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Originally Posted by sc1153
Jason,
I would quote your comments but IT IS TOO DAM LONG.
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Just break it into sections like this Chis...then it doesn't seem so bad!
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Originally Posted by sc1153
So the shortening of the National Event is a thumbs up from my side. (Good call Rock) The reason that you do not understand why we would "STUPIDLY" want to shorten the time we spend at the national events is that YOU DONT RACE THEM!
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Didn't I put a smiley face after my "stupid" comment? I usually do when I'm being sarcastic. If not, I can understand why people may have misconstrued my "stupid" comment as sheer stupidity.
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Originally Posted by sc1153
When you work, run a buisness or just take the time away x8 national events ( which I plan on running this year) it is alot of time that could be used more appropriately. For those people who run 1-2 national events per year, you wouldn't understand..
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In short, yes it is true that I do not race as many national events as some on here, and racing in S/St certainly limits my opportunities to begin with. But, whether I hit 1 or 8 national events in a year, my time is STILL VERY VALUABLE to me. I work for whitey, so when I'm taking a day off, I have to request it, and use one of my limited number of vacation days to do so. Plus, unlike most, I work up until the VERY LAST MINUTE before I get on the road to go to a national event. As such, I typically miss my first time shot because S/St runs first, and I'm usually still parked outside waiting to get parked. But, that's what happens when you drive all night on Wednesday to get there (not to mention you get stuck with the worst pit spot in the place).
In addition, in most cases when I go away to a race, I leave my family behind, not because I want to, but because my wife simply finds it too difficult to care for 3 children and a dog by herself while locked up in a motorhome for the weekend.
So, please don't think I don't understand, because I probably understand better than most. And this is not meant as a slam Chris, but if you think your time is valuable now, just wait 15 years and see how valuable it is. Ask your dad...he can tell you what adding a family does to your free time...
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Originally Posted by sc1153
For example to run a national that is (average) 6 hours of drive time. You have to tech on Wednesday so you need to leave on Tuesday night. So that is 3 days off work (if you dont work weekends)
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Wow...you get to get there on Wednesday? You're lucky.
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Originally Posted by sc1153
besides we do nothing 95 percent of the time at nationals. CUT US 1 day!
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I hear you there brother, and totally agree.
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Originally Posted by sc1153
and as far as the class changing......STUPID.....want to go fast....race top dragster / top sportsman! Besides we all know that if the numbers change we all will just have to step the cars up and go faster AGAIN then what?
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Generally agree again. Changing the classes is NOT the answer (and I don't think you meant to insinuate that's what I suggested). Adding a 7.90 class like I suggested MAY help, but even then I don't have an extremely high confidence level in that (maybe 50%).
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Originally Posted by sc1153
What the Sportsman NEED is a simple show on ESPN to explain the basics of bracket racing and index racing. I honestly believe that if you can get together a good show that explains and teaches the audience we could 1) Promote our racing 2) get more people to invest in our racing (sponsors, new racers, ect) 3) make people like us (average hobby guys) "somebody" to the TV audience.
Now that is cool!
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The problem is that even if you do this, you're still left with one very big problem...the .90 classes are particularly boring to watch from the starting line. Here come all these cool looking cars, doing cool burnouts, only to leave the starting line about as fast as my wife's Caravan. In contrast, the Super Stockers (and some Stockers) are leaving with the wheels in the air, and getting the attention of the spectators (and even they can't hold their interest!)
This is not to say that I don't like the .90 classes, because I personally do, but I also compete in them, so I, along with most of us on this board, are biased. My uncle, who raced professionally, and who goes to just about every race that I do to help me, doesn't sit in the stands to watch the .90 cars run. When he goes to Indy with his Top Eliminator club tickets, when the Pros are over, he leaves. He fully understands what is going on in the .90 classes, they're just B - O - R - I - N - G to watch, and always will be as long as we're racing with throttle stops (and though I'd love to see the elimination of electronic throttle control devices, I'm not even proposing that here - boring racing is just unfortunate side affect of throttle stops, plain and simple.)
Another example is the guy that lives across the street from me. He used to race Pro Gas with his motorcycle (along with bracket racing it at the local track). Again, he knows what is going on as he's watching, but at the same time I can't tell you how many times he's told me, "That class you race is about as entertaining as watching paint dry." What does he love to watch? Yep, you guessed it, the pros.
In the end, I love racing S/G and S/St, and personally would much rather watch a full day of sportsman racing than the Pros. But, you have got to face facts here that we're in the MASS minority, and no amount of education is going to make the casual fan find our type of racing entertaining to watch. Will it be MORE entertaining than it was because they understand it more? Sure. But, it will NEVER, EVER be as entertaining to them as the pros, or any other heads-up, first one to the finish line category.
Let the fargin flames begin!