0Your thoughs on UMP Good/Bad?? - Belle-Clair Speedway not so sure from a Facebook post I just read.

rusty I could not have said it any better .I am a racer and a fan .As a fan I always want to see the BEST race each other . I attend the ump banquet each year because its a good time with good people if im getting a trophy or not and there are always a lot of bellevegas guys there .if you ask most local level racers if they are chasing ump points their answer is no, except when they start having a good season then all of a sudden their in the top fifty in the nation .now that guy is racing two nights a week and chasing shows and points. i think we are very lucky to live in a region that has so many really great race tracks that we can even have this discussion . but end of the day you keep ump
 
I guess what would also weigh in on the debate is if the track was planning on offering any other kind of point/reward system. With the sponsors around here that are already against UMP maybe we could come up with something comparible if not better?!
 
t.nie said:
So what the "star of the show" is saying is that there is no "show" unless he shows up? I guess I have to ask you Rusty, just what did you think people were paying to see before you came along? And what do you think people will pay to see when you are gone? If anything, the crowds were bigger before you became one of the "Stars of the Show."

The stars of the show don't have to be certain people. The stars of the show will rise out of whomever shows up. Ask any promoter, they rather have the top 5 not show up, as lose the other 20.

"Star Power" doesn't translate to Dirt racing. Just look at the Nascar night of stars races, the last one I was at the stands were half full and there were all these big name Nascar guys there. All the fans I spoke to said if Tony Stewart was there, or Dale Earnhardt Jr, the stands would have been packed. Other than that, even a run of the mill Nascar guy won't draw more people to the stands.

I'm not taking anything away from Rusty Griffaw, Ray Walsh, Mike Harrison, Kloos, Korte, any of the big "names" in local racing. But racing would be better served with 20 more backmarkers who have family and friends who love seeing someone they know on the track rather than having one more "star" driver with a big name.

I spoke to a promoter out in MO a number of years ago, who related the story that this one young guy with more money than God showed up every week and won a particular division by half a lap. Sure, in that kid's mind, he was the "Star of the Show" because he won all the time. In his mind, why would anyone show up to watch people lose to him? The promoter told me straight up he'd rather the kid go race somewhere else, he was stinking up the show. He even told him why don't you go race with a touring series or something, where you will be challenged and give everyone else locally a chance to have some glory.

The whole star thing just doesn't do much for a local promoter. More cars, an evenly spread field and everyone has a chance at winning will keep people interested. Just watching the same 4 guys trade wins every week is probably doing more harm than good for the promoter.
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FIrst of all, I think Rusty was talking in general, not specifically about himself. Also, I usually make 4 or 5 trips down there each year (4 hours one way), but I can gaurantee you that I will not be making any trips there for some unsanctioned weekly show of guys I have never heard of.
 
So this person says we don't need the local stars we need 20 more back markers to have better show . Dumbest thing I've ever heard because gonna be hard to find 20 more cars to show up out of nowhere there's only so many racers out there these days and 20 more backmarkers on the track would cause more carnage and cautions that would drag out the show and make people not want to watch.Lets face it not everyone is cut out to be a racecar driver we should appreciate our local stars and the talent they have .
 
t.nie said:
So what the "star of the show" is saying is that there is no "show" unless he shows up? I guess I have to ask you Rusty, just what did you think people were paying to see before you came along? And what do you think people will pay to see when you are gone? If anything, the crowds were bigger before you became one of the "Stars of the Show."

The stars of the show don't have to be certain people. The stars of the show will rise out of whomever shows up. Ask any promoter, they rather have the top 5 not show up, as lose the other 20.

"Star Power" doesn't translate to Dirt racing. Just look at the Nascar night of stars races, the last one I was at the stands were half full and there were all these big name Nascar guys there. All the fans I spoke to said if Tony Stewart was there, or Dale Earnhardt Jr, the stands would have been packed. Other than that, even a run of the mill Nascar guy won't draw more people to the stands.

I'm not taking anything away from Rusty Griffaw, Ray Walsh, Mike Harrison, Kloos, Korte, any of the big "names" in local racing. But racing would be better served with 20 more backmarkers who have family and friends who love seeing someone they know on the track rather than having one more "star" driver with a big name.

