The State Of Sportsman Racing - Interesting Read

[Dave Ley]

Dan, Just an FYI : Helmets are good for 12 years. Check the rulebook !

Originally Posted by Dan Fahey

My questions:

Is there really any way to drive the cost of class racing(Stock, Super Stock, Comp) down?
* Allow Pump Gas to be used or mixed with Race Gas
* Safety Harnesses Certify for 5 years instead of 2 years.
* Helmets extend all 5 years helmets for 8 years

Is there a way to make it more accessible locally?
For me, we had once a year Stock/Super Stock combo races at our local tracks(Prescott and Centerville) that always peaked my interest when I was young. The rest was nurtured at NHRA events.
*Advertising locally and far enough into the rural areas.

How do entry level cost compare to what we had ten years ago?
* About the same for the times

Will we ever be able to shorten our divisional races into one or two day events to make it easier for people to enter these events?
* Love to see a 3 Race Weekend

When was the last big money class race(Stock, Super Stock, Comp) that we've seen and where are the sponsors to make something like that happen now?
* Before they treated the Sportsman Classes as Amateur Racers!

I'm assuming if the location was right, you could get lots of Stockers and Super Stockers in the same place for a big money purse like some of these bracket races.
* Invite none industry vendors to help sponsor racing!

What can we as a group(racers, fans, and fut racers) that care about the future of class racing do to make things better?
* You just started it .. ;-)
!

[ALMACK]

Originally Posted by MR DERBY CITY

You guys crack me up. Michael Beard put his nuts on the line for a Big$$$ Stk/SS race and gets hardly no participation, he busts his butt getting sponsors to support his race but the racers stay home....What can we do ? Absolutely NOTHING. ...Too many agendas .....

I really enjoyed the Class Nationals last year.
The C.I.C. race was fun.

Too bad the low attendance will probably kill any future chances of another event.

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by MR DERBY CITY

You guys crack me up. Michael Beard put his nuts on the line for a Big$$$ Stk/SS race and gets hardly no participation, he busts his butt getting sponsors to support his race but the racers stay home....What can we do ? Absolutely NOTHING. ...Too many agendas .....

If I remember right Michaels 2nd annual class national race had some scheduling conflicts with other races and was right in the meat of the schedule in the northern divisions. All events are subject to low car counts when they have several scheduling conflicts. I would bet that if Mike had another race and it was during the time of the year that there were no other races then the car count would be back where they were at the inaugural event. A big thanks to Michael for putting on those 2 events even though they were to far away for me to attend.

[Terry Knott]

Originally Posted by MR DERBY CITY

You guys crack me up. Michael Beard put his nuts on the line for a Big$$$ Stk/SS race and gets hardly no participation, he busts his butt getting sponsors to support his race but the racers stay home....What can we do ? Absolutely NOTHING. ...Too many agendas .....

Michael isn't the only one who has tried a S/SS race and didn't get any support. Back in 2011(?) they had a $10,000 to win S/SS race right in the middle of Div. 1 and hardly anyone showed up. I think most NHRA S/SS racers would rather run for a wally and picture in drag review then win any real money.
JIm Wahl is correct in saying people should better support their local S/SS associations.................oh wait...you can't win a wally......oh well.

[Dwight Southerland]

If you read the entire article, I think it lays out a pretty good description of the state of sportsman racing. If you don't like it because you think it doesn't address Stock and Super Stock, you haven't read it. You can snub your nose at bracket racing all you want, but there was a time when "real racers" snubbed their noses at Stockers.

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by MR DERBY CITY

You guys crack me up. Michael Beard put his nuts on the line for a Big$$$ Stk/SS race and gets hardly no participation, he busts his butt getting sponsors to support his race but the racers stay home....What can we do ? Absolutely NOTHING. ...Too many agendas .....

Thanks, MJ. I quit banging my head against the wall about it. I did my job, and you did yours (the racers and sponsors that supported it). Thank you!

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

If I remember right Michaels 2nd annual class national race had some scheduling conflicts with other races and was right in the meat of the schedule in the northern divisions. All events are subject to low car counts when they have several scheduling conflicts. I would bet that if Mike had another race and it was during the time of the year that there were no other races then the car count would be back where they were at the inaugural event. A big thanks to Michael for putting on those 2 events even though they were to far away for me to attend.

There are always conflicts. Everyone liked the *idea* of the race, as long as it was convenient for them. It wasn't important enough for people to make a *priority*. The car count at the inaugural event barely put us at break even, despite two years worth of work and massive support from sponsors. So no, never again. I appreciate all of the fans, racers, and sponsors who supported us. We sure tried.


