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A good night at New Smyrna! We had perfect weather, enough cars, there were fans in the stands, and overall a healthy and happy vibe. It seemed like everyone came for a good time, and most succeeded in having one.
I give two thumbs up to the 50/50 format: twin 50 lappers for SLM and Pro LM. It was better than a 200, or even a 100 lapper, because it appeared to me that no one was just riding around and counting down laps. The SLM 50 started 24 cars and featured lots of dense traffic. Yeah, some bumper action too, some sliding and wall scrapping, but that is what its all about. It was a competitive and interesting race!
Also, the track gets a tip of the hat on their ability to harness the great intangible in racing: an entertaining atmosphere! It is a subjective thing, but it seemed to me that the announcers were on their game, the racers turned it up, and the fans where I sat were into the whole thing. "Atmosphere" has been elusive in recent years, but I felt it last night, and I hope we made some new fans as a result.
Of course the other side of the coin is a pet peeve of mine that is a decade old: no soap in the bathrooms again!
Final note: Sportsman winner Patrick Thomas looked like a new man. Well done on your win Patrick, but your physical transformation was a great surprise. I hope it helps you to stay in the seat for many more years. And we got a kick out of the way you handled that clown who was heckling during our interview. You cracked us up!
I give two thumbs up to the 50/50 format: twin 50 lappers for SLM and Pro LM. It was better than a 200, or even a 100 lapper, because it appeared to me that no one was just riding around and counting down laps. The SLM 50 started 24 cars and featured lots of dense traffic. Yeah, some bumper action too, some sliding and wall scrapping, but that is what its all about. It was a competitive and interesting race!
Also, the track gets a tip of the hat on their ability to harness the great intangible in racing: an entertaining atmosphere! It is a subjective thing, but it seemed to me that the announcers were on their game, the racers turned it up, and the fans where I sat were into the whole thing. "Atmosphere" has been elusive in recent years, but I felt it last night, and I hope we made some new fans as a result.
Of course the other side of the coin is a pet peeve of mine that is a decade old: no soap in the bathrooms again!
Final note: Sportsman winner Patrick Thomas looked like a new man. Well done on your win Patrick, but your physical transformation was a great surprise. I hope it helps you to stay in the seat for many more years. And we got a kick out of the way you handled that clown who was heckling during our interview. You cracked us up!
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