Okay, I'm going to try and limit my rambling here, because I know I can get going very easily on different subjects. At the top of the list, should the Spec Sprints have been booked for a special at Antioch, are open shows effecting the regular point season at tracks, what is next for Chowchilla and other stuff if I don't ramble too long.
Ten Dirt Modifieds showed for $1,000 to win at Antioch last week. I understand Tulare ran a big show that night, though that doesn't account for all of the absences. I'm not blaming the local racers. It was a long season, cars were wrecked and people needed a break. The fact is it's also open season and some drivers want to race at places they don't get to run now that point season is over. I hope for the best at Antioch, but I'm not expecting car count to hit the 20's in this class. It may not even get that close.
Fact is, this division was given two very big paying races at Antioch this season, and they produced strong car counts both times. Up until that fateful night in July, this class has been clutch, even on regular point nights. I understand John booking them now, but I believe the Spec Sprints would probably have produced at least into the high 20's or low 30's if booked right. Look at what Petaluma just did. This wasn't in Antioch's plans and that's fine, but I can't help thinking they missed an opportunity.
All things considered, I don't think John isn't too unhappy with the stretch run he just had at the track, and that's the main thing. For him to be running two tracks and basically getting Merced Speedway up again on such short notice is a good thing. As long as the tracks are running, things have a chance to get bigger and better at both places.
I do wonder if the open show is killing or at least hurting the point show at some of these tracks, particularly with Dirt Modifieds. More promoters are booking money races during the season, and there are some good racers who used to chase points who now chase the money. It makes it hard to have a show on a point night that even gets near a B Main car count at some places. IMCA has had some moments.
Which leads me to Chowchilla. I don't know what Hanford will be doing, but Tulare has went to an IMCA sanction for its Modifieds in 2010. Having read some of the things that have gone down at that track in recent years, I bet this is a proud moment for Paul and IMCA. However, this puts a damper on the cooperation Hanford, Tulare and Chowchilla had with the Modifieds that allowed each track to have shows not booked on top of the other ones.
As I see it, Kenny has some choices to make going forward at Chowchilla if he wants to run a regular season. UMP is one option. He can jump on the bandwagon with John and link up with Antioch and Merced. I know Antioch and Chowchilla are Saturday tracks, but Antioch does not run Modifieds every week. This would;d be doable with a minimum of double booking. That's one option, and it definitely solidifies UMP's presence in California. If, and I say IF, they do this, I'd love to see Hobbys and Super Stocks added to the sanctioning as UMP keeps Regional and National points there too.
I still have my doubts about UMP, but I want to be fair here since I have my doubts about the crazy thing I'm about to type next. Some "old schoolers" may love it though.
Kenny could bring NASCAR to Chowchilla. The money may not be there for such a move, but it's a thought. I don't even know what NASCAR offers the short track anymore, other than a state point race. This is a longshot, and the only reason I bring this up is Kenny's history racing with NASCAR. Plus, as I said, he needs to make a move.
The Valley's resident IMCA booster, Johnnie Baptista, has proposed IMCA sanctioning for Modifieds, Sport Mods and Four Bangers. Yeah, I know, stop the presses, Johnnie is talking IMCA again, but this may not be so crazy. First of all, this track has worked well with Watsonville in the past, and Watsonville has IMCA Modifieds. Suddenly, California is back at the table competing for IMCA Regional honors.
Chowchilla has a growing Sport Mod class. Ten cars this year, and eight last week. Kenny is even considering a big race for them at the end of October in hopes of enticing cars from Victorville. This class is slowly growing, and double digit counts in 2011 seems doable. It should be pointed out, in fairness, that the track has gotten to this point without sanctioning, but they definitely need to realize that they may have something here.
Four Bangers are coming either way, but sanctioning wouldn't hurt. What if Watsonville sanctioned their class too? I don't see that happening, but what if?
