lots of great racing

[Ford27]

lots of great racing last night with a few new winners. Congrats to Tracy and Jeremi.

Every race but one was good.

Enough said?

[usra43]

For last nights race, i was understood that if anyone spins in the infield would have to stay there and not attempt to enter back on the track due to mud and you were done for the night. If you did, you were black flagged. I guess that rule didn't apply to the pro's but some mini stocks even followed through with that. 4 late models should have been black flagged. Everyone was aware of that in the drivers meeting.

[usra43]

The Allison Legacy's had NO cautions cause they payed attention to penalty's that were supposed to be enforced, the late models had at least 8 cautions. Great job Robert Barker, Mike Reiniger and Jason Stanley hope one of you guys gets the next win. Tough luck for Taylor Brandes and Stanley. Both had great cars and were leading when they had small engine or ignition issues both at the wrong time.

[chevyfan]

well no rain all night , packed stands , world didnt end , great racing thru all the series , cars running into wreckers , very good night at thunderhill !! very entertaining , loved it

[MikeReininger]

Unfortunately true... Too many free rides, and deep pockets. An unsponsored late model is wallet suicide. It's time for a late model drivers meeting ONLY.

[Stormin58]

I used to run in the TSRS class and have a opinion on last Saturdays race. I feel for Maryann because how do you school some of the drivers on racing without running them off? For the fans who come to see the wrecks, some of the drivers in this class never seem to disappoint. I however like to watch the veterans like Bobby Teer or Robert Barker or a few others out-drive instead of out-spend the competition. It is just a shame to watch such fine looking cars get wadded up every race, starting on lap one all the way to the end. What to do? Good luck on this one!

[NickHolt]

The discussion about how to stop the overly aggressive driving/driving over one's head has been going on for as long as there has been race cars. And we all know that it is easy to blame the track for drivers' on-track behavior. But, folks, it's the driver who is behind the wheel of that car, not some official sitting up in a booth somewhere.

 

Sure, the black flag is there for a purpose, but the black flag is the biggest "gray area" in motorsports. When to wave it is something the track has to decide, but I can tell you from experience that using the black flag is the huge can of worms and whatever official is charged with the job of deciding when to throw or when not to throw the black flag has my deepest sympathy. That person has to keep every single black flag ever thrown at that track in his mind and make darn good and sure that the circumstances for throwing this one matches all the other times. If it doesn't match up exactly, the tar and feathers get brought out and folks will be looking to cook that official. And don't tell me that's not true because it is true from the smallest dirt track in Muleshoe to the Daytona 500.

 

That being said, please do not let this thread degenerate into an attack on race officials. It is not about what the track needs to do better. It is about drivers who should be taking care of their own problems within their own ranks.

 

Again (and for the 100th time) if anyone has a problem with the way the track handles this or any other specific incident, they should do what they know is the right thing to do - go to the track officials personally and discuss the issue with them.

 

Now, that does not mean we can't engage in a general discussion about ways to handle this or that general issue in racing. We have many, many very positive threads here that do just exactly that. Some of those positive threads even have input from track officials who know that they will not be thrown under the bus by posting their view on here.

 

Nick

[MikeReininger]

This falls directly on us, the Late Model drivers, not the track. As I said before, we need a Late Model drivers only meeting. I do not fear what I can see in front of me, I fear what is behind me when I am trapped with someone in front of me on the start or restart. I know who I trust and do not trust. The ones I do not trust have validated my distrust. No patience at all in our class. Accidents, rubbing, bumping, etc...I can deal with. Sad as it may be, our goal at a minimum should be a successful turn one on a start or restart. If you are scared of the outside lane, don't start in it. Move to the back in order to get the inside lane. It may save your race car and a few others. If you start in the back, there is no need to drive up under someone on a start. Let it play out for, I don't know, 10 seconds maybe? That might save your race car and a few others. As a VERY low budget operation, I know we cannot afford the current environment.

[joneill814]

For last nights race, i was understood that if anyone spins in the infield would have to stay there and not attempt to enter back on the track due to mud and you were done for the night. If you did, you were black flagged. I guess that rule didn't apply to the pro's but some mini stocks even followed through with that. 4 late models should have been black flagged. Everyone was aware of that in the drivers meeting.

 

That was the way I understood it in the driver's meeting but that rule was broken on the first lap of the race trust me I had a great view of it. It was brought to the attention of the offical's in the spotter's area and nothing was done, it was brought up to the officals in the pit area after the race and yet still nothing was done about it. Not sure how certain rules apply for some but not others.

