Soaking Tires?

[Tim]

No offense...but the gap will never be filled again. For track owners this is a business, for the local racers it's a hobby. In years past, if you had a big slm race, you could count on Anderson, Trickle, Wallace, Riddley, Martin, Balough, Porter, Cope, Hanley, ect...because that's how the racers lived and what they lived for...it's just not the same any more...

[straight up]

none taken . life goes on . some stay in a rut , others move on . peace !

[ronabneysr]

do you really think you can get 100% legal

because if it's not the tires it 's some thing else you got to have just thAt little bit of edge .

money can't buy you ever thing and they keep making stuff to put on your car to just get that little extra inch

show me a car that is 100 % PERFECT LEGAL

AND I'LL SHOW YOU A CAR RUNNING IN BACK AND IF YOU THROW AWAY THE RULES THEN YOU AIN'T GOT ENOUGH CARS TO RACE

IF THEY GOT AWAY WITH PUNCHING 38-39-40 TWO DAYS FROM NOW THEY WOULD BE 34-36

[Benny The Mule]

No offense...but the gap will never be filled again. For track owners this is a business, for the local racers it's a hobby. In years past, if you had a big slm race, you could count on Anderson, Trickle, Wallace, Riddley, Martin, Balough, Porter, Cope, Hanley, ect...because that's how the racers lived and what they lived for...it's just not the same any more...

OK genius, tell us why it is different. Because if you can't you've just explained why racing is in the state it is right now.

C'mon businessman..............dazzle me.

[Tim]

Benny, if there was anyway to dazzle you, I'd be dazzleing everyone and fixing the whole situation.

First, take it from someone who has absolutely had an isolationistic (is that a word?) view towards racing in FL. Regardless how I felt about certain issues, I had to open my eyes to see what was the best thing for racing as a whole and change my opinions. When the ego's are lowered the whole world opens up to possibilities.

When I'm wrong I'll say I was wrong. On the spec motor issue I was wrong. The motors needed to be reeled back in and I believe they have found a combination that the FL racers feel that they can still compete with. So long as the rule doesn't make the racers feel they need to go back to buying 35k motors to be competitive, my opinion will be that the right decision was made.

Tracks can't seem to draw new fans through blanket advertiseing and paper promotions. Maybe a better way to put it is they spend $3k in advertising and if their lucky they see and addition $3k come through the front gate. Me personally, I would rather pay drivers to go out into the community and advertise themselves racing than I would pay money to radio or tv stations. Would it work? I don't know, but it's different and it keeps the money circulating between the racers and the track.

Look around most tracks at the billboards, most of the racers are also the track sponsors. There are outside sponsorships too, I am just giving credit to the racers that go beyond racing itself, to help their track. The downside is it does create the perception of favortism.

Short tracks and racers have to find new money. The only place I see new money is to fill the empty seats. Tracks and racers need to work together to accomplish this. Do I think a racer should, at his own expense advertise for the track. Hell no! And I don't think that the track should expect them to. Work it out! It benefits both because a packed house means tracks can finally consider better payouts, facility inprovements, bigger races, ect and it creates greater value in sponsorship money for billboards and race cars.

I have said this before, as a promoter I can stand in front of Wal Mart on a Saturday morning and hand out free tickets to everyone that walks out. I will get 1 out of every 10 back at the front gate that night. A racer can do it the next weekend, and I will get back 8 out of every 10 that they hand out that night. Racers are the best promoters their are.

Just a couple of my opinions...

[CHEWS 23 GIRL]

Tires

Open tire rule should be the only way to go for dirt and asphalt.

Come on lets save some money for these drivers, tire prep is outrageous ..

OPEN tire rule would svae so much head ach on all leavels: Officials,tracks, car owners,and drivers after all they are the ones spending all the money and putting on ALL the great shows not the tracks or the tire dealers..!!!!!

[Tim]

While an open tire rule makes it to where anyone can show up to a track and run what they brung on the car....the ones with money take advantage of the situation and bring $300 tires nobody can compete with or obtain the day of the race. When there was an open rule, that's what killed it the last time.

[BigMac99]

Open tire rule should be the only way to go for dirt and asphalt.

Come on lets save some money for these drivers, tire prep is outrageous ..

OPEN tire rule would svae so much head ach on all leavels: Officials,tracks, car owners,and drivers after all they are the ones spending all the money and putting on ALL the great shows not the tracks or the tire dealers..!!!!!

As Tim said, the problem then becomes the guys with the cash just go out and buy the softest gumballs they can, and then when they burn them off in a 20 lap feature, just write another check and load the hauler up with more for next week. In addition, I doubt that would stop anyone from soaking at all, even when they can run any tire, a racer is always going to look for the advantage over the other guy.

[Benny The Mule]

Tim, your a good sport. Let's keep this debate going. I want to be dazzled because there is a fix to this situation. The racing has been monopolized by big money and the tracks want first and foremost to make a profit. I have a number of solutions but I'll leave this as it is and reply later.

[Tim]

Thanks Benny, would love to hear more ideas.

[DeMan951]

Again??
Jeff Choquette and Tim Russell both have been DQ'd tonight according to Speed 51. I think that makes it three times in the last couple of months for Choquette beginning with the World Crown 300. That is out of control.

[Bigbuck]

exactly!!!

discounting the grandstand prices is to draw more fans . better to have 1000 fans paying $ 5 bucks to get in than 50 paying $15 . = more money . a fair cheater free playing field equals more cars , better racing . = more fans, more cars = more money . EQUALS A MORE PRODUCTIVE BUISNESS .

well said!! Not the total answer but its the track owner that has allowed all of this get out of hand, allowing only the big money people the opportunity to be productive every night. They have become a tire and gas store to a large degree. As far as track rental to cup teams, thats great, i hear the track makes good money, as well as some of the employees when the cup tems come, thats great, BUT until the tracks bite the bullett and for a few things, Make tech fair and equal, or I should say ALLOW it to be, Stop all this testing, and what about a tire rule, its done in the North and the car count and fan count is FAR better. Its the tracks and the tracks only that can put a stop to all the rich Daddys that want to push their kids thru say for example the truck series and be gone in a couple yrs. When everyone has an equal opportunity the car count WILL increase, FAN count WILL increase which will increase profit, in the end. May take a yr or two before it REALLY pays off but I guarantee give the small guy a chance and they will return. I have a business too. I'm barely making it, just like most honest business owners will admit, but know what? I'm selling services as cheap or cheaper than 5 yrs ago, 1/2 a cup is lots better than an empty cup. Lose a customer and he's probably gone for ever. The same is true for the track owners. Increasing entry fees, grand stand fees , especially now is NOT the answer. $35 pit pass, I doubt it! i havent been all yr, for this very reason, its crazy.

[SeminoleWind]

Well said, yourself, Tunaman!

[Bigbuck]

$5

I get it straight up, if NSS lowers their front gate to $5 then 1000 people will just walk up and want a ticket?..... And that will inspire racers to come....and the track will make a fortune that they should pay back to the racer.

Great business plan!

Yes Tim, in time thats exactly what will happen. In time!! Never will the way it is now.

[andre]

I get it straight up, if NSS lowers their front gate to $5 then 1000 people will just walk up and want a ticket?.....

Regular catholic churches are free to get in and I don't see that many overflowing with people either, but on the other hand, you see every day big entertaining events, Super Bowl, NHL, WrestleMania, Cirque du Soleil, many top name pop stars and rock bands, fill up stadiums at high ticket prices. Why??? This what people wants to see. So, before you do all the advertizing gimmicks in the book, you have to have an entertaining show that people are willing to drive to, and pay for to watch.