NickHolt Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 Gee, Nick, Reb, you're absolutely right. Every track and every series in the state is wildly successful. We should just keep doing what we're doing. I don't know what I was thinking... (For the record, though, Nick wasn't bashing me in anything he said on this thread.) TQ, All I am asking is that you refrain from downing the efforts of a group of dedicated, hard-working people who have done a remarkable job in spite of the very limited resources available to them. You have some excellent skills and have a very clear picture of what you believe is needed to fill the stands, but that does not give you the right - at least here on TXSZ - to down others. Nick Holt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waddy Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 this is just my opinion, but what is so hard about racing at your home track, it,s every sat night, it,s in front of your home fans in front of your sponsors just roll in strap on your shit and race who ever is there, your home in 45 min. everyone is trying to be dale jr....it ain,t going to happen folks , the touring series is a great concept but i have spent more trying to race for a top five than i do racing home for every event we have , and if you are the greatest and move up to the next level, you are still going to be in sas thr cc of hmp, i know i,m going to get a lot of crap for this but be ralistic, and if you think the comp, is better come on down i,ll race you for it if we don,t keep our home tracks open we won,t even have a place for any body to race. everybody thinks they have a reason to not race at their home track but if we don,t put some serious thought into our sport we will all be going to tms twice a year for a race as spectators waddy don,t be haten this is to envoke some thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyhorse Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 i dont wanna be dale jr.-i wanna be davey allison? everybody talks about the pro's and con's of running a touring series vs. running their home track...some try touring and don't like it? nobody in their right mind is gonna tell you that they like driving 250 miles to race 50 .........but they will tell you that it's not about stiffer competition , not about thinking you're gonna be the next big thing. it's about finding a fun challenge in what has started to become monotony with the same springs , the same rollout, the same bar , the same shocks , the same left turn.etc.....not knocking my home track, i've got alot of friends there and what i consider one of my best friends racing there....it's what he wants to do - the series is what i wanna do....it's different strokes for different folks....the way i see it for us , it made us wanna race again. i honestly did't wanna do this anymore on a regular basis, i don't think any of us did. nothing against my 'home track' but it just wasnt as fun as it once was. jon garret gave us a place to find what we lost , terry dickerson helps us not loose sight of it... but anyhow wasnt this topic about gas prices- geez they suck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truck99 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Leland and Shawn, both of you are dead-on point. One for the weekly guys and the other for the touring guys, but both so correct. To each his own. I guess the cool thing about the TSRS type cars is that you can choose to be a weekly guy for a while and then a touring guy for a while without buying a new racecar. Pretty sweet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neon14 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 What about a V8 mustang and a 96 or so V8 camaro or firebird, they road race them. There are tons of them around for cheep. That would be a good class, and they are a EFI. No need to change that, save some money there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waddy Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 shawn i was just talking about the late models mostly you guys have a great series going and you know what it cost to run a lm, if anybody has it figured out it,s you guys in the trucks good count good handling relatively cost effective , and i know its fun but i have only one car and it will probley be my last one, i just wish things were better for all of us, my sponser pays for about the first two sets of tires for the season and then its all on me , but i chose it and will drive it until i can,t anymore, it used to be so simple run the lash, check those old towel city retreads, buy 20.00 worth of fuel and live the dream, if i did,nt have ray, gary and all the isons i would already be in the stands, good luck to everybody this is a humbling sport and can make you feel lower than snakes belly one night and king of the world the next thats why we do it and yea what about those gas prices waddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neon14 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 How about a bunch of 4 cylinder cars with fancy paint jobs, ground effects, and big wings on the back of them, kind of like the kids on the streets. It could be a good show. And bring a new group of people to the track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyhorse Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 smell that?..........somebodys burnin' rice........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy_GT13 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 I'm with Will on this!Ground effects &side skirts make even an old mustang look racy.Bright colors stand out more after dark.Some guys have cars that look good in daylight but you can'tfind them in a pack.anyone who's seen my car knows I like for it to stand out from the rest on the track! