Why didn't I think of that???!!!

[tedrichard]

Jerry brought up the idea of "bracket" style racing in an earlier thread on the winter series shows at OSW. The more I think of it the more fascinated I am with the concept. The only way that it would really work would require transponders to time every car for every lap so you could monitor the lap speeds since you would need to be able to police the "dial in" . If someone "broke out" and ran faster lap times than the dial in they would have to be DQ'd. This idea could really work!

[Frasson118]

Ted... how about this.. Top 5 finishers must bolt on 1st) 50#, 2nd) 40#, 3rd) 30#, 4th) 20# 5th)10#. Weigh them at the scales as they come off the track, record it, and make sure their weight increased by the correct amount the next week (or next time at the track I should say). If they again get a top 5, increase it again. If you can win 3 features with 150# of bolt on weight, move them to the next fastest bracket and take the weights back off!
Make the purse higher for each bracket as an incentive to move up to the next bracket, rather than just sandbagging along.

This also almost completely eliminates the need for a tight rule book. Build what you want, and your speed will determine the Bracket you're in, rather than which division you're in! It works in Drag racing... Ramblers right next to Rails.

Keep in mind, I don't mean LM, Mods and such, just the various "Monte Carlo" classes. This way, you could run a V-6 if you wanted, Front wheel drive, Fuel-injected 4's... lots of possibilities.

[Todd McCreary]

Keep in mind, I don't mean LM, Mods and such, just the various "Monte Carlo" classes. This way, you could run a V-6 if you wanted, Front wheel drive, Fuel-injected 4's... lots of possibilities.

damn. you took Westerman serious didn't you?

[tedrichard]

Yep, kinda like German Touring cars. That's what they used to do. Not sure if they still do. I'm for anything that simplifies the rule book and negates the effect of high tech big dollar stuff. Find a way to allow those who just can't live without tinkering with the cars and spending money get their kicks without running everyone to the poor house trying to keep up.

[Frasson118]

That's EXACTLY where my thoughts are coming from, the GTC. Fast cars get a penalty, the slower ones get a break... until they are are basically EQUAL.

Damn Ted... are you sure we aren't Twin sons from different Mothers?

Your Mothers name isn't Karen by any chance?

[derf]

german touring cars,japanese touring(jgtc),fia touring ,british touring etc.all add on weight per top 3-5 finish.the german cars are high tech.some of the technology is more advanced than f1.would be kind of cool to see a team at OSW or smyrna change a motor in less than 15 minutes.

[tedrichard]

german touring cars,japanese touring(jgtc),fia touring ,british touring etc.all add on weight per top 3-5 finish.the german cars are high tech.some of the technology is more advanced than f1.would be kind of cool to see a team at OSW or smyrna change a motor in less than 15 minutes.

More than once over the years I've seen guys blow the motor in the race car, pull the motor out of the HAULER to make the show and then have to swap it BACK to make it home! I think it's safe to say those days are long gone!

[oneoff]

The first Late Model Sportsman race at Talladega.

Buck Holder of Deland took his Nascar Late Model Sportsman to the first race at Talladega back in 1969 I think. The car was a Chevelle with a 427 out to 432 inches, that was the legal limit at that time. Will old Butch Hirst is driving that car, and it was flying in practice and qualified very will. The motor blows up in final practice and Nascar said "put a motor in it and race". Buck had a really trick (for the time) tow truck, with a 396 out to 402 inches motor in it. Will out comes the race motor, in goes the truck motor and off we go. We ran all day and finished respectable. We swapped the motors back and went home to Deland with no problems. Tiny Lund in a Ford Fairlane #29 with Pepsi on the side of in won that race. Anyone remember what happened in the Grand National race the next day?

[tedrichard]

That's a hard one to forget. The great PDA boycott of 69. Old Bill France called their bluff and ran the race anyway with "no name" drivers, half the field was Grand American "pony cars". Richard Brickhouse won his first and only Grand National (now Cup) race. The big name drivers were screaming bloody murder because Goodyear didn't have tires that would stand up to the 200 mph speeds they were running on the brand new track. They wanted to call the race. France wanted to run it anyway, he said, "Just slow down!" The rest is history.........

[Frasson118]

One of my original hereos, Bobby Isaac is one of the few that refused to boycott. The story goes, that he was instructed by Harry Hyde and Nord Krauskopf (the famous K&K Dodge, #71) , the car owner, NOT to win the race, even though they were entirely capable of doing so. A few of the drivers that were called into replace the "star" drivers included Richard Childress, Tiny Lund, Jim Paschall and even Bill France himself.
That was Richard Brickhouse's one and only win in the Nascar ranks.... and he was railroaded out of town like a scab on a picket line for doing so.

I only have a few "heroes" in this sport, and Bobby was one of them.... add in Maynard Troyer, Ernie Irvan, and Don Diffendorf. The rest were good, but those 4 were GREAT!