JamesHigdon

Let’s keep our options open.

Hey, stop being reasonable, we’re gathering up a lynching mob... In all seriousness another meeting was had yesterday; I couldn’t make it to that one but I’m meeting with the parties that could this week. I’ve got to do some re-drawing based upon some new concerns so it’ll be another week of late nights and I’ve got to sit down with all the powers that be and the parties involved again so we can continue moving forward. In the meantime stay positive, make it known the stock car guys are out there, keep social media positive and if you have any corporate sponsorship connections PM me. Thanks.

😂

Someone really oughta beat the guys working on this project with a rubber hose; I can’t believe it isn’t done yet! How long could it possible take to organize, design, fund and build a race track?

From Wikipedia “Raised outside of Houston, Texas,[3] Poole was born in Folsom, California, living there until the age of seven.[1] He is known for his surfer-like appearance and persona including his long hair. Poole earned the nickname "The Bull" early in his career, after charging from the rear of the field to earn several victories.[1][2][5][6][9] Poole's father owns a Midas Car Care Center in their hometown of The Woodlands, Texas. Poole graduated from Woodlands Christian Academy a year early in 2008, at the age of 17.[6] Poole maintains a presence on the video game-streaming service Twitch.tv, and has a dormant YouTube channel. Poole is an avid fan of the late rapper Mac Miller and in his free time makes songs and raps.”

I’m going to agree with you 100%; the All-Star Race was without a doubt the best NASCAR race I’ve seen anywhere besides a road course in years. The teams seemed a lot more evenly matched, the drivers seemed to both have to really push to be fast BUT they where also able to pass and the cars looked to move around some but not so much they couldn’t get 3 and 4 wide. I haven’t said this in a while but NASCAR nailed the All-Star race; after catching the open just off-hand I set down and watched the invitational and wasn’t disappointed!

Thank you for offering the explanation; you’re 100% on the money. This isn’t the first or even the second time I’ve helped with a project like this; I’d much prefer no public announcement be made until the project is at a much later stage but in the case of Essie and the first individual I was helping they have both been very interested in reading what people have to say about the potential for a track. I’ve got a thick skin so I don’t mind being the middle man if the end result is what we’re all working for. In both cases mentioned above have also been asked to look for sponsorship help and as such had to reach out to the public. I didn’t realize the truth of what Nick Holt has been saying for years until the first time someone I was working with on a project said “Metroracer said such and such online”. People making posts on ACM’s Facebook page is what got me the first meeting with Essie BUT more often than not when we talk other less-positive conversations pop-up. It is what it is; my point is to reiterate what I’d said last night and what Nick Holt has been saying for years; social media can be a huge tool or our biggest road block. If you DO still feel the need to lay into someone send me a PM, I’ll bring a six pack and you can berate me as long as you’d like...it’ll be good practice for when a track finally is in place!

Most people don’t know I service (in a wholesale capacity) and build a mixture of the most specialized and/or neglected cars around for a living; I pay my bills by accomplishing things others would never take on or have given up on. Near is a relative term in that I’m working with this group on the basis that it’s the best chance I currently see in the pipeline. I don’t know that it’s quick and I know it isn’t certain but it’s a shot I think is worth taking. I’d prefer this doesn’t become a referendum on who does or doesn’t think whoever else is full of it as it makes my tasks more difficult (you’d be surprised who reads speedzone and will ask me about this exchange) but that isn’t up to me. In the interim remember I’m not asking for anyone to do anything but keep an open mind, offer enthusiasm and (roughly translated from Nick Holt) if you know of any wealthy racing enthusiasts with money they’d like to invest in a racetrack people know where to find me.

It is indeed a hard sell but how often are we given easy tasks in life? I’m going out to the next drift meet to work on the next steps and keep plugging away.

