The Cromarty's wave the green flag to young Chris

[watchinurace]

The Young Family would like to publically thank Barbara and Jim Cromarty for giving Christopher the opportunity to compete this year in the INEX Legends division. We are very appreciative that the Promotors of Riverhead Raceway considered our request, and are allowing Christopher to compete in 2009.:applause::applause::applause::applause::appl ause:

[rydogg97]

that is great news! a couple of well written letters and some prodding in a nice way and there you go!! thanks to the cromartys for doing the right thing for chris who in my opinion has earned this chance. the best of luck to you this season. make the most of it but above all have fun and keep that positive attitude, that will get you places!!

[Ka$h25]

So does this allow all 15 year old kids to buy NASCAR licenses, get into the pit area, and drive in any division? Scary thought. :disgusted

[RGeeProductions]

So does this allow all 15 year old kids to buy NASCAR licenses, get into the pit area, and drive in any division? Scary thought. :disgusted

Where does NASCAR fit into this????? INEX!!!!
NASCAR sanctioned track only, INEX not a NASCAR division therefore an INEX license required...

[watchinurace]

Legend Car Rules
Division Structure
The minimum age for Legend competition is fourteen (14). Twelve year olds and thirteen year olds may be allowed to compete if they have completed 18 months of documented, INEX Sanctioned, Bandolero racing, with a minimum of forty five (45) races total over this 18 month period. Driver competing before they have met these requirements may be subject to fines and suspensions. Thirteen year olds with prior racing experience may petition in writing the executive director of INEX for approval to race a Legends car.


* Any driver under 16 years of age must receive approval to compete from the speedways promoter/owner prior to the race in order to be eligible to race at the track. The speedways promoters/owner decision is FINAL. INEX has no authority in this matter.


To those concerned we didn't inquire about any NASCAR division competition. We strictly spoke with the Cromarty's about the INEX Legend division.
We can say from the experience we have had to date, this 12-15 year old Young Lions INEX Division is very popular and prolific down south.
In his very first race at LOWES, Chris qualified 14th out of 30 cars to start in the 20 car field of the A main. These kids are fun to watch and one can see why they are the future for short track racing and the feeder division to upper level NASCAR divisions.

[The"Roof"Rider]

If one 15 year olds allowed in the pits, they all should be. JMO:help:

[chevycraft]

O.k I have acouple of questions .
1. If the young Chris Young is going to run in the " young lions division" does this mean he runs by himself in that division as they do at other tracks, such as Waterford ? I know this week he`s the only 15 yr old,
but at the gokart race this weekend I heard of several other people looking to purchase cars and some already have purchased them.
2. What is the new age limit to get into the pits ?
3.My son has logged in over 1500 laps at riverhead in a gokart .probably 1450 more then Chris Young . My son will be 14 can he race with the young lions and Christopher too?

[53ny]

At other tracks that i have raced at: the young lions have had their own practice sessions,their own heat races,and finally they have their own shortend feature......Just what ive seen elsewhere:wave:...This is how these young up n comming racers should be grouped...JMO....:wave:

[EDGEnterprises]

FROM THE RULEBOOK...

The minimum age for Legends competition is fourteen (14). Tweleve-year-olds and thirteen-year-olds may be allowed to compete if they have completed 18 months of documented, INEX Sanctioned, Bandolero racing, with a minimum of 45 races total over this 18 month period. Driver competing before they have met these requirements may be subject to fines and suspensions. Thirteen-year-olds with prior racing experience may petition in writing the executive director of INEX for apprival to race a Legends Car.

YOUNG LIONS: Designed for drivers ages 12-16 years of age are eligible for Young Lions awards throughout the 2008 racing season. Any driver under 16 years of age must receive approval to compete from the speedway's promoter/owner prior to the race in order to be eligible to race at the track. The speedway promotor/owner's decision is FINAL. INEX has no authority in this matter. Young Lions are Semi-Pro drivers, however they will be awarded points separately twards their Young Lions standings. All Young Lions will be responsible to inform the racetrack of their Young Lions eligibility for reporting purpose. Any race that is held for Young-Lions competitors only will be given points based on the "B" main points schedule.

