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Houston Motorsports Park UPDATES & MEMOS


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was this the class that the slm's could run with a 7000 rpm chip?

 

Yes, Racer, the Houston Pro late models allowed then in 2006, but now have gone crate only for 2007.

Now it is SLM cars with 400 Crate.

 

Racer61---Cory?

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was this the class that the slm's could run with a 7000 rpm chip?

 

Yes, Racer, the Houston Pro late models allowed then in 2006, but now have gone crate only for 2007.

Now it is SLM cars with 400 Crate.

 

Racer61---Cory?

so I guess we dont race'em anywhere!

yep tom its me, how have ya been?

well i know of acouple of cars getting dry docked this coming year,

i would really like to know who to thank for this. :angry:

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was this the class that the slm's could run with a 7000 rpm chip?

 

Yes, Racer, the Houston Pro late models allowed then in 2006, but now have gone crate only for 2007.

Now it is SLM cars with 400 Crate.

 

Racer61---Cory?

so I guess we dont race'em anywhere!

yep tom its me, how have ya been?

well i know of acouple of cars getting dry docked this coming year,

i would really like to know who to thank for this. :angry:

In the long run you will come out ahead with not having to maintain a high horsepower,highbudget motor.The class is also more competitive with the difference being driver and set-up instead of driver and bank roll.Don't get me wrong,nothing gets my blood going more than to hear one of them fire breathing dragons come to life,but for 20 to 30 thousand dollars?

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was this the class that the slm's could run with a 7000 rpm chip?

 

Yes, Racer, the Houston Pro late models allowed then in 2006, but now have gone crate only for 2007.

Now it is SLM cars with 400 Crate.

 

Racer61---Cory?

so I guess we dont race'em anywhere!

yep tom its me, how have ya been?

well i know of acouple of cars getting dry docked this coming year,

i would really like to know who to thank for this. :angry:

In the long run you will come out ahead with not having to maintain a high horsepower,highbudget motor.The class is also more competitive with the difference being driver and set-up instead of driver and bank roll.Don't get me wrong,nothing gets my blood going more than to hear one of them fire breathing dragons come to life,but for 20 to 30 thousand dollars?

 

Come out ahead... Sounds more like there are a few $20-$30k paperweights and flowerboxes sitting around....

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If I am not mistaken,I believe that I read where HMP is going ASA next so it is a ASA rule if that is the case,however I think that the rev limiter chips would be the big key limit everyone to the same 6300 rpm or whatever it is.

yep, add a chip, kill some horsepower, save the motor, save some dollars, get to race... etc... etc...

will someone just let me race this thing :angry:

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I always thought I was pretty good in math, but this idea that a crate is cheaper has got me stumped. You see, I have an SLM that's setup for a 9:1 -- we're not the fastest on the track, but we have fun anyway.

 

To run a crate I have to change the front suspension because the crate sits higher in the frame for ground clearance. I also have to get different headers, carburetor, take out my dry sump tank and plumbing and replace/remove all the other "little" things that don't just swap. And then I have to go buy a crate. And all this is in addition to what I've already got invested in my car.

 

So, how is it cheaper for me to run a crate? Sounds like I'm gonna spend $15K or more just to get to the track with a car that now has different geometry, a higher center of gravity, a different power band and will take who knows how long to get dialed in.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the $20K 9:1 and extra parts that I can't use and can't sell 'cause everyone (except me) is concerned about how much I'm spending to race. (And I suspect I'm not the only SLM owner with this problem.)

 

Somehow it just doesn't add up.

 

The Duck

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Think of it this way Race Duck. You are a newbie, you go buy a car and a crate, you just saved 20K!!! There are more people getting out of racing than getting in because of the cost. I have avoided getting into SLM's because of cost, now, I may be able to if my sponsor is still in the MOOD!!!! Yes, it is going to cost YOU more, but will save you in the long run.

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Think of it this way Race Duck. You are a newbie, you go buy a car and a crate, you just saved 20K!!! There are more people getting out of racing than getting in because of the cost. I have avoided getting into SLM's because of cost, now, I may be able to if my sponsor is still in the MOOD!!!! Yes, it is going to cost YOU more, but will save you in the long run.

