what if

[Jamie]

that being said, we need to make THR, HMP & CC thrive before they end up in the same boat. I'd like to see her open again but it sure would be a tough sell..

 

 

Rodney you beat me to what I was gonna say. And I say this as gently as I can. Support the track that is open or it may go away and you have no place to race. I get so tired of these threads talking about how if this track reopens and that track reopens. And this late model or that late model will come out. If they are out there, they should come race now. They have a track to race at. If one of the old ones opened, do you really think they would come race if they are not racing now. Probably not. SAS & Longhorn are the main ones I am talking about. I know so many people have WONDERFUL memories from the old tracks. I have a hundred and one million great memories of my old home track Longhorn. Why can't we just support the great track we do have open now. I feel like everyone that came from SAS was welcomed with open arms and I still feel that way. To me, they are part of the THR family now.

 

Ok, I know I have probably made some people mad. So I will say I am sorry for that right now. Bash me if you want. I am a big girl and I can handle it.

 

Couldn't have said it better my self. What's wrong with the current tracks that already offer a place to race.

[Ram#9]

that being said, we need to make THR, HMP & CC thrive before they end up in the same boat. I'd like to see her open again but it sure would be a tough sell..

 

 

Rodney you beat me to what I was gonna say. And I say this as gently as I can. Support the track that is open or it may go away and you have no place to race. I get so tired of these threads talking about how if this track reopens and that track reopens. And this late model or that late model will come out. If they are out there, they should come race now. They have a track to race at. If one of the old ones opened, do you really think they would come race if they are not racing now. Probably not. SAS & Longhorn are the main ones I am talking about. I know so many people have WONDERFUL memories from the old tracks. I have a hundred and one million great memories of my old home track Longhorn. Why can't we just support the great track we do have open now. I feel like everyone that came from SAS was welcomed with open arms and I still feel that way. To me, they are part of the THR family now.

 

Ok, I know I have probably made some people mad. So I will say I am sorry for that right now. Bash me if you want. I am a big girl and I can handle it.

 

 

Kathy alot of us still have hope and i'm going to say something and i hope i dont piss anyone off, sorry but thr is not sas, no comparison. The people are great at thr as they were at sas but the tracks dont compare, i will say i enjoyed racing at thr a few year back but its not sas. This is why were hanging on.

[Cleaner]

I 100% agree with Kathy. There are supposedly alot of cars out there collecting dust. If they really wanted to race, they would. I travel an hour and a half to THR to race. Im only 20 Minutes from SAS and would probably go there if it were open but it's not and probably never will. Lets face reality here for a moment. Like Nick said it would take just short of a miracle to get through all the red tape even if someone had the disposable income to get the track. Most people with alot of funds like it would take to buy SAS are holding on tight with both hands right now. I for one support all the local tracks by being a spectator or a driver whenever I can. No track is perfect and things happen from time to time. Thats just the way it is. Just my opinion. I love THR and I37 which I frequent very often. THR has a terriffic atmosphere and the people are great. I37 has some of the best dirt track racing I've ever seen. Its always exciting to watch. We should support these tracks more than we do or they will be gone. Everyone knows, when they close there ussually closed for good and that will be the end of that. Theres my 3 cents.........J.C. Pilcher, "Just a Rookie" (What do I know)

[Kathy]

Kathy alot of us still have hope and i'm going to say something and i hope i dont piss anyone off, sorry but thr is not sas, no comparison. The people are great at thr as they were at sas but the tracks dont compare, i will say i enjoyed racing at thr a few year back but its not sas. This is why were hanging on.

 

Fair enough! I do understand they are different. But, then every track is.

[NickHolt]

Kathy, a lot of the folks who now support THR in a wide variety of ways are former SAS folks. I held several positions at SAS over the years on both sides of the pit wall, but when SAS closed I put the car on I-35 North and jumped in with both feet at THR. I know Debbie Williams and Rick Day did as well. And I seem to recognize a lot of folks who used to work with me at SAS now holding down similar positions at THR.

 

Sure, there are a few who say they will bring their cars out of mothballs to race at SAS, but sometimes I think those folks are just looking for an excuse NOT to race. But on the other hand, go down the THR results list in all divisions and compare that list with some of the old SAS results lists and you will find a whole lot of names that are the same and, in some cases, the children of folks who used to race at SAS.

 

Debbie, Rick and I - and anyone else who is actually aware of the reality of the situation at SAS - know perfectly well that SAS will never be more than a fond memory - or perhaps a silly daydream that some of us share. I, for one, will daydream about the track re-opening today, tomorrow and probably for the rest of my life.

 

Nick

[Kathy]

Kathy, a lot of the folks who now support THR in a wide variety of ways are former SAS folks. I held several positions at SAS over the years on both sides of the pit wall, but when SAS closed I put the car on I-35 North and jumped in with both feet at THR. I know Debbie Williams and Rick Day did as well. And I seem to recognize a lot of folks who used to work with me at SAS now holding down similar positions at THR.

 

Sure, there are a few who say they will bring their cars out of mothballs to race at SAS, but sometimes I think those folks are just looking for an excuse NOT to race. But on the other hand, go down the THR results list in all divisions and compare that list with some of the old SAS results lists and you will find a whole lot of names that are the same and, in some cases, the children of folks who used to race at SAS.

 

Debbie, Rick and I - and anyone else who is actually aware of the reality of the situation at SAS - know perfectly well that SAS will never be more than a fond memory - or perhaps a silly daydream that some of us share. I, for one, will daydream about the track re-opening today, tomorrow and probably for the rest of my life.

