Falling On Hard Times?

[kendo]

Chevyj Start it as a Street Stock with a bone stock GM replacement crate for $1300 and put the Old Monte body on it (lots of companies making these panels now).

$1595 for the bare frame that will accept all GM stock bolt ons.

Would like to see reasonable aftermarket steel panels for the new Camaro,Mustang,and Challanger.I think someone allready makes the Camaro nose.Both younger & older crowd can identify with these bodies,the Monte body is 30+ years old.The more recent Monte body is a bland cookie cutter design.
Racers and fans have a strong brand loyalty,something that has been missing from racing in the last 10 years.Nationwide is heading in this direction and I think it will bring positive reults.

[chevyj31]

legends are safe

Rusty, I just think if they would have made the legends a little bigger, so they did not have doors, that have to open, they might be safer, just my opion, and you are right, there is no big safty problem with them now....i should not have used the words un-safe in previous post.

[scottgarrity07]

I agree 100% Kendo. But Chevyj31 was talking about keeping things under $10k. The problem is that only ARP is making the new generation Camaro and Mustang body and two problems with it is that the cost is sky high ($3000 with all the goodies) for it and the nose is FIBERGLASS (composite). If Five Star would come out with something like the ABC body with plastic nose, fenders, quarters and tail it would be worth the extra money because that stuff is just about indestructible. Beautiful thing about the Johnson Chassis is that its very versatile and accepts stock running gear or fabricated stuff. He also makes everything for the car to fix it when you tear it up plus tech gear so that in essence you could allow stock metric frames to compete with the fab stuff and have local guys build them too.

[Rusty the 50/50 Guy]

I will be the first on board to say the cost of racing MUST go down...in ALL divisions!! We take a good think....like the old trucks...I will use them so I can keep my job LOL

The trucks started out a very affordable type of racing...and there were TONS of them!!! THen slowly but surely this got added and that got added and then you had these super trucks that only some can afford! STOP!!!!!

Stricktly Stocks were brought into existence so that there was an entry level that almost EVERYONE could afford...what happened..well you see it!

Super Stocks...There used to be HUGE fields of them....you could build one and race...now they are specialty cars with high dollar engines and more stuff than you can shake a stick at!

Get it back to the basics!!!! MAke it FUN!!!! Make rules and STICK to them!!! A Super STock is a Super Stock...NOT a limited limited late model!!!

Just my rant!

[Darren]

have never seen a poor kid driving a bandolero. it seems to be a family thing and if they were not racing and traveling with their enclosed trailer they would be doing something else.

[scottgarrity07]

Here's the body that ARP designed to fit the Johnson Chassis concept. Expensive? Yes, but very SEXY

http://www.arbodies.com/muscle-cars/metricmustang

[Boneman]

Rusty, not to get off track....my opposition to Bandos is because they were over-emphasized at Orlando, they killed the show, and started the exodus of fans.

I've always liked Legends and defended them consistently. We'll all remember fondly the era where vintage Chevelles and antique Monte Carlos were king, but the best years of that are behind us and we need to look ahead to what it next. Legends should play a big role in that.

[kendo]

I agree 100% Kendo. But Chevyj31 was talking about keeping things under $10k. The problem is that only ARP is making the new generation Camaro and Mustang body .

Hopefully aftermarket steel Camaro,Mustang,Challanger panels like the old monte panels that we can buy for $69 each will be available soon.Like I said,these retro style cars appeal to both young and old and would bring excitement to see them on the track.
These body styles combined with an affordable aftermarket chassis like the one you described and reasonable priced crate motor would be a hit!

[kendo]

Here's the body that ARP designed to fit the Johnson Chassis concept. Expensive? Yes, but very SEXY

http://www.arbodies.com/muscle-cars/metricmustang

Thats hot and hopefully the wave of the future...Would love to see us get away from the boring late model bodies raced today.I dont care what graphics,decals,numbers,stickers,chrome wheels,or paint schemes you put on them,they ALL LOOK THE SAME!
Also,there are way to many classes...Late models,super late models,limited late models,pro late models,etc...WTF??? The average fan in the stands does not know the difference and isnt going to return if they cant identify with what is on the track.

