[KT]

Here are some of my thoughts on changes that should be done at Spartan.

1. Start serving normal size items at the concession stand. A lot of people, especially kids, can't eat those huge hot dogs and hamburgers. How about bringing back corn dogs. Also not everyone likes spicy foods, so change the chicken to regular and not spicy maybe offer hot sauce. I think the concession stand could do a lot more business.

2. Sunday shows need to have a better line up of classes that are running. In 2006, the shows where not worth the money. I know the fig. 8 brings in a lot people but the with the car count is $1000 to win right? Other classes get their pay cut with low car counts.

3. Get rid of the MMA sanction, Spartan and Springport where the only pavement tracks under MMA. I know they had a one night registration but they are also on American Racers and all the other tracks that run mods are on Hoosier and that stops people from coming to Spartan to run for a night or two. If you get them there and treat them well then they might start coming back, but you have to get them there first. This is the class that could get the most travelers so make it easier for them to show and run. Run the Hoosier 970 tire, I know Spartan has been McCreary for years, and no sanction. Other tracks run them without a sanctioning body why does Spartan need one? Mods are the fastest growing class around take advantage of this.

4. The front gate should not be any higher then $10 to get in on a regular night of racing. Cutting a class like the SLM or mods for legends or dwarf cars isn't special so the price should stay the same for that night as well.

5. Outlaw aluminum wheels for the SLM, most tracks don't allow them anymore and it is a cost cutting rule for the SLM. Give the SLM guys 2007 to use them up and in 2008 use steel wheels only. Most tracks have gone to steel wheels only and it is a cost savings to the teams.

6. Paul would drive around in his golf cart and talk to the drivers and teams at their trailers, Jim needs to do this as well. It lets the drivers know they are appreciated. Saying it in a drivers meeting isn't the same as going up the drivers and crews and talking to them.

7. A tire impound for the SLM is needed. The first night of racing every team can buy 6 tires. Every night after that 2 tires may be purchased BEFORE the feature starts. When the 2 tires are purchased then 2 come out of the rotation and can NEVER be put back in. A team can use any of those 6 tires a night. If they want to run the same tires two weeks in a row and then have 4 stickers for on night then that is fine. It would be interesting to see the different strategies throughout the year.

8. Get rid of the "feature winner has to start behind the invert" rule. This is one of the dumbest rules ever. Why should the feature winner be penalized for winning?

9. To cut down on sandbagging change the .25 second rule to .10 or zero tolerance. Now if someone is caught, throw the yellow flag and that driver goes to the rear of the field instead of being DQ'ed.

10. If the track keeps the .25 rule in place and the driver who is caught is DQ'ed then that driver should get paid for last place in that race.

These are just some thoughts and any comments are welcome.
_________________
Keith

www.myspace.com/ktfor3

[governor72]

Keith,

I have to say I agree almost 100% with what you are saying on race procedures. There is also talk of a tire impound for mods, which will get discussed at our meeting at my place on Sunday.

Still not sure we want to drop MMA, as there is no plan in place to supplement the very nice point fund they have. It would be nice if MMA would open up the registration to be able to buy a one day pass at any time. The drivers who buy them would not be getting any points toward the point fund anyhow as it sounds like for 2007 you will have to have a min number of shows to get point fund payout.

I for one don't like the huge hot dog or burgers and the corn dogs do need to be brought back.

The comment about charging different gate price's also needs to include the back gate. Why should I, a regular have to supplement the purse for a special that should draw more crowd.

Jim need's more positive input as yours, rather than people just coming on here and people bashing.

The, Governor

[61SSracer]

Keith,
You are saying the same thing i have been for years now about the concessions, tone down on the Spicy Chicken--replace it with reg. chicken bites (you already offer Polish dogs and pizza for spicy food),Get rid of the Jumbo hotdogs that most kids(and adults)have trouble eating for Regular sized hotdogs--do some thing about the ham(Salsbury steak)burgers and for Gods sake BRING BACK THE CORNDOGS ! Dont know why they got rid of them to begin with, as Most All people i know(myself included) Loved them ! Make the food available basic and affordable, you'll sell more !
There were several nights that Alot of hotdogs and bugers went to waste by not selling. That could be a little saving out of pocket !

As far as the figure 8's go--back when you had 15-20 cars that payout was great, but with 7-10 cars is it right to pay so much ? Some of the top figure 8 guys make as much as or more in the 6 races a year as most of the street stocks do All year ! When i can run a figure 8 race and take about 4th place for More than a Street Stock win something is Wrong !

