What works in racing? What does not?

[Renegade Racing Fuels]

This has been an interesting thread. One thing that's sometimes left out of these discussions is what the fans want to see. I was really hoping for some spectator input on what types of racing and race vehicles they wish were at their local track, and what types of racing they would be willing to pay good money to watch. What's affordable for the racers and the tracks isn't always of interest to the fans.

[luke81]

Boneman you win

Luke81, the Florida micro sprints that you raced are different than the class with the same name that ancrdave was describing. The Florida version used 40 year old, two stroke engines that are very difficult to find, right? The more modern class is kart or motor cycle based, and are affordable and durable. I agree with Dave, this is the type of class that can sustain the sport in the future.

They do have those 2 stroke style here, but there are also the bigger ones - thats what I had. We ran 600 and 750cc motorcycle engines with the FMSA series. Down here they call them mini sprints, even though in the rest of the country a mini is a 1200cc car. These are the same cars that ran in Trenton. They run at BRP and I think north florida with the FMSA series, and east bay runs them as their own class too. Marion County speedway in Ocala runs them too, and that is the BEST track for them in Florida just because it's the best size for these cars.
They really aren't as cheap or as durable as they appear, and parts are pretty much as expensive as a big car. Right rear wheels are $250+, tail tank is well over a grand, fuel injection system is over $3000 You can get into them with an older used car fairly cheaply (I'd say six to either thousand to get to the track the first time) but there's a lot that goes on to keep them running. There's WAY more electronics on these than most short track racers are familiar with. 2 injectors and 2 sets of butterflys per cylinder run by multiple throttle position sensors, electronic injection and ignition, tuning with a power commander, etc etc.
I liked mine, and if east bay had been running them more often a few years ago I probably would have never got out of it. But i dont know if i see them as the future of racing, at least down here. Up north they're huge though.

[sbracer58]

This has been an interesting thread. One thing that's sometimes left out of these discussions is what the fans want to see. I was really hoping for some spectator input on what types of racing and race vehicles they wish were at their local track, and what types of racing they would be willing to pay good money to watch. What's affordable for the racers and the tracks isn't always of interest to the fans.

For the most part what fans want is a decent/big field of cars (20+) that are competitive. Speed is ALWAYS trumped by close racing. Some of the best races are the lower classes because they can and will go 3-4 wide, bump and bang and often keep going.

[Boneman]

Here is a group that has it going on...Monster Jam. Say what you will about monster trucks (they are not my thing either) but the organization is packing huge arena from sea to shining sea. They have 2-3 shows running on most weekends: one group tours the west, another the south, etc.. The "star" performers, like Grave Digger for example, are actually multiple truck teams that perform several shows a night.

This weekend they will be in Orlando, and I bet that stadium will be close to full. That is 65,000 seats! I have attended several times and it is a good show. My kids really loved it!

What do they do so well? The show's production is fast-paced, family friendly and has no down-time. If something happens that causes a delay, they will roll out something else to see: a motorcycle stunt rider, blast some rock and roll, t-shirt cannons operated by hot women, whatever it takes to distract the fans.

We could learn something from the pros that put this spectacle on.

[shorttrackcar1]

not my thing either. watch it on TV for about 20 mins then turn the channel . I was hearing someone was toying with the ideal running some races at osw this year. and then someone said that the rumor was they went out there and it was a complete mess said the bathroom's were covered in mold and shit and some of the light poles were broke off at the top or rotted off . and stands were falling apart said it needed to much worked . anybody else hear this ?

[zerofor]

Monster Trucks

Aren't really my thing either.But in all fairness I will fall asleep watching just about anything on tv.My wife(god rest her soul) used to get mad as a wet hen when I wanted to stay home on Sundays to watch the Nascar race and would fall asleep 30 laps into it.Being there in person is just a whole different experience be it Monster Trucks,a drag race,road course or whatever.Its just a distinctively different atmosphere.As far as Orlando Speed World goes I don't know the situation there but even if it was in terrible shape what would cost less?Fixing the place back up or buiding a whole new facility? Festival Park in Zephyrhills might be a good candidate for someone to try to do something with since it apparently rarely gets used.

