SAIS owner unveils plans for major facility improvements, 11-3-90

[NickHolt]

[RodneyRodriguez]

man those Grand Nationals sound damn good right now!

[NickHolt]

You probably noticed that only a couple of those promised improvements actually materialized. 

[toyotatim]

That guy kept it going with the improvements.    But, I can see things have not changed in 30 years.  Everything was too expensive and the tracks had favorites.   Same thing today.   In reality, the guys with the best work ethic find a way to get the equipment they need to win, regardless of cost.  The others complain that it is too expensive.  They are really just too lazy.  

[NickHolt]

Well, toyotatim, many excellent teams have dropped out of the sport claiming that it is too expensive - and that's a contributing to the steady decline in short track asphalt racing throughout Texas and  most of the country.

Yes, there are a few special races for elite teams each year around the country and there are a couple of national tour-type series that are hanging on, but, buy in large, local asphalt short track racing has all but died except in a few places where track owners / promoters have managed to keep things more or less affordable. That only happens when those in charge kept the costs down and say "No" to money teams wanting the newest, usually expensive, technology and hardware. For instance, in northern New England there are several asphalt short tracks still running weekly shows. A look at the rules for most of those tracks will reveal the reason why - cost containment. 

And you are 100% correct in that there are still a number of Texas-based asphalt teams around that have the brains and talent and desire to compete with the big money teams  Hopefully they will continue to support the only remaining asphalt track in Texas, Houston Motorsport Park.