Weight Question for Pure Stock Drivers / Owners Only

[TRP]

We have talked to a few Pure Stock drivers/owners and are seeking input on this forum from Pure Stock drivers or owners of Pure Stocks only who will have a registered car at Texana early in 2017. If you don't own or drive a Pure Stock and will not have a car registered at Texana early in the 2017 season, please don't comment as we want to rapidly gather input from those invested in the class.

 

As you may know, the committee from STS has finalized their Pure Stock Rules. Of primary interest is the fact that they will have a 50% rear percentage rule, with a minimum gross weight of 3,300 pounds. STS is not allowing aluminum bodies. Steel only... As you know, our Pure Stock rules published at the end of November reflect a 53% rear percentage rule with a minimum gross weight of 3,400 pounds.

 

While we know that it can be somewhat challenging to garner input, we feel it is important in this scenario. As noted, we did start this subject off by calling a few drivers / owners and the question we are about to pose has been responded to favorably thus far.

 

If you are a Pure Stock driver or owner who will have a registered car at Texana early in the 2017 season, would you be ok if a Pure Stock weighs 3,300 pounds but adheres to a 50% rear rule? Basically, it is one or the other (3,300# with 50% rear max or 3,400# with 53% rear max and we will have 4 wheel scales at the track). We want our racers to have a good field of cars to compete with, but we value our customer base and want your input on this matter. We also recognize our rules have been out since November and teams have been preparing in the manner that the rules are written. So, we will render a decision based on input for this particular matter in respect to you, our valued customers. If you frequent this forum and know other drivers or owners who don't, ask them to share their input. When providing your input, advise of your car # and if you are a driver or owner. We will monitor input and render a decision based on all input by February 8th.

 

Thank you in advance.

[RacerX03]

Car #3. Set a minimum weight and not have a % rule for this class. Cars should all be equally competetive based on other rules and fators. Pedals cannot be moved which keeps the drivers seat set back to an average among most drivers. Believe this is where the rear % becomes a major factor in the upper classes. Would also allow ANY car to run at TRP.JMO.

[sm002]

02 and 42 doesn't matter which one

[Owen]

Sometimes tracks have to juggle things to make it possible for all cars to compete, no track wants to leave anyone out, the lighter weight but lower percentage versus the heavier weight higher percentage appears to be a good option for all tracks involved.

 

One might question will I-37 and STS allow the Edna Rules at their track, good job by Tony putting something out to try and work with everyone, all tracks need to work together if they want to keep racing alive in South Texas.

 

I do know Tony had his rules out early and tried to work with others but could only wait so long, the more all of these tracks can work together the better.

[dy97]

The front runners will be the front runners either way. I say match so every one can race either with out crying and complaining over silly stuff and lets go racing.

 

#97 Daniel Youngblood

[Vendetta3113]

For reference, these are the I-37 rules:

WEIGHT/BALLAST:

Minimum Weight - 3300lbs. with driver. All ballast weight must be securely fastened.

Must be painted white and include car number. Ballast weight cannot be mounted inside drivers compartment. Maximum of 50% rear percentage to be checked after race. If after a race upon inspection a car w/ driver is over 50% rear percentage the driver will be allowed to address collected mud on the car and get one chance to rescale. (appointed tech inspector will watch removal of mud from car).

 

Personally, I'm good with these rules!

#13 owner/driver

[Hector]

DIRTY BODIES PURE STOCK WILL BE THERE

[WaerRacing00]

I live in the middle of tracks and would like common rules..I like the 3300 @ 50º/º. This will allow the older cars to reach the º\º without weight over 3500.

Thanks

Waer#51

[WaerRacing00]

One might question will I-37 and STS allow the Edna Rules at their track, or will Edna allow sts cars to run their rules at TRP?

 

This is a good question...

Thanks

[Owen]

I took it as the whole topic was basically about TRP wanting feedback to allow the STS cars to run their rule package around weight and %

[ARMY01]

I like the idea of keeping rule same as other tracks. feel if you have rear percentage rule the minimum weight doesn't matter.

