Orlando Ministocks

[M_Seay10]

Just to clarify a few misconceptions, Our motors do not cost anywhere close to $10,000. As far as the motor rules being out of hand, these engines have stock block, stock crank, flat top three ring pistons, stock heads (no porting or polishing), stock size valves, stock intake, and a 500 CFM carb. However, we do buy our engines complete carb to pan, and they are very reliable. I think this is cheaper than building multiple hand grenades at home.

Also, please do not insult the integrity of our tube framed cars by comparing them to stock chassis cars that run the 15.6 to 15.8 lap time that was referred to. I personally have qualified our race car at a 15.009 at Orlando Speedworld (first Mini Stock Challenge race of the year). If there are any questions, please contact me, Jared Allison.

yah yah yah, were not insulting your tube frame four cylinder late models. but it is true that before the tube frame cars the car count was much higher

[mattr77]

The car count is low because orlando still pays the same as it did 15years ago! maybe if they pay more there would be more cars a step 2 pay more would be having the racetrack sell the tires not don.

[Boneman]

We have a winner!

It took an incredible 31 replies before someone slammed the track. This has to be a new world record!

I'm am curious how stopping Don from selling tires will benefit the track. Care to 'splain?

[mattr77]

because don gets the money for the tires not the track if the track sold the tires the track would get the money!

[M_Seay10]

the last SCCA race i entered there were over 250 entries, it costs $150 to enter and pays nothing to win

BTW no they are not all a bunch of RICH guys with race cars.

[mark41]

Jared is correct!! There are a few cars(drivers) that can wheel a stock floor panned car around OSW and many other tracks. There alot more tube cars than there used to be in order to keep up with the front runners, not everyone can afford to build a tube car. In my opinion it is better and to build one than to mess around with a stock floor pan car. The FMSC is in dire need of some fixing up since Todd Hutto left, I'm not saying a bad word about Scott or Jackie, they are doing a great job. The costs of getting to a race track is very high, One of many reasons alot of regulars were only there a hand full of times.
Mark41

[ovalracer44]

Just to clarify a few misconceptions, Our motors do not cost anywhere close to $10,000. As far as the motor rules being out of hand, these engines have stock block, stock crank, flat top three ring pistons, stock heads (no porting or polishing), stock size valves, stock intake, and a 500 CFM carb. However, we do buy our engines complete carb to pan, and they are very reliable. I think this is cheaper than building multiple hand grenades at home.

Also, please do not insult the integrity of our tube framed cars by comparing them to stock chassis cars that run the 15.6 to 15.8 lap time that was referred to. I personally have qualified our race car at a 15.009 at Orlando Speedworld (first Mini Stock Challenge race of the year). If there are any questions, please contact me, Jared Allison.

P.S.
If they offered a purse for the Winter Series, we would be there.

Im not going to take the bait to get into that argument. Im not close to dumb and have first hand seen the problems in this division. You do realize $800 rods, $500 pistons and $800 flywheel and clutch and pressure plate systems are allowed? Thats 2,100 before you get into blocks, cranks, heads, carbs and oil pans.

What has killed this class is people with money talking the tech men into passing these exorbitant rules, saying people will save money.

"Aftermarket rods save people money because the motors dont explode."

Heard that story before. stock 5.2 rods will turn 8,300 all day long. They also cost 200 from racer walsh with ARP bolts and are bushed and reworked. That is what saves a racer money. Not $800 5.930 Ultralight rods, and $500 ultralight metric pistons.

Oh yeah a $800 Flywheel, clutch and pressure plate system really saves a lot of money too. Ha

[LM18]

First of all, this is our 14th year fielding a car at Orlando in the minis. I'm not dumb either, just for your info 5.930 rods from our motor builder that you know so well, cost us $99.00 each and the pistons are $419.00. My flywheel (aluminum $349 from esslinger)clutch and pressure plate (autozone)were pulled and weighed after our mini stock challenge win at Orlando. I am not trying to be an a** about this but your figures are not very reasonable. I have also at one time campaigned for stock floorpan cars, but since we do not make the rules we build the best we can for what is allowed. In case you do not remember I have also raced many years in stock floorpan cars. In fact, I won 52 races in Florida in one season with a stock floorpan car. I know how to make these cars work, no matter what the combination is.

Also, last year we raced two races at USA Lakeland 3/4 mile. Are you sure you want $200 stock reconditioned rods in your motor???

