>> 2) no class racing
Class racing is a nice bonus, but I can't see that as the deciding factor for going/not going. There's only a couple of races with Class all year, and it's always been like that.
>> 3) too hot to race
Actually, it was pretty nice out, particularly on Saturday.
>> 4) fuel prices
Fuel prices are significantly lower than they were a year or two ago. If they're still too high, might I recommend a pickup and open trailer...
I drove 1,580 miles round trip to be there. I'm pretty sure that fuel for somebody that lives in a 1-state radius from Martin isn't that bad.
>> 5) IHRA payouts
6 rounds for $5K... sure, it's not what it once was, but that still looks like a pretty good deal in the big scheme of things. Plus, we only had to be there for two days, not four.
>> 6) other categories they have added for entertainment (pro sled?)
They have absolutely zero effect on the sportsman racer. We own the track from 9am-5pm, running contiguously with no interruption from "other categories". If you haven't been to one of these races yet, you don't know what you're missing, in terms of sportsman racing.
$.02,