LavenderRacing3 Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 cc has a black flag and when you do something they see they don.t like .your introduced to it ...most of the time you get a rolled up warning ..most drivers get the message at that point. THR has a black flag... It gets used... Trust me I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wkr77 Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 i saw the 10x parked out at THR if im not mistaken wolf owns it but i dont know if hes selling it if anyone know please let me know I talked to him at the track this last weekend. He didn't say it was for sale, but talked more about having to buy the HANS/Hutchins device to be able to race it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGTxDEUCE Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 i saw the 10x parked out at THR if im not mistaken wolf owns it but i dont know if hes selling it if anyone know please let me know I talked to him at the track this last weekend. He didn't say it was for sale, but talked more about having to buy the HANS/Hutchins device to be able to race it. just hate to see a mini sitting there when we need a bigger car count Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 racing is getting to cost way to much ..even in the cheap classes .and we all know there isnt a cheap class ..just a class you hope you can afford .i know the items are here to save you from being injured ..but darn they cost ..and i hate when someone says ..if you cant afford it .dont race ..well here is a prime exsample of why tracks lose car count ..hope this driver can come up with the help he needs .. heck the only reason we have a car running ..is i have to work seven days a week so far for the last couple of months just to buy parts ....i am tired .and season is only one night down .. its all for my son ...just hope i make it through the season ...and not get anything torn up .......now who is going to hammer me ....bring it on .lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Yes, we all have our reasons for wanting to race. And, yes, racing is expensive. Always has been. Always will be. And, yes, safety gear has become a major expense, but I'd rather have a racer in the pits feeling bad than out on the track burned to a crisp or on a back board with a broken neck. Even using the very best, latest safety equipment is no guarantee that a driver will not lose his life or be seriously injured, but tracks have finally come to the realization that drivers will risk their lives rather than spend serious money on safety gear. I wholeheartedly support THR's insistence that all classes run the mandated safety gear. They should be applauded, not booed. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprintsrule Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 I applaud most of what THR does and especially how hard they work. In this one instance I disagree. Neck restraints should be a personal choice. I would not wear one at a short track in any class. I am as concerned with my safety as anybody out at the track. So much so that I wear a fire suit with two layers plus the nomex underwear. It is hot but as far as I am concerned it is just part of driving. Between the full containment seats and the neck restraints, I feel trapped in the car. It takes way too long to get out of a car using these items and I do not want to depend on others to help me get out during a fire. I am much more concerned with being burned or trapped in a fire than I am breaking my neck at a short track. I know a lot more people who have been burned than I know who have broken their necks. I feel like a track making me wear a neck restraint to help me puts me at risk in another safety area. Therefore, the choice should be up to the drivers and not the tracks. Do all the Texas asphalt tracks require the neck restraint? Do any of the Texas dirt tracks require the neck restraint? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumper Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 I would like to offer my opinion for what its worth.I have race mini stocks for 40 years and have seen it all.I have watched the program grow to huge success and then destroyed by politics leaving people asking what happened to everybody.Few ever took the time to get to know those who love 4 cyl cars and understand them. First,the cost is definately the biggest factor.When you add transponders,radios,and hans devices especially you no longer have a car anybody can afford.I believe a hans device on a mini is just overkill.Politics will offer a different view but in reality I have wrecked every way you can wreck in cars much faster than the minies of Thunderhill.I have never had a neck issue mainly because they just dont go fast enough.Thats up to the track but that really can kill a cheap class. Next is that stupid notion that a 4 cyl car is a beginner car.BUNK.Its just as much a race car as any and is faster than many entry level V8 cars.I have been called a cradle robber,show stealing shouldnt be there mini driver.The guys at the outlaw shows see it differently.With 3 to 5 grand on the line these racers are just as focused as the full modifieds or late models.But when you tag your drivers as beginners or children the class is doomed from the start.I knew mini drivers in their 70s who raced them for 50 years.And moving to a v8 IS NOT NECESSARLY MOVING UP,MORE LIKE MOVING OVER.a MINI IS FASTER THAN A BOMBER AND THATS BEEN PROOVEN OVER AND OVER.Sorry about the cap lock. Next is the money.Some say it doesnt matter but they also say they quit because they cant afford to fix their car.Is that an oxymoron?.Money indeed matters and when you look at the successful mini classes there is a real purse.I have 40 years doing this and overall I have not paid for my racing out of pocket.I win enough to buy basic stuff and build everything else from junk.My biggest expense is fuel.You want cars,pay them. Next is the politics.Too many promoters try to influence the outcome with special rules.Every rule change affects those least able to conform more than those who win.All my racing carrear I have dealt with this.10 rule changes