Bonus points for Young Lions will be awarded as follows:
First place overall in main event with all Semi-Pro drivers - 3 points. First place overall in main event with pro, master, and semi-pro combined - 5 points.


So as far as points for Riverhead Raceway how will this all work with running of Pro, Masters, Semi-Pro, and Young Lions together????

[chevycraft]

Who makes that call . The Cromarty`s , The track steward, or the Young family.

[modprincess8x]

I thought maybe the age to get in the pits has already been lowered...Chris was not the only "under age" kid in the pits Saturday.

[Turbo]

well i think its a cool thing to have this happen, opens the door for future young competitors to get their feet in the door earlier. If they can do it in the south, why not in the north?

[watchinurace]

Who makes that call . The Cromarty`s , The track steward, or the Young family.

The Young Family does not make any of the above calls or rules.

At 14 I would say your son can apply for a INEX license as the rule book states and being you have karting experience the Cromarty's and the Chief Stewarts make the call. If by chance and (we believe this will happen relatively quickly) there is a field of Young Lions, I would think they will run there own practices and features but please do not quote me as this is all new for everyone involved. Again I reiterate "The Promoters make the decisions".
.

[fred card]

run them on sundays with go karts

[Ka$h25]

Now, I have a question pertaining to this specific case. Did the promoters actually witness this driver on the track before making their decision to let him race? If I were a veteran of the division I would hope the promoters would make sure the kid is capable of racing at the rest of the divisions level before making specific exceptions to allow him on the track with me.

Hopefully I didn't offend chris or any of the other young driver, like the defending champ for instance. I know some young drivers are more then capable, I would just hope that before changing the rules the promoters saw first hand how qualified this driver was.

[JBonsignore]

No thanks fred the go kart day is long enough!

[Richie25]

run them on sundays with go karts

yea, as justin said there is zero room for legends on sunday with go-karts. we would be there all day and night if that happens. the karts get done at about 3-4 pm, and we start at 9:30 am.

[RGeeProductions]

From what I get from these posts, like, who made the decision, or did they witness him race on the track. HE HAS RACED BEFORE AND INEX RULES ALLOW THIS....
Seems many be afraid to be beat by a teenager!!!
If a teenager hasn't ever raced, I could see an issue here but this is not the case at all. Wonder why no one said anything when someone like Dave Sapienza drove a modified with no previous experience but now someone who has the experience is causing an issue only on age....JMO

[The Bullfather]

I think some people are saying, when they tried to get in under 16 they weren't allowed. I don't think it has to do with being beaten by a teenager, they were beaten last year by one!!! How many times did Kenny Hyde Jr. try to get into the pits and what not! Now that one was allowed will the others be allowed? We could have an influx of 10 drivers all of a sudden that are under 16 with INEX licenses. When they aren't running are they still allowed in the pits? I know Chris Young Jr. has raced a few races in N.C. in a legend, so he does have some exprience, but how much would you need to get in as INEX? The track is still sanctioned by NASCAR.

[SuperShafts]

yea, as justin said there is zero room for legends on sunday with go-karts. we would be there all day and night if that happens. the karts get done at about 3-4 pm, and we start at 9:30 am.

That's not even 8 hours, if the karts finished at 4, then the legends could go on after....or the before depending on the tire issues

[watchinurace]

O.k I have acouple of questions .
1. If the young Chris Young is going to run in the " young lions division" does this mean he runs by himself in that division as they do at other tracks, such as Waterford ? I know this week he`s the only 15 yr old,
but at the gokart race this weekend I heard of several other people looking to purchase cars and some already have purchased them.
2. What is the new age limit to get into the pits ?
3.My son has logged in over 1500 laps at riverhead in a gokart .probably 1450 more then Chris Young . My son will be 14 can he race with the young lions and Christopher too?