Here's the kicker. Merced was a big base for many years for IMCA Modifieds, and Chuck's Four Banger class at that time carried IMCA sanctioning as well. The question is, how many drivers in the area are looking for the IMCA option in Modifieds? Would it hurt for Chowchilla to hold a meeting for driver input? You can certainly make a case that IMCA saved the Modifieds at Merced and allowed the class to grow to the point of B Mains being needed.
Its an interesting thought. At this point, it seems to me Chowchilla needs to make some changes going forward. Things may be bleak there, but it's salvageable. What Kenny does next will be important, but may be that some driver input can help things along.
I think I will end this here. I was going to comment on Orland Speedway, but if you've been reading, you know my thoughts. Orland is doing good to open the gates these past two years and do some racing, but they do need to step things up in year three. I hope for the best.
For those wondering, I'm not planning to close this blog. It may not be a place that covers things weekly. I may not cover the 50th Anniversary Season at Antioch Speedway (1961-2011), but the blog will be here and posts will be made.
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4 comments:
I am eager to see what the owners can work together to achieve for next year. There are so many ways to slice the pie to put on good shows and make ALL the tracks succeed. This UMP vs IMCA spilt seems to be a big wedge as tracks close enough to share cars and potentially or run friday, saturday and sunday will be split between the two sanctions making it hard to pull off any inter track well thought out planning. All the eastern drivers run multi night weekend to rack up points. What is the point of IMCA or UMP if there are not enough races in CA to have divers register in the national points. They are just as good but are let down by disorganized tracks. I wish there was a way to unify california classes and rules so all cars could go all places. The more tracks jockey for IMCA or UMP the harder that gets. There are enough great drivers/cars in state to go our own way. CA IS getting and WILL get more national attention based on the talent out here. I don't think the sanctions are helping all that much but that is from my limited point of view,
So either get it together enough with tracks running Friday Saturday and Sunday for both UMP at 3 and IMCA at 3 or scrap the idea and unify CA to one set of rules.
I went to bakers for the Bud Nationals and they were awesome. Some thoughts....
1. Tracks should really change super/street stocks to more of a limited late model class. The supers at bakersfield were real high quality RACE cars and were hardly stock. Up north you see a rag tag camaro as a super stock running on the track with a late model looking car some one bought from bakers. Clean that up. Make it like bakers had with American stocks aka bombers, hobby more like street stocks and super stock more like limited late model. Unify that across the state. I read some posts bitching abut Shepard cheating at chow with his car but I think that was just the problem am talking about...his car was a limited late model and the others are street stocks.
2. Get a north and south Late Model division of the west coast late models. Maybe even the W of Out Laws can put a western region together. Run them down south in CA and AZ/NM. Run them up north in CA and OR/NV. Tour them around all the tracks as a traveling series. Back to point #1 the tracks can run a limited late model class weekly to build the grass root and gradate drivers up to the traveling late model tours, These cars are too expensive to run as a weekly points class and too AWESOME when done right to water down.
3. Tracks need to better work together to plan the season but they also need to be smart and react to what other tracks do. Merced missed a HUGE chance to run a $$ Mod race Sunday to piggy back off of the Buds Nationals. Soares blew his nut a week early and should have saved the $1000 or more bucks to toss at Sunday in Merced. There was only 1 cars at merced that was at Bakers...the 59w. With some $$ on Merced there could have been many more. Tulare was smart and piggy backed off Ocean two weeks ago and tossed together a $$ mod race that was well attended with cars that raced the night before at Ocean. You can't get the big race every week, I think it is poor business to try to steal cars from tracks that have the big event aka Antoich the night of Tulare, If Merced is going to stick with Sunday they have the perfect chance to scan the 2011 season and toss big $$ on the right weekends when cars are towing up or down 99 from other large events at other tracks.
4. Drop the entry fee concept....these guys spend enough to get there with a car...don't nickel dime the talent. Circus midgets don't pay the circus to juggle. Drop it or get smart about it to incent people to show up....aka if you race both antoich and merced in weekend you don't pay. If you race jusy 1 track you do. Simple stuff.
