rails

3 minutes ago, ron.brown11 said:

Nice!

Mr. Ron, I really don’t know him personally, I have talked to his dad some back in the neighborhood. But the kid can wheel a race car. He has been fun to watch over the years. The last time I saw him race was out at HMP last season in a modified. He had the field covered and won. Got DQ’ed on a ride height issue I believe.

One of his old sponsors from his HMP days just sent me these 2 deals.

https://m.facebook.com/JudsonO/videos/flyin-ryan-luza-racing-wins-his-first-world-series-of-asphalt-race-tonight-at-ne/718158026511852/

That’s excellent news, once again thanks for the update.

Appreciate the updates.

He’s pretty good for sure. Lives in the same neighborhood here in Cypress.

42 minutes ago, ron.brown11 said:

Ryan led the first 17 laps in his first main event at New Smyrna. He got passed on lap 18, then blew a right front tire a couple of laps later. He did a great job of not pounding the turn 2 wall. It looks like he doesn't have too much damage, and should be ok for the next night of racing. I'm not sure who's car he is driving, and will try and find out. 

Rodney, TMS/SMI fails at the basics. As far as the racing goes NASCAR runs that show, the 1.5 mile track is what it is. But if you know it is going to be a 100 out for the entirety of your event week and weekend, they should have enough sense to park some 18 wheeler trailers full of ice on the grounds. There wasn’t a bag of ice to be found on the grounds, which in turn had the buccee’s sold out as well. I also saw not 1 RV sewer pump out truck the whole weekend. They have been putting on races there since 1997. And they still fail at the basics. I don’t consider my race weekend package to be all that much money. I think it is about 700.00 for a camping spot and a tow vehicle and 2 grandstand tickets for each race. And there are a few things they do well at, for instance, they have one of the best tram systems in all of nascar. When they put that long bar in they also took out every other row of seats in the lower grandstand. Which caused half the ticket holders to get moved, and the moves were not for the better. And even after doing that I could still swing a cat by its tail and not hit a soul. I just wish they took better care of the basics as they should. But I will most likely keep supporting the place in the fall, as long as I’m able, or until it goes away.

6 hours ago, MikePeters95 said:

I'd encourage just reaching out to them.  Half the posts are "we're going to keep this a budget class" then the other half of the random comments seen are "Just bring it and we'll let you run"

On the east coast it's been verified to work really well running street tires you can't replace for X number of events and just adding weight when someone clobbers the field.  Message the organizers.  Speculation doesn't get on track and I'm pretty sure zero people currently involved monitor or check this site at all.

The last sentence in this post is truly baffling. 

Mike, you must be on some sort of comp package with TMS. The way you bash the fans, there is no way you are paying for your package like I do.

https://kickinthetires.net/nascar/cup/the-slow-lane-breaking-down-the-kyle-busch-mexican-gun-possession-case/

On 11/28/2022 at 1:21 PM, RodneyRodriguez said:

Brand new thread for us to keep us with racing around us thanks Nick for getting this rolling. I'll have in depth Snowball coverage from Pensacola you all check in and feel free to post dirt and pavement news from around the country!

 

Rodney how is it going over there? Looks like Ryan Luza was fast off the truck this week. Hope he does well. 

Typically a good management system puts the service in place that at the very least they are either driving through the campgrounds, or easily a phone call away. And I don't particularly care to leave the grounds in a vehicle after I have been drinking. [Edited out by Nick Holt, 12/2/2022] 

Cotton Bowl sent out an email today that said since the WOO canceled the early West Coast swing that they normally ran early in the year, it cost a few tracks to lose dates this year. But sounded hopeful to get it back for 2024.

11 hours ago, MikePeters95 said:

As someone who works at that facility probably 20+ days a year, I assure you it's not for weddings, mostly OEM rentals for product demonstrations on the road course, and a plethora of other things.

The problem, as demonstrated in this exact thread, is people seemingly want to be upset about something and don't go to the races.  Thankfully SMI, who is owned by the same people that own a lot of companies and have diversified very well, use a lot of their business relationships, and OEM / Auto industry relationships to keep that place busy.  A properly ran facility doesn't make the money on the less than 10 days annually they host races, they figure out how to generate revenue as many days as they can over a 365 day period.

