my version of an Aaron poll?...lol

[circleburner]

Since i have moved my family north to the big city of Waxahachie, and my business as well, i began to make a list of people i thought i needed to know to help promote my business in the new area..

 

surprisingly, or maybe not so

 

14 dirt tracks within a hundred mile radius of waxahachie all planning on running next year and beyond

 

9 of those tracks are 1 hour or less in all directions

 

of the nine, 5 race on saturday, 4 race on friday..

 

construction has begun on 2 more tracks making my choice of race viewing 11 at the start of the 2009 season

 

hell, 2 tracks in keennedale are just half a mile apart and race on the same night to full houses both!!

 

So, is it that dirt track racing is more appealing, cheaper?

 

why are there only 3 asphalt venues in texas..although in speaking to one of the promoters of the dirt tracks, he clued me in on the new asphalt track in the works just north of fort worth...is will be promoted by the man who ran the dirt track at texas motor speedway, and alot of the funs are via Eddie Gossage, so its off to a good start

 

So..what are you pavement twisters doin wrong...LOl????????????

[racer61]

So..what are you pavement twisters doin wrong...LOl????????????

The question of the decade.

[NickHolt]

This topic has been discussed several times in the past, but is still a very hot issue.

 

However, this thread should not turn into a bash session in any way, shape or form. If someone has constructive suggestions to offer that's great. But pointing out all the faults of the promoter, stuff you don't agree with, "bad" calls that were made against your by such and such track, etc. should not be posted here.

 

How about let's turn this around a bit and focus on what some asphalt tracks are doing right and make suggestions that would build upon the gains that have been made over the past couple of years at our Texas asphalt short track.

 

Thanks.

 

Nick

[jumbo]

the tracks at Kennedale arn't even a quarter mile apart. you can sit on the top row at cowtown and watch em race at ksp.

[circleburner]

Nick, and everbody else...

 

i am very very sure that promoters sre not the problem with asphalt racing....houston and kyle have some of the best ive seen...i believe the problem lies somewhere else

 

just look at the imca regisrtations over 400 registered modifieds in texas alone and thats one class

 

i think the problem is that asphalt doesnt have the same sanctioning deal as dirt..noone can argue with having a car or group of cars that can go anywhere in the country and be competitive and legaal

 

too bad IMCA has no interest in asphalt racing

 

 

Burner

[rebelracewriter]

Burner, IMCA has been kicking around the idea of pavement tracks for a few years. They have one, maybe two paved track in the midwest with sanction, but just for I-Stocks if I recall correctly.

 

SAS used to run NA$CAR sanctioning, but it got voted out with the thinking of the fees outweigh the perks! As you and I both posted in another thread sanctioning has so many good values, that unfortunately no one ever thinks of, that they are so strongly against it. For the most part, with IMCA anyway, they all hate the claim rules, though I doubt even 25% actually understand them fully......personally I just don't get it!!!

 

The economy sucks, car counts are struggling.....but screw cost effective ideas in racing.... You are correct that it's probably not the tracks/promoters(they're adding cheaper classes)....but the racers themselves. We've been our own worst enemy for the 30+ years I've been involved in racing.

[ProTree]

price of building an asphalt track with the price of asphalt compared to dirt could be a reason why you dont see asphalt tracks being built in texas.

[jracer98]

Burner, IMCA has been kicking around the idea of pavement tracks for a few years."

 

IMCA had 2 tires...one for dirt and a harder one for pavement. I'm not completely certain but I believe that they retained the harder of the two tires when they went to one tire for all.

 

There were pavement IMCA cars offered by Harris and their brochure of that time (early 90's) had an Earnhardt black Goodwrench 3 and a white w/green Schrader Kodiak 25 pictured.

 

Jay

[supertx]

Kyle and Houston both have ASA sanctions look at what is happening for Cary Strapp .The promotors are doing what they can there trying to stay in bussiness and been doing a good job at keeping the asphalt racers a place to race at I,ve been around both asphat and dirt for many years and they both have the same fixed cost.[1] Race car doesen,t make ant difference if it;s dirt or asphalt the cost of building is the same,going to the track cost the same 2 pit passes at the dirt track or asphalt [within a couple of bucks] fuel,etc.etc.The one thing that I see is more expensive in asphalt is TIRES very seldom will you see a dirt guy put on a set of new tires every race let alone a couple of sets over the weekend. I don't believe that you tear up your equipment on dirt as much as you do on asphalt,this has alot to do with the the type of surface [less friction] where I see another expense in asphalt is the bodies hung on the cars in dirt you can buy a sheet of alum. and make a whole side for $80.00 verses $500 to a$1000 for a ABC body on asphalt.One other thing that I see and let me say Im not pointing, it is just the way it is RULES dirt is pretty well run what you brung, asphalt you need a lawyer to interpert the rule book. Tech at the dirt track is a 5 minute deal, asphalt it can be hrs I believe the more rules you have the more expense it's going to cost the racer.This just my thought it's not saying one type of racing is better than the other they are both fun.Good luck to all you racers and tracks in 2009

[badsonic]

yea i agree with you supertx alot more cheaper to run dirt than asphalt. The classes on asphalt want to run 40-75laps for their main events and the classes on dirt sprints,mods etc the most they run is 25-40 lap main events so 1 asphalt main event= to 2 dirt main events. Its common sense less wear and tear on racecars when you have fewer laps.

[Truck99]

supertx brought it up, and I'll echo it - cost containment. TSRS has a decent car count, but you can see the effects of the high cost of racing in the series toward the middle and end of the season. With the F53 tire, you MUST buy a new set every race to be competitive. The shock rule is costly as well. I'm not bashing the series in any way - love the people running it and racing in it. I just think it could grow even more with some minor changes. If we want to stay on the same tire, initiate a 2-tire per race rule. The tires are already bar-coded. It couldn't be too hard. The shock rule would be much harder to change - only because most of the racers have already made the investment and would likely react negatively to these expensive shocks being taken away. That being said, you have to make tough decisions like that with the future in mind, not the present. Just my thoughts.

[gundogC3]

There are 4 paved track's in Texas,

 

THR

 

CCS

 

HMP

 

W/F

[jumbo]

For a time it was cheaper to start racing on dirt and there was a track close to most folks. With the advanced dirt chassis of today it cost about the same for the car. When I moved to pavement my car cost went down(torn up tires,bent shocks) but travel expenses went up. I think a lot is determined by what the racer came up around.

I've tried to talk guys I know into giving pavement a try. Where I start losing them is when it gets to the way things run. Most don't like the idea of being at the track all day,time in in the afternoon then wait several hours and race 1 40-60 lapper. If they keep listening after that and paying an entry fee almost every race the deal breaker comes when they find out that they're gonna get paid with a check.Actually its not so much the check as it is the fact that you might get it the next week,next month or the next time you race and ask for it.

I think it still comes down to what ya been around and are use too.