the NSS World Series is on!

[Boneman]

NSS kicked off their 8 night series with the best SLM race I've seen for years. I was really pleased with my whole night at the track, and expect that this World Series will be a memorable one, and for all the right reasons.

The first 25 laps of the SLM feature were fine: 27 cars, plenty of traffic, Steven Wallace running into everything (surprise!), but it was the last 10 laps that would have been, well could have been, one for the archives.

Teenage phenom Kyle Benjamin bulled his way past David Rogers for second, then set off to run down the leader Stephen Nasse. He caught the 51 with 2 to go and went on the attack. They came off turn 4, leaning on each other, and in a drag race to the checkers that Stephen Nasse won by 6 inches or so. Yeah, it was a great race with a heck of a finish....then came tech.

So the top 2 were DQ'd for weight issues, and the win went to NSS's own David Rogers. Its good to see the veteran knock off the kids, but its a drag that this spectacular finish will always have an asterisk next to it.

How far off were the weights? I have no idea. If they are way off, then the teams have to get them right. But if they got DQ'd for being off by a tiny amount, then tech did a dis-service to the fans and racers. I wish I knew how it went. Some teams have felt "over-teched" and hassled, so I hope the track can strike a balance to keep things fair without constant irritation.

I really like the tour mods and hope we get to see them more often during the year. Two rumors about them last night: there were cars in the pits who practiced but didn't run because they are saving their stuff for Daytona, and that lots of cars will arrive after the Daytona races are done. I suspect they are both true, but they still had a good race last night even with 12 cars.

You know what was great about last night? its just an observation on my part; unscientific and incomplete, but it looked to me that everyone who worked at the track was happy. Calm, happy and excited. I got the idea that everyone was pretty hopeful for the future and for a great series.

These are still the good old days, get out to New Smyrna and enjoy it!

[dd38]

I coule never understand why people run the numbers so close knowing how scales can change with just the change in tempature (or a Hotdog)!.

[Bigbuck]

Sorry Boneman, comments like "i wonder how far they were off" only leads to controversy. Can't these cars be set up say 2% on the legal side? Do they really have to be nuts on or more likely 2% on the wrong side hoping they get a break? I can't believe tech would dq anyone over a 2-3 lbs infraction. I mean if the rule says a certain percent left side would it really be laps down if it was 1% less? Or just for discussion if the height is such and such, would it be totally uncompetitive 1/8' higher? Why should tech have to allow for this, allow for that, shouldn't the car owner allow for a little tolerance. I know I'd rather start out a tad on the side of caution than to spend all that time, money, work only to be dq'd and get squat. I'm no huge fan of tech, or for that matter local racing anymore but it seems no matter what tech does they are always wrong. JMO

[JRACE]

Rules are rules. They are in print. If you choose to push the edge be prepared to suffer the consequences.

[UREZ2PASS]

People cry when tracks tech and they cry when tracks don't tech. Two common denominators are crying and tech. I'm all for zero tolerance because there are those that will always enter the tolerance zone. I bet those two cars have their stuff right for the next race.

[Frasson118]

I talked to Buggy Pletcher, crew chief for Nasse, after the races. He said they came across at 58.2%, where 58 is the limit. He wasn't too pissed, and said flat out "we were wrong", and promised they weren't gonna push it so close tonight.