PITDRIFTER
Motorsports
Brandon Paul said:
Does this remind you of a certain Fri. night track?
- Thread starter Brandon Paul
- Start date
t.nie
Patience Tester
I can take my SS to Belleville or Brownstown just as easy. If your gonna play the "why cut so and so" game, then keep them all, cut no one, and keep having the same damn problems next year too. If a class is going to get cut, then at least try to do it with the marketing package of the whole show in mind, instead of individual division numbers.nikki6904 said:
Think about what you are marketing to the audience, not just what classes can we get people to show up and race in. I honestly think a fast paced, premier show at Godfrey on a Friday night would be a good thing to consider.
This is a big picture view, a look at how to sculpt an attractive forest, not just a "lets look at the trees and cut some down" approach. Think big picture, total package. Tracks need to address how they are going to market the whole show, not just giving new boys like me a chance to run. There are plenty of Saturday night tracks for people to learn how to race at.
Brandon Paul
Free agent score guy
I can't see any track cutting it's lowest paying class unless the car count got REAL low. It's just too much pit pass revenue coupled with low purses for a track to cut a lower class.
Although I think running two "third" classes is redundant, the debate about Godfrey running too many classes is a smoke screen. How often do any of the support classes really get enough cars to run more than two heats or necesitate a semi? If they stopped running those dumb 5 car heats and/or 4 car semis and just run two heats and a feature in each class they could cut down a lot of line up time.
Look, I know that it's in a promoter's interest to give all their drivers a chance to carry a checkerd flag once in a while, if only to keep the friends and families of the middle of the pack racers interested enough to keep coming out and filling the stands. If you can't get done by curfew, something needs to go, but throwing out an entire class would just be cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Although I think running two "third" classes is redundant, the debate about Godfrey running too many classes is a smoke screen. How often do any of the support classes really get enough cars to run more than two heats or necesitate a semi? If they stopped running those dumb 5 car heats and/or 4 car semis and just run two heats and a feature in each class they could cut down a lot of line up time.
Look, I know that it's in a promoter's interest to give all their drivers a chance to carry a checkerd flag once in a while, if only to keep the friends and families of the middle of the pack racers interested enough to keep coming out and filling the stands. If you can't get done by curfew, something needs to go, but throwing out an entire class would just be cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Big Bad Bear
New Member
My thoughts ...
1) Cut one class either the Sportsman or Street Stock ... promoters choice.
2) Make the Modified a single class with UMP Sanction
3) Don't qualify ANY class that includes Late Models. There has NEVER been a night that all LM would not have made the feature. This wastes time and makes the heats a one-line track.
4) Run Dashes for all classes .. I don't like the card draw, but if they want to keep this it would be an option.
5) Make pill draw close at 6:30 .. this insures that all cars will be in pits.
6) Driver's meeting at 6:30 sharp
7) Tell all drivers they have 10 min after the driver's meeting to get their car out on the track. Any car still sitting in pits (regardless of excuse) goes to REAR of heat. If they are already in the rear, then they are Black Flagged for heat and must either start the rear of the semi or rear of the feature to make the show.
8) Start hot laps at 7:15
9) Start first heat lines up on track at 7:30 sharp
10) Start features by 9:30. If heats take too long and features can not start on time .. Cut intermission entirely.
11) With this schedule there is NO reason the show should not be done by 11 PM on any given night.
12) Eliminate the "hot Pits" this is just a waste .. if car leaves track it is DONE.
13) have at minimum 2 tow trucks every night and one should be equiped to push.
1) Cut one class either the Sportsman or Street Stock ... promoters choice.
2) Make the Modified a single class with UMP Sanction
3) Don't qualify ANY class that includes Late Models. There has NEVER been a night that all LM would not have made the feature. This wastes time and makes the heats a one-line track.
4) Run Dashes for all classes .. I don't like the card draw, but if they want to keep this it would be an option.
5) Make pill draw close at 6:30 .. this insures that all cars will be in pits.