I spoke to a promoter out in MO a number of years ago, who related the story that this one young guy with more money than God showed up every week and won a particular division by half a lap. Sure, in that kid's mind, he was the "Star of the Show" because he won all the time. In his mind, why would anyone show up to watch people lose to him? The promoter told me straight up he'd rather the kid go race somewhere else, he was stinking up the show. He even told him why don't you go race with a touring series or something, where you will be challenged and give everyone else locally a chance to have some glory.

The whole star thing just doesn't do much for a local promoter. More cars, an evenly spread field and everyone has a chance at winning will keep people interested. Just watching the same 4 guys trade wins every week is probably doing more harm than good for the promoter.
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The stars you name are good but you dont need them to have a great show I agree...there is way to many young guns in this area that will fill their spots and they do put on good show!
 
Well before the current top runners people came to see where Dixon Klien Hammerle Doug Klien Bo Smith Terry Hall in LM an Seets's Hoffmans Pizza Man Weber Walsh Bittle Martintoni Ratjcheck some of the names are the same as current ones but that's cause they still race an have a fan base or their kids now carry the torch this is just a small list cause I guess your not from around here or to dumb to know how things are you must have never worked hard an found success in anything in life but running your mouth
 
Over 150 replys to this thread and 98% of it is about late models and modifieds!! Did we forget there is other classes in this area besides those two? All the ones that are bitching about if one track drops the UMP sanctioning that will do away with some guys showing up or there will go the summer nationals etc. Well guess what... at all those shows you are so darn concerned about....When they have those shows there is a support class that normally runs at those shows!! You people are so wrapped up in the late model modified world that you can't even see the forrest for the trees!! Do you forget that the lower classes are support classes and help pay the bills to?? It's very obvious that you people are caught up in the corporate side of UMP!! I say since Noone is concerned about the lower classes then when you do have these big shows that you so desperately want that none of these lower classes show up and again since Noone is concerned about them maybe they should just pick up and stop showing up at tracks!!! Then let's see how far your late models and modified shows go!! If the lower classes would just not show up then I guess all the cry baby bitches wouldn't have to cry anymore about "the show ran late", "to many classes", etc!! Get a grip people and stop having tunnel vision and thinking there is only two classes out there!!!
 
Some times the best races of the night are the support divisions I had 3 people tell me the best race all night at tri city Friday was the kids mods feature and I personally like watching the bomber races at Belleville an highland to see a little bumping an grinding but your missing the point of my posts to get the people there you have to have the sanctioning an the bigger name drivers it doesn't guarantee they will be the best show that night but with out them some not all but some won't show up to catch the best races of the night no matter what class it is in I'm done posting on this deal have a great holiday an hope all enjoy the show next Friday an next year no matter what don decides
 
I can tell you all i have 2 stars on the track, a mod. and pro 4, i get excited watching both my boys, weather they run first our last, They both know what spot they are ranked in UMP, why have the late models UMP and not the pro 4, if a person is going to race more than friday night , guess what you have to buy a Ump lic. anyway, it doesnt cost the track any more money to sanction the lower classes, only the top 2 lates and mods, UMP does need to work harder on helping all these tracks out, i used to wait by the mail box for the weekly news letter with the updated points to see if i gained our lost spots, the point system they now use does not make a guy have to race weekly, i think it should still be your 1 best finish per week, a guy that runs good at his local track can finish in the top 10 or so, by adding a couple extra nights of racing, Im not a UMP lover but right now thats the direction the area tracks have chosen, Maybe UMP needs to take a look at trying to work harder for the local racer vs the traveling racer, The direction Bob Memmer wanted.
 
Kermit the Frog said:
Well before the current top runners people came to see where Dixon Klien Hammerle Doug Klien Bo Smith Terry Hall in LM an Seets's Hoffmans Pizza Man Weber Walsh Bittle Martintoni Ratjcheck some of the names are the same as current ones but that's cause they still race an have a fan base or their kids now carry the torch this is just a small list cause I guess your not from around here or to dumb to know how things are you must have never worked hard an found success in anything in life but running your mouth
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Read the other replies, they tell you the same thing as what I am saying. All those guys running 15th on back bring in more people to the track then you and the other top 4 combined.

And before you go calling people dumb, stupid, and totally unaware of what goes on around the area concerning racing, etc, I can assure you I am neither. And I would also like to point out that I made it clear I meant no disrespect to you or any of other successful guys around the STL area. It's a shame you stooped to belittling and name calling.

But my point remains the same. Stars can be made out of whomever shows up to race, and you don't have to have the biggest names in the area at your track to have a very successful track. Just look at the other replies. People aren't jumping on the bandwagon to tell us they only go where Rusty races, they say they go where THEIR kid races.

