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top_shelf_12

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Everything posted by top_shelf_12

  1. I think someone has mentioned this before as well, but the racers often price themselves out of their own class too. Let's take a look at your Pure Stock class for example. Originally intended to be an economical (as much as possible), so called entry class. Most tracks had no problems getting 15, 20 or 30 cars weekly. First they wanted race tires, racing suspension, now special built chassis and voila you are now Factory Stock which is basically a Street Stock with older bodies. Long gone are the days of getting a front runner for $5000 or less. Some chassis or rollers are that price just to start, another 5-10 grand on a competitive motor, $1000 or so on suspension setup and oh yeah, 500-1000 on tires and wheels so your entry level, economical class now requires a roughly $20-25000 investment to race for $200-300 per night. Yes they do get big shows, at least on the dirt side and it is still a pretty large class but they've basically evolved into a Street Stock type class, Streets basically became Late Models, and Late Models are just too much of an investment when you're not sure if you'll have a place to run it unless you cross state lines then it's risk vs reward. Travel to Mobile for example, have a bad wreck so your top dollar car is toast and you have to spend another 500-1000 just to get home. Not many will take that chance, therefore, class won't grow. Run local, eventhough the track tries, gives a good purse and 6-8 show up. Sucks for the ones that do and they try to grow it but the business side doesn't make sense for the promoter to invest in a class that doesn't grow. Eco stocks are now the economical route, those guys seem to go out, have a good time, make a relatively low investment and bring 10, 15, 20 cars, yet some will start with we need to change, this, this, and this, and your $3000 car turns into a $5-8000 car, or a "Pro Sedan" type car. I'll tell you this too, the last asphalt race I went to, the Ecos stole the show. Why? They were the only ones that could race, use 2-3 grooves, pass, change positions, etc. Even when one car took out another, everyone got out smiling talking about how fun that race was. All of the other classes were dive to the bottom, slam on the brakes. Only way to pass was bump and run or hope the car in front of you screwed up.
  2. Bobby I like the fact you're throwing an idea out there and some of the enduros are working which is similar in a way to what you're saying. My problem is the comment about the "lower" classes not bringing a good fan experience. I'll tell you the last asphalt race I saw was at CTS, the Ecos were the best, most entertaining race that evening. 6 late models that night and by lap 5 they were so spread out. Trucks only got exciting when drivers lost their cool. Entertaining for the fans but not good for the sport in the long run. Same with the streets. The lower end cars WERE the show. I grew up going to CCS primarily and several trips to SAS and Longhorn. CCS and Longhorn the best class was always your Pure Stock type class, SAS was the only place Late Models and Trucks were fun to watch as far as fan experience. Street Stocks were good, especially when the 1/4 miles made them run on street tires. Most asphalt races are hurry up, get to the bottom and follow the leader. Not much side by side racing and when there are only 5 car features, not a fun time for fans generally speaking unless they stay together and can actually have multiple grooves. Not bashing tracks or drivers, just speaking to the entertainment value as a fan. Throw a big money race together for the less expensive cars and I'll be willing to bet they show up and race harder than a big money late model race if you could even get them to show up. Kudos to anyone that tries to tackle the headache of running a track and to those drivers trying to support those tracks. If HMP goes again, I guess you guys would have to travel states away just to race, then think about those costs and racing so far away from your home shop should something go wrong.
  3. Transponders are electrical and sometimes electrical systems fail so yes, need scorers to back up even when you have them and they need to make sure they're all working. Those scorers are arguably the hardest working groups at the tracks and STS has some of the best which is probably part of the reason STS doesn't use transponders.
  4. Transponders would be nice but those scorers do an excellent job the old school way. So again thank you Marcia, Lorraine and whoever else is up there with that job.
  5. Yes that helped me too so thanks Marcia from me too. You had that thing rolling in the heat, glad to see you and Larry towards the front but Ty is just something else. Glad to see him back, found a video of his flip in Waco and wasn't fun to watch, imagine it was worse in person and in car.
  6. Man SAS has plenty of memories too but in respect to this being a CCS thread, will leave those out. But being born and raised in Corpus, when we headed to SAS, the "big track", I understand the Talladega type feeling.
  7. You're absolutely right about the memories HiTech. I have heard several, made several myself. Unfortunately for me, my daughter could care less about racing unless I'm in a car. Unfortunately, I don't know much about my dad's parents as they passed before I was born or able to make memories. My earliest memory is what my mom told me after her dad passed away and my grandmother passed nearly 10 years ago. I have several fond memories of CCS and some not so fond, but memorable. I do hope CCS comes back and drivers will support the track on a grander scale. I do remember the days of 20-30 cars per class at CCS.
  8. And for my sister it was Monty Nicholls. Two years ago he still remembered her after nearly 30 years. It was a cool moment.
  9. When we went in the pits, I was one of the little brats getting autographs in the white spaces of a checkered flag or trying to jump in a car. Guess I was attracted to green b/c most of my in car pics are in John Kelly's cars.
  10. Maybe tomorrow or next weekend I'll put some more up that I can find. Nice little trip down memory lane today with the ones not posted and made me miss SAS again.
  11. Those were just a few I found. My dad informed me that orange 98 was Harold Cope. Lets see 1990 I was an 8 year old running around the playground or playing Track and Field or Donkey Kong in the game room lol.
  12. The chrome horn may be used but not to take someone out. It's the bull ring, I expect thumps on my rear bumper too.
  13. Not at all and not the reputation I want. Of course the driver that told me this trick is from the era of a fight every week. Of course the tires don't stick out on our bombers as much as they did back then so it would be difficult to pull off.
  14. Don't think I'll use them b/c one is dirty and may hurt someone don't ever want to do that, the other if you do it wrong, they go around and you go to the back.
  15. The ones I know are a little more subtle.
  16. He got caught one night lol but yes I've been told a few tricks by these racing veterans, one of which was done to my dad at Supertrack Grand Prix, the birth of the Luche
  17. Not too long, the white one with Vernon's and Nolan's is the one I remember. Think that was the car he had a brake pro portioning valve under the seat lol
  18. Just looked at the black 19 up close and you can read the name Chuck Barber on the roof, that white 3 was Kevin Harms and blue 33 was Scott Sullivan.
  19. Maybe Bruce Beddoe? He had MGD sponsors for years. Chuck is just the only 19 in my memory bank
  20. First Picture I think is Joey Heineman and possibly Mike McCain, second row both Chuck Barber I think, third row you got me, first one looks like a dirt late model, then the 18 is John Kaminski. Second Picture Larry Smith and I don't know that 98, Bruce Sanders maybe? Second row Greg Carlucci and Kendal Laughlin, the 3 car I don't know. Third row, maybe James Mikulencak in both, not sure. Third Picture John Witzche and I believe Scott or John Sullivan, Johnny White then the original dwarf car John Kobbus maybe and I'm not sure who's in the 5 Mini Stock, Carlucci Sr and Carlucci Jr And of course the last one was Tommy Temple
  21. It is. Don't know why they turned when I posted them but yes the last one is Tommy Temple's car, couldn't tell you who he bought it from.
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