Great News About Desota

[Pun33]

wow you are right truly a smarter and more interesting way to run a track, I wounder why no one thought of it sooner or tried it

the answer is in the question

[Matt Albee]

wow you are right truly a smarter and more interesting way to run a track, I wounder why no one thought of it sooner or tried it

the answer is in the question

Your reading comprehension skills ( lack thereof ) are showing. Lot's of tracks thought of it sooner. I'm sure that was mentioned earlier. Several times.
There are also other ways to bring in the fans and racers. Everything Tom Curley does for example. But I think it's obvious that the current system in Florida asphalt racing sure isn't working.

[scottgarrity07]

Well it all boils down to "idealism" vs. "reality". Matt your model is based in idealism. You need to realize that these track owners are just not going to do what you are proposing. It's just not going to happen. Probably because it's an all or nothing crap shoot. Jimmy McKinley and the "Outlaw Sportsman" experiment examples show that what you are proposing can fall far short of the panacea you decribe. My list of improvements doesn't cost much and will go a long way toward "bringing asphalt racing back". What I described is what Tom Curley actually has done. Part of what Curley has done is create an enourmously successful Crate motor Touring Series (two things I know your not really fond of). Anyway, Curley still runs a 4 Division show at his track. I've always said, "You build the show from the back gate". Full fields of evenly matched cars WILL build a show the fans will flock to see. A rebounding economy and an environment where the racer feels like he is respected, has a chance to win and is treated fairly will bring the racers out and build the fields. BTW this thread was started by OSF commending Desoto for eliminating time trails, going to heats and tightening up tech. Things that are good for the racer and fan alike. It has morphed into something else. But I think the underlying theme here is how to improve racing for everyone and Desoto is going in the right direction. You said Desoto is your "home track". Even though I live in Port Richey and other tracks are closer, I am making it my home track too. Buy a ticket and enjoy the show!

[Lucky6]

Just a Question

Matt, got to ask!!!!!! Are you a Driver, Fan or just a damn dreamer. If you are a driver what division??? If a Fan, Just stay one, and if you are a dreamer wake the hell up.

[Matt Albee]

Matt, got to ask!!!!!! Are you a Driver, Fan or just a damn dreamer. If you are a driver what division??? If a Fan, Just stay one, and if you are a dreamer wake the hell up.

Sooooooo many choices. Can I be a fan of a division? Can I just stay a dreamer? If i'm a driver, do I have to wake the hell up? What if i'm none of the above?

[Frasson118]

C'mon Matt.... you should know that if you're not a Road Warrior driver, you're not popular enough to have an opinion. When the gates open, and they are bombarded with that massive crowd that shows up to watch Bombers race, it will prove that you shouldn't have tried to help in the first place.

Fool you are to try and suggest that maybe some things need to be looked at & tweaked a bit. Those full fields and massive crowds will surely silence all the people who are obviously blind to the fact that nothing is wrong in the first place....

[SSMotorsports14]

Entirely way to many people look at what is in the best interest of their own personal gain and not what's in the best interest of the sport! That is the whole problem in a nut shell! To fix it Good Luck!

[Pun33]

Best interest of the sport is fine for NASCAR.

we are talking about a HOBBY for local racers.

they want to have fun living the dream of racing and still put food on the table

every year the rules change and make the cost go up

they all wanna sell tires more cost

you all beat up on the lowly bombers but ask how much to run a bomber for the full year????

remember bombers generally run every week, not like the higher classes that run a couple time a month....

it adds up very quickly

[Matt Albee]

Nobody beat up on the Bombers or any other lower class ( or Hobby class if you like ) in this thread. But the point was and continues to be, race fans don't come to the track to see the Hobby class races. They're entertaining sometimes, but they draw no fans at all. So the more entry level-Hobby-Lower level classes you feature every night, the more fans you can count on not showing up.
Just a word here about the Hobby classes. The idea that they can't spend a little more money to go a little faster is ridiculous. They may not want to, and may feel they've carved out a niche that they don't plan to give up, but as was said above, the program is the important thing, not the racer. Dedicated racers will always show up to race, so there will always be a field of cars. Just about the size of the field you see each week at most Florida asphalt tracks. The fans aren't interested in watching a field of cars that small. And the fans couldn't care less what the name of the class is. Nor do they give a damn that only factory sway bar bushings are legal. They show up to see a race.
So let's get over the idea of protecting certain race classes and look at the overall picture. If there's another, better way to increase the size of the field in every heat race and in every feature, let's hear it. Otherwise, let's try something radical and see if we can bring the sport back to at least where it was, and maybe even better.
So the size of the field in every race increases.
I understand the "Hobby" classes, I've been there myself. But the only object I know of in racing is to go faster than the competition. And speed costs money, like it or not.

[Matt Albee]

While we're on the subject of going faster and spending money, let's take a look at what's really involved in the idea of cars that can run similar times competing only against each other.
As was stated by someone who should know wwaaaaaayyyy back at the beginning of this thread, there really isn't much difference in lap times between many classes of cars. At a big track like NSS there would likely be a bigger difference. But for Desoto or Auburndale or Showtime, not so much. And of course each class has a standout driver/car or two that pretty much can win all the time. But for this we're interested in the mid pack cars in each class. I don't have the numbers at hand to know average lap times for various classes at those tracks. But lets take the example of a mid pack Street Stock and a mid pack Sportsman at NSS. What's the average lap time difference? How about at Desoto? Or take a mid pack Sportsman against a mid pack truck. How much difference.
Now tell me what the slower car or truck would have to change/spend to make up the difference. What parts is the faster of the two allowed to use that the slower one could bolt on or fabricate? An intake or carb? Headers? Wider tires ( since everyone would be running the very same MAX size tires) ?
If we're honest, it probably wouldn't cost that much to combine classes at all.

