Speedworld reopening ideas

[Boneman]

Speedworld really has to dig itself out of a deep hole. After so many rain-outs and cancelled shows, I am worried that whenever we do run again, too many drivers will think, "oh, they are probably cancelled anyway, I won't worry about going". I really hope our first show after monsoon season is not a stinker, so here are a few ideas to pump a little life into the track.

Test and Tune! Have we had any of these all year? Maybe it would help to get some cars out there to spread the word that the track is raceable again. A little rubber on the surface would be nice too. What about Wednesday of this week?

Double points. Why not? Points are free and the track has an infinite supply. Why not give some away and maybe attract a few more cars?

Throw out the remaining schedule and fix the show. This experiment of running 4 or 5 classes with features only has to be scrapped. Last night, Auburndale ran 9 classes with heats and features. Some classes had two heats by the way. FASCAR ran heats and features for years, and the resulting show was much better than the current status quo.

Build some bridges. There are some driver-to-FASCAR relationships that need to be repaired. The show and car count is suffering, in part because of bad feelings and grudges. After months of inactivity, maybe some of the sharp edges have worn off, so SOMEBODY in power needs to make the first move. Remember the old saying, "every business is a people business"; its true, even with hard-headed racers.

Any others?

[Todd McCreary]

i have an idea for the next rain out, don't "rain it out" at all.

hold a mud wrasslin contest in the infield! that'll bring the racers out of the woodwork.

[M_Seay10]

mud wrasslin?

have an idea for the next rain out, don't "rain it out" at all.

hold a mud wrasslin contest in the infield! that'll bring the racers out of the woodwork.

Todd, that might work as long as you,Rex,Edm,FLraceguy,ss29 and ab195 arnt the ones doing the mud wrasslin.

[Boneman]

No productive feedback?

[Cara]

It would be nice if they still had heat races because some of us cannot get there early on Friday for a little practice. As far as test and tune nights, I have asked about this for this year only to be told that not enough show up for it and if I needed practice, I had to rent the track. Would love to see things work out for OSW so I could one day return to racing there.

My Dad try to tell them how to fix the track from weeping back in the 80's but no one would listen to him because he was old.

[Dana Barlow]

Idea from afar;
The way I understand whats happening is some of the rain fines it's way into the ground behind the wall and some runs off.?=
Get post hole diggers or sump hole/well diggers set up,to run in on the fan side of wall and sink deep sump holes,cover them so rain runs off as normel and sump holes only drains inground/hump at grandstands, water that is making weeper to track,this would let dry out happen much faster then trying to let that mound of drit dry for weeks,it could that way not weep any after only a few hours.
Stop trying to kill Gators when you need to drain the swoomp! Ya must be able to have a show before figure out what show.

[modracer22]

Start the season back up after the rain is gone. If you bring back heat races please keep the features at 25 laps. 15 laps is not long enough. Try and have at least one test and tune night a mounth for the ones that can't make it for practice. As far as A-dale goes the night I went they only had 6 classes the night I went and yes they ran heat races and the modified race was 40 laps. I don't think it's track relations as much as some other stuff that keeps drivers away.

[Frasson118]

How this for an idea... get a commitment from the track that they will do EVERYTHING in their power to get a night of racing in. In turn, racers that are itching to go racing would tend to at least come and give it a try, if they knew that Management wasn't going to give up easily either. This is a 3 part proposal. The track, the racers, and fans will all need to respond.

Sure, it rains every afternoon around here, but it stops fairly early in the evening, and most of it soaks right into the ground.

The track will be damp, and need some drying time. Get a bunch of cars out there and it will dry. Start with tow-trucks, pick-up trucks... anything that folks will help out with. Then send out some cars with open headers and it will finish off the drying.

As for the "weepers"... it sounds to me like a relatively small amount of water seeping through. Chuck a bag of oil dry in front of each problem one, which should absorb most of the water, and the heat in the track will take care of the rest. If there are rivers of water coming out, this solution won't work. But they are refered to as weepers, not waterfalls.

The show may start late, probably end late, but if everyone on ALL sides of the fences (management, racers and fans) realizes that "we are NOT giving up easy", maybe you could get some shows in.

I really have a hard time understanding all the rainouts without giving 100% effort into getting it in. If the track is broken, find a way (or at least a PLAN on how) to fix it. If it's not gonna get fixed, then plan the season around the rainy season. Because I can postively, guarantee you, that the Florida summer weather patterns are not gonna change in 2010... or 2011.... or 2012.
Waiting for Mother Nature to cooperate isn't working. How about a plan on how to work around it!

[ams311]

hey

1st We need to run heats in all classes no matter what i would love to race there each week but i get off at 5pm on friday and i am driveing from auburndale so we need time to get there. 2nd we need some kind of new staff that will help the track in more ways than one not just show up on friday and say ya or na if we are racing.

3rd the word of mouth is the best way to get cars count we all need to work as one i try to help my home track all i can with what i can i do not work for auburndale speedway all the time i do help rex run his gokart track and when he needs help at the big track i am there. butt you guys see what i do on this board each week i promote all i can for his track i run a facebook and a myspace page for the track also and it dose help get fans and new cars to the track each week. So as fan on racers well need to save this track if you guys need help just ask me i will do what i can to help out thanks let me know ( FLORIDA BIGGEST RACE FAN JAMES FROM AUBURNDALE)

[Rick B.]

In regards to the Frass and AMS311 posts

First Jerry I certainly am not happy about the rain outs, but a little weeping is not the issue. Speedy dry will not stop them, last year we tried concete mix near the walls it made big hard piles and then started running over it again. If it a little water, those things may help, but we have had a ton of seeping, and the one week when we thought we could go, we then got a bunch of rain and it pushes the water up through the track and under the wall. When you run cars when it is seeping bad it actually pushes more up out of the track. It is not a good thing, but you need to understand what has been tried. And I am not sure who ams311 is talking about just showing up Friday's and canceling the races and not doing anything to help the track, does not know what goes on during the week.
Thanks

[ams311]

ya

thats wasent what i ment rick calm down i was just saying we are trying to help here thats all.

[Rick B.]

Just going from your words !

"2nd we need some kind of new staff that will help the track in more ways than one not just show up on friday and say ya or na if we are racing."

That was your quote, that makes me think you are saying the staff does nothing, comes out Friday and say we are not racing........I am sorry that is what that sounds like to me.

I can assure yu that is not what is going on and we do cars and we wish we did not have this issue, but we will deal with it and we are trying to lok at ways to make it so we do not have this problem again next year.

Until then we will do out best to get some racing when it is safe and can be done. And until then I and others are making contacts, planning the new season, promotions etc.

Constructive ideas I am all for, send them to me at rbristol@fascar.org and I will certainly look at them, pass them along to Butch, Kim and Robert, but saying things like the above thing weather meant that way or not does not help at all.

Thanks,

P.S. - I am not mad just explaining the other side. And I do not have a problem with questions, but please listen to the answers. Thanks

[AB195]

Yhis is an Idea--

Invite all First-Timers/ Newbys back the the Raceway with a bonus for showing up--if they had not raced there this year, or even last year at all. And the top 3 new first-timers in each class will recieve a bonus of 70-50-30 dollars, all on top of their normal payout. ONLY them, and nobody else.

All first timers/teams only, even who have not raced within the last 2 years, are eligible, nobody else.

With seven classes, your almost guaranteed 21 new teams/cars, which is substantial for a regular night of racing.

Repeat it again; 21 more first-timers, and I'll bet most of them return again and again.
The car count would build............ almost instantly.