What are the differences between the Toledo/Main Event SLMs and OSCAAR SLMs, anyway?

hey mobile1 - There's at least 200hp difference in the engines between oscaar and the michigan/ohio tracks. Their (US) engine restrictions are cast iron block and 1 carb - where oscaars are a little more in depth. Guys in oscaar using a restrictor plate may be ok down there without the plate.

are the michigan ohio trackes not going to the crate engine program in order to bring cost in line?

Perhaps some of their late model or sportsman divisions may be going to a crate - but super lates/outlaws still pretty much open - at least Berlin or Kalamazoo and the Main Event Racing Series.

The West side of MI (ie. Berlin/Kalamazoo and even Dixie) appear to be happy running outlaw-style cars as their main divisions, and with the car counts they get, I don't blame them. Dixie seems to be able to run template/crate LMs alongside the SLMs, so maybe thats something to look into (OSLR tried it and failed, didn't they?). The tracks closest to the border, Auto City and Toledo/Flat Rock seem to be switching over to template/crate-spec late models as their feature division with some success (IIRC Toledo only has a 4-5 race schedule with the Outlaw LMs this year). Of course, with ARCA having their website the way it is, it's hard to get any info about the place in the first place. As far as Ohio goes, Barberton is going to template/crate-spec LMs, Mansfield is running specials only with template/crate-spec cars and Midvale I *think* is allowing template/crates to be an option, but I'll double-check that one.

Caution - Melodramatic Content to Follow

Good evening and welcome to my nightmare. Throughout all the past turmoil(s) at Delaware, my biggest concern was the survival of the track. There had to be racing.

I think I'd have a hard time explaining to everyone how much a part of my life Delaware Speedway has become.

Pretty much like most fans, I started out watch from the stands. Arriving each Friday night to continue a conversation started the previous week, with people I did know by name. Over time I learned the who's who of the speedway, which drivers to cheer and which drivers to b-hay-oo. Sorry, typo, I learned the name of staff and was told which people were sponsors and which were family of the drivers. It was a right little neighborhood.

The opportunity to go racing suddenly arose. The Cascar JR division was being formed and I had the chance to be a "crew chief". My access to the track and all that encompassed just grew ten fold, I was hooked. I can't stress to much how involvement in racing at any level can change your life. Mis-spent youth and all was left behind. Learning the art of racing from the ground up is a great experience.

The next step was naturally the "Friday night lights". I can't imagine a better entry level than the street stock division. Not only do you learn about yourself, but you learn alot about the people around you. I have gained so many friends in the pits and throughout the stands. Some I'm sure will be part of my life forever. There has been some great highs and horrible lows, but I don't think I trade it for anything. For good or bad, I don't think there's a day in the week that I don't think about racing or the speedway.

Alright, where am I going with this. ... Well

The facts that we all know:

- Kevin and Amy have resigned from the speedway.
- There have been no official comments from the ownership group or Delaware Speedway Inc.
- Spring is coming and this is the time of year most preparation needs to be done.

Any other speculation we engage in at this time may create barriers. Barriers?? what do you mean.

Reading Kevin's statement and Amy's email, there is an obvious lack of burning bridges. I know this is what we'd expect from someone as professional as Kevin but I read something else in this: Hope!

There has to be hope. Maybe we can do something to put everything back together I can't imagine not being able to go to the track on a friday night. And I don't savor the opportunity to travel. I don't know how the Windsor boys do it.

We can all sit on our asses and complain and point fingers and bash and etc. etc. but it just wont help. We need to do something, we need to do something positive. Tracks all over Ontario, hell North America for that matter, have been closing left and right. We can't let it happen. I know some people might not think important, but this situation is grave. Don't tell me to relax, we can't afford to.

If any one can put forward something constructive we can do, I'd like to hear it.
Do you have the ear of one of the owners. Do you know sponsors or friends of the track you can contact. Do you know Bill Gates well enough to ask him for his change jar. Whatever, it doesn't matter, anything.

We have a facility that's back on it's way to being a first class venue. We have (had) Kevin Bulmer, the most passionate, able, well spoke and likeable person to occupy the big desk. How can we let it pass.

For fear of waxing a little poetic (unlike guest99) I want to go down kicking and screaming. I won't go into that night.
I need help, throw me a bone, throw me a lead, throw me a line , just don't throw me out. (or call me Johnson).

Figure out what we can do that's constructive and please post it here.

I want to go racing, I want to watch racing, I want to talk racing.

From The Stands

P.S. - If the track folds up, we don't stand a chance reviving the Mexicalli Shack. That motivation enough for some. Shad!

End transmission