New Sportsman Rules for 2017...

[Benny The Mule]

next.......those who run the series next year will complain NSS isn't on board. and so on and so on.......................

[shorttrackcar1]

Some interesting stuff took place in the NSS drivers meeting last night. A poll was taken and 23 of the 25 drivers that were on hand, are against this rules package and the major changes they require. Now apparently, New Smyrna decided that they are going to stick with 2016 Rules, with the exception of a couple body modifications and a couple other minor changes.

Something else interesting that I am finding out... Bronson Speedway tested the new American Racer slick that will be used on Sportsman in the Sunshine State Challenge Series. It proved to have much more grip, and was 2-3 tenths faster than the Hoosier slick on a tight car, expected to be nearly 1/2 second faster with setup adjustments to compliment the new tire. Looks like the crate motor is all but dead and buried in that series...

Phil you say at the in the crate motor is all but dead and buried . what you really mean is the class will be dead and buried . because we know guys running crate motors are not going to run out and build motors they will just park their cars and I don't blame them .I would too if it comes of that you don't fix something that ain't broken. you can make it better by getting rid of the build motors.

[Phil Jacques]

Phil you say at the in the crate motor is all but dead and buried . what you really mean is the class will be dead and buried . because we know guys running crate motors are not going to run out and build motors they will just park their cars and I don't blame them .I would too if it comes of that you don't fix something that ain't broken. you can make it better by getting rid of the build motors.

True, but those with built motors will carry on too.

Thankfully, Kim and the rest of the great people at NSS heard us loud and clear and understands the consequences of such drastic rules changes.

Look, I feel like I need to set something straight. I am not out to trash Ricky for his rules. Ricky is undoubtedly one of the smartest and most feared tech guys in the country. Hell, I'd love to have him come up here and enforce some of our tracks at times. But here is the issue I have. A lot, maybe even most all of the drivers in this division race on a budget. I understand how the FL economy works after living there for so long, and I know that the changes detailed and outlined in these rules, are going to cost guys a ton of money, time and work. Some of these guys sub out their chassis and body work to shops etc which is great for those shops, but hurts the racer. We can't be going out just throwing out nearly entire new rule books all at once. It just makes no sense financially to the core support group of the division. It's going to hurt the division.

As I said before, the best way to make a true rules alignment is to get all the rule books together. Find all the similarities and solidify them. Those rules are locked in. Then find the big differences and find middle grounds for those, and the similarities and do the same all while trying to spend as little money for everyone as possible.

I agree 100% with a rules alignment. I have been preaching it for a long time. Rule alignments and the combination of similar divisions will give fans more on track excitement because there will be more cars. When it comes to the latter, it can't be a drastic overnight change either and has to be done methodically.

Some of the proposed rules are great, but doing it in this matter is going to do more bad than good. The rules which are in place now, work well, attract cars and have great competition between open and crate, even at tracks like NSS.

There really is no point in trying to fix something that's working well right now.

You guys can give me all the crap you want because I live and race in New England, and aside from a few good friends, have no real skin in the game. But I care, and I care a lot about the health of FL racing. I'll be back down there and I plan to race when I come back, and if I have to stick my neck out there and make people hate me to get a message across, I damn sure will. I'm not out here to make enemies, I am just here to share my perspective.

[OldSchool+]

perhaps you should have a nice bowl of chowdah...

[fred23]

You cats that are planning on running the sportsman race at the Gov Cup weekend better have your cars done by the letter of the law.....I would bet Mr. Brooks will have the magnifying glass and micrometer out.....LOL

It may be Citrus mods all over again!

[CCuzzone9788]

Still trying to figure out which part of these rules involve any $$$ besides the clutch that wouldn't even be an advantage at NSS.

[Phil Jacques]

First off, about the clutch... Less rotating/reciprocating weight is always an advantage. It's acceleration, and more importantly at NSS, it's Horsepower. So there is definitely going to be an advantage there.

Aside from that, You will end up needing to buy new rims if your treadwidth is too wide as NSS has no treadwidth rule (not to mention redistribution of weight in your car, so paying a chassis guy for that comes into play if you do not own scales or do your own setup work)

Body labor also comes into play with all of the modifications outlined in the proposed rules package. Not everyone is able to do this work on their own and utilize the services of other people and shops to get this work done. Along with that, you have to figure in new panels if adjustments cause improper fitment to be correct again, as well as even a new roof if yours is deemed too narrow and the corresponding lexan to re do all windows.

Rear suspension is another area that will cost some. If your rear suspension had biscuits, they will need to be replaced. Fabrication and proper installation of new trailing arm mounts if yours are under the new 24" or are in newly made "illegal" locations on the rear end.

As I have said before, the core group of racers you have in this division are weekend warriors. Budget racers. They don't own a PLM or SLM for a reason. For someone building a complete new car, these really aren't bad changes cause it's all costs you have to incur as you go, but for others who have to make the changes, especially those who can not do all the work themselves, it costs money and that bill can be substantial.

If this was a completely new division, this is a great rule book front to back. But making drastic changes to an already successful division hurts it. These changes are fine, but shouldn't be lumped all into one season.


Now, while we are talking about keeping costs under control I do have to say one thing. The current shock claim rule in this division across the board is a complete joke. It holds zero substance. Guys who can afford to go spend $1000 on shocks, will do so. If they get claimed, they understand the risk. But not everyone can afford that, and not everyone can even afford to claim shocks either if they want to. Shocks are an area the money teams can really gain a big advantage and that needs to be kept under control. If the shock claim is $150, that's what the shock should cost. Proof of the cost can be provided to tech and this can be made a tech item to keep this under control. It's done in countless other divisions across the country.