Support your local Combo/Association races!!

[Mike Carr]

Originally Posted by Jack Matyas

Mike - Sorry you feel that way ........why you ask ? I've got some of those Wally's you're talking about and let me tell you - most of them I feel like I earned ...and now cherish....not the ones that were given because of singles or freebies or whatever but the ones that were earned thru good old fashioned run it out the backdoor racing .

If all I wanted to do was to earn money I'd stay at work - why bother going to the track at all.

Maybe there is a reason your car count was down at other events you held --- but don't hold it against the diehards like myself or you'll end up with even smaller fields - people do remember ..................

BTW , Those three Wally's you have - you might as well put 'em on E-Bay as they don't have much meaning to you .

Jack, trust me, I wish I would have someone to race for those Wally's. I was very disapointed that three years in a row at Indy, the other dozen or so racers in the country in my classes were not there. Maybe they lacked the same confidence I had in myself and my (actualy Billy's) car. Shame on me. When a former S/S world champ asked my dad if I won class at Indy '02, Dad quoted me and said "Yeah, but he was disapointed that no one was there to run him, and said it sucked". The Champ said to my dad "That trophy doesn't say how many cars were there, it said you won Class".

As far as the other races, I truly have no idea why they are not supported. We get 40-45 cars every year in Hagerstown. 55 last year. 73 this year. Pittsburgh, Quaker City, Numida, Beaver Springs, Quarter Aces and other tracks? 17 or less every time. I already explained why the May Quaker City race was down last year--too many of my racers went to the Grove. Every year, this time of the year, I ask for input from racers as to what they want to see in our program. I get little to no feedback, and when I act on what I do receive, nothing changes, and most often, the racer(s) suggesting the changes still aren't there. Maybe if I had a nice trophy to offer...

Oh, and I don't have to worry about offending the "die-hards"--they don't come anyway.

Wally's ARE important, to a point I spent thousands of dollars to get them (figuring the costs to go to races to earn the necesary grade points). Indy was the only National I ever raced at, or ever wanted to race at. Too many years as a travelling semi-pro spectator, and seeing how some of the Nat'l events were run, turned me off. Of the three shelves of trophies I have, the three Indy trophies get the top shelf. However, I just don't see NHRA trophies/awards as the be-all, end-all that many other racers apparently do.

People (racers) just need to realize there ARE other, equally fun, equally well-paying, games in town. It's not just NHRA.

Like I said, in a few years, when there are no local series to compete in, and NHRA decides to get rid of us, there will be a lot of racers probably thinking to themselves "I wish we would have supported those other races more..."

[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).

-Jeff R, Nostalgia/SS I have talked to our members about in the past. And it always meets a 98% (or more) resistance, since the N/SS have little to no rules, compared to legal class cars (as one former racer said, "why would you want to let older bracket cars in our race?"). And if I allow them, and we get five N/SS cars and lose 10 regular S/SS cars, I've gained nothing. Again, it's something I could consider, but we'd have to see what the members would want.

[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

[Nitro Joe Jackson]

Rob you are so right, set up your own rules and stick by them, every-time you ask for opinions everybody has one for there own agenda.
I do got to say my SST Series is doing well

And like Mike says at times Jeff & I have raised our hands and said what do we need to do to get cars besides giving free entries. (that's not happening, don't even go there)

Last thing, anybody that has a SS/Stock series, send me your schedule and I'll get it into the calender that i post on this and my web site and will start posting a section in the stats book all year

[tim worner]

A lot of times scheduling is a problem because of so many races.

[Jim Wahl]

Mike,

I have sort of sat back and just watched what was posted here before I posted. maybe I shouldn't even offer a reply as I am too personally involved in the S/SS Association thing. If I had the magic answer for the car count problem we would have 100 cars at our events instead of 30 - 45. I get all the same reasons for not attending that I'm sure you do. We have posted our rules online and follow them. We have no heads up runs, this allows everyone who wants to run class to have an equal chance. We get everyone from World Champions and National Record Holders to "Joe Beginner" race with us. We random weigh at our races. It keeps honest racers honest. Number one qualifier means nothing, no first round bye, no cash reward, nothing. We allow all NHRA, IHRA, NMCA, and NSSA cars to race with us. We use IHRA indexes and classes where applicable for the same reason as stated for heads up runs. It has taken 4 years to refine our rules and as in the major associations we are constantly evolving.
I don't know how you do this all by yourself! Props to you! We have a board and there is no way one guy could do it all and remain sane! Jim

[Jack McCarthy]

bowling green runs nhra combo, no ihra... and with a qualifying ladder and pairings, scale all heads up... i go there whenever i can they had 48 i think 3rd weeekned october...

other than the lack of tech it is perfect... but tech would be great, with protests.

jack

mike you might wanna tighten up your rules ?

[norm saibene]

i am behind stock super stock races 100 percent i am going to race in as many as i can in 2012 i cant waite

[Don Kennedy]

I would support the local STK and Super Stock races , IF they prep the track for the higher HP cars ,if no prep then I will NOT race there period, It is Just like this when the Points races have test and Tune for what ever the cost is , I used to do this but no more no Prep no pay the money and no race .