I am glad to see that new management has revamped some of their nonsense and disconnected cooler policies and other things done by people who were too burned out, antiquated and stuck in their ways and are not creating barriers to participation in a sporting event segment that is one of the few that is not offering climate controlled environments, in one of the longest events you can go to as well.  This isn't 1997 where most of your potential customers (race fans) work outside, do physical labor, and only have climate control in their home, maybe their vehicle anymore.  For a track with the second largest attendance of a NASCAR race ever (216k, second only to the Brickyard), they've done a great job diversifying their day to day operations so they can sustain without racing, and they did that to keep the racing going.

I not only go to the races, but I spend a considerable amount of money doing so. It is important to excel at the basics on race weekend. TMS fails in that aspect. Its great to hear that they have other revenue streams. I go there for the fall race weekend. Getting the tanks pumped in your motorhome should be easy, its not. Buying a bag of ice on the grounds when it is a 100 degrees for 4 days should be easy, its not. 

I understand its not 1997 anymore, but when you have been doing something since 1997, you should have the basics sorted out. TMS does not. The opener at HMP for the new series ran out of a lot of stuff at the concessions stand, you expect that, they will figure it out and get it sorted out. There is no defending TMS these days for me. Its not called the Texas Convention Center, it is Texas Motor Speedway.

6 hours ago, MikePeters95 said:

There is some fresh blood at TMS that is very open to a lot of things, and very self-critical.  I think it's imperative that we try to support tracks that we can including TMS.  I do have a dialogue going with them and they are glad asphalt racing is on an upswing and we have a meeting scheduled early Q1 next year, they're taking a hard look at some land not being used outside turn 3 and doing evaluations on building a short track, or using the flat track on the front straight.

TMS is doing fine.  The facility is rented out over 200 days a year for all kinds of things.  I really hope in 2-3 years we see HMP, TMS, Revolution Park and the bullring at JRP Speedway in Oklahoma hosting racing, drifting, car meets and anything they can to monetize the pavement they have sustainably.  Be nice to have a little touring series at those facilities, which I know for a fact is a possibility.

Separate conversation, I hope a true entry level class such as street/super stock is figured out for pavement.  Some folks don't want to race Cavaliers, and also don't have 1k to spend on consumables every race.  Be nice to see a 300 treadwear Crown Vic or some other cheap class actually happen.

If anyone finds this post critical that's fine, I'll be there supporting these things any way I can afford monetarily and chronologically.  These are all things that can happen if action is actually taken.

We can probably agree to disagree on this one. TMS may be rented out for some wedding or other function 200 days a year. But it is a motorsports facility first. And they don’t do very well in that arena. From the racing, to how they take care of there fans, they fail miserably right now. They have been at it since 1997, they don’t control a lot of the racing aspect, but the fan treatment they do. And they fail, if they want to know how to put on a weekend events as it pertains to your paying customers they should go spend a weekend at Talladega to see how it is done properly. There is no excuse, and there is no defending it. And I let them know about it in there fan survey post race.

I wish nothing but success for HMP and this new series. I was able to make the first race but not these last 2. But will be there when I can. 

I was thinking they called it something else the last couple of years. I know they used to draw good bunch of cars for this deal. 

Thanks Arob, with a little luck I am hoping to make it down for this years race. Last time I made it I think it was still the South Texas Shootout.

Glad to heat it went well. Send some photos to Nick of the car.

Hold your head high Sir.

Is the bar still open on race nights down there?

I am curious to see what they are going to do with TMS after this year. In the lower grandstands they took out every other row and put in a table ledge to set drinks and stuff on. I could still swing a cat in any direction and not hit a soul from my seats. Not sure how long it is going to be able to hang on that way. I know there has been talk of some sort of reconfiguration. But my gut tells me that date could end back up at North Wilksboro. 

I hope not, but the way the place was managed from a fans perspective at this years fall race it my be better if it goes away. 

Hopefully HMP will be back to a full race season next year. I was able to make the Sept race and it made me happy to be back there and see a really nice crowd. 

Now I hope to be able to make it down to Corpus for the 3 day show in December. Just need some luck to go my way. 

4 hours ago, HiTech said:

 Just checked the mail  RAILS  thank u .. u said it wasnt much  .well what u sent will be spent well  on this running out of time project .. it will help more than u think .....

HT

Your a fine American.

Thanks for posting this. I wasn’t able to make it last night. 

1 hour ago, 24nomo said:

It should not matter where you are at.   It doesnt make it ok to drop someone because you dont want them to talk to you.

 

The world would be a better place if we had more mommies walking their kids to school everyday.   Maybe they would stay away from the violence that they learn when mommy isnt around

I noticed snider didn’t have anything happen to him this week like he did last week. Maybe he learned something without mommie being around. Go figure.