ok, enlighten me. what should i do with this brand new 9-1 motor? sell it? who would buy it when every one is forced to run crates, if they want to run. shelf it? well thats economical. come on man, look around. there are cars everywhere. they arent racing due to expense, yes, but not for the reason that engines cost too much. if you spend 150 to register for a series, 125 per race for registration, 25 per person and maybe some track fuel, youve already spent some dough. ontop of that you must buy 2-4 series tires per race to compete. (mandated by series) in other words you are not allowed to run on week old tires. plus your 3 year old monte carlo body is illegal because its not abc approved. so now how much have i spent in a season to compete? Im not one of the guys that are whining about the cost. me personally, I dont have a sponsor, i race when i can afford to. If tires are 120 so be it, gas 6.00 per gal, ok. But why can I not run now? because we have to make another change that is a big change. You want car counts up? than let the cars that are in existance NOW run. Folks its that simple, weve got about 12 different classes between 4 tracks. Now how is that effective. I the tracks dont work with the racers, and dont work with the other tracks than we all loose :(

 

oh yah one other thing, im curious to see how much of a "newbie" the duck really is.

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I always thought I was pretty good in math, but this idea that a crate is cheaper has got me stumped. You see, I have an SLM that's setup for a 9:1 -- we're not the fastest on the track, but we have fun anyway.

 

To run a crate I have to change the front suspension because the crate sits higher in the frame for ground clearance. I also have to get different headers, carburetor, take out my dry sump tank and plumbing and replace/remove all the other "little" things that don't just swap. And then I have to go buy a crate. And all this is in addition to what I've already got invested in my car.

 

So, how is it cheaper for me to run a crate? Sounds like I'm gonna spend $15K or more just to get to the track with a car that now has different geometry, a higher center of gravity, a different power band and will take who knows how long to get dialed in.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the $20K 9:1 and extra parts that I can't use and can't sell 'cause everyone (except me) is concerned about how much I'm spending to race. (And I suspect I'm not the only SLM owner with this problem.)

 

Somehow it just doesn't add up.

 

The Duck

 

You are definitely not the only one.

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I have to agree with ya racer61. I understand about the cost. There are so many SLM and Latemodels that are just lying around and now there will be more just lying around because of this. What ever happened to racing. Where used to be a set of rules and it took ingenuity to make your motor better than the next guy. If tracks would re-enforce rules and know what they are looking for then things wouldn't be expensive and they would be more competitive. H.P. doesn't always win races. It all comes down to finess of the driver and how the chassis is designed. Next thing you know we will all have to run the same chassis. Too bad the malibu grand prix track closed. We could all go there and race and there wouldn't be any difference. Just race for time. Wait a minute that sounds like e.t. bracket racing. Fed up..... :blink:

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Think of it this way Race Duck. You are a newbie, you go buy a car and a crate, you just saved 20K!!! There are more people getting out of racing than getting in because of the cost. I have avoided getting into SLM's because of cost, now, I may be able to if my sponsor is still in the MOOD!!!! Yes, it is going to cost YOU more, but will save you in the long run.

 

Somebody told me Speed Demon called me a newbie. But I see he was just making a point about finding a cheaper way to get into SLM racing. So, no hard feelings on that. Trouble is it isn't cheaper if you're already there! And no real racer really thinks past the next race, so don't talk about "in the long run". I have what I have and no one has given me a worthwhile argument why I should spend a lot of money to change.

 

So, while everyone is worried about how much I spend, I get to sit home not spending anything. There's a lot of us who just like to race, and a few who will mortgage the house for a single race. So why should I have to sit home because somebody else just has to spend mega-bucks to win a cheap trophy? I say "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! BUT DON"T CLOSE THE KITCHEN!!!"

 

For Speed Demon and anyone else out there that may think I really am a newbie at this: I first got involved in short track racing in central Texas in 1967; my brother and I built and he drove the car that set the 1971 track record at Austin Speed-0-rama for Super Stocks (the SLM of that generation) and the record stood for over 15 years (you old timers can probably figure out who I am from that piece of trivia); and I've been in and out of racing more than once since then. I've been on both sides of the fence and I think I understand a little more than the average Joe what it takes to make a good race and a good race car.

 

I've owned my current SLM since 2000 (yeah, I only have one - poor ol' Duck, right?) and have competed as much as possible until last year. (I won't go into why it was parked last year :D ) The car can be ready to race within a week .. that is IF I had a place to race and a sanctioning body that was serious about putting on a first class SLM show. Unfortunately you have to go to the east coast or west coast or Canada to find folks who fit that bill. Doesn't matter which way you go, it's a thousand mile pull to a decent race from central Texas. :(

 

Racer61 has it right about the costs. My first year with ROMCO, I began to notice some "givens" about SLM racing. First, its not cheap - you spend a lot of bucks just getting the car ready to go racing. Second, it costs $1000 or more per race just to get the car on the track (after the initial costs). And lastly, there's no more exciting racing on the planet! :):):)

 

The Duck

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