Last I talked to Danny (the head of the drift group) 2 weeks ago we are supposed to start working towards turning dirt on their end of the project before months end. The day that happens TRUST ME everyone will know; from there its up to me to bring the required sponsors to the table with serious commitments and last Danny talked to Essie that is a green light for us.

Nick; you know I have all due respect for you so I’m going to choose you specially to pick on. Your line of thinking applied across the powers that be is what’s causing this issue to linger like it has. Millenials aren’t aliens and they’re not some unknown species; they’re for the most part normal people just like you that work a 9-5 job and want to occasionally do something fun on the weekends. Thinking that millenials are the root of the problem obfuscates the real issue at hand. I’m 33; I grew up just like any other millennial with video games and the internet. I also grew up watching every NASCAR race (if we had something to do on Sundays we’d tape the race and watch it that evening) with my entire family as well as going to all manner of motorsports events with my family. I still go to all manner of motorsports events with my family; we go to the dirt-tracks, the dragstrip, the Autocross, drift events and CoTA but almost across the board none of us keep up with NASCAR much anymore. I watch the dirt truck race, Martinsville and Richmond (because they haven’t screwed those up with aero yet) but beyond that even Bristol is boring and while the product on the track has improved slightly it’s still spec cars, spec racers and spec tracks. Blue collar people want blue collar sports and that is what NASCAR was. Normal people in normal cars at tracks just like the one in your town. Until NASCAR is that again nothing else matters.

Rich kids in spec cars won’t work. NASCAR needs the equivalent of John Heil standing on the front stretch tossing a fire extinguisher or Joe Aramendia (I think it was him?) parking his modified on the front stretch and walking off. They need local guys in 30’ trailers to be able to tow in and qualify for a race. NASCAR needs motors people can relate to and cars they can buy from the dealership. NASCAR will either die or change, those are their only two choices. The only good news is that if NASCAR gets serious about racing “stock cars” again it’ll help the weekly tracks A TON and if they go away at least you won’t have to worry about Saturday cup races messing with local tracks schedules.

I’m not even sure what to make of that statement. We used to have capacity crowds at every Cup race and a circle track in every small town; would you like to go back to that? The average family man used to be able to run a competive latemodel stock car; would you like to go back to that? The fans in the stands don’t give a damn if the cars are running 17:50s or 18:50s on a half-mile track but they’ll sure as hell notice when half of the cars are missing. Pole 100 people and ask them if they’d rather super late models run $70k motors or double their car counts.

Well that's why ToyotaTim is on-board; they're his people now. I know you remember back when racing was a blue-collar sport and guys without trust funds could make it in NASCAR, the difference was then that if couldn't be purchased from the junkyard or across a dealers counter then it wasn't legal at most weekly tracks. I wonder if we go back to that if racing can become as popular as it once was again?!

I'm going to agree with the masked man; there are too many rules, here is how they should be written. 1) Engine must be production components (over 100k units), engine size limited to 5.8L. Any of combination of block/rods/heads ok as long as below rules are met. 2) Unmodified heads, block, crank, rods and wrist pins. Components may be machined for wear purposes, crank may be balanced but nothing else. No gun drilling where not done from factory, no porting of heads, no port matching, no decking of block beyond what is needed for cleanup. All bearings must remain in stock configuration with nominal over-sizing. 3) No exotic materials (even if used by factory). If it isn't aluminum, steel or iron its probably illegal. 4) Piston height must match stock configuration of some factory combination 5) Any intake and header ok as long as above rules met and intake remains stock configuration i.e. single throttle body in factory location. 6) May use any production oil pan and pump, must have manufacturer part number and over 10k units made. 7) May use any cast cam with production base circle. Must use OEM lifters with OEM part numbers. 8) If it doesn't say it here its illegal. Any competitor caught with illegal motor will lose points and winnings for night of infraction, must surrender illegal parts, will add 150lbs to rf corner of car at next race, must donate $1,000 to Hillarys re-election campaign and has to wear a chicken suit during drivers introductions at the next race. Not going to say my name either.