[Old Sunshine Fan]

(IF TRUE)...I was told @ EB last night by Desota regular ....they have quit having qualifications and doing all heats to give the crowds a chance to see others actually win....Hope thats a fact....also Desota has gone to a Real Tech Team that has put the trash to the curb....looks like the cheaters gonna have to find somewhere else to race....cause Desota don't roll that way...NO MORE....Great move Desota....your fans gonna appreciate that 1000%......OSF

As I mentioned in the "Thread Starter"... I was happy to hear about NO More Qualifying and more heats... but when I spoke of heats, I wasn't talking about 3-4 cars... as a fan, a heat means enough cars to make it interesting... and at Desota, that would most likely involve combining classes in some cases... so be it... bottom line = entertain the fans
I appreciate the Drivers and Owners in what they do to put on a show (guess that's why I've been going since 1960)... I've seen great shows, good shows and no-so good shows... I love close hard races but get bored with same winners week after week (or a run-away / follow the leader race).

I think Matt has the right idea and has been saying the same thing during this "Short" thread lol... in other words... "Can't we all just get along"... Jimmy and Critter want a good product to sell...and if everyone works at it... everyone will be happy with results...... OSF

[Lucky6]

Well Matt this is Kim and I would just like to say I know quite a few people who actually come to watch the "Hobby" classes im one of them id much rather watch 8 to 10 bombers, pure stocks, street stocks than slm ive actually gone to other local tracks to watch them instead of staying at my home track Desoto and watch slm race and I do believe that they also have had times race after race that the same guy wins or leads by a straightway don't get me wrong I do enjoy trucks, owm, sportsmans but if given a choice id pick the lower class everytime just my feelings. When I started working at Desoto back in 03 it was the place to be crap happens things changed but as much as they (local tracks) need fans they also need drivers cars I feel that if owners and racers work together it would help the rest fall back into place so all I can hope for is the rules don't run drivers off which can lower the fans coming. Happy New Year to all of you be safe

[Matt Albee]

Well Matt this is Kim and I would just like to say I know quite a few people who actually come to watch the "Hobby" classes im one of them id much rather watch 8 to 10 bombers, pure stocks, street stocks than slm ive actually gone to other local tracks to watch them instead of staying at my home track Desoto and watch slm race and I do believe that they also have had times race after race that the same guy wins or leads by a straightway don't get me wrong I do enjoy trucks, owm, sportsmans but if given a choice id pick the lower class everytime just my feelings. When I started working at Desoto back in 03 it was the place to be crap happens things changed but as much as they (local tracks) need fans they also need drivers cars I feel that if owners and racers work together it would help the rest fall back into place so all I can hope for is the rules don't run drivers off which can lower the fans coming. Happy New Year to all of you be safe

Hi Kim, just give me a second to " wake the hell up ". Okay, now i'm ready. For the hundredth time, no one is saying the hobby classes aren't important. What i'm saying is that the vast majority of fans come to watch the Sprints, SLMs, OWMs, and Late Models. And no one is interested in watching a 5 or 6 car race. So why not make it a win for everyone and combine the classes? The fans get heat races and features with a lot more cars in them. The track owner gets fans in the seats because of the larger fields. And the racers don't have to do anything at all, they just have to show up and qualify like they do every week.
There will be some drivers that just aren't going to change anything for the sake of the show, and those drivers will probably leave. They would rather have their business cards read Road Warrior drivers or Sportsman drivers instead of the generic name stock car driver. But who's to say there won't be other drivers taking their place because they are now going to be competing primarily with cars that run the same general lap times?
Not to mention helping to build racing.
I'm not expecting to see this implemented anytime soon. And I know there are other ideas that will work. I'm just hoping someone eventually realizes that the program has to change or short track asphalt racing is going to die. And the racers are going to have to realize that the rules aren't the important thing anymore, bringing in crowds and track sponsors is. And if some racers have to get shoved out of their comfort zones to do it, i'd think they'd be happy to do it if it means having a track and racing itself survive.

[williston19]

How many entry level classes does there need to be?
That seems to be what were beating around the bush here.
Fix that and go from there.
Of course the argument will then be what's entry level?
An individual racers money situation dictates HIS/HER racing NOT everyone else's.

[Lucky6]

Entry Level

Well this is Dave not Kim. Oh that's my wife. I not real fond of the word entry level because as much as this was the way it was looked at in the past I believe that entry levels are like banderol's or go karts and maybe not even that. It is what the racer can afford to get into to race and have fun. It does matter to the racer to put on a show for the fans but if that racer is not happy they won't race. If they can afford to race and be happy they will put on a show for the fans.

Driver has to be able to afford to race.
Driver has to feel like he/she has a chance to win.
Driver has to have fun.

Driver will then put on a show. No Driver no class no fun no fans
It's just that simple.