Racetrack Improvements

[HORSEPOWER]

Has anyone heard of any possible racetrack improvements to any of the area tracks? or Do you have any ideas that can help improve your home track? I know it takes money, but what doesn't. I also know track owner's, officials, employees, etc. are aware of these things, just curious about other peoples suggestions and ideas.

 

I know several improvements are needed at SAS, it takes time. What important ones should come first? I think if they are going to fix the back stretch wall, they should go ahead and move it out 5-10 feet, maybe fill it up with concrete and ease the transition coming out of turn 2, since there is no banking on the straights. It seems everyone gets into that wall and it can eliminate several accidents. Just like on the front stretch, there is a lot less cars that get into the wall. I think I've heard some thing about the restrooms and concessions in the pits. Pit lane needs to accommodate more cars. It's a 1/2 mile race track and only 18 cars or so fit right now, and that's regular parking, door to door. Most of the 1/2 miles have pit entrance between turns 3 and 4, and exit between turns 1 and 2. On the stands side, we need some new restrooms. Maybe a playground for the kids and parents can sign some type of release form in case of any accidents, the track is not liable.

 

Take a look at New Smyrna Speedway. It's almost the exact size of SAS, with 18 degree banking on the turns, except they have banking on the straights, nice pit road, it's about a half-second faster, but SAS is like 40 ft wider. It also has a 1/20 of a mile(what ever that is) quarter midget race track, founder Mark Martin. I guess that's a good way to develop future racers and maybe keep them at your home track. No two tracks are alike of course, I'm sure the handling and set ups might differ. Has anyone here raced there before?

[Guest lidllarry]

At the beginning of last year, they said they were going to build a bridge over the track at SAS. Have they started that yet?

[Mel]

New Smyrna has provisions to allow cars to park outside the track (turn 1 all the way around to turn 4). That is where we parked there.

 

Your right though...$$$$, noone has any!

 

Prob best to do a little improving every year so we continue to have a track to race at.

 

Mel

[arts22]

You didnt see the bridge? Its really nice, it even has one of Nick's chassis setting on it for display.......

[REBELRACER]

not as of fall brawl.........the track does need improvements, but the biggest improvement will have to be fan/car count............of coarse some kind of improvement to the parking lot would be nice too............at least run a maintainer over the entire parking lot to get rid of some of the craters.......jmo

[abrungot]

I don't think you will see many improvements at any tracks.. I believe any improvements that will be made will be in the Getting people (Advertising/Promotions) Need to get cash flow so that tracks can make those improvements..

 

It would be real good to see people offer the track owners their services... (What i can do for you not you for me... )

 

I say this because of my trip to nashville last week... There was Nascar stuff everywhere... we need to develop that sort of pride in our local racing around here!!! We have it yes.. just not to the 110% degree..

[Guest bigfat]

What would they build a bridge over the track for?? Exiting and entering the pits during racing and such??

[Truck38]

I think the bridge idea is pretty crazy but a tunnel would be nice. It isn't really that big of a deal if it doesn't get done. I'd take a collection up to help get things paved. The dust at SAS can kill you and I know the parking lot could use it too, but I like racing at SAS even if everthing is covered in dust afterward.

[Guest bigfat]

The bridge idea has got to be for walking only right???? Stranger things have happened.

[HORSEPOWER]

I think a bridge is unnecessary, just throw the caution and they can get to the other side. There's an entrance coming out of turn four at the other track, maybe that's an idea.

 

Since I brought up that Florida track, I remember Dick Anderson winning at SAS in a black race car, # 92 red numbers and a white hood. Someone raced the same car a few more times after that, does anyone know who it was?

[txtom]

If it was a Dick Anderson car, it could have been Waldo Harper, as he bought 2 or 3 from Dick back then. I think also Greg Davidson may have gotten a car from him.

[SASPEEDRACER24]

On a slightly different note... I read somewhere might have been Speed or Karnac that CRA and some other sanctioning bodies were getting together to create a kind of Crown 4 series I think they called it... Bring back the Winchester 400, the Nashville race, Snowball, and a race at Speedweeks and if someone can manage to win all 4 they win $100,000...I think the way it was set up there would be plenty of weeks between races to get cars prepared ect. It would be interesting if Terry could get with these folks and create a 5th race at SAS call it the Lone Star 300 or something though it would probrobly have to be held mid January. I think before something like could happen there would need to be some improvements for the pit road area (lengthing and widening) so they can make green flag stops like at Five Flags and the above tracks. That way you can run a field of 36-38 cars at SAS...I'll see if I can find the release somewhere on it...

[turbotoddie]

I don't know what Terry D has planned but after speaking with him a couple of weeks ago, he is definitely spending a chunk of change on advertising for next year and from this year's results, he has received a much warmer reception from ad agencies and so forth.

 

I agree that if any money was to be spent at SAS, it needs to start with the restrooms on the spectator side. Advertising might get them there for a first try but the experience needs to be positive enough to get them back!

 

Personally, I would take the front row of the pits and have everyone pull in at a 30 degree angle. It would only take a small wedge of concrete to achieve this but it would allow the spectators to see the sides of the cars(SPONSORS NAMES and car #'s) while being pitted as well as everyone can pull in and out of their designated spot easier. It would also allow for each team to enter and exit their designated pit spot easier. After sitting on the spec side a few times, it is sometimes hard to distinguish which white(name you color) car is which and anything that can be done to put the sponsors' names in front of the audience is beneficial.