in a year to make somebody else win.THAT DOES NOT WORK! Iy only discourages the lesser experienced teams and they give up.Keep the race director out of the race.Most all mini classes everywhere have eather a claim rule or a protest procedure so put up or shut up. The single most damaging item for minies is the prospective that they somehow are not real race cars.Bigger balonie.My brother and I both evolved to full modified years ago and both came out of the car sayind "man these cars are slow!"Fact was even though they are super fast down the straight,out outlaw minies entered the turn much faster than the modified so it seemed like we stopped at the end of the straight.No out mod was not slow,it won championships and the first Nationals in RGS.But everybody looks up to the V8 guys so when they look down at the minies,so does everyone else.Get rid of that steriotype and more will show intrest. So you want cars? Its simple.Dont make them buy expensive stuff like $400 dollar transponders,radios to help run the show and hans devices they dont need.The average mini racers budget is less that $100 per race.Pay them,a good purse and that gives them creditability.Let anyone drive,that beginner stuff never works.A mini will only go so fast regardless of who drives,Beginners need to learn form drivers,not other beginners.Get the top classes to support them by having a team mini with the same look as the flagship car.Its great for a pit crewmember who would not ever race otherwise and a great moral builder. Right now there is a new program beginning at South Texas Speedway called Sports Compacts.Its really easy to get started and inexpensive.Evolution will proove the mini of now will be the fast and furious croud.Dual cams,V-Tecks,multivalve,150 to 200 horsepower right out of the factory and in the junkyards and city impound auctions today.In the meantime,every track has different rules for minies but they are all invited to run under their own tracks rules AS IS RIGHT NOW.No transponders,no radios,no expensive equipment.A promoter who is truly supporting the minies,all kinds,wih a history of getting this done.If this endavor fails,there is no hope for minnies,period.It doesnt get any easier,more support,neutral judging and the prospect of a serious pouse as earned. Are ministocks dead?Only if it depends on yesterdays construction of the program.Done properly it can be the biggest series of all when the average Joe can fit it in his ever dwilding family budget.It aint NASCAR so remember that.Half these guys budget is spent getting to the track,a fourth is spent getting in the track.Whats left? OK I shut up now.Got to fix my race car for Sat.Throttle cable broke so I have to find something to make a new one.I hope your minies return but ask yoursely why should they.If your answer is right they will.But it will not do itself.Fix it.If you want it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alloutpc17 Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 AGREED! Fire is a drivers worst nightmare. Even worse when you go into panic mode and can't remember what all you have to free yourself from before you can get out. The only track around that i know of that requires the neck restraint is THR. I don't know about HMP. I haven't seen any dirt tracks require a restraint. I'm just hoping that containment seats aren't required next. No need to require those huge things unless your at super speedway or a track like TMS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fast18 Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Well put Thumper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGTxDEUCE Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 greatly said thumper i dont want tobash any track but at the same time the opoins of our drivers can save car counts, classes, tracks, and the sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Yes, we all have our reasons for wanting to race. And, yes, racing is expensive. Always has been. Always will be. And, yes, safety gear has become a major expense, but I'd rather have a racer in the pits feeling bad than out on the track burned to a crisp or on a back board with a broken neck. Even using the very best, latest safety equipment is no guarantee that a driver will not lose his life or be seriously injured, but tracks have finally come to the realization that drivers will risk their lives rather than spend serious money on safety gear. I wholeheartedly support THR's insistence that all classes run the mandated safety gear. They should be applauded, not booed. Nick not booing them.. but cost is hurting .....if our local track fallows suit ..im out ..my son wears a neck collar .. `..we also added side head panels to his seat ..cheap .even cheaper when one of our locals gave them to us and frankly i am alittle scared of em .makes it harder to get in and out ...i would rather he take the t.bone side off or cut it down some ....he has new belts .and will every year he races ..he has a new helmet to boot .i agree with thumper and others on their points but . too much of something can get you hurt .... plus this isn't cars running at 200..mph ///local tracks are short .\\ and yes you can get hurt //. all this stuff keeps the driver from moving his head enough to know where every one is .restriction is the word ..in which does cause more wrecks ..i am not against safety ///but where do you end ...hey maybe the tracks can add soft walls ..nah that would cost to much would it .rings a bell right where the racers are ..afford ........racing is a dangerous sport always have been and will be ..baseball to me is alot like racing dangerous ...my son is a pitcher ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 I have seen tracks require the neck collar which is only about a thirty dollar item instead of a 400 dollar item. Yes transponders help with scoring but there is another 300 bucks. Pay them a decent purse and don't plan on this class to pay for the others purses. Are they required to buy a NASCAR license too? Yes everyone says they run for fun but 60 to win barely gets you to and into the track and that is if you win, no chance of even breaking even. