thanks John.  It is always good to hear that the track admits there was a problem and I fully beleive they will rectify that for next year. I guess, what scares me is that ,how did this happen at all with all the experienced Management that Delaware has? It sure seems before hand that the spectators and others all figured what was going to happen.  But that is in the past. We'll be out there this Friday as always and continue to support Delaware. Low car counts are more the norm now it seems. We will have to all wait this one out and hope for the best.  One thing I'mm hearing a lot of is the engine rules at Delaware with have been  opened up to include ASA Crates.  How does this help Delaware as the rules dont allow the ASA cars without modifications? Does anyone representing Delaware, travel to the ASA or CRA crate shows to let them know that there is a big race on or upcoming? How would anyone know about last weekends race? Maybe the GCR200 should be part of the CRA Jegs tour for crates next year, with weight breaks for Delaware cars. Looking forward to the rest of the season thats for sure. See you all at the track.

Jake Ott and his team Represent whenever and wherever we can. It is our belief we take our pride of our home track wherever we go. Just ask the Flammy guys lol

Its pretty easy to sit back and "armchair quarterback" everything. A lot of valid points have been made here, but I trust current management...and I'll telll you why.

I know, and have had many conversations with these guys, and I simply know that they take the prestige that comes with the GCR seriously.

I've been over a lot of the race's history with John and in my own independent study. I wrote that "If This Old Track could Talk" piece. (The same article that has run in the program for the last 3 years and seriously needs to be retired 🙂 ) it documnets much of the race's history, many of its highs and many of its lows. They took me seriously when I strove to get Don Beiderman recognized as an early winner, as the race's history began to be documented only after McKerlie Millen stepped on....which was not the first time the race was run. I may not be the guy to talk to about the overall history of the track, but I beleive I'm pretty well versed in the history of the GCR....right down to spending hours studying old newpaper reels in the library to write that article.

We have, John and I, stepped back to the junkpile out back and retrieved the old GCR wall of fame that used to be in the main entryway, and made sure that all those winners were documented for history's sake. Several times since my involvement with the Speedway we've sat and tried to hash out a way of honoring those past winners on the day of the big race. So know that its in their mind. The GCR is big. They KNOW that.

Having said that, the GCR suffers the same malady that other LM races often suffer. Its been said ad nauseum that the asphalt LM tracks simply cannot get their stuff together that same way the dirt guys have. That is no more Delaware's fault than it is Flamboro's or any other track where they run. Beleive me, I watched firsthand as Jeff Wilcox went around the Flamboro pits pressing the flesh and trying to drum up some extra competitors for the big race. But hardly any of them showed....and that was back when Delaware cars were basically equal to Flammy ones.

Each track is an island. Until they can beat that....and I don't know if they can, it will likely be this way. I'm actually of the opinion that if someone might take the bull by the horns and restart something like the old ALSTAR series, we might have a framework for LM racing in Ontario. However at the moment, with times as they are, each track is looking out for its own, and rightly so.

So, if I may have the privelige of pontificating from behind my keyboard for a few moments.

Someone near and dear to all of us used to have a saying: Perception is Reality. Well, in order to attract the drivers, Delaware has 2 perceptions they need to change if they want to attract visitors. These perceptions are pretty ingrained, so it'll take some work.

Perception 1 - We can't compete there anyway.

The first is that regular crate competitors can't compete against our guys. We've adopted this ASA thing where the crate is allowed to be rebuilt. Maybe a mistake and maybe not....but don't know if they can do anything about it now. A long respected member of the Flamboro LM community has said that this rule change means that if he wants to be able to compete at Delaware, then his 5000 dollar crate just turned into a 10000 crate. We've had a few years of those twin races where the top x number of Delaware guys are guaranteed a spot, so it often looks as though the Delaware guys are favored. (which is absolutley unacceptable for the race's prestige factor....everyone that pulls in the gate needs to have the same thing to gain or lose) Regardless, these unmodified crate guys NOT going to upgrade their motors just to run one or 2 events at Delaware, where they know they'll be mid-field at best,  and where they also know that they'll get bit by perception number 2.

Perception 2 - I'm gonna bring my car home in a basket if I race there. Those guys are nuts.

I remember the 44 Flamboro driver getting a mic stuck in his face after wrecking in turn 4 at last year's Labor Day race. He said "Its only lap 10. What the hell is wrong with these guys?" Perception is that its simply a 1 groove track where you have to bump to get around someone....and its bred some pretty rough racing.  Robblee, Sheridan, Kennedy, Lindsay and most recently Cox have shown us that's not actually the case, but those guys are front runners....the mid-field is where most of our loose cannons are (or were).

They've already implemented the "go line" in turn 4. Thats a good first step because a lot of the garbage that kept us watching parade laps, as racer43 said, was caused by stupid restarts...either gunning it early, or brake checking and stacking guys up before the green even flew.

Delaware has the opportunity to institute the attitude that "there's a new sherriff in town" with the new race director, and that we now have a no BS black flag policy for dumbasses. Repaving might help...everyone knows it, but I don't even want to discuss it with anyone that doesn't have a half mil in hand to fix it. We need to work with what we have.

You counter those 2 perceptions, and you'll have 40 cars again, no matter what date its scheduled on.