1. Chris Young will be competing in the Legends Division at Riverhead Raceway. No he wont be running by himself, he will have to qualify just like everyone else. He is registered to run at Waterford and has permission from their track owner to compete also. ( We think it would be great to have a 12-15 year old division at Riverhead Raceway and this age revision has opened the door for that. The INEX rulebook is pretty specific about obtaining a license, and then asking the promoter/track owner for permission to compete if you are under the age of 16.
2. I dont know if there is a new age limit to get into the pits but a call to the office might reveal the answer.
3. Chris has logged approximately 1700 laps in a Kyle Beattie owned Legend Car. He has been preparing for competition since Sept and has raced at Concord Motorsports Park, LOWES 3 tracks the 1/4 mi, the 1/5 mi and the road course and Caraway Speedway. His first feature event win came at the INEX Winternationals at Orlando's Speed World's 3/8 mi. Aside from a very exciting win he also has two fifth place and a third place finish in these events placing him 4th over all at the completion of this National Event. While we havent lost sight that he is a rookie, and this is his rookie season, we feel he is ready and the Cromarty's have decided to give him this opportunity.

[Wheel Racing]

Just a few thoughts:

1-NASCAR basically dictated the 16 year old rule for years. If INEX says 14 then I am all for it. I would limit the 14 and 15 year olds to DRIVERS ONLY and designate a "special" spot for them in the pit area or even just outside the gate. We can't challenge NASCAR's rules,but we can respect INEX's rules

2-Age is a tough issue to debate because there are plenty of drivers that are of age that don't belong in racecars,but because they can afford it they are given the opportunity.Plenty of these drivers could benefit from more productive experience rather than cost fellow competitors races,championships,time and money each year. This is in ALL divisions. There have been drivers like Timmy Solomito who stepped in as a rookie at age 16 and showed instant talent and ability along with respect for fellow competitors. So who would you rather race with? A 14-16 year old kid with respect or a 35 year old guy with money to burn?? This can be debated forever. Who knows how good Timmy would be by now if he had an additional 2 years in the Legend car??

3-I would however like to see the 14-15 year olds in their own "Starter" series or division so they can grow and learn together without getting trampled on. They can then graduate to the Full Legends Class at age 16, with potentially 2 solid seasons of experience,not just driving but racing experience as well which could be very impactful in a racing career

4-There are plenty of families that spend a fortune on GO Karts that could potentially step up to the Legend cars a little sooner without a tremendous difference in cost. I would bet that some of them would continue to run both the Legends car and the GoKart,just for experience so that the kart community would not suffer,but possibly even gain a few 10-12 year olds preparing for their Legends start at age 14.

5-We have witnessed quite a few 16 year olds thrust into everything from a Blunderbust car(myself included) to a Modified. Some have made it,but some disappeared too quickly. Would an extra 2 years in a Legend car have helped?? Maybe

6-We have plenty of Legends drivers now that could have benefitted from starting a little younger and I'm sure that experience could affect the outcome of some Legends races that become crash-fests for a number of reasons.

7-Lastly, I think the Young's should be applauded for taking the chance to confront the Cromarty's and actually come out with something positive for future racers. I'm sure Calinoff twisted a few arms along the way.lol

8-Regardless where they fit into the schedule, I would like to see it mandatory that all 14-15 year old Legend racers participate in practice sessions on any race day when there is time and on ALL Enduro Sundays. Track time is key and they should all take advantage of it. Go-kart days would be rough with all the tires around the track and who would really want to pick them up each week?

[The"Roof"Rider]

That's not even 8 hours, if the karts finished at 4, then the legends could go on after....or the before depending on the tire issues

Everyones got great intensions on running them on sundays with the go karts, but whos going to be willing to pick up all them tires, im sure it will get old in a hurry! ontop of that im sure theres expenses like paying an ambulence crew:help:

[Richie25]

That's not even 8 hours, if the karts finished at 4, then the legends could go on after....or the before depending on the tire issues

keep in mind, when the cars are done racing with their season the karts still have i belive over 1/2 a season of raciong left. and as its been in the past there is no electricity as they shut it down. so when it starts getting dark at 5 pm that leaves zero time as the day is packed as it is enough with 20 classes of karts racing 15 lap mains, 10 lap heats, and 2 7 lap practice with a one hour happy hour session time becomes an issue. Dave only rents a generator to use the lights during the which is now the wka national in october to run the shootout money race under the lights.