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGTxDEUCE Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 its great to see people interested in the mini stock class. ive seen some great points made in this thread. in the end the best point i see would be to amend the rules and to make the Hans optional. i feel it would be the perfect balance between neck/head safety and being unresticted in the event of a fire. i hope to see this happen and would love to see 12+ minis on the track this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 its great to see people interested in the mini stock class. ive seen some great points made in this thread. in the end the best point i see would be to amend the rules and to make the Hans optional. i feel it would be the perfect balance between neck/head safety and being unresticted in the event of a fire. i hope to see this happen and would love to see 12+ minis on the track this season. after running with the thunders.. mini stock ..frontrunners for 29 years ..love the little cars ..we have ran with tps ..and man those are fast car.s .....//my son won a few races and championship in his first full year of driving at cc .in an old honda....never thought i would be part of running anything other than a ford ..now we have steped up to a v8..both of us have some learning to do ..but the four bangers will always be a big part of us ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumper Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 ike brings a good point and I agree,some safty devices can cause other problems like easy escape.Indeed fire is the most frightning ordeal,having been faced with that aspect on occasion.You get confused especially upside down and all you want to do is get out.A neck brace does not have to be removed for egress.The last thing on your mind is getting to your fire extenguoisher.Panic sets in. Thunderhill is a unique track and has speed but a good car as a mini can be perfectly safe without a hans device in my opinion.As far as fire,my gas tank holds 2 1?2 gallons.I can run 50 laps plus 25 caution laps.My last car held 4 gallons and I did run a 100 lap race and still had fuel.So dont use a 8,12 or larger tank when you get your car where you want it.Factory tanks are safe enough with a skid plate because of location but the filler can be improved.Again all this should be the car owners decision.All the things that make a car safer and faster can and will be developed by the minnie class as evolution dictates.Just let them work it out. This thread shows the ingreadents that kills a series.Suspicion,jealosy,class warfare,abuse in general.But it also shows theres enough people intrested to offer hope.In the beginning THR was going to make this a beginner class but I talked them against that.I have seen this rule abused to the point that 1 year drivers were removed while 5 year drivers remained,mainly because they never won or went fast.The age thing is a killer because it takes about 5 years for a mini to learn how to drive one fast and keep it running good while buildind a stash of spare parts.For the wealthy who want to buy wins for their offspring,go to another series like Legacy or Sportsman.The minies like Oldtimer,...err,Hi Teck says are for those who love these types of cars.90% will never drive or own a V8 car and most of these will never be dominate there.Please understand these guys,there the best people you can get to know.Unassuming tolorant,generious although they complain a lot.Its because they are looking for acceptance.And there the same at every track.I am extreamly proud to have been a part of this lifestyle most of my life.I am really excited about the prospect of the fast and furious crowd to be the future mini.5 movies and 7 second Civics tells me we havent seen the future of minnies on ovals yet.The future is looking exciting.Preludes,Eclipses,Cobalts,and the like with ground effects and wings just like the movies.Thats whats missing.Someday turbos,nitros,superchargers,all wheel drive and you have cars faster than lates.But start with the entry levels and build from there.Just stop killing them. If THR could find a series sponser,pay $300 to win and cut the cost to race the minnies would explode.Its really simple.Then its up to the track to keep it attractive.Dont keep changing rules,I dont think they do but others have,dont influence the outcome.If a driver wins too muck,put a bounty.Somebody will take it.Sell that story,people will pay to see who can get it done.Dont degrade the series by saying its a baby class and making people race junk.That junk part is not a problem at THR because the claim is reasonable.Other tracks are not. Mostly see what got them off to a great start and figgure out what changed without pointing mean fingers at the racers themselves.I have just sold my business after 40 years and am going to do what I can to raise the creditability of my mini kindship wherever I can.Hope you guys do as well or say adious.Just put yourself in their shoes not the shoes you make for them.Find out who quit and why.Do something to get new intrest.A good pool to draw from is all the racers who quit racing because of cost and theres a lot of them.Old racers can return mod and late drivers priced out are easy draftees if the series is respected.Crew members,wives,even sponsors can easily be a part of the show with the cost of a set of those cars tires.They can be team cars.We did this at RGS and instead of those left out they simply became another chapter of the nite.It was kind of funny,we pitted in the infield.When the minies came out,we modified drivers were the pit crews with spares,jacks,tools etc.When the mods came out the trucks,spares and crewmwmbers reversed and the mini teams pitted us.At the end of the nite we all had stories and the mod drivetrs were as excited about the minies like the minies were about their mods. Darn here I go again.Sorry I just cant stop the passion that drives my love for the ministock racing since I first saw them in 1969 at Almeda Speedway in Houston.Please dont loose yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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