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neon14 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 3 gallons per night. Cant beat that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neon14 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Pappy, we need to get you a wing! Your car looks great, it is a perfect TX Thunder car. Something that the fans can get involved with. Bummer we got rained out this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy_GT13 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Made a wing but used it on my VW pickup.Need to find some material to make one for the 'stang ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy_GT13 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 BTW,how about TEXAS TUNER STOCKS ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProTree Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 just like all pro sports-very small % get to the highest level-its a fact of life-accept it-alot of us have-if your having fun,doing what your doing,thats all that matters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbotoddie Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Not to go off tq, but I think you misinterpeted what I said. I didn't say we need tons of money. I said that we are in a vicious cycle that is hard to decide where to commit to elicit the response we desire. As far as being smarter with our money, I have so much to work with that I stay home to count it instead of racing every week Just a joke. I have done everything I can think of to develop some sponsorship interest especially trying to think outside the box. My lack of participation and location are obstacles that are beginning to ruin my desires. There are not enough hours in a day ! turbotoddie ps I still don't have the all knowing answer but I will say I have seen a very substantial effort on the part of Terry D's regime at SAS this year compared to the last couple of years. Not a bash on any one or any track, just an observation from the outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsrsfan Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Simple little things such as putting on the top event at a decent time will keep fans coming back. I dont know how many times I have taken someone to the track and they leave because the kids are getting tired. Corpus Christi does run the main touring series early in their program. I hope Thunderhill tries this in a few weeks when they have nearly every series running at the same time. San Antonio and Houston may look at this also. I think the tracks idea is to keep everyone there longer. It may be that you could get repeat fans if they did get to see the feature event at an acceptable time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy_GT13 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 My wife, Pam Greene, did everything she could to promote & support racing across Texas ( RATTRAXX ) for several years. We barely made enough to cover the cost of printing & postage.Many people enjoied her efforts but just getting content for the paper was like pulling teeth.Several tracks provided info but many did not.Racers rarely took advantage of the chance to get their story in print ,but I'm proud to say many of the "untalented " CONTRIBUTED REGULARLY !!after reading the comments of a few "Experts" ,I'm ALMOST glad she is no longer involved!BTW, at that time she also produced "The Saltwater Angler" with Tom Nix & now works for our local paper , The Port Aransas South Jetty. P.S. Expert =X is a has been &a spurt is a drip under pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 TurboToddie- Sorry if I misinterpreted what you said. You are apparently speaking from a racer's viewpoint, while I was taking it as a general promotional statement regarding tracks and series. As far as generating sponsor interest, whether you are a racer or a track, you still have to educate the "buyer" about your product before you can sell it. As a team or driver, that requires a bit of self-promotion, even if such a term is one we all would rather avoid. TSRSFAN- Your suggestion about putting the feature event on at a regular time is one that I have made several times, not just on this forum, but in person to various track operators. It's an important point. If you went to the movies to see a 9:00 feature and the theater didn't run it until 11:00, you probably wouldn't come back. Those who are already fans might put up with it, but new folks won't, particularly those with kids; and, as Aaron keeps pointing out, the kids are the future of the sport. PappyGT13- You're preaching to the choir. I ran a combined auto and racing monthly about ten years ago, or tried to. As in your wife's case, getting content was a major pain. In the time we ran the publication, we received exactly zero unsolicited information from either drivers or tracks; every story required someone (me) to go out and get the information, write the story and often take the pictures. While many people may think that's what journalists are supposed to do, a little thought will make you realize it isn't practical to do it that way. You would have to either have a huge staff, or restrict yourself to two or three stories per issue or broadcast. That's one reason the news media is so dependent on information from press agents, lobbyists and so on, and the reason racing gets so little attention: we aren't giving them enough information. On a related subject, while Jay thinks I'm throwing rocks at him, I'm not. Due to the reasons above, I'm amazed he can get as much information as he does, and do as many race reports. I'm sure the only reason he can do it is that he has worked hard to create and cultivate sources that can help him get the information he needs, as I doubt he can be in that many places at once (though it's evident he tries); but he, too, is preaching to the choir: doing an excellent job of reporting on races of interest to the racing community. We need that, but we also need to reach beyond the current racing audience to bring in new fans, and my suggestions are generally aimed at doing that, not at getting more information to the existing fan base. Sorry if I ruffled any feathers. As I told Nick privately, I'll try to reign in my comments a notch in future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 On a related subject, while Jay thinks I'm throwing rocks at him, I'm not. Due to the reasons above, I'm amazed he can get as much information as he does, and do as many race reports. I'm sure the only reason he can do it is that