6) Driver's meeting at 6:30 sharp
7) Tell all drivers they have 10 min after the driver's meeting to get their car out on the track. Any car still sitting in pits (regardless of excuse) goes to REAR of heat. If they are already in the rear, then they are Black Flagged for heat and must either start the rear of the semi or rear of the feature to make the show.
8) Start hot laps at 7:15
9) Start first heat lines up on track at 7:30 sharp
10) Start features by 9:30. If heats take too long and features can not start on time .. Cut intermission entirely.
11) With this schedule there is NO reason the show should not be done by 11 PM on any given night.
12) Eliminate the "hot Pits" this is just a waste .. if car leaves track it is DONE.
13) have at minimum 2 tow trucks every night and one should be equiped to push.
Dean
Racer
Qualifying draws cars, and racecars should not have to work the track, that is the track operators responsibilty. It should be an occasionall we need some help with the track tonite, everybody bring them out, not an every week thing where the racers have to do the tracks job for them.
racin90
Well-Known Member
Well..i did some figuring. If they cut the qualifying..which..yes..is pointless when faced with a curfew demand...goto pill draw..dont like it..dont go there..make all driver's pack the track..that will get it done in 10 minutes..pill draw and driver's meeting 6:15 or 6:30 sharp..no excuses. Then you can run 5 classes...and get er done by 11:00 ish..easily. I agree there's been too many delays..not all the promoters fault either. But..its gotta be addressed..and taken care of if the so called CITY CURFEW is enforced.
The Devil's Advocate
The Teller of Truths
Dean said:
How quickly they forget. Racers have always been called on to help work in the track. The young guys probably don't remember that, but until I-55 started doing that several years ago, you never heard of coming to the track and not having to roll it in. How spoiled the young crop of racers have become.
Bear, the only thing about your list of suggestions I would change is #7. Have the racers roll in the track within 10 minutes after they unload, instead of waiting until the drivers' meeting has been completed. Same penalties could apply. #2, I think Tri City did just fine with no sanction, so I would probably lean in that direction, if I were to keep the class at all.
Brandon Paul
Free agent score guy
Dean said:
So says a former pavement racer.
Although I agree with most of what Dean says on this forum, I gotta respectfully disagree here. Why shouldn't LMs have to pack the track;afterall, their tires have the widest surface area with which to run the track in.
Big Bad Bear
New Member
#7 The reason I said all cars within 10 min. of drivers meeting is that all the cars that have pulled pills will be there and you have some control to be sure ALL cars go out. The "10 min. after they unload" leaves things just as they are:The Devil's Advocate said:
(1) you have a hard time to police who went out and who did not
(2) you have the guys who will get to the track at 6:30 pm and NOT help at all with the packing of the track.
The "10 min. after driver's meeting" means the pits should be clear of ALL classes of cars and the offending teams are easily identified.
#2 Yes, Tri City did well without a sanction but that is a Saturday night track and Sat. tracks have always had a better turn out. Having the UMP sanction is just another plus for this area's drivers to have options to run for UMP points if they want to.
Dean
Racer
Look around the race track next time you are there, then think back fifteen or twenty years and see if anything looks the same, nothing does, everything has changed. Racers should only have to help out on occasion, or when the weather throws the track a curve. It is the race tracks responsibilty to prepare the surface for us to race on, if they do that most of the time, we all gladly pitch in when they need extra help. I-55, Poplar Bluff, KLMS, Malden, Belleville, PIR, and some others get the track ready almost all of the time. SFCR gets the track pretty much ready and then has optional "low speed warm ups" for each class. If all those tracks can do thier job themselves I guess they have raised the bar for the rest to measure up to.
t.nie
Patience Tester
It's all well and good coming up with a strict time schedule, try to make it work. Drivers meeting 630 followed by track pack, followed by hotlaps at 715, first heats in staging by 730. Arent you the optimist. What if drivers have a lot of questions in the drivers meeting? What if the track takes extra time to pack? What if five cars crash in hotlaps with three broken tie tords and a busted rear end, all of which need recovery? What if 4 cars need push starts from the pits to get to staging, and then are left sitting in staging motors running for 45 minutes while the last hotlap session gets over with and the first heat has 3 crashes? Those same cars are going to need to get pushed out again, cause I aint sitting in staging with my motor cooking for that length of time. Its now way past your 730 staging time for the first heat, and one heat is done.
