes (St. Pete), and Cyclones (Hialeah)? LOLOLOLOL

[Lizzard]

Strictlys were again dominated by the same RWD Bomber car that won most of the time last year. Wish this class would go to fwd cars only... would make for better competition and some new winners...

I am Eddie Moran. I ran my 73 Monte Carlo (BIG RED #1) for it's first race last Friday. I had people come up to me saying that "this" is what the **** stocks should be. Maybe they are old timers but I agree.

The guys/gals racing in this class at OSW are all good people. We race to race. NO $. In fact, now that OSW is charging us to get in we can only hope to not wreck.

As for your FWD comment.

Eddie

[Lizzard]

Jerry, how many of those names would help sell tickets to a fan who knows nothing about the class? I suggest that any class that has "hobby" or "stock" in their name needs to be re-named. Why? Because the words hobby and stock describe the class to racers, but sound boring to fans.

Good idea. How about the ASS KICKING BIG CARS OF THE DISCO ERA CARS division?

Or.. MAD MAX DIVISION... and cars all have to look somewhat like this?

[wesnsf]

It not our fault we picked a rwd car and my 16 year old is a pretty good driver at least he runs the same line every lap now we have to add 100 pounds to the right side of the car because Wes wins a lot what ever we just come for fun it ain't like we get paid

[Winger]

I understand why the track does it (adding weight) but it's really a penalty for doing your homework.
Here's an idea. Put a bounty on you and increase the car count with guys coming in to take the bounty. Increase the amount every week it isn't claimed. You must finish the race to have someone claim the bounty. If it's not claimed after a set number of weeks, you get the bounty and it can start over again. I have seen it increase car counts temporarily at other tracks. You never know, maybe someone will come in to try and claim the bounty and like racing there. They could become a regular.
Look at me trying to offer ideas on something I know nothing about. Must be spending too much time reading Boneman's and Frasson's posts. LOL