 

todd farris

[supertx]

One thing I would like to see done at SAS is something to kill the dust in the pits, it's has more dust than the dirt tracks. JMO

[lendo38]

I know this tpoic is mostly about SAS, but just to throw in one for Houston. I don't know how many of you guys have seen the track in the last month, but they are spending thousands right now on improvements. They have added 60-70 new spots in the pits which now wraps all the way around the back and down one side of the facility. It is all asphalt of concrete and is beautiful. No dust here. The are adding concession areas also. The Baker's are spending alot of money to make this place nice for us to come and race at. It really is state of the art. If we could just get the promotions up in this area, what a deal we could all have here!

[ProTree]

HRP is also adding over 200ft of concrete to the lenght of the dragstrip-on the pitend-they are spending some $$$$$$-be ready in January-pics on www.hotrodgossip.com

[racerjim2]

The biggest improvment needed at SAS is a Stable unchanging set of rules that keeps cars running at the track.The rule changes over the last 10 years has cost all the racers lots of money and some of us working racers (the ones that dont make a ton of money and dont have huge sponsors) kept us off the track due to the financial repercussions associated with those rule changes. Who ever thought up the idea that changing the rules would bring in cars that are not racing is WRONG all it does is run off the existing racers that have gottin tired of being broke all the time or saving all year to get to the track to find out they are still behind because the rules have changed again.I have raced under 7 that right 7 diffrent promoters with rule changes almost every year since 1986 now that all these promoters have come and gone all that is left are the racers with little or no money to show for there efforts.Leave the rules alone and get out and stir up some excitement about racing and the speedway. Or mabe it is just suposed to be a rich boys country club.JMHO

Edited December 10, 2005 by racerjim2

[lendo38]

At a time when there is uncertainty about local racetracks and their ability to stay afloat. The Baker's are making some bold statements about their commitment to both drag racing and oval racing in Texas. I for one am very thankful.

[CommonSenseRacing]

I know this tpoic is mostly about SAS, but just to throw in one for Houston. I don't know how many of you guys have seen the track in the last month, but they are spending thousands right now on improvements. They have added 60-70 new spots in the pits which now wraps all the way around the back and down one side of the facility. It is all asphalt of concrete and is beautiful. No dust here. The are adding concession areas also. The Baker's are spending alot of money to make this place nice for us to come and race at. It really is state of the art. If we could just get the promotions up in this area, what a deal we could all have here!

It's great what the Bakers are doing for the track, but if you think for one second it's for the oval track racers your crazy. It's all about the drag strip and I don't blame them. The drag strip is what's successful, think about it, a entry level drag/street racer, they don’t have to make the same level of commitment that an oval track racer makes. They run their street car, very rarely do they crash and if something breaks they fix it when they want to. If they miss a week nobody cares there are no points involved. Car counts at the drag strip are always high and only two cars race at a time. That’s what people expect to see, so they are never disappointed. Unlike the oval track, people go and get to watch, 50 sometimes 75 lap heat races, oops, I mean main events (the 10 cars per class through me off). People come and are not entertained and don’t come back. I’m thankful for the drag strip, without it HMP would probably go bankrupt.

[ProTree]

CommonSense-if your from the houston area, i am sure you see what kind of $$$ is being put up for the strip compared to the oval track by sponsors of the races-like the clobberthon events and etc.And when the track is extended,there's already talk floating around about big $$$ to who can run a 3 sec 1/8 mile pass.And if its true,the BigDogs will come to get it and the people will come to see it.The people down there want to see bumper draging,heads up,out of control racing and they have it more often than the oval racing.I know enough about it that it has started a purse war between HMP and HRP on who can put on the biggest money races to get the fast cars at their tracks.It's a good deal for the racers,but may be a bad deal for the tracks if they start going head to head having races on same dates.

[lendo38]

Commonsense,

 

As much as it pains me, I agree with you. And I don't mean that against you personally. It pains me that we cannot get the same interest in the oval racing. You are right, the drag racing is making it happen for HMP. I am thankful that the Baker's are still willing to put forth the effort to support the oval racing. With the money that they are getting from the drag strip, if we could get something really good going for the oval too, this place would be really good for everyone who goes there.

 

I know the money that the Baker's and the HMP oval classes are putting up for purses next year. They are still putting their money where their mouths are. Wait until you see the announcement and see what I am talking about. Hopefully the racers in Texas will reciprocate and bring out their hot rods and put on some good shows.

[Guest lidllarry]

Lendo,

With a decent purse, HMP could be the place to race from here on out. It is a fine facility with great people running it. They do deserve more than they have been getting out of the oval track. Good business people with usually figure out a winning combination, and lets hope that they have.

[lendo38]

The HMP purse is going to be pretty danged good in my opinion. I do not know the exact numbers yet, but hopefully racers will come to the track for the purse and the racing. If we can get some promotions going down here to work with these other changes, maybe we can find something that works. I am sure that the other tracks will follow the one that finds the right formula. Maybe it will he Houston that starts it this year. Let's hope!

[CommonSenseRacing]

I hear people complaining about the rules being changed like the weather and the cost involved. In my opinion the four tracks need to get together and have a common set of rules for all the different local classes that race. These rules need to be phased in allowing the existing cars at least one year for minor changes and two years for major changes before being mandated. During that period weight penalties could be used to even out the field. This would create stability and allow racers with existing cars to compete. Also, people who are interested in building new cars can feel comfortable that their equipment won’t be outdated in a year.

 

Regarding the HMP purse, I believe HMP will have a severe hurdle to overcome regardless of the purse. From what I understand, without notice one night they decided that the modifieds were no longer going to receive a purse and just didn’t pay anyone. I’d appreciate it if someone who knows what happened would speak up. With that in minded if I had a car sitting in my garage, I’d be hesitant to spend any money fearing that they might do the same thing to me.

[supertx]

lendo38

 

Are the Bakers putting up the purse? Are the series putting up the purses or are the entry fees paying the purse.I think HMP is a great track and with 10million people in the area maybe they can figure out how to fill the grandstands.