5/16/15 Evening at New Smyrna

[OldSchool+]

Sportsman:

Disclaimer--Was in the Patrick Thomas pits last evening. Like the Jacalone Team, a great bunch of guys.

Mr. Thomas is on rails right now with a smile on his face! The car is fast, handles well, and he is on top of his game in the cockpit. Let's call it cautiously aggressive. No opportunities missed, yet as a rule no contact.

After setting fast time and subsequently starting fifth, Patrick advanced to second after driving through an early crash in front of him. On the restart, he and Aaron Williamson in the 13 car battled side by side for 13 laps, Thomas on the bottom and Williamson in the outside groove. Repeatedly it looked like Patrick "had him" coming out of four, but Williamson would battle back. Finally, another caution put Thomas out front for the restart, he chose Williamson's preferred outside groove, and pretty much was the rabbit everyone was chasing after that.

One car actually got upside down, but the driver was okay and the car was not badly hurt.

ps--Long night, if it was not the 13 car someone please correct me & apologies all around.

Modifieds:

If you like mechanical music, the Tank Tucker and Jerry Symon's modifieds are truly a delight. Tank's car is more of a scream, Symon's is a deeper sound, yet between them I suspect they are pulling enough RPM for three cars.

That said, as close as the Sportsman cars are, the Modifieds are apart.

[shorttrackcar1]

yes a great night stands had a nice bunch of fans there in the stands . sportsman class is the best most of the guys are running the 602 crate motor like you said a lot of close racing that's what we want to see. the modified class sucks sorry but I am being honest. the best cars have high dollar motors and it shows sorry. the best part last night was the last caution for the mods thought we might get to see the 15 and 66 battle it out but the 66 had problems and pulled in before the green and that was it snore fest the last 5 laps . I left after the sportsman race forgot about 50/50 raffle . does anybody know what ticket won the 50/50 you don't have to be there anymore to win .

[ocalasp76]

yes a great night stands had a nice bunch of fans there in the stands . sportsman class is the best most of the guys are running the 602 crate motor like you said a lot of close racing that's what we want to see. the modified class sucks sorry but I am being honest. the best cars have high dollar motors and it shows sorry. the best part last night was the last caution for the mods thought we might get to see the 15 and 66 battle it out but the 66 had problems and pulled in before the green and that was it snore fest the last 5 laps . I left after the sportsman race forgot about 50/50 raffle . does anybody know what ticket won the 50/50 you don't have to be there anymore to win .

Correct on the high dollar motors in the OWM. Beefed up my e mod motor with as much as the budget would stand, but think I am about $18,000 short.
Sure miss the affordable e mods for those of us who race for fun. Maybe will be better on shorter tracks.. Gonna' have to try it. NOT whining, just not stupid.
-JIM-

[JMITCH]

Jim, you could always go dirt dobbing!! Plus the gas in your power washer would never go bad!

[bruce93]

Evening at nss

I agree with that the mods suck I'm in the same boat as the rest of you I don't have the 18 to 20 grand to compete that's why my car is in the garage and you are rite emods were fun and I could afford to run

[ocalasp76]

Jim, you could always go dirt dobbing!! Plus the gas in your power washer would never go bad!

I had to laugh when you said this. I help out the Jake Perkins Team when I'm off. Shawn Reuiteman is his crew chief and keeps telling me to bring my car to his shop for a dirt conversion. Always a good laugh. At 66 I'm surprised to be even driving with the meds I take.. It's just a hobby for me, but being out motored like this is taking the fun out, Have made a lot of friends though.. Better than my own family.
Even OSF...
-JIM-

[Frasson118]

I knew the Mod class was inin trouble years ago.

A friend owns a couple cars and took me out to the shop to show me .his 25K motor

Not for his Super Late but his Modified.... running for 400 to win..
Then I KNEW it was out of hand

[shorttrackcar1]

I think they should have kept the e-mod class and it should have been crate motors only no built motors this would have made the racing tighter .the last time I went to osw they had 18 E-mod show up. At NSS I only see 3 of them that were E-mods running big motor class now. I guess the rest of them are parked now just think if the 15 and the 66 was running a crate motor with e-mods I don't think they would have been winning that much. the e-mod class had a bunch of good cars. it's one thing to win by out Horse powering someone. it's another to have to out drive them . my favorite class now is sportsman .

[OldSchool+]

I dunno. I think the Symons & Tucker teams (as well as Anderson & Jefferson and...) would do well racing big wheels or RC cars.

And I think Symons & Tucker are pretty darn good drivers as well.

But somehow it went from claimer motors to $25K. IMO, it is the track's responsibility to look out for all the racers, including the safety of the low dollar cars starting in the rear.

Rules restricting intake valve size & cam lift (or pick your own limiting factor) and a disclaimer at the bottom of the rules book that says, "any car or part can be arbitrarily disqualified at any time. Before you spend the money, check with us" would be a potential starting point.

Followed up by, "You know that is a beautiful (fill in the blank here), but I am going to have to ask you not to bring that back next week.

It is admittedly a catch 22. Obviously, the fast guy is the class of the field and may potentially not return. Hard to volunteer for that.

Nontheless, obviously, not setting some ground rules results in the rest of the field dwindling.

A difficult compromise, indeed.

[Matt Albee]

What about the guys who didn't have the money to be competitive in e-mods? Drivers who just had to be content showing up each week and running 6th or 7th because the top running e-mods were out powering them.
I'd say you're going to need 3 or 4 classes of each car so that everybody has a chance to win. It's typical Liberal thinking, everyone has to have a chance to win, everyone deserves to be able to win a trophy, slow the fast cars down until everybody is the same, everybody can win.
Racing is the car AND the driver. Winning requires both driving talent and mechanical talent.

[shorttrackcar1]

matt I only knew of two car that were out powering most of the E-mod class they had built motors I would lay money down if they had been tore apart they would have been found illegal. that's why in my opinion if your running a crate class all motor should be crate no built motors . the proof is in the sportsman class. Saturday night at NSS there were a lot of cars battling for positions all though the field in the sportsman class. it just wasn't follow the leader. well worth the 5.00 to get in thanks NSS.

[OldSchool+]

ST1--I agree with your premise, but there were "built" motors in the field.

A crate took home the trophy, though.

[shorttrackcar1]

oh yea agree old school my boy in the 25 Patrick who I root for. but it was also great to see Scott bramlett behind the wheel again great job to Scott it's been along time time since the fl pro days.