It ain't rocket science folks....
I went to bakers for the Bud Nationals and they were awesome. Some thoughts....
1. Tracks should really change super/street stocks to more of a limited late model class. The supers at bakersfield were real high quality RACE cars and were hardly stock. Up north you see a rag tag camaro as a super stock running on the track with a late model looking car some one bought from bakers. Clean that up. Make it like bakers had with American stocks aka bombers, hobby more like street stocks and super stock more like limited late model. Unify that across the state. I read some posts bitching abut Shepard cheating at chow with his car but I think that was just the problem am talking about...his car was a limited late model and the others are street stocks.
2. Get a north and south Late Model division of the west coast late models. Maybe even the W of Out Laws can put a western region together. Run them down south in CA and AZ/NM. Run them up north in CA and OR/NV. Tour them around all the tracks as a traveling series. Back to point #1 the tracks can run a limited late model class weekly to build the grass root and gradate drivers up to the traveling late model tours, These cars are too expensive to run as a weekly points class and too AWESOME when done right to water down.
3. Tracks need to better work together to plan the season but they also need to be smart and react to what other tracks do. Merced missed a HUGE chance to run a $$ Mod race Sunday to piggy back off of the Buds Nationals. Soares blew his nut a week early and should have saved the $1000 or more bucks to toss at Sunday in Merced. There was only 1 cars at merced that was at Bakers. Tulare was smart and piggy backed off Ocean two weeks ago and tossed together a $$ mod race that was well attended with cars that raced the night before at Ocean. You can't get the big race every week, I think it is poor business to try to steal cars from tracks that have the big event aka Antoich the night of Tulare, If Merced is going to stick with Sunday they have the perfect chance to scan the 2011 season and toss big $$ on the right weekends when cars are towing up or down 99 from other large events at other tracks.
4. Drop the entry fee concept....these guys spend enough to get there with a car...don't nickel dime the talent. Circus midgets don't pay the circus to juggle. Drop it or get smart about it to incent people to show up....aka if you race both antoich and merced in weekend you don't pay.
It ain't rocket science folks....
Bud Nationals were awesome. Some thoughts....
1. Tracks should really change super/street stocks to more of a limited late model class. The supers at bakersfield were real high quality RACE cars and were hardly stock. Up north you see a rag tag camaro as a super stock running on the track with a late model looking car. Clean that up. Make it like bakers had with American stocks aka bombers, hobby more like street stocks and super stock more like limited late model. Unify that across the state.
2. Get a north and south Late Model division of the west coast late models. Maybe even the W of Out Laws can put a western region together. Run them down south in CA and AZ/NM. Run them up north in CA and OR/NV. Tour them around all the tracks as a traveling series. Back to point #1 the tracks can run a limited late model class weekly to build the grass root and gradate drivers up to the traveling late model tours, These cars are too expensive to run as a weekly points class and too AWESOME when done right to water down.
3. Tracks need to better work together to plan the season but they also need to be smart and react to what other tracks do. Merced missed a HUGE chance to run a $$ Mod race Sunday to piggy back off of the Buds Nationals. Soares blew his nut a week early and should have saved the $1000 or more bucks to toss at Sunday in Merced. There was only 1 cars at merced that was at Bakers. Tulare was smart and piggy backed off Ocean two weeks ago and tossed together a $$ mod race that was well attended with cars that raced the night before at Ocean. You can't get the big race every week, I think it is poor business to try to steal cars from tracks that have the big event aka Antoich the night of Tulare, If Merced is going to stick with Sunday they have the perfect chance to scan the 2011 season and toss big $$ on the right weekends when cars are towing up or down 99 from other large events at other tracks.
4. Drop the entry fee concept....these guys spend enough to get there with a car...don't nickel dime the talent. Circus midgets don't pay the circus to juggle. Drop it or get smart about it to incent people to show up....aka if you race both antoich and merced in weekend you don't pay.
It ain't rocket science folks....
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