Entry Fees

This is a topic I don't see a lot of around here, but I know in other places and series that there are entry fees. There was an event for street stocks at my local Friday night track last week that had one. The kicker was that the entry fee was $40 and the pit passes, which EVERY person buys, were $35. This sucks for the drivers and crew members. The tow money was given back in the form of the entry fee. However, the drivers still paid $10 more for pit passes, regardless of class they run. I honestly see the entry fee as a useless thing that can add more confusion to things. That is why here in Central Illinois you RARELY see them. The purses are planned out based on other items besides this entry fee. You should have your financial aspects well planned out so you can pay the advertised purse to begin with. If raising the pit passes, don't get carried away. $30 would have been ok but $35 was a little much when some late model shows that pay the same don't charge that much. Plan on how you are you going to make your purse money, and plan for multiple scenarios. Any good business person has at least a couple plans in place in case things don't happen the way you think they will. To me, the ONLY entry fee there EVER should be is when you buy your pit pass to enter the pits that night, and nothing else.

Asphalt vs. Dirt

I know there are A LOT of fans that are divided about which racing surface, asphalt or dirt, is better than the other. Personally, I love both. I don't give a damn if it's an asphalt track or dirt track. I have seen good races as well as lousy races on both surfaces. There are some fine asphalt short tracks around the country. South Boston, Indianapolis Raceway Park, Irwindale, Salem, and Winchester are a few that come to mind. These race tracks have put on awesome shows. Thanks to the miracle of television I have had the chance to see races at all of these tracks. IRP is one of the nicest tracks, dirt or asphalt, that I have EVER been to. It is efficiently ran, and very fan friendly. I am actually considering going there for the USAC Silver Crown JD Byrider 100 and USAC National Midget Car show there the Thursday of the Brickyard 400. Have seen the Champ Cars in person, but not the midgets. For those who think that one surface is better than another, WAKE UP!! Don't limit yourself to just one type of racing or surface. Give it a chance and you just might be pleasantly surprised. A true race fan loves racing, regardless of surface.

Driver Introductions

This has been a popular topic as of late on 4m.net. Driver introductions are a part of our sport, obviously. Some are more elaborate than others. Some people think that they are just a time waster and delay the show. I will disagree with that statement FULLY. Driver introductions are a great way for fans, especially new fans. It let's them SEE what the drivers look like. It lets people, especially little kids, catch a glimpse of their heroes before they climb behind the wheel to go to work. It gives the fans a chance to voice their opinions about the drivers they like and dislike. It is always interesting to hear the drivers who win a lot and those with a certain image be introduced. It is always vocal, that's for sure. It is also good for sponsors on each driver's car as they get mentioned during introductions. The ONLY times I believe that introductions should be skipped are if you are running late and need to get the show done, or if there is inclement weather close that threatens the show. When the time comes, don't be afraid to voice your opinions!!

Settling Scores

We have all seen this before at our track. A driver roughs up another driver, maybe even taking him out. They get sent to the back and don't comply. 2 drivers may make contact with one another and both spin out. They have a disagreement to where they should be. They won't let one another in. It's understandable. They may confront one another on the track or in the pits. That is fine as long as it's person to person. I would rather the 2 parties talk about it later on when things calm down and the drivers aren't fueled by adrenaline and emotion. I honestly think that is the BEST way to handle things. What really irks me and is chickenshit in my book, is when drivers use their cars as battering rams and weapons to settle their score with a driver they feel wronged them. Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't settle you score. Just don't do it to where someone else can get torn up or hurt even. It's stupid. It also makes you look like an ass. If you want to settle your score, do it man to man, possibly hand to hand. I'd much rather see 2 drivers pound the living hell out of one another before seeing one use their race car as a 3,400 lb weapon. Do what you have to do to settle your score. After that, let it go and move on to the next race.