My point is having a schedule is one thing, and sticking to it is almost impossible. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it.
My point is having a schedule is one thing, and sticking to it is almost impossible. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it.
racin90
Well-Known Member
Yea..how an evening can throw you curve balls. It happens...and will continue to happen. That's why the curfew things stinks.but..also...crowds do like to go home at a decent time. Be nice if they could start little earlier...get the hot laps and stuff done..sooner. But people do have to work..especially on a Friday...and if you push that issue..well..some wont make it..or..show up late..get penalized every week because they didnt get to iron the track out. And yes..ive seen nights were it took almost 1/2 hr to pack the track in. Pill draw...eliminate the qualifying stuff would be a better answer. If they dont like the pill draw...then let them stay home. Got 2 choices locally to run on a Friday night....and Belleville...i believe doesnt time trial either. They have a curfew also to deal with. Personally..i like the pill draw...lets everyone have a chance(unless you are like me..drawing 45 plus every night..my luck) and mixes the fields up. Works good at Tri city..and the fast cars...do make it to the front..but makes them earn it too and thats the way it should be..makes for some good racing.
dirt hound
Registered User
THINK ALLIED .THEY GET IT DONE FARMER CITY ALSO GET'S IT DONE WITH TIME TRAILSt.nie said:
racingfreak67
Racing Freak
I personally like the pill draw better, from a fans view. It really makes for better heat races. During qualifying you usually have the same few in the top six and they race alone in the dash. Dont get me wrong I love to see the Dashes but to sit through qualitying and seeing the same ones on top gets old. Like everyone said, I think pill draw is the way to go!
At least having a time schedule that makes sense is better than the one Godfrey has posted on their website:
REGULAR SHOW INFO
Pit Gates open at 5:00pm
Grandstands open at 5:30pm
Qualifying at 7:00pm SHARP
Racing at 7:30pm
How can they qualify at 7:00 SHARP when they start the driver's meeting at 7:00, they close the pill draw at 7:00, they start the wheel pack at 7:00. This makes the 7:30 racing even funnier.
They start hot laps at 7:30 or later, then they qualified until 8:00 or later, then the first heat starts at 8:30 or later.
Belleville went to a 6:30 pill draw close when they were forced to ahere to a curfew. It never hurt their car counts and I don't believe they ever had a problem with curfew again. Belleville does not qualify and got a better LM count, so qualifying at Godfrey actually hurt their car count.
REGULAR SHOW INFO
Pit Gates open at 5:00pm
Grandstands open at 5:30pm
Qualifying at 7:00pm SHARP
Racing at 7:30pm
How can they qualify at 7:00 SHARP when they start the driver's meeting at 7:00, they close the pill draw at 7:00, they start the wheel pack at 7:00. This makes the 7:30 racing even funnier.
They start hot laps at 7:30 or later, then they qualified until 8:00 or later, then the first heat starts at 8:30 or later.
Belleville went to a 6:30 pill draw close when they were forced to ahere to a curfew. It never hurt their car counts and I don't believe they ever had a problem with curfew again. Belleville does not qualify and got a better LM count, so qualifying at Godfrey actually hurt their car count.
Brandon Paul
Free agent score guy
Turbo said:
That's because Belleville gets one race on the track almost as soon as the last place car from the previous race crosses the finish line. I recall one night this year when they ran 12 heat races and had them done at about 8:20. Gotta love that 3 minute siren.
Brandon Paul
Free agent score guy
jaded said:
Well, I'm not sure that I completley agree with your assesment of drivers who want qualifying, but I'm certainly with you on the packing issue. I would think that drivers would want to pack for at least a few laps if only to get their sponsors on the sides of the cars a little bit of low speed exposure to the grandstands.
Oh, but then they'd have to scrape the mud out of the rims to prevent vibration. It might take, what, 2 or 3 minutes of their time?