Those people will be loyal fans to their favorite driver regardless of where they finish. And we need more people at the track to get more family's showing up. A handful of well funded, top notch professionals outrunning everyone every Friday or Saturday night isn't the only way for a track to be successful.

Dump the sanction, let those big guns go race each other and get their points somewhere else, and you just might find a whole lot of other people getting interested in getting in a car because with those big names gone elsewhere, they have a shot.
 
There is some good posts here but no reason to call anyone dumb. Everyone has an opinion and their right to voice is is the reason why we are the usa. Im on either side of the fence but my beef with ump is this. They ruined the sportsman class by not setting a national set of rules. Mods got them. Lates got them. Weird. Then they let the street stock class get all butchered up too. As was in the recent deal with cars being illegal. Set some rules and enforce them if your going to run an organization. Letting street stocks run spacers and adjustable anything is just plain crazy. The class was never meant to get like that. Funny how all the years they ran without all that but now some say their cars wont turn without them. Wait it was said they wont go as fast. Wow. Everyone is afraid of dropping car counts by enforcing the rules but yet you pay a membership fee and thats what they are supposed to do. That is part of the problem. We " little" guys feel ump takes our monry to feed the guys who run for points. So in a way the "little" guy is a support class within a class. You dont have him paying his fee you cannot throw out money at the end of the year. Its a full circle. When nascar was here at tri city i felt like i was part of the big picture in the way i was treated weekly. Never got that feeling from ump. Had a problem with nascar and you got an answer. They had a decent points fund and oh my god.......they had a national set of rules for ALL classes. Ump needs to buck up and realizes everyone counts. Fine you think the litle guys not showing up wont hurt? Youd go from a 35 car field to 18 and id bet there would be just as much wrecks as if the "field " fillers ran. What a statement that all new drivers arent worth the time to watch. Everyone has to start somewhere. Noone just goes out there and rips off fast times. Noone. In todays world id pay to go see someone who runs as hard as he can without the best equipment but is having fun because ive been there done that and know the sacrifices it takes to do so. Not saying the faster and better guys dont but some loose site of what EVERYONE goes through week in and week out to just out a car on the track.
 
Things were great for ump in the 90's with bob behind the helm. It all fell apart when he passed and new people were brought in.
 
And my post is not a personal bash towards anyone. Just my opinion and i do respect everyone elses as well. Just no reason to call anyone dumb. Never is a reason to call anyone dumb in my opinon
 
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racin90 said:
And my post is mot a personal bash towards anyone. Just my opinion and i do respect everyone elses as well. Just no reason to call anyone dumb. Never is a reason to call anyone dumb in my opinon
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As far as your last sentence, what about Dirtboy? Lol
 
UMP has done a lot for guys in the "lower" divisions. Ask Scott Weber, Bob Dauderman, Ryan Eilers, Russell Eilers, Jon Ripperda, Troy Naegar, Brad Venhaus, Jeff Herzog, Rob Shaw, Jason Worley, Jake Hewitt, Rob Lee, etc I would say all these guys have benefitted from being a UMP member at least once in their life.

Also, please explain to me how UMP could have made nation wide rules for the sportsman class? or the bomber class?
 
Jim here are my thoughts and its just thoughts. Ump set rules for modifieds right? If they didnt you would have troyer built east coast mods blending with whatever creation out there and call it a mod. They could have and should have set national rules for sportsmans and since they didnt class is dying. Its my opinon. If im wrong im wrong but look how many sportsmans showed at tri city. 2 years ago number would have been double. Heck should mandate a crate motor for the sportsmans and that might have saved them. Who knows. Street stocks same deal. That class is all over the radar depending what track you run.
 
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I will say this. The blue chevelle that showed up was slow in the heat but wow he was fast in the b main!
 
I don't feel to bad for calling you dumb or uninformed there cause you must not be able to read results this post is about Belleville an if you look at the results this 15th on back field of cars you want to watch does not exist most nights and if there are more than 15 normally after the 1st 5 laps the 2 spin rule has weeded them out so what would be paying to see you are delusional an these well funded teams you keep referring to not sure you have a clue there either since you keep referring to me in your posts I will let you know I have a 4 year old car with a smaller motor than most teams an my truck an trailer cost less than some of the dulleys I see pulling the bombers to the track so I really do not think you have a clue about me at least
 
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