 

Thanks

Jeff O'Neill

#28 TSRS Late Model

Edited May 23, 2011 by joneill814

[RBSF]

3Car has a great idea there, a drivers meeting for just that division. Challenging, but a great idea. On the "officials" side of the fence, no, we don't like throwing any colors but green or checkered. Yellow-somebody is probably spending money they hoped not to, Red-Is anyone hurt? Black-I hope my house doesn't get burned down tonight. Seems like a lot of the FUN has been replaced with WIN. Good luck, man.

[usra43]

Great job also #28 Jeff.

[hray]

................... As a VERY low budget operation, I know we cannot afford the current environment.

 

As have many others before you.

I've got a TSRS car sitting in my shop right now. There is no way I'd finish it up and race it. I've watched this class from the very beginning (in fact I was in the initial meeting at the Holiday Inn in Austin) with the idea of maybe getting in, but every season I'm more and more convinced not to do it. There's too much disregard and disrespect for each other for me.

TSRS car for sale anyone!!!!

[joneill814]

Great job also #28 Jeff.

 

Thank you

[Pacecar]

Maybe put the cone out - before the start of the race.

Edited May 23, 2011 by Pacecar

[NickHolt]

Did I typo again, Larry? I must be getting old.

 

Remember how I used to start the races at SAS back in the mid 90's? Most everybody hated them, but at least we stopped 95% of the "lap one, turn one" wrecks.

 

Nick

[Radical]

The discussion about how to stop the overly aggressive driving/driving over one's head has been going on for as long as there has been race cars. And we all know that it is easy to blame the track for drivers' on-track behavior. But, folks, it's the driver who is behind the wheel of that car, not some official sitting up in a booth somewhere.

 

Sure, the black flag is there for a purpose, but the black flag is the biggest "gray area" in motorsports. When to wave it is something the track has to decide, but I can tell you from experience that using the black flag is the huge can of worms and whatever official is charged with the job of deciding when to throw or when not to throw the black flag has my deepest sympathy. That person has to keep every single black flag ever thrown at that track in his mind and make darn good and sure that the circumstances for throwing this one matches all the other times. If it doesn't match up exactly, the tar and feathers get brought out and folks will be looking to cook that official. And don't tell me that's not true because it is true from the smallest dirt track in Muleshoe to the Daytona 500.

 

That being said, please do not let this thread degenerate into an attack on race officials. It is not about what the track needs to do better. It is about drivers who should be taking care of their own problems within their own ranks.

 

Again (and for the 100th time) if anyone has a problem with the way the track handles this or any other specific incident, they should do what they know is the right thing to do - go to the track officials personally and discuss the issue with them.

 

Now, that does not mean we can't engage in a general discussion about ways to handle this or that general issue in racing. We have many, many very positive threads here that do just exactly that. Some of those positive threads even have input from track officials who know that they will not be thrown under the bus by posting their view on here.

 

Nick

 

 

Amen to all of the above. I no longer race but I still enjoy the sport. If everyone would listen to what Nick says here most everything will work out.

[abrungot]

The Drivers meeting i was in & the way i understood the "Mud" rule for Saturday night was this.

 

If you spun off the track, and picked up Mud, and brought it back on to the track causing a Caution. (This was a Black Flag)

 

If you spun & got Stuck in the Mud, 2 Possibles.

- If in Safe Place, Enjoy the show your now a Fan in a Prime Spot

- If unsafe, Caution would fly & Wrecker would come fish you out... and provide a trip back to the pits.

 

If you spun and could get back on the track without bringing mud back on with you.. Have at it..

Edited May 23, 2011 by abrungot

[usra43]

The Drivers meeting i was in & the way i understood the "Mud" rule for Saturday night was this.

 

If you spun off the track, and picked up Mud, and brought it back on to the track causing a Caution. (This was a Black Flag)

 

If you spun & got Stuck in the Mud, 2 Possibles.

- If in Safe Place, Enjoy the show your now a Fan in a Prime Spot

- If unsafe, Caution would fly & Wrecker would come fish you out... and provide a trip back to the pits.

 

If you spun and could get back on the track without bringing mud back on with you.. Have at it..

Negative. Thats not what was ruled. If you spin in the infield, you were out! Doesn't matter anyway, the fans want what they wanted and they got it.

[Barker Racing7]

.

