I just sent you an email!
It's kind of funny that the problems Delaware and Flamboro have as far as rules packages go the other tracks would love to have. Take a look up North.
Sauble and Varney 40 minutes apart - have about 10 - 13 cars in their classes for each show. Sauble had well over 17 late models last year, but, Sunset is appealing to some guys, so is Barrie and Varney now pays 1,000 to win a Limited Late show.
Barrie and Sunset 40 minutes apart, Rules packages (nearly) identical. Yet both running Saturday night and both with healthy car counts.
Peterborough, Kawarth (not really running this year hopefully to come back) and Mosport. Running Friday, Saturday, Saturday. Kawartha has the ACT late models, but their other classes are in line with both tracks and the other four tracks mentioned.
Here is where I don't understand what is going on - You have a lot of well funded racers who, have and will continue to race two nights a week. Yet, these tracks up north are nearly all running Saturday. The only limited Late Model tracks in the province all run on the same night!? Yes I understand, Saturdays are A LOT better for teams, and some fans, but there has to be a risk vs reward here for having some of these tracks move to Friday.
Now when we get back to the Delaware and Flamboro issues there are for the most part resolved, the ASA motor is gone - - Flamboro cars FEAR NOT you will not be our horse powered at Delaware anymore. So whats the issue? 10" tires? Common, someone has to give here. The rest of the Province is on the 980 tire - American Racers are only used at Flamboro.
The cost of 10 new rims is yes, expensive, the cost of basically being forced to convert your Pro Late model to a limited late model is exponential in comparison. Or how about just buying a new Limited Late? 55,000 from McColl was one of his latest builds.
It's stupid, it really is. To be honest it does't really matter to me who buys the new rims and who doesn't. The rules are near identical, the weights are there. Flamboro doesn't allow a few things like engine set backs but thats a small potato.
My point is we have a perfect scenario - We each run different nights, yet here we sit. Forgetting all of the shit that happens up north with car counts, tracks 'stealing' cars with payouts and rule breaks and we piss away this amazing opportunity.
Both tracks are at fault, the ASA package really pissed Flamboro off, and maybe for good reason. But the lack of communication between the two tracks now and the attempt to align these rules is beyond me.
Maybe after Autumn Colors all of the promoters at the different tracks should have a sit down. Acknowledge that:
1) racing is getting expensive (done)
2) you need the guys with money to keep it going (almost there)
3) having seven of the nine paved tracks in ontario running on a Saturday night is not feasible (struggling)
4) These rich racers who will run two maybe even three tracks in a weekend are your bread and butter. (maybe)
5) with that said do not forget the little guys either. You cannot price them out of competing, what you can do is make it easier for them to compete at various tracks when they feel up to the challenge and not have to spend any more money than before.
Just my thoughts.
the mini stocks run on the big track like everyone else...if you flip there alot of the time the car is toast, mini or thunder...the bombers run the small track and most are just a gutted car with a roll over bar and a couple of uprights...here is last weeks highlight video...it was a cold nite so the stands dont look as full because everyone was sitting at the top half..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&list=PLEDD0898274484D73&v=6zmht2PnU-E ]Ohsweken Speedway May24/13 Highlights[/url]
Not to chime in hard, but he is right. The Big O has been kicking our butts on car counts. I was there and watched that third gen F-Body get half a lap on second, and still trying to figure out what he did to do that.
Mini Stocks run full track, and it is exciting racing. Many think it isn't (thinking 4/6's can't make a show), but it was exciting too. And most of the 4 cylinder cars were cheap to build, and would definitely put on a good show Friday nights. You just need to build a class for it. Copy their rules and take a look?
all the talk about rules and running 2 tracks is a distraction. While 20 car features are better for fans than 14 car features, that's not the main reason the seats are empty i think.
if there are bigger fields, the stands will suddenly fill up? ask that question before you get distracted by rules
turn that licenced area into a club with waitresses and a bit of pub grub?? might work... remember, 1/2 of the time a fan is at the track, there is no racing happening. fine 30 years ago, but people of today are used to 400 channels, internet, etc. They are bored to spend 3 hours at the track and half is just sitting there waiting.
die hards run tracks and try to figure out what people want but they do it from their own perspective, what they would like to see, not from the perspective of the casual fan that came out once for some reason and never bothered to come back. there aren't enough diehards to fill the seats. you need the others.
i'll get grief from the Sunset lovers for saying this but, look at Sunset. great race surface, full fields, excellent racing, (cheap at the back gate, and decent payouts so happy racers) yet their regular crowds are nothing to talk about. small grandstand makes it look impressive but i suspect they're bleeding red ink bad. full fields and good racing isn't near enough
The Patio already has that do they not? I may be wrong.
Also as far as fuller fields go no... I am not associating the correlation to be a positive one when car counts go up so do fans. It can't hurt though. My point was more playing off what someone had said before that Delaware and Flamboro used to have great shared competition. Racing is dying on pavement slowly around here. Tracks need to work together, shared racers can potentially mean shared fans. Word will spread here and there. Maybe fan counts will increase.