Question of the Week #5

Simple, a person buying a ticket into a racetrack is a consumer. You have the right to say something or nothing as a consumer. I challenge any track official, announcer, car owner, track owner, driver to shut the doors to the grandstands and race a super….not going to happen: street stocks yes – supers: no. Cost too much $$$

The important thing here is listening to the reasoning behind the questioning of car counts. I waited until after the Nationals to make this post.

First, you are always going to have people b*tch about something. Some comments you will just shrug off. Others may be dissapointed if a favorite driver appears, etc. However, others may be pointing out a problem within the division or series and those “inside the circle” may not be listening and quick to discount the question because the commentor doesn’t own the car, drive the car, prmote the track, etc.

For qualifiers. I have had my butt in a garage 5-6 nights a week for years on end working on race cars. Paid my way into the pits all the time. Helped with some of the parts or equipment we used where I could, obtained sponsorship, etc. Worst part: it was for a super late model, not even a Supermod! Why did I do this? Simple, helping a good friend and the love of racing. If you are a crew member, when you get to the track, the less cars the better. 10 cars or less, we were happy as hell because you want to win the feature and there is less competition. However, we also raced in the MERS and been to Sandusky against 90 other super lates during the old Cavalcades. Show me last time there was a supermod field with that many cars! We were happy to start the feature! Crews are nervous to make it into the show when there is a large car count, but people in the stands LOVE it.

So I CAN relate to expenses, cuts and bruises working on a car, and no evenings to yourself etc.

WHY? People race to win and have fun! However, racing is NOT free and it takes money. Sometimes we lose sight when finger pointing about problems that no one BUILDS a car, DRIVES a car, WORKS on a car to have it SIT in a garage! Everyone WANTS to race.

For all those who have their time, money, blood, sweat, and tears in a car, I want to WATCH them race and see them glow in victory whether I was rooting for them or against them.

As a consumer, I have never seen a supermod race without the wings. MY CHOICE. There are others who feel the same way with watching a show with the wing, and that is their choice and right as a consumer.

There are always some clear and easy answers to some questions about specific cars at a show.

2 easy examples from this past weekend: Joe Gosek is still recovering from surgery and Vern Romanoski was paying his respects to someone no longer with us.

History of the Nationals shows that most (not all every year) of the top Oswego teams came to Sandusky. This year, very few made the tow in the top 10-15 in points. So if one questions why this is the case, the immeditate knee jerk response shouldn’t be: you dont foot the bills. Guess what, consumers do pay the purse! Perhaps the attitude from those “within the racing circle” should be one of observation. What do those people outside the circle, or outside the forrest who can spot the smoke actually saying? The difference in purse versus car financial outlay is increasing and getting worse, not better.

So, connecting this all together. Teams put a lot of $$$$ into the cars so they can RACE. Fans pay $ to watch them race. When the consumers notice a trend: most Oswego cars no longer come to Ohio, and we know they WANT to race, then the problem is usually lack of $$$$. When expenses for an out of town weekend start to exceed the basics of hotels, pit admissions, tires and basic travel expenses, what else is there?

Now we have Oswego only cars and wing only cars. Do those who convert the one cat they own have to change complete body styles in addition to a whole front end (IFS v straight) suspension, etc. Even within Oswego there is the “old chassis v. new chassis” teams.

Does anyone else look at the King of the Wings and go “Huh!” Team May is one of the better financed MSA teams: 2 complete wing cars, Oswego non-winged cars (I think one is a past classic winner), several motors, etc. Charlie Schultz wins the KOW and with the 2 non-winged cars in the garage, they still say Charlie will NOT be competitive with one of the 4 cars they own to go after the Mr. Supermodifed title and the $20K bonus.

The RULES and TRACKS have let this situation occur!

As a consumer, some may be pointing to the smoke in the woods. Some of those within the forrest say supers are doing better than a long time with car counts, what are you consumers talking about? Don’t be so negative and you don’t live in the forrest anyways?

There are some great things going on within the supermod world. There are also trends/rules which will hurt it in the long run if not addressed sooner. Is aero tubing really going to be a cost breaker when you need TWO completely different cars to win the big shows on the East coast? Is banning an IFS suspension a cost saver when you need TWO different chassis to be fast with or without the wing? Oh, make sure your non-wing car is the NEW Xtreme or Hawk, otherwise you will be behind also.

So I agree: owners, drivers, crew members all WANT to race, or they will go fishing instead. Consumers WANT to see more drivers and competition. (DO NOT give me the competition can be good with low car counts: go to the Classic, Daytona, or Indy with a starting field of 6 cars every year and tell me you would pay to see it and the win means the same as a full field.)

So in an innocent way: why are there more cars not here that are available? Could people who mention this be asking a bigger question? Why are the rules SO different that make it so much MORE expensive to race in the ISMA, MSA and Oswego series during the same year with a winning car? Some teams will not want to tow and compete just to make the feature. That’s fine. It’s thier choice. I bet other teams would tow to NY or Ohio or to New England if they didn’t have to spend money on having 2 types of cars or completley different set-ups to have a fighting chance to win.

Please bring more commonality to the rule package to bring the cars closer together. Even NASCAR’s deep pockets saw where having special short track, road course and super speedway dedicated cars was financially killing teams.

I am not one of these people. These choices are what make competition, in the true sense of word, exciting and well, competitive. Critiscm regarding drivers, venues, etc., may mean that someone feels a bit threatened. It all boils down to this: mind your own yard and your own toys! The rest will take care of itself. Stop questioning fair and not fair. That’s life! Deal!