Pony Figure 8 Races For 2010??

#1neon · Joined: 27 Jan 2010 Posts: 2

Jim this is Scott Amy i would also like to see you keep the pony f8 for the 5 slugfest races because we are planning on running both the oval show and the f8 show so please look into this very hard because i the pony put on one hell of a show on the 8 thanks for your time.

goinincircles22 · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 191 Location: lansing

I also would like to see the Ponys keep running the Figure 8......I have a car to run if you decide to run them.

Dirt63 · Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 127

as far as if or when a pony is destroyed in the figure 8, I do not recall a time that when this has happened that the driver was not back out that season. Tina Anderson's tempo was destroyed and she came back with a cavalier. (a fast one at that) Todd Metz Last year returned to the track along with Jim Harbenski after their reck. Both of them still did the remaining figure 8 races too! All the drivers that enter the figure 8 know the risks that are envolved and most do not enter unless they think or know they will be able to return to the track if they did crash out. I think that this year has potential to have more cars in the figure 8 than it ever has in the past. The Silver Fox is coming out of retirement and I know I would like to have another shot at racing him for a season. We had some close races. I know that there would be enough regular drivers to do some friday night figure 8s as well. I think there is no question that they need to be added to all the slugfest nights!

Bill Lackey · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 189

Here's what we would like to do......schedule pony stock figure 8s with our first two Sunday events in May and June. Because of the added feature race and these Sundays having a work day following them and depending on the car counts, we may need to forego heat races to get all the events in.....the rules would be the same as the Sunday slugfest rules for 4 cylinders.....If we get a committment from drivers and good car counts and races, we will continue scheduling them on Sundays throughout the season. Thanks for your input.

ken#8 · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 87

very disappointed in this decision of ponies only running the 1st 2 sunday shows and NOT being reconized as part of the slugfest pony figure 8s for the 2010 season this means no points or no championship will be awarded for us but we can go out and put on a hell of a show for 2 sundays (why even bother) ?? DISAPPOINTED DRIVER Ken Dollarhite

Jim Leasure · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Posts: 876

I think you need to read ALL of Bill's post, especially the last sentence.

ken#8 · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 87

I did and maybe I am looking between the lines.. IF is a big word.. just like the checks in the mail .. how can we commit IF we are not schedueled
up front for these dates IF we are not sure we will run or not IF we have to wait to plan are season because of the word IF..I hope you understand that I want and need to plan my sundays out for the season and IF NO COMMITMENT is there.. why should I or any other driver be put on HOLD
to commit at a later day ??? just my thought Ken

Bill Lackey · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 189

ok Ken....let's put it this way.....if we run them the first two sunday races and we have 4 show up at one and 5 at the other, would you as a promoter continue to schedule them. Guess I don't understand....you complain because of no dates and now you are complaining with dates.....do the rest of the Pony figure 8 drivers share his feelings?

bone · Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 37

kinda cool there throwin it out there like that, coulda scheduled all and then when there was low car counts canceled the rest after the first 2.

pretty fair way to do it. letting you as drivers know up front what there business strategy is for there shows and why. spartan is trying to keep the
pony fig8s alive instead of dumping them altogether because a few low car count shows.

edit...looked back looks like pretty consistent car counts for the fig8 pony calss 10 11 on average not to bad. god i miss the 25-30 car fs fig 8 races
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"Bone"
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Grav1ty · Joined: 26 Nov 2006 Posts: 8

I am another driver interested in running the f8's. Hell of a lot of fun.

daytonapony · Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 167

Jim,

I'll be brutally honest.. The figure 8 was 98% of my original decision to run Spartan Speedway. It was 100% of my decision to run for points last year and again in 2010.

I am HAPPY to see we have 2 dates. When we get out on the track and put on (IMHO) one of the best shows around we will get the rest of the dates.

The pony's put on a heck of a show. The last 2 years I have had more people come up to me and know me BECAUSE of the figure 8's then anything. I have had fans come up to me on a sunday and tell me that they will be coming back and bringing their friends because we put on such a good show.

I suffered arguably the worst hit this year at Spartan. ANYONE that seen the car knew it was totaled... Myself included. The right rear of the car was demolished. Due to being so sore and not being cleared to go to work, we didn't even try to fix the car until thursday. We pounded on the car, pulled on the car, replaced some parts, and lived with it being so much uglier.... We finished the car up that friday and won the feature with it.

That proves the cars CAN be repaired and still be fast. Brads/Jims car was not nearly so lucky so they CAN be totaled with one hit also. Personally I don't think this is the reason our counts arn't higher.

In my opinion it has alot to do with the fact that Spartan is the ONLY track in a very large radius that has 4 cylinder and or FWD figure 8's. If you look back at our car counts there is 1-3 non regulars that run the figure 8. The pure stocks have 1-3 regulars and all the rest are non regulars. If another track in the area was running 4 cylinders every week in the figure 8 there would be ALOT more competitors.

If you have Non regulars that are commiting to running we are on the right track.

You have your main core of Figure 8 guys posting right here in this thread. I know that more then one of the other guys posted will do everything in their power to put on the best show possible. I can also guarentee that I will do like I have for 2 years... Win or burn it to the ground trying!!!
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Never Dead Racing
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15.872 Fastest pony stock lap during the season.

Jim Leasure · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Posts: 876

We are going to schedule the Pony F-8 on all Sunday Slugfests for the 2010 season. I would like to thank our Pony Stock Sponsor, Boss Snow Plow Equipment and our Pony Stock Figure-8 trophy sponsor, Patrick McNamara and the Marc Times TV.

In our opinion it is very important that we complete the races on Sunday nights early enough to allow everyone to get home at a decent hour. By getting the Sunday nights events completed at a decent hour we think will leave a positive impression with most, and hopefully that will help fill those new bleachers.

To do so we may not have time for heat races, we will just have to look at that as we go forward. We will also start hot laps on Sunday an hour earlier (1:00) to give teams more time to get their cars dialed in.

JRJ · Joined: 11 Jul 2009 Posts: 77

Jim I like the part of starting hot laps a hour earlier, what about starting the sunday shows a hour earlier. I know it might be to late to change for the 2010 season, but perhaps for 2011.

ken#8 · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 87

I want to say thank you for adding us for the slugfest figure8s Im sure you or the fans will be pleased with the show we will put on and now maybe i can get some positive answers from my sponsors for this season
thanks again Ken

#1neon · Joined: 27 Jan 2010 Posts: 2

Jim & Bill i would like to say thanks for keeping the pony fig 8 and thanks to the sponors we will be there every show thanks Scott Amy