[Rusty the 50/50 Guy]

Repectfully ....how were they over emphasized? They ran an 8 lap race and a 15 lap race.
Be glad they are in existence...at least they can get some experience at 8 years old rather than jumping in a late model at 12 with none

And never ever blame them for the crowd loss at OSW...I really wish that you could blame them for that...that would be an easy fix! Now I can not say what happened after I left..but we ran them on Saturday nights.

[ancrdave]

We actually had some great Bandolero races at OSW... Well, back when we had 8-10 cars in each class every week... Can still remember some "beatin and bangin" and a few hot "little" tempers... 2 or 3 cars showing up isn't helping now, plus there is nowhere near the promotion both the Legends and Bandoleros had before both on a local level and nationally, certainly not like when Humpy and my buddy Ken Ragan ran things...

[Boneman]

Referring to the 2000-2001 time frame at OSW: Bandos ALWAYS ran heats and features (no matter what any other class did), and they ALWAYS started the show. Instead of starting the show with a bang, the track chose to always start with a wimper.

Also, every week, the terrible announcer at the time (Tom?) would do long-winded interviews with the same 3 kids that we heard from the week before, and we couldn't understand them anyway.

I was racing less in those years, and sitting in the stands more. From that vantage point, I could see the reaction of the fans when that class came out. Yes, they bored my silly, but I was not the only one.

Here is a shocker for you: I like the Bandos are much better at Auburndale because they are going much faster. They look like racecars on a race track. Orlando had them on the infield bando track, where they looked and sounded like go karts.

I am aware of the benefits that come from this class in terms of driver development, but my problem with them is strictly based on the aspect of SHOWMANSHIP. I've always found a 3 car Bando race to be a show killer, especially when it leads off the night.

[Rusty the 50/50 Guy]

OK... I will give you that one LOL It was before my time

Any show with 3 or 4 cars is going to be a snooze fest!

I am excited about racing....and still trying to get figured out how to get others excited again....OSW can and WILL someday be HUGE! THis I have confidence in!!! IT is like this show here at TMS...you just have to nurture it and get it back STRONG!!!

I am not and will not give up on OSW...who knows...I may need to come home some day !!! LOL

[Boneman]

I'm not giving up on it either. I love the place, it just needs to be completely shaken up.

[Jimmy McKinley]

Up here in Ohio, the race tracks seem fairly healthy. I don't think any one track runs more than 4 or 5 divisions, start fairly early, and are done at a decent hour.

Heat races, trophy dashes, pursuits, and features (mostly just heats and features at most tracks). Bring in a special "non-weekly" division once in a while (Supermodifieds and Main Event touring-series Late Models are popular; a couple of tracks have even run the USAC Focus Midgets). Late Models (the outlaw-style wedge cars) are pretty regular divisions at at least three tracks; one track runs a "Limited Late Model" type car (called Sportsman there; template-bodied car). The rest of the divisions are "stock"-type cars: Hobby/Street Stock/Super Stock type, V8-Strictly Stock type cars, and a 4-cylinder/front-wheel-drive-only "Pure Stock" cars (which is, understandably, the largest fields of cars. The local dirt track (Wayne County), Midvale, Barberton, and Sandusky are the only "local" tracks that run an open-wheel Modified class on a regular basis.

Stands are packed at every joint every week, fields are mostly full; guys can run just about any track; why? Because the rules are the same at nearly every track. Guys that run Barberton on Friday nights are also running either at Painesville (a NASCAR sanctioned track) or down at Midvale.

At the five or six tracks I've been to since I've been up here, even the food is halfway decent (prices, too ). Haven't paid more than about 15 bucks to get in anywhere (except for the two specials I've been to; one was the World 100).

Every place starts at about 7-7:30 - and that's throwing the green flag on the first heat. Pre-race stuff starts about 20 minutes prior - because they *advertise* a 7-7:30 start time.

Haven't really seen a bad show around here yet. Was a little disappointed with the car count at a Main Event race at Barberton, but it was still a good *race*.