Rivalries in Racing

In any form of racing, from your local short track, dirt or pavement, up to the biggest tiers of racing like NASCAR and F1, there are rivalries among drivers. Some of these rivalries are friendly ones. One that I got to see in action last Saturday night was one between Shannon Babb and Billy Moyer, 2 outstanding late model drivers. They have raced one another a lot. They know how they will race one another. They always race hard and clean. They enjoy besting one another. That is what I LOVE to see in a rivalry. Good, hard, clean racing and afterwards they can laugh and joke about things and be friends. Another rivalry like that was the one between David Pearson and Richard Petty. They finished 1 and 2 63 times in their career. They almost always raced one another cleanly, and never had much of a bad word to say about the other. Another good, clean rivalry. Other rivalries have a lot more dislike and sometimes out and out hatred fueling them. One such example is that between Denny Hamlin and Brad Kesolowski. Brad has roughed up many drivers, Denny included. Denny didn't take it sitting down, and has dumped Brad in previous races. They don't really care for one another at this point in time. Another rivalry like this was between Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt, on track at least. They frequently had run ins between the two of them, and have had their off track altercations as well. They were good friends off the track however. This rivalry was between two driven, hard nosed competitors who hated losing. Another good example of a bitter rivalry was between Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher. Both were driven to win. Both hated losing, and both were among the very best. They had hellatious battles between the two. They got along ok outside of the track, but on it they hated one another. One of the most memorable here was between Dennis Erb Jr. and Steve Sheppard Jr., who has also been known as Super Shepp after jumping up on Erb's car in Highland, Illinois after an on track altercation between the two. He even won the SPEED Channel award called Temper, Temper because of it.
Rivalries in general are a good thing for racing. It adds another element of excitement to the sport. If it means seeing a better race overall, I say go at it boys and girls!!

100 lap features

We as dirt track fans have been to at least one 100 lap race in our time. Whether it be a dirt late model race, modified race, USAC midget or Silver Crown race, 100 lap races just have a different feel about them. You know they are long. So do the drivers. Both parties know that a lot can happen between the start and the finish of the race. 100 lap features will show who the most patient and skilled drivers are. Drivers have to be smooth and patient. They have to conserve their tires and even fuel sometimes to make sure they make it to the finish of the race. Usually with 25 to go these races pick up in intensity immensely. The drivers and fans both feel it. The end of the race is approaching quickly. Drivers who have been saving their stuff begin to make a move. You see if the leader has burnt his tires up or if the setup has faded, or if he can pick it up another notch. Sometimes these races can be runaways. I have seen a few of those in my day in different types of races, from late model to USAC Silver Crown. The leader was never challenged and just cruised in the race. I have seen photo finishes at the end of 100 laps as well. The Inaugural Illini 100 WoO Late Model Series race at Farmer City Raceway is a prime example of this. Billy Moyer got a run off of the high side in turn 4 and beat Shannon Babb back to the line by less than 8 inches. It was a thrilling finish to a long race. Everyone there, fans of those drivers or not, were just buzzing. It was an incredible finish. Usually they are somewhere in between. Not a runaway, but not a photo finish either. They always are unpredictable. That is why I love 100 lap races.

Rain Out Procedures

We race fans have all experienced it. We have been at the races, and part of the show has been complete, and then it rains. Sometimes it is during or right after qualifying. Sometimes it's during the heat races. Sometimes it is during semi-features. The worst is when it does it at feature time. We all know that different tracks have different policies for handling rain outs. The most common that I know of is the 6 race rule. This rule states that if 6 races including qualifying have been completed, your rain check will be no good for readmission at another time. If less than 6 races have been completed, that ticket will be good whenever the show is made up and make good and sure you don't lose that ticket stub. Sometimes it isn't as clear. I have been to a few races where more than 6 were completed, and we were allowed to use our stubs towards the rain date or credit towards another show. This is a nice gesture, especially if you can't make it back on the rescheduled date. If your stub is less than the price of the show, you pay the difference, which is a fair exchange. For the most part I have been fortunate when it comes to rain outs. The promoters have worked hard to make sure they keep the fans happy. They have done a good job and they deserve their recognition for it. I know there are horror stories as well, and if anyone has any, feel free to let them rain in the comments section. Let's hope we don't have to deal with these procedures for a long while this season!!