+1

I honestly thought that last weekends line up was messed!

Yes! I know what is going on at Sunset, with the four funs, and how they need to do alot to become safe. I agree with that! But for the guys/girls who had there car there, ready to race should have had the opportunity to do so. You give them a week to have everything together (I know they ended up getting a grace period) then when there at the track tell them "your not racing till the end of the night"

The comment made above about sponsors is correct! How is anyone suppose to get them, if there is no one there to see them, sponsors are going to be pulling back on them...its completely retarded to be honest!

I stay to the end of every race night to see everyone race! But as I could tell on Saturday! Even before the late models went on (before the rain came down) people had already started to clear the stands, I could just imagine what would the stands looked like when the four funs took to the track after the late models....probably a whole 2-3 people in them...I do not think its fair to run them like that...

The cars should be safe...YES! But they should also be given a fair chance to race as well!!

I've said this before .... every track needs a junior race league for kids to begin racing at an early age. The Junior Race League at Delaware and Grand Bend Speedway are two places that kids as young as 7 can begin learning how to drive and get the needed seat time for a mostly seamless transition to the bigger cars where they are competitive sooner. It doesn't have to occur on the same night as the regular show, Delaware's JRL is Wednesday nights. An in class session is a mandatory part of Delaware's JRL. If the regular show was Friday, the JRL could occur Saturday to keep it in the weekend. These vehicles are real race vehicles -just smaller. In some cases more expensive but definitely safer.

There is no substitute for experience. Come watch the show at Grand Bend. You will definitely be surprised. Bumper to Bumper, wheel to wheel, 2, 3 and sometimes 4 wide in the corners and very few cautions most of the time. Lap times on the small quarter mile range from 11 to 16 seconds depending on division.

Even here, the racer without the seat time is a weapon, especially if they start older and in a division with drivers who have 3 or more years of experience. There are two kids this year who started as 14-15 year olds in a 9hp sprint division racing against kids of the same age with 6-7 years of experience.  The new drivers are not yet able to run a consistent line, handle the speeds, handle the bumps, hold their concentration for the duration of the race, or know when to push it and when to get out of it, not to mention not being able to tell their pit crew how the car is handling out there. They are the source of many of the cautions. Its frustrating for the experienced drivers ... but it is to be expected.

Sound like your 4 funs, stock 4s or thunder anyone?

Put those same 14-15 year olds in a four fun, stock 4, or thunder and they are going to have the same learning curve in a much more dangerous vehicle for themselves and the other drivers around them. Add to that the teenage hormones and that they are in the invincible stage and you have a recipe for carnage on the track.

Unfortunately the traveling JCAR group is not running this year so you wont be able to see this level of racing without going to Grand Bend. You might have seen us last year at Sauble, Barrie, Varney and sunset.

You have to breed a racer. Introduce them to it at a younger age or you'll get the Xbox wonderkid who thinks they know how to drive. Does this sound like your 4 funs, stock 4s or thunder anyone?

oh and by the way ... Ross if you ever have a night off from your racing at either of your two tracks, come on down to the Bend. Drop by the #35 mini truck trailer and say hello.

Just for the record I don't race in the four fun but I don't like seeing some of things that have been done to this class throughout the years and for some silly reason it bothers me.

I started in this class and in my first year took the title of track champion then moved up. My son then took over the car in that division. He raced for a year but I felt the division to be too unsafe (not the car but the driving mentality) so moved him up to 4 cylinder.

This is your next wave of drivers. Any track owner needs to realize that. The days of the good ol' boys are over our next wave of racers are trading in their Xbox skills for real life track skills and you need a easy way to slide them into racing.

For sure the safety of the car is a big issue but I have always said in that division there needs to be even more than that. They will tech the top 3 cars when the truth is those cars are probably in better shape than what most people drove to the track in. Take a look at the last 3 cars.. now that is scary and a a safety issue. These new drivers also should have some in class training or on track training. Maybe a once a month clinic put on by a fellow driver in a division up and make it manditory to attend a clinic before racing to know how to run a line among other things.

+1 Very well put! That way they know the rules (such as flags - I remember someone saying somethin' about that) and they know what to do for example if a lap car is behind them.

Well Ashley these are things that racers can offer to the track to help. Ideas or even better our time.

I would have no problem sitting down with somebody and compiling a booklet for new drivers. I am sure I would print it at no cost other than putting my company advertising on the back page.

I would also go a step further and say that I would be willing to offer my time perhaps with another driver or two to come out on a Sunday and talk to or work with a group of new drivers if it was needed.

These are the kind of things that can be offered in a positive way to new management if they would open up a little to new ideas and allow drivers to feel like it is our track too.