Support your local Combo/Association races!!

[MikeMoller]

I joined and have been going to the Carolina Class Racers combo's last year and this year. The turnouts have been faily good this year, some 30 or so cars at several of the races. I think we really need to support these races so we have something besides what IHRA and NHRA provide. I really like these one day events, for some decent prize money(haven't collected any yet).

Maybe we could get several of these organizations together and as a group convince some of the manufacturers to contribute. They may get a better bang for thier buck, and it would be nice to be able to add to the purse of some of these local shows.

I also like the idea of adding a Nostalgia show to be run in parallel with but seperate from teh s/ss combo, or some additional show to help with promotion of a combo. Need more crosstalk between groups.

I think we really need these type races, and we need the racers to support them so those that can't afford or don't want to race the big shows can still participate in the sport we all love.

Mike Moller
RFRL

[BKSG1198]

Mike,

I understand your frustration with the series and having to dish money out of your own pocket. I must tell you from experience that you need to do what you need to do to run the series. Unless you are doing something wrong don't ask for feedback from the members...I know it sounds harsh but, we sent out a survey following the 2010 season for the Super Comp Guys regarding what tracks they would want to go to for the 2011 season. We got the polls back and all the racers said Cecil, Maple & Atco. The Cecil vote was something like 17 to 2 in favor of a race there. So we scheduled a race the week before the Maple Grove Divisional race (Maple grove was booked). This way it would give drivers some test and tune options before the divisional and 2 days of great weather and we had 6 cars on Sat & 9 cars on Sun. It was quite a dissapointing turn-out and way to start off the season.

I'd be more then willing to help you out with promoting the series for 2012 through Facebook site (Similar to what we have for MASCA & MASGA) and I have a lot of contacts through Nat Dragster, Drag Race Online, Etc, Etc that I could help you out with getting the word out. Let me know....

Rob

[Jack Matyas]

Originally Posted by Mike Carr

-Jeff N, heads-ups are something I would consider. Pittsburgh has no scales (for the IHRA Div'l races, they use the IHRA temporary scales 'weigh with the front tires, weigh with the back, and add it up' method), so there would be no heads-ups there at Pitt. Quaker and Hagerstown, assuming their scales are accurate and still work, we could work with.

I would have to pay (another expense) a qualified tech person (or at least knowledgeable person) to run the scales. Maybe not so much for the tradtional S/S and Stock cars. But for SS/GT, for example. Not saying you or anyone would do it. But let's say you're running your car, GT/FA 1975 400/180-328 (or whatever it's rated at now). And you claim it as such. But it actually has some other, higher-rated combo in it (427/425, 396/375, etc or something similar) and runs silly fast (same with a GT car with a 327/250 and claiming it as a 283/220) or fast enough to win a heads-up. The average Weekly Joe tech person won't know what combos can or can not fit whatever GT, SS/AM, or even some Stock classes. He certainly wouldn't know the difference between a SS/DA legal 427/425 and some guy that claims it, with an LS-6 454/450 in it.

Again, I don't know how many, if any, would try it, but it could certainly lend itself to MORE potential cheating, more than that could be done now.

As it is now, with no scales, heads-ups or qualifying, any edge gained by cheating is nullified. Going two seconds under would not gain any advantage to anything (no bye, no easy Class win). Other than Hagerstown, the only automatic SS/GT cars we had were all GT/HA or lower (except Gene McBean GT/BA), so I doubt you'd get a heads-up, even if we chose to scale and do them (unless you can get your car legally to H weight).

Mike - I'm not sure if you're aware of the fact that at your last race you had three past and current tech people in attendance that I know of - I'm sure with little or no expense you could get some qualified help if needed ..................

Mark - Thanks for the vote of confidence - I not only supported your group but also the East Coast Assn. and the Tri-Staters - And although I've not raced with the New Englanders I've tried to support them any way I can .We do need these Associations - that said I'm still chasing those elusive Wally's ............And will continue to until they pry the steering wheel away from me .

[Dave Turner]

I am extremely proud to own a Stock Eliminator car, and consider myself fortunate to have numerous competition options. The group offering exceptional value for Stock, Super Stock and NSS racers in my neighbourhood, the Can Am Series, is about to enter its 16th year of action in the region surrounding the Eastern Great Lakes. Without the local schedule, my budget would restrict me to 2 or 3 races each season under IHRA or NHRA sanctioning, for which both driver and car would be ill prepared. Call these combo series the minor leagues, if you choose, but I credit the members of this group with providng the means to hone my driving and preparation skills in advance of National or Divisional entry. These guys are tough, and challenge me to be at my best. The track record of our membership is exemplary! There are no heads-up runs, but I know where my stuff ranks against national standards - we have Nitro Joe to thank for that.

The example I offer is similar to the successful history of many of the associations represented on this forum. I think it's exciting to think that some basic groundwork could result in an annual BIG event comprised of 3 or 4 series with numbers to rival car counts of the past.

In retirement, I plan, God willing, to travel further afield and chase along the trail - if it still exists. Until then, I will enthusiastically support any grassroots organization within my reach.

[buzzinhalfdozen]

We try to support our local association as much as we can, we've raced Div. Nats. and these combos. Last year was a wash for us as I hurt both my engines, however I still want to support the local deal. For me the Nats. are just too much money and days off work, if I didn't live a stones throw from Norwalk I'd skip it, we argue each year wether to go or not I hate to miss 2 days work when the race is 15 miles away. Even the Div. stuff requires I take Fri. off. I've not made concrete plans for next year but plan on keeping it as local as possible. If I can win the arguement with Jacque I wont go to any Nats this year... the cost is just too HIGH. I've had some guys tell me they won't run the combos cause they don't want to run Stockers in their S/S car, me I don't care it's still racing. Heck I sometimes go to the local track and run No-box I built my junk to race not be a conversation piece. Granted there are many with much nicer and higher dollar cars than mine that may just think anything but a NHRA race is just beneath them, thats fine with me but I want to RACE, that's why I built this stuff. Joe