[Bill Chapman]

Wild Thing Karts

People Should look into this class Wild Thing Karts very afordible. Stock chassis no shocks. Looks like mini sprint car. Sealed Engine in all classes including Senior Division. They race all over New England. Tires last whole season. As do sealed engines. only drawback i saw was they run on methanol which is safer than gasoline even thou it is more expensive. Thanks Bill Ask any people from Stafford Srpings Motor Speedway who race here now

[Boneman]

Bill, thanks for your input. That class sounds like a good way to keep everyone entertained.

I would like to clarify one thing; methanol is 1/3 the price of racing gas. I buy it by the barrel and am paying about $3.70/gallon, but racing gas is $10+.

[Bill Chapman]

Wild Thing Karts

Here is a picture of Kart i downloaded

[Bill Chapman]

Boneman

Picture of Kart was for you so i can get some feedback from you and maybe anyone interested to run this new class.

[zerofor]

Those karts look like a 1/4 midget with a wing.The problem there is could they draw much interest in people to build them or people to pay cash to watch them? You have mini cups here now and I have never even seen a double digit field of those in the nine years I've been here.Then you have tq midgets here that once again can't put a ten car field on the track.

[meangreen]

The sad and painful fact is... racing is dying... and I have no idea how to save it. It breaks my heart that my favorite entertainment/sport is slowly disappearing. I saw my first "jalopy" stock car race at 16th Street Speedway in Indianapolis in 1954. I drove my first race in a go-kart at Whiteland Raceway (Indiana) in 1961. Built and raced my first stock car in 1969 at Indy Raceway Park. At every one of those venues the pits and grandstands were always stuffed to overflowing. It seemed like every little town of 5,000 or more had some kind of race track - go-karts, jalopies, stock cars, midgets & sprints, motorcycle flat-track, or a drag strip. Half the service stations in every town had a race car sitting out front. It was that way into the late 1960s. Then tracks started closing; why? There are several reasons.

Liability insurance for the tracks skyrocketed making operational costs untenable for some track owners. As race parts manufacturers entered the picture, car costs started rising, driving out a lot of "shoestring" racers (I was one of those). That trend continues to this day, causing car counts to drop. Too few competitors turns racing into a boring parade, the spectators stop coming, the track can't afford to keep operating.

The bottom line is - money is killing racing! Too much of it in the wrong places and way too little where it's needed.

[jacko241]

The sad and painful fact is... racing is dying... and I have no idea how to save it. It breaks my heart that my favorite entertainment/sport is slowly disappearing. I saw my first "jalopy" stock car race at 16th Street Speedway in Indianapolis in 1954. I drove my first race in a go-kart at Whiteland Raceway (Indiana) in 1961. Built and raced my first stock car in 1969 at Indy Raceway Park. At every one of those venues the pits and grandstands were always stuffed to overflowing. It seemed like every little town of 5,000 or more had some kind of race track - go-karts, jalopies, stock cars, midgets & sprints, motorcycle flat-track, or a drag strip. Half the service stations in every town had a race car sitting out front. It was that way into the late 1960s. Then tracks started closing; why? There are several reasons.

Liability insurance for the tracks skyrocketed making operational costs untenable for some track owners. As race parts manufacturers entered the picture, car costs started rising, driving out a lot of "shoestring" racers (I was one of those). That trend continues to this day, causing car counts to drop. Too few competitors turns racing into a boring parade, the spectators stop coming, the track can't afford to keep operating.

The bottom line is - money is killing racing! Too much of it in the wrong places and way too little where it's needed.

What he said!!

[shorttrackcar1]

agree meangreen you forgot to mention what also helped ruined racing the poor teching and the guys that the only they could win was by cheating. the race tracks when they did catch them they didn't punish them enough they should have taken all their points away suspended them a few races.

[Renegade Racing Fuels]

Bill, thanks for your input. That class sounds like a good way to keep everyone entertained.

I would like to clarify one thing; methanol is 1/3 the price of racing gas. I buy it by the barrel and am paying about $3.70/gallon, but racing gas is $10+.

Not all brands of racing gas are that expensive.