Edited May 24, 2011 by Barker Racing7

[fastmontgomery15]

MAYBE WE NEED TO TAPE THE DRIVERS MEETINGS THAT WAY YOU CAN GO BACK AND SAY THIS IS WHAT YOU SAID. AND IT WILL BE FAIR FOR EVERYONE. IF WERE GOING TO CHANGE THE RULES AS WE GO THEN WE NEED TO GO BY THEM HAS THEY ARE CHANGED. AND YES WE WERE TOLD THAT IF YOU WENT IN THE INFIELD YOU WERE DONE BECAUSE THEY DIDNT WANT YOU TO BRING MUD ON THE TRACK EVEN IF YOU WERE FORCED DOWN THERE AND THE OTHER CAR THAT DID IT WOULD GO TO THE BACK AND YOU WERE DONE. THATS WHAT I HEARD.AND IF YOU WERE TO TAKE A VOTE ON IT I`M SURE IT WOULD BE THE SAME.AFTER ALL THE RACING THAT NIGHT ALL I HEARD WAS WHY THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT AND THE OTHER CLASSES DIDNT.THEN AGAIN MAYBE IT WAS DRY ENOUGH FOR THE LATE MODELS TO CONTINUE ON.ALL IN ALL THE THUNDERSTOCK CLASS HAD TO STAY IN TECH UNTIL THE LATEMODELS WERE DONE SO I MISSED IT ALL. I`M JUST GLAD WE HAVE A TRACK TO COME RACE AT!!!!!

[debwill]

Mary Ann (Naumann) asked that I post the following picture and her reply to several of the comments that have been made above:

 

(photo by Jeff Garvin)

 

I'd like to start off by quoting someone on Facebook: "Those sure are some good-looking demo derby cars!" It's sad, but true!

 

Some great drivers have raced in the TSRS Late Models, and some very talented ones are still racing now. However, I feel the respect for each other as drivers is certainly no longer there. I see lots of finger pointing, and not many drivers are taking responsibility for their own actions on the track, whether intentional or accidental.

 

I did talk about the mud situation in the both of the drivers' meetings on Saturday. I said that we would go yellow if a car goes off into the center of the track and is in an unsafe area. I also mentioned that cars that come back on the track and bring mud out onto the track would be black flagged.

 

In the Mini Stock race, two cars went off into the mud and both went and stayed in the center of the track on their own.

 

On the first lap of the TSRS Late Model race, three cars spun out and went off the track, and all three came right back onto the track. Two cars were involved in bringing out the yellow (#69 and #9), and both cars were sent to the rear on the restart. The other car spun to avoid (#07), and he was sent to the rear for bringing dirt onto the track that required cleanup by the safety crew.

 

It had been such an awesome night of racing, and the TSRS Late Model race was wild from the get-go. The situation mentioned above occurred on the first green flag lap, and all three cars really should have gotten the black flag. So, yes, we made an error on the call. On the second restart, two cars tangled in Turn 1 (#79 and #3), and one of the cars involved went into the infield. Since we had already made an error on the first incident, the precedent had been set, so we sent both cars to the rear . . . and so on for the rest of the incidents that occurred during that race.

 

You guys, we've had some extremely exciting racing action in this class, many times! It's tragic when any class tears up that many cars up during any given night.

 

Mary Ann Naumann

[RBSF]

Whether you agree with Mary Ann or not, you have to respect someone in her position providing an intelligent and respectful reply on such an obviously challenging situation. Very well done. One thing about this sport: no instant replay and time out for commercials to review official calls, at least not yet.

[hray]

How refreshing when someone actually takes responsibility. A good example for others.

Your love for this class and your pain seeing it self destruct exudes from your last sentence.

[trbfan]

http://www.lonestarspeedzone.com/2011/05/2...at-thr-5212011/

 

The TSRS is very capable of producing great racing with many of the same drivers that are in that video, without tearing up much equipment. I've only been going to THR since the start of the 2009 series, but that race was one of the better races I have seen anywhere. It does seem that there is a lack of respect between drivers more this year than I have seen at any other time, and I dont know how to fix that. There are a couple people I have in mind, but I wont name names.

[hray]

Wow! obviously spoken by a non car owner. I've watched that video twice and didn't see a single clean pass until late in the race when the 96 passed the 92. Every other pass involved some degree of bumping, rubbing or pushing. Not the kind of race that someone with money invested wants to be involved in.