he has worked hard to create and cultivate sources that can help him get the information he needs, as I doubt he can be in that many places at once (though it's evident he tries); but he, too, is preaching to the choir: doing an excellent job of reporting on races of interest to the racing community. We need that, but we also need to reach beyond the current racing audience to bring in new fans, and my suggestions are generally aimed at doing that, not at getting more information to the existing fan base. Hmmmmmm.........trying to figure out if that was an apology or a backhanded compliment I get all the info I get because I have gone out and beat the bushes to establish a relationship with the tracks and the people responsible for sending the info out. 90% of the stuff in the RAT Traxx paper, towards the end, was written by me or once I was computerized, came through me, even if tracks were sending it there also. I didn't just sit in my office/home and expect everyone to send me their info so I could put together a guide that I would make money off of! I started out spending my own dime and my own time to get in, travel, etc. Over the years I built a fan base that waited to read my next story, though I'll admit in the beginning they more likely to be cynical or critical of tracks, drivers or overall show. Slowly tracks started to acknowledge my commitment to the sport, even if I had written something not so positive. They knew I was looking at it from unbiased, paying customer standpoint and that gave me credibility. Soon track after track was inviting me to come to their place and write for them and most would still take any constructive critisism. Now I can even go out-of-state and be recognized for all my efforts. As for preaching to the choir......I send my stuff out to many of the same local papers that everyone else does. Do they use it? Who knows, I don't get them. But I put forth the effort, while not being on anyone's payroll, except USRA SLM/ARTS, which just started this year. The CC paper expressed an interest in one of the stories I wrote about a young dirt racer from there. My hometown paper took a story that I wrote, swapped a couple paragraphs around, added a quote and slapped the sports editors name on it. Kind of bordered on plageurism, if you ask me. So if I cover as many racing publications/websites as I know and the local papers, who/what else is there left? To assume, that I don't send it out to everyplace that I know(because it doesn't get used) is pretty narrow thinking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RandyBorlace Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 All of us dirt guys would be lost without Reb, he doesnt act like he is better then anyone and talks to most of the people at i-37 when he comes, which isn't enough. It's a shame he doesnt do press releases for people, I bet he would blow a certain person out of the water. REB FOR PRESIDENT!!! hehe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted September 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 Well...I am going to give up on getting a participation response to my original question.It seems like no matter who is posting or what the topic they posted about is,the thread ends up going the route of..."this is what is wrong with our racing and this is who,how,why,and to what extent it is being ruined" On that note....as I watch more and more meetings,hearings,announcments,and seminars about the oil industry on C-SPAN,I found out that everybody from the President on down,is making sure they can guarrantee sub-$2.00 per gal. gasoline by next Febuary.If this is true,it will be just in time for racing season.I say keep those tow vehichles stocked and help Mr. Dickerson make next year our biggest racing season in a long time.After all,thats what all of the buzz last Febuary made us think 2006 would bring. When the diesel gets back to an affordable price...USRA should by up as many futures in it as possible....and sell it at the tracks. ....yeah,yeah,I know...not for the racecars,but the haulers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyhorse Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landlord Posted September 17, 2005 Report Share Posted September 17, 2005 I think it is several things.#1 (Go-kart racing) has as big of a purse as these paved tracks are offering.(that should not happen)#2 local (Beaumont)Dirt car racing is paying better than Houston paved track.(that should not happen)I have watched these dirt car/kart tracks up the purse to "woo" car/kart count and it does work.#3 These kids these days think the "Fast and the Furious" is the way things are.I had to make my son understand that there is no substititue for cubic inches but there are ALOT of kids out there that do not have a dad to teach them the difference.Maybe we should think about letting these new High-tech, wiz kids that want to run computerized 4-cylinder cars race.Then maybe we can educate them as to the error of there ways. I have seen it go back and forth!In the 70s car racing was booming,in the 80s it slowed way down- it picked back up in the 90s and here we are in the 2000s talking about it being down again.Racing is the hottest sport going right now.Texas for some reason has NEVER embraced pavement racing,unless you are talking straight line pavement racing then Texas IS your place.Texas has also always backed dirt car racing!Why I don't know!!! I personally am glad to finally be pavement racing and could care less what the payout is.If you are trying to make money racing you are in the wrong business.But I really do think alot of racers make their racing decissions based on the purses or lack of.As for gas prices,I would not let that stand in my way of racing,It might slow me down a little but it would never stand in my way!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rookie49 Posted September 17, 2005 Report Share Posted September 17, 2005 well said. I for one much prefer big RWD v-8 racing, but I also believe that the tube frame and template body is the downfall of local racing. What do I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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