I don't buy the scheduling as the reason we only got 17 cars. I think if we'd done it on Labor Day it would have been about the same. Prize money....I'm not convinced that the payout is a prime motivator, except for maybe a few travelling big guns. Most visiting guys, with the possible exception of Powell, Kennington and Urlin know they're not likely in the hunt for the win. And it was a terribly front end loaded purse when it was 10000 to win anyway.

So, a couple of thoughts, from a dyed in the wool GCR fan. I knew it was gonna be a weird one when it wasn't on Labor Day. Definitely a gamble on the track's side. But despite all, Im hearing it was a pretty good race, and I'm sorry I missed it. Kudos to Delaware for muscling through it.

Well see you all tomorrow night.

Trev  

However at the moment, with times as they are, each track is looking out for its own, and rightly so.

It could be argued that the best way for them to "look out for their own" is actually to start working together.

My son and I supported the GRC 200 up until last year.  I love the track, the management, the drivers and fans. We can’t compete.

I don't like the rules, I don't like the fact the promoters don't work together and I don't like the fact one of the most fantastic Late Model events in Ontario is scheduled on a night when I can't make it because my home track is running.

In the past David finished 2nd in a great race with Ron Sheridan. I have finished 10th, but my best run was in 2009 when I was running 7th on lap 178 and wrecked my car...on my own.

What stops me from coming to Delaware this year is the rules, they don’t favour any cars from Flamboro. I can run with the Delaware cars at short tracks, but not on the bigger horsepower tracks like Delaware. Allowing the Crates to be opened up was a big mistake. There's no point in us going, we're not competitive.  

Flamboro changed the Late Model rules in 2011 to make it so Delaware cars could come to our track…without the Hutter engines. More left side (57), less total weight. Stock Crates only. So far we've had 17 and 19 cars for the two nights we've run. There were two missing from the first night, so we should have 21 or more for the Grisdale Triple Crown.  I've tried hard to get Delaware and Flamboro to work together. In 2009 I suggested we run a match race with the top 10 in points from each track. A Home and Home series ...home track rules and tires. The race would be a drive for the Food Banks in each others townships. Points would be awarded and the winning track would get an additional $$$$$ to donate to their Food Bank. The idea was received greatly, but  I never heard back. We do it at Flamboro now as part of the schedule, twice in 2011.

I was very disappointed about the rule change a few years ago, and have almost given up on tracks working together when I saw this race booked on one of our points nights. Delaware management didn't call Flamboro, I asked the Flamboro owner (I understand they don't have to) and because it wasn't run on the Sunday, none of us could go. Maybe a few of us may have. David wanted to go if it looked like rain, and I would have gone, it’s a prestigious race.

I guess all the complaining in the world won't do anything without some suggestions, and as John from Delaware has indicated,  his staff will review what they're doing for 2012. Here are some suggestions.
My son and I supported the the GRC 200 up until last year.  I love the track, the management, the drivers and fans.

I don't like the rules, I don't like the fact the promoters don't work together and I don't like the fact one of the most fantastic Late Model race in Ontario is scheduled on a night when I can't make it.

In the past David finsihed 2nd in a great race with Ron Sheridan. I have finished 10th, but my best run was in 2009 when I was running 7th on lap 178 and wrecked my car...on my own.

What stops me from coming to Delaware this year is the rules, they do not favour any cars from Flamboro. I can run with the Delaware cars at short tracks, not on the bigger horsepower tracks like Delaware. Allowing the Crates to be opened up was a big mistake. There's no point in us going, we're not competitive.  

Flamboro changed the rules in 2011. More left side, less total weight. Stock Crates only. So far we've had 17 and 19 cars for the two nights we've run. There were two missing from the first night, so we should have 21 or more for the Grisdale Triple Crown.  I've tried hard to get Delaware and Flamboro to work together. In 2009 I suggested we run a match race  top 10 from each points to battle at each others track...home track rules and tires. The race would be a drive for the Food Banks in both townships.  I never heard back. We did do it at Flamboro, the Food Bank deal.

I was very disappointed about the rule change a few years ago, and have almost given up on tracks working together when I saw this race booked on one of our points nights. Delaware management didn't call Flamboro, I asked the Flamboro owner (I understand they don't have to) and because it wasn't run on the Sunday, none of us could go. Maybe a few of us may have. David wanted to go if it looked like rain.

I guess all the complaining in the world won't do anything without some suggestions, and as John has indicated his staff will review what they're doing. Here are some suggestions.

1. Schedule the GRC 200 at the end of the year and make it known to the Delaware fans the top runners from the other tracks are coming.
2. Have a pre-entry system so drivers from other tracks can commit to coming.
3. Get visiting cars who have pre entered in the Delaware program
4. Hold the race at the end of the year after all specials...after Autumn Colors.
5. Make parity between the cars. Use weight and lots of it to keep the cars closer. (have a practice day with cars from each track to see what needs to happen to make them closer).
6. Advertise at the tracks where their drivers have shown interest in participating in the GRC 200.  Work with those track promoters and announcers to have for example Flamboro fans attend the race to see how their stars do against the top Delaware stars.
7. Run a show in the middle of the season Home and Home with Flamboro to help the homeless, or Food Banks. That race would be a homerun with the fans, a great PR show in the racing community and may give us an opportunity to see if a home track rule can bring parity.  

I hope car count improves at Delaware, you use to have 24 to 30 a night, and I hope Flamboro keeps getting better. We need a new track surface, but that's another story.