The article is most certainly relevant to S/SS racers. Expenses, time, travel, participation, exposure, and contingency/sponsorship are all extraordinarily important to all kinds of racing. The words Stock or Super Stock do not have to be explicitly used. But if people don't want to read it or take anything away from it, that's perfectly fine, too.

[Dwight Southerland]

Adriel, I will give you my opinion.

1. Is there really any way to drive the cost of class racing(Stock, Super Stock, Comp) down?
** The increase of technology is the number one reason that building a class car is so expensive. Limiting the use of technology is one way to reduce costs. There are lots of ways to address this.
** Changing attitudes about what defines a race car will help. There are Stock & Super Stock combinations that can be competitive that can be built without having to incorporate $1200 pistons, $800 rods, $4000 transmissions, etc. You might not be a top sixteen qualifier, but you can win if you can drive.
** Reduce divisional races to two days and most national races to three days.

2. Is there a way to make it more accessible locally?
For me, we had once a year Stock/Super Stock combo races at our local tracks(Prescott and Centerville) that always peaked my interest when I was young. The rest was nurtured at NHRA events.
** Promotion and get the too-good-to-race-at-local-races guys to load their car up and show up.

3. How do entry level cost compare to what we had ten years ago?
** Ten years has not changed much. Inflation has taken its toll.
** The FS classes offer some creative combinations for SS that will be less than building traditional cars. Seems everybody wants a fast car (like low 9 sec/high 8 sec) and the traditional SS cars that will do that are horribly expensive to build.
** The class guide is filled with competitive Stock cars that could be built for less than $10-15K, but they will not be 10 sec cars. (Or 11 sec mostly)

4. Will we ever be able to shorten our divisional races into one or two day events to make it easier for people to enter these events?
** When I started racing, all divisional races were Sat-Sun events. It could be done again.

5. When was the last big money class race(Stock, Super Stock, Comp) that we've seen and where are the sponsors to make something like that happen now?
** Class Nationals.

6. I'm assuming if the location was right, you could get lots of Stockers and Super Stockers in the same place for a big money purse like some of these bracket races.
** Not until they really want to race and not be treated like prima donas.

7. What can we as a group(racers, fans, and fut racers) that care about the future of class racing do to make things better?
** Quit the squabbling and realize that somebody needs to do something and be willing to participate.

[Casey Miles]

Let me first say that I enjoy Stock/SS racing but I bracket race far more often. With that said, as far as lowering the expenses in Stock is out of the picture now. There are too many professional engine builders involved, the back yard engine builder is gone mostly. So the money gets spent which helps the economy.
The other part is a CIC race. Why participate if your combo has been factored to the bone while there are combos that are under factored by 20 to 30 HP being conservative.
The other part, there isn't an NHRA track within 300 miles from here. Nice job NHRA on losing all of South Florida tracks other then the one they own!

Casey Miles
248H Stock

[Sam Capizzi Jr]

Here's my 2cents for what it's worth....

It's very hard to justify spending $500-$800 to go to an Ihra/nhra race to win what you can win at a local track running Pro/MoD or even Street.

Also if you wanna go racing cheap build an oddball slow stocker..

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that at 35years old I might be the youngest or close to it to fund my own operation without any help from anyone simply because I love stock racing. I started with a 2K personal loan to buy my car and just put a little money here and there into my car to make it what it is today. No go fast parts. Just junkyard parts and lots of test and tunes.

No young person is going to do that these days.

I can't tell you guys how many times I waited on friday to cash my pay check just to spend it getting my face kicked in at a divisional or national. Try to sell that to someone young and new getting into this sport..

[Albert Lee]

Maybe it doesn't have to be a million dollar race as evidenced by the Midwest Class Racer Stk/SS Combo race in Earlville, Iowa ten days ago. 94 cars!

Here's the formula: Both a Saturday AND a Sunday Race with $100 entry per day AND a FUN Time!

Payout: $2,000/$1,000/$500 etc. INCLUDING 2nd rd loser money of $75.

There are 8 race weekends in the season so there's still time to participate:

Earlville, IA on Sept 3/4
Sioux Falls, SD on Sept 17/18 over $20k total Make A Wish Race
Eau Claire, WI on Sept 24/25
Kearney, NE on Oct 1/2

Support them and it Grows - Stay at home AND....

Al Corda