[Turbo]

hey timmy, im pretty sure why you wouldnt wanna ride with any tires on the outside walls anymore! lol

[Ka$h25]

I don't think anyone is going to be upset about being beat by a teenager, I'm pretty sure the past champion put a nice scuff in any ego's out there. I would simply be worried about said teenager making a mistake that costs me a race, a racecar, a season, or serious injury. And Neal is right, any driver can make that mistake, no matter age or experience, but in most cases the driver fits the rule books and there's nothing anyone can do about it. In this case, the rule books were adjusted for the driver and that's going to leave a lot of speculation up in the air in regards to their decision. All I would of liked to hear is that before the decision was made, the driver was witnessed on the racetrack, in his car. But it doesn't seem like that was the case.

[watchinurace]

I don't think anyone is going to be upset about being beat by a teenager, I'm pretty sure the past champion put a nice scuff in any ego's out there. I would simply be worried about said teenager making a mistake that costs me a race, a racecar, a season, or serious injury. And Neal is right, any driver can make that mistake, no matter age or experience, but in most cases the driver fits the rule books and there's nothing anyone can do about it. In this case, the rule books were adjusted for the driver and that's going to leave a lot of speculation up in the air in regards to their decision. All I would of liked to hear is that before the decision was made, the driver was witnessed on the racetrack, in his car. But it doesn't seem like that was the case.

The rule book was not "adjusted in said teenager's case". Policies were UPDATED in review of the rule book.

Like you I have an opinion also so here goes.
ALL rookie drivers (age aside) give veteran drivers new challenges. Plain and simple. Rookies are also under the watchful eye of the Chief Stewart.

Now I dont know what car you drive, but I would think you would realize "a mistake that costs me a race, a racecar, a season, or serious injury" can and does happen in the sport of racing. "Thats Racing"


I am not quite sure why the Cromarty's didnt consult with and inform you before they decided to UPDATE a policy because of a rule book.

Both Chris (the Dad) and I have witnessed Chris on numerous tracks down south. His accomplisments to date speak for themselves. He qualifies for rookie status. We hope he will make even you proud......:applause:

[watchinurace]

Just a few thoughts:

1-NASCAR basically dictated the 16 year old rule for years. If INEX says 14 then I am all for it. I would limit the 14 and 15 year olds to DRIVERS ONLY and designate a "special" spot for them in the pit area or even just outside the gate. We can't challenge NASCAR's rules,but we can respect INEX's rules

2-Age is a tough issue to debate because there are plenty of drivers that are of age that don't belong in racecars,but because they can afford it they are given the opportunity.Plenty of these drivers could benefit from more productive experience rather than cost fellow competitors races,championships,time and money each year. This is in ALL divisions. There have been drivers like Timmy Solomito who stepped in as a rookie at age 16 and showed instant talent and ability along with respect for fellow competitors. So who would you rather race with? A 14-16 year old kid with respect or a 35 year old guy with money to burn?? This can be debated forever. Who knows how good Timmy would be by now if he had an additional 2 years in the Legend car??

3-I would however like to see the 14-15 year olds in their own "Starter" series or division so they can grow and learn together without getting trampled on. They can then graduate to the Full Legends Class at age 16, with potentially 2 solid seasons of experience,not just driving but racing experience as well which could be very impactful in a racing career

4-There are plenty of families that spend a fortune on GO Karts that could potentially step up to the Legend cars a little sooner without a tremendous difference in cost. I would bet that some of them would continue to run both the Legends car and the GoKart,just for experience so that the kart community would not suffer,but possibly even gain a few 10-12 year olds preparing for their Legends start at age 14.

5-We have witnessed quite a few 16 year olds thrust into everything from a Blunderbust car(myself included) to a Modified. Some have made it,but some disappeared too quickly. Would an extra 2 years in a Legend car have helped?? Maybe

6-We have plenty of Legends drivers