[Vendetta3113]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears if the majority on this thread choose the 3300/50% rule, all 3 tracks (STS, TRP and I37) will be essentially identical.

[mtrigg]

I don't have a dog in this particular fight but I still can't understand why 3 or 4 tracks in a region can't be on the same page and have consistant rule packages across the board for all the classes.

 

The street stocks were close and now it is changing. Already, we have a different set of rules at one track vs what we have been on basically for the last two years. As a racer, scariest thing out of a promoters mouth is rule change. It never fails to cost the racer more money.

 

It was debates like this and declining interest in "track" specific rules that made IMCA successful at the time they entered back into grass roots racing. The rules became unified and there was no need for tracks to be concerned with writing rules. I am not promoting IMCA but I am absolutely promoting common rules for all classes in small region such as South Texas. In my simple mind, it only makes good sense. If someone could explain any benefit to a track or to a class not to have unified rules in this region, I'm all ears.

 

Mike Trigg

[justramit]

We will have a purestock at texana and I think it would be ok to let them run at 3300 and 50 %

[cooter48c]

48c here, i prefer everyone on the same set of rules! but i also realize that ain't gonna happen either! That being said if they want to come run at there weight and % rules.

[Owen]

Mr. Trigg you are 100% correct, guys like Nick Holt have fought these battles for many years. End of the day no one that owns a business wants someone else that owns the same style business telling them how to run their

Business even though it is best for business for everyone.

The right thing to do is make all the rules the same so how do we get that done?

[TRP]

Alrighty. We've talked to many in Pure Stock and gathered input here on LSSZ as well as on FB. It seems that all are ok with the 3,300 / 50% option. So, we have adjusted our rules to reflect the allowance for 3,400# and a 53% rear max or 3,300# with a 50% rear max. The update is included in the attached document.

 

We are not wanting to continue tweaking other things at this time. We will however monitor how the season is going and likely convene Pure Stock owners / drivers in June to collectively determine where the class should go into the future for this track and for the overall good of the track and the racers together.

 

Thank you, and now let's get ready for Feb 25th Practice, March 18th Practice, and March 25th Grand Re-Opening!!!!

2017 Pure Stock Rules.doc

[mtrigg]

Owen,

 

I understand the fact that no one wants to be told how to run their business but part of being a successful business owner is identifying areas within your business that are not efficient and potentially cost you revenue. I would have thought that common sense would have the tracks work together. Rule making is not going to make a track any money. Use rules that already exist and then use that time and effort to promote the track which is a potential return on investment.

 

As a racer, it is a huge let down to go to race when there is good competition and then go compete when stands are a 1/3 or less full. We don't race much anymore but when we do, we always try to take someone new that is not a race fan. The end result is nearly always the same "that was great, we never even knew this place was here". General PEOPLE don't know about racing. Granted, they are harder to reach than ever before but there are tracks out there that are getting it done though.

 

As far as how to unite the tracks and rules. I think they need to form an alliance and work together to insure growth and stability. Most tracks run to many classes of cars with not enough in each class to put on a good show. If there are six classes of cars with common rules in each class, alternate classes per track. That way each track has access to every car in that class when it is on schedule that night. This would give tracks more cars per class and less classes in a night which should provide a better show for the fans and not go past midnight, Tracks have to provide new and different shows continually throughout the year or it becomes predictable and even in some cases boring. You can still have track points and have regional points as well. I realize that this idea is just that, an idea. There is a group of mini stock/thunder car racers begging for a place to race, they could easily be added to a scenario such as this. I think the current environment will eliminate more tracks eventually and or decrease track revenues in the short term. Neither is good. Egos have killed more businesses than there are successful businesses.

 

I don't have the answer but what I see going on is disturbing. There are smaller car counts and less fans which equates to tough times for tracks to make revenue. From what I have seen and heard so far, TRP and 281 are both doing a really nice job of promoting and I expect we will see positive results from that. How did tracks decide that a Website or Facebook was promoting anyway? It amazes me that a track can invest thousands of dollars into an event and when you try to actually talk to someone about it, they reply "that information is on Facebook". That is not promoting!