Just a few thoughts

Chuck

[markmantyla]

I may be missing something so please bear with me. If the payout is so high why don't more street stocks get in? I run the pony f8's and will admit it is pretty much for the money...but I think just one more car on the track is good for fans. so I guess my question is this...."what do we have to do to get more cars into the f8's?" for the ponies should we allow all those "travelers" that everyone keeps talking about?

[Bardenracing42]

[61SSracer]

Mark,

What Brian is saying is all to true--quite a few Street Stockers have and do just that "start" the figure 8 just to get $100 start money ! We(alot) of us have a ton more money into our Street Stocks than do the Figure 8 guys into their cars, and it is hard to (even with Big payouts) purposely put your car into a race that encourages Slamming your way around the track ! SOME of those guys (reg. figure 8'ers) get Pissed off because they get spun out or whatever and SLAM their way past and Thru any and every car they can to get back to the front ! I've seen them Blast into other cars and push or spin them to get by, when the other car is alot slower, instead of making a Clean pass !

With that being said it is hard for Street Stockers to put our car (money) into a Demo Dirby race even for a $100 start money ! If they would crack down on some of the DIRTY racers that Smash their way around the track, then you would see more of our regulars in the race(till the end) !

Chuck Ammerman

[markmantyla]

I guess I should re phrase my ideas on this.

I just started running ponies this year. I learned real quick that the first point is to finish. in my first F8 I just ran my laps and ended up in fifth. I would never go in with the idea of stealing monies. I am smart enough to know my chances of winning right off the bat are not in my favor....but how else do you learn other than seat time.....i am just glad we don't have AS MANY kamakize drivers in the pony F8

[seadorfj]

I will admit that there was a lot more smashing and bashing this year in the figure 8's then in the past, BUT there were also a few things done differently this year that helped in that department, that was NOT the choice of the racers. First and Foremost was the placing of big tractor tires in the corners. This was the main reason for the smashing because with those tires placed as they were, there was NO room to pass in the corners (which if you ask a figure 8 racer is where they pass at), I know they were trying to save Pauly's grass and all, but when given the choice to hit those tires or another car, 9 times out of 10 the other car looses. Who wants to watch a figure 8 race that is follow the leader? What's the point? The figure 8 racers build their cars to withstand taking a hit (most of the time) so I understand why regular street stocks don't want to race the figure 8. I don't want to cause any drama but that's just the way I see it. It's not DIRTY racing, it's the FIGURE 8!

[61SSracer]

Seadorfj,

Please Don't take this the wrong way BUT---Where have you been for the last OOHHH 20yrs--Those "Big Tires" have been used for-EVER at Spartan ! ! Besides that "I" Got Pounded More on the Straight-a-ways then in the corners last year ! The car/drivers that i was refering to in my earlier post Were Hitting Guys ALL AROUND the Track Not Just in the corners ! ! They would get Pissed Off at another driver for"doing them wrong" and "Beat the +*$#" out of All in front of them to get back to the Front ! ! Figure 8 racing IS Alot of banging around(always has been) and your correct saying They build their cars to take it ! That probably is one reason why more of our Street Stockers DONT want to run in the "8", But the Fact still remains that the Track Needs to do Something about the Blatant Smashing and all out Dirty driving that we all witnessed last year !

Hope you understand the point i'm trying to get across here ! !

Chuck

[seadorfj]

I will admit I haven't been around Spartan for the last 20 or so years, but I have watched my boyfriend win the track championship the last three years and take 4th or 5th in his first year of racing and in the last four years those tractor tires were not used (with the exception of this past season). I am not a racing expert by any means, but I see bashing and smashing (of course not as hard) in ALL classes of racing, the figure 8 guys just get away with a little more. I know of only one driver to get DQ'd all last season and that was for a tech issue, I think that is why there are so many spotters all around the track (I really don't want to open the flood gates here!) IF the type of nasty driving you are speaking of was really a big deal it would have been AT LEAST mentioned in one of the drivers meetings, however I was at all of them, and it was not. I have seen racers from every class take what they think is a bad hit (or rub) and loose it, it's not a problem exclusively belonging to the figure 8. I think the real reason Spartan is loosing a lot of figure 8 drivers is because they get treated as a lower class of cars, and don't fully get the respect they deserve. Wether or not anyone agrees it IS racing, and if you ask my biased opinion, it's the most entertaining kind of racing to watch.
P.S. - I can't find the spell check on here, so if I misspelled something I apologize in advance!
P.P.S. I know that it's a different thread but, WELCOME BACK JIM AND BILL!