[justin20]

its like that in every class of racing not just mini's. the mini's were fine 3 yrs ago with the rules the same way. its not the rules as to why there are no cars. everything is getting more modern tube cars becuase its getting hard to build "stock" cars anymore. better motor parts than before, just better everything. the tech sets rules not matter who talks to them. why would you wanna run a heavy flywheel and ass. so you break the crank? you take stocks since they last forever and run them. you gotta spend the money to GO FAST... thats how it is in racing. if you wanna run stock stuff and not have to spend any money run a diff. class then. or save your money that you would spend on stock stuff and buy the good. stop crying

[ovalracer44]

You just accentuated the problem. The costs. Increase the amount of money it takes to build a car from start to finish, and watch the counts drop in the classes. It doesnt take a scientist to see that classes with open mini stock rules have car counts in the 5-8 range. Classes that remain closer to stock have counts in the 15-18 range. Fans dont exactly care if you are a second faster on the stop watch. Fans want to see cars race. More cars side by side equals more fans. 8 cars spread out equals less fans.

This same thing happened in the Legends cars. Before 600 racing let things get out of control, 25 cars a night at all tracks were common. Now tracks in North Carolina, circle track hub of the country have to beg to get 6 or 7 to show up. And it all goes back to costs. I started racing Legends cars in 2000. It was affordable and fun. The racing was close, and you could win on a pretty tight budget. By the end of 2002 I saw a transformation. 7,800 grenade motors that were worth an extra 5 hp were winning. I watched one car at my home track go through 5 in one season. Tires camber cut so much 3 races and they were toast.

Circle track racing is about to become a club type setup like the SCCA. No fans, you race and get a trophy.

Oh yeah, why is someone that has the money for tube chassis cars so concerned about payout anyways? If you have that kind of money to spend, is that payout going to make or break you? Seems to me that the people that can afford that stuff would be the only ones racing when there is no payout, because they can afford it.

When I start having to worry about how much I get paid for winning, Its time for me to sell out and quit racing.

[justin20]

you race a "mini-stock". orlando races "modified mini stocks" its a diff. class of cars. and for one thing just becuase you have a tube car means you have a lot of money? i have seen many tube cars and know the people dont have alot of money. there is a reason why classes are divided, so people with low budget can have fun to, by racing the cheap more stock class. fans dont wanna see a few fast cars run away from the others thats why the classes are divided. like auberndale runs mini-stock and mod-minis. and theres not a lot of cars because most have run all season and the season is over. its regroup time for many people.

[ovalracer44]

Also, last year we raced two races at USA Lakeland 3/4 mile. Are you sure you want $200 stock reconditioned rods in your motor???

We use stock rods at Myrtle Beach Speedway. It is a long 5/8 mile track. Have never had a problem. I would do it all day long. Infact if USA was to have a ministock race I would bring a stock rod motor and turn the crap out of it just to prove it can happen. I have had just as many engine failures on racing rods as I have stock rods. The problem with these motors has become the crappy bearings that are available. King bearings (supplied by Johnson) are the only ones I have found that will not spin anymore Im not trying to start any problems here, and do not fault anyone for working to the full extent of the rules. I do the same thing. I will be building a motor right after the Christmas holiday that is legal only at the FASCAR tracks, and one track in georgia, just because I want the best the rules will allow. But I do see the corrolation between costs and the car counts. Like I said in previous posts. We had more open motor rules up here, and the class counts dropped to less than 6. I am more open to tube cars, than I am high dollar motor rules. I do recognize that the cars we use are getting harder to find. I do think that the weight placement rules could be looked at in a different way just to help equalize things. probably the biggest difference between the two is center of gravity. The only other big difference is the trailing arm setup. A 3 link with someone who knows how to use it is a very big handling advantage. To someone who doesnt know how to work it, its a big disadvantage.

I just dont want to see this division die. I race it because I love it. I know what I can afford to spend, that doesnt mean I think everyone should have to be able to spend what I can to be competitive. Lets keep it affordable and fun, this way more cars can run and there is more fun to be had by everyone.

I dont think anyone likes to win a 5 or 6 car race.

[LM18]

We do not use 3 link rears in our cars in Fla. Our rules require stock four link setup in stock location. You said you run a .450 lift rule, that still requires purchase of an aftermarket cam (same price as any other lift we run in our motors). Also for $200 difference in stock reworked rods versus aftermarket I do not see how our motor rules are that "EXTRAVAGANT".
I understand the car counts are down, but I don't think it's because of the engines. As far as being able to race for no purse, we probably could if there were no other option. But when it pays $200 to win and we win 20 features in one season that is another $4000 for us to freshen up our "EXTRAVAGANT" engines.

[ancrdave]

Hey Jared... Remember the gool 'ol days???

[LM18]

Thanks for reminding me Dave, I wish that I still weighed that much.