Moving up in class

[Truck99]

Houston LM04 posted:

 

There are a lot of ways to look at this issue and we're all entitled to our opinion... I guess we've got to agree to disagree on this point ...

 

I'd be real interested to see the THR LLM car counts over the past two or three years. I would predict a slight downward trend; certainly not any growth trend. Which opens a whole new discussion; why aren't the lower class guys at THR stepping up?

 

I think you're right, we and others are just going to have to disagree on the car count topic. But this question about why some teams aren't stepping up in class should make for some interesting discussion. With over 40 registered drivers in the THR street stock class, you would think several would have moved up.

 

I can only answer for our team and say that that move is simply cost prohibitive. The cost to run up front with a LLM is considerably more than it is with a SS. We know where we can run competetively within our budget and are forced to or choose to remain there. Maybe some of the others can provide other insight.

 

cs

[Kathy]

Well, I looked back in the old records and this is what I found.

 

 

Late Models at THR----last three year's history. Four counting this year.

 

2000

47 Regustered Drivers.

 

2001

49 Registered Drivers. Of those, 41 raced through out the year.

 

2002

43 Registered Drivers. Of those, 36 raced through out the year.

 

2003

22 Registered Drivers. Of those, 8 have raced this year.

 

I have to say we pretty much stayed the same UNTIL this year.

 

You do the math and figure out why this year it is so low.

 

But, I already know the answer.

[WildRacer5]

There have only been one SS driver to move up in a long time #94 Larry Stein. He didn't even run every week.

Ryan Englehart moved up from Pure Stocks to run weekly in THR LLM

J.D. Dusek moved up from hobbys but doesn't run regularly.

David Snookhouse finally moved up after winning in hobby stock for the last few years.

Look at it this way. How many of the THR class champions moved up after winning the championship

Not many

Heath Stewart to ROMCO after 2 THR Titles

Larry Stein to LLM

Bryan Merideth to trucks after pure stocks

 

Do the math, no one moves up. People are bound to quite.

[HOUSTONLM04]

Cathy,

 

Out of those numbers, can you figure an average, high and low? I don't want to put you out so if it's difficult don't worry about it...

[Kathy]

Hey Brad,

 

Do you mean the most cars that raced on any given night and the lowest that raced on any given night?

 

If that is what you mean, I may not have that, but will check.

[Kathy]

Ok,

 

I have that information from the last two years. 2001 & 2002.

 

In 2001----The most cars we had on one night was 26. That was 9-8-01.

The least we had was 10 on 8-18-01.

 

In 2002----The most we had on one night was 22. That was 4-27-02 & 7-27-02.

The least we had was 9 on 8-10-02.

[tqj3]

It's been said that racers "tend to stay broke at the appropriate level," which is one way of saying if you can afford to run street stock, you try to run limited late models; if you can afford to run limited late models, you try to run ROMCO.

With the economy the way it is, maybe some racers who would have tried to race at a level they can't quite afford have decided to stay in a class where they can not only be competitive, but have a shot at a win.

That could explain the large "lesser" class entries and the lack of entries in limited late models; some people are just waiting until things get a bit better to move up.