 

Nick

 

 

So Nick,

 

What was the point of this post?

 

I know all these things.

[Ram#9]

i also agree Nick that the track will probably never open again and i agree we should support the tracks that are open which is what i am doing at i37 (hell of a good time at this dirt track, ya'll should come out) and any other track i can get to, but there's something special about that place (SAS), i think its the size and speed idk, Kathy this is why we still keep that little glimmer of hope and it will still be there until the track is no longer there, this is why these topics keep coming up.

[ups88john]

my point exactly debbie there were 6 or 8 late models the last race if i recall correctly and not too many fans in the stands, everytime i hear someone say if they reopen sas there will be 300 cars in the pits and the stands would be packed it makes me want to beat my head against the wall. those that supported the track before would be there but where you gonna get all the other people and cars that they couldnt get before? support thr and hmp and cc and be thankful we still have a few tracks left.

 

big john

[Kathy]

i also agree Nick that the track will probably never open again and i agree we should support the tracks that are open which is what i am doing at i37 (hell of a good time at this dirt track, ya'll should come out) and any other track i can get to, but there's something special about that place (SAS), i think its the size and speed idk, Kathy this is why we still keep that little glimmer of hope and it will still be there until the track is no longer there, this is why these topics keep coming up.

 

 

Ok, I can accept that. I won't try to put your glimmer of hope spark out. I guess I am just feeling a little fisty today.

[CuttingEdgeRacing]

When I was out there 4 weeks ago, there was a pretty new sign. It said FUTURE HOME OF SPEEDWAY INDUSTRIAL PARK

 

Did that deal fall through?

[chevyfan]

its like this . you dont really know what you have until its gone . if you want to race on asphalt . i would highly suggest either racing , attending . promoting , supporting the ones that are open and running , stop looking back. on the other hand . i dont think there is a person out there that either went to watch, race , drink , or whatever at sas would love nothing more to see it back open . i think i read somewhere , prob. last discussion on this topic . but i think it was like a group of people who got together to make happen in the first place . imo that would be the thing to do if somehow a group of decicated , wealthy, or someone with alot of money who dont seem to care what they spend it on could surely make all of our dreams come true again . TO MOST . this racing thing is just a waste of money anyways on a race car [ it dont matter what class] expensive or not . this dont even compare to the cost . up keep to . or initial purchace price or lease.

so untill this special group [ i know that i could never be part of ] like most just dont have it to give. but will keep hoping maybe someday someone . or group will invest their money into that old track .IF this was to happen i will be there for sure as much as i can to support it!

[HiTech]

well ..just build a half mile track around thunder hill ..though thier isnt enogh land as it looks . .thiis way we can have the best of both worlds ..... cuz i love sas .for the speed and love thunderhill for its speed and smaller size .......as for supporting a track ..seeing some are open .thats the tracks that need the support .. ...we have a car running full time at cc .and another one will be before the season is out ..yet we also when we can bring one or two cars to race tps at thunder hill .so we support that track ..heck i support the local dirt track when im asked if there is any dirt tracks around cc ..i dont have a problem sending a person there ..all tracks that are open needs everyone backing ..

[HoosierDaddy]

People didn't know what they had til it was gone. If by some miracle it did re-open, we'd be there in a heart beat. Wishful thinking though.

[fishracer]

I whole heartly agree that everyone that can aford to race and wants to needs to support our existing tracks. It is so sad that the 7th largest city in the united states does not have a local circle track, that the racers can get to in a reasonable time. But like everything else in the world today, the reason one does not exist is because the market place basically said we do not need it. The only way this can be resolved is to market a track and unfortunately this has not happened in SA in a very,very long time. Most every owner/manager at SAS for the last 20 years or so(and most other asphalt tracks in Texas for that matter)had a regular job or business which made them a living and the race track was a part time job, with part time marketing and part time staff and most never went hungry waiting for the next race night. If you look around the country at the most sucessful tracks like Irwindale and several tracks on the east coast are full blown 6 day a week businesses with full time employees. We do not need complain about what we have now because what is left is pretty damn good considering the economy and the fact that alot of the personal are part time employee/enthusiasts.

 

I believe without the impact of the teams/support that have come from SA, Thunderhill would not have car count and staff that they have now and that is testimony that racers/backers/supporters that want to race will race. Thank the economy for alot of the racing ills today.

 

As for the differences between tracks Kathy is right, they all are different. Having raced at just about every race track in Texas over the last 25 years, each one has their own nuances. Although SAS was what I called my home track, I can say that yes the speed was great BUTT, if you wrecked a car chances are you would not be back next week or what you brought back would have taken every night putting it back together and maybe you would find all the bent areas. The other thing is the long straights took a toll on motors if you did not use the best parts or rebuilt your motors on a regular basis.

As for the racing on the track you could pass and you could regularly run 2 wide and you could come from far back in the pack to win without using the chrome horn to get position(not that some did not use this tactic) unlike thunderhill where track position is everything and passing is at a premium and usually taken not earned. The other difference is SAS had the all involved rule which really penalized the nerf for position tactic. Haven raced at Longhorn and Thunderhill the forgiveness rule(Austin area rule) utilized at these tracks has benefited us several times but really in my opinion racing would be better with the all involved. I like the no walls at thunderhill, good for consistent car count.

 

The absoulte best asphalt track in Texas: good speed, wide enough for 2 or 3 wide racing and easy on cars ODESSA, unfortunately built in the wrong place for survival.