 

Mike Trigg

[rebelracewriter]

 

I think they need to form an alliance and work together to insure growth and stability.

Mike, I've had this argument since I moved to Texas.....at first it was the Houston tracks(and we see were that's left them), now south Texas tracks....I've seen tracks up north do it successfully....Our track ran a Tri-county series/rules between South Bend, Plymouth(long before dirt) and New Paris....I see it at as "captivity" thing down here......Hopefully the non-IMCA/IMCA-type classes can come to a mutual agreement on rules.

[NickHolt]

The Texas Track Owners and Promoters Associaion (TTOPA) paperwork and organizational notes are in my file cabinet somewhere. If the folks alt STS, TRP and I-37 would like to give it an honest try, I"m game. I have no vested interest in any of these tracks and I would do my best to help negotiate a set of rules for each class that we all could live with.

 

From past experience, I know it's a long hard process with lots of give and take needed to get it done, but when two or three tracks in the same part of the country operate under the same set of rules, they all benefit in the end - even if some feel like they got the short end of the stick at first.

 

So, if you're interested, STS, I-37 and TRP promoters give me a call (210-415-1251) or an email (nick.lssz@gmail.com) or a PM and we'll set up the 1st organizational meeting.

 

Nick

[jbarber19]

Alrighty. We've talked to many in Pure Stock and gathered input here on LSSZ as well as on FB. It seems that all are ok with the 3,300 / 50% option. So, we have adjusted our rules to reflect the allowance for 3,400# and a 53% rear max or 3,300# with a 50% rear max. The update is included in the attached document.

 

We are not wanting to continue tweaking other things at this time. We will however monitor how the season is going and likely convene Pure Stock owners / drivers in June to collectively determine where the class should go into the future for this track and for the overall good of the track and the racers together.

 

Thank you, and now let's get ready for Feb 25th Practice, March 18th Practice, and March 25th Grand Re-Opening!!!!

Thank you TRP and TRP racers for your effort here. I appreciate ya'll . Chuck B.

[arob]

TRP does seem to be doing a lot of things right.

[TRP]

Regarding Nick's offer, we would be interested in participating, in such discussion. This would be an ideal thing to do starting in June. One of our staff was part of the discussions several years ago in the same fashion with the Houston area Late Model Stocks. As Nick eluded to, these discussions can definitely be a challenge, but for Pure Stocks it should be a fair bit easier. We are interested in being a part of such a facilitated approach and Nick is a great facilitator. However, in our belief, that will be best tackled starting in June, given that we put our rules out late November and told teams they could get cars ready in accordance with that set of rules.

 

Being a new operation, we mirrored what SOS had in place for Pure Stocks and only adding a 53% max rear weight rule for the rules published in November. Our focus as a start-up operation was to keep costs as low as possible so that cars who are in our area could run Texana without changes other than maybe a gear change if necessary. From a business interest it seemed best to mirror what SOS had for rules, combined with our focus on trying to not create new expenses for teams and continue the growth in this class. Being car owners ourselves, we appreciate consistency. We did garner input in the last few days about weight . Based on unanimous input, we will now allow for 3,400# minimum with a 53% rear max or 3,300# minimum with a 50% rear max. But again, with teams that have been preparing their cars for the last two months based on our announcements, we don't want to introduce any other adjustments prior to 2017 kick off.

 

And, thank you Chuck for your words. We would anticipate your board may discuss the same allowance on the weight in a reciprocal manner for the Texana / SOS cars that may be 3,400# and 53% rear.

 

Thank you all! We're counting down to our play days and season opener to Make Texana Great Again!

 

 

 

 

[Flyin34]

If you show up with the 3300/50 option then does it matter where the brake pedal is mounted?

 

Thanks, Greg

[Bigdogracing777]

I think they are doing an awesome job!! I would also like to make a suggestion first insult on social media lose points for the night and suspension from next race next time ban from track for a year don't let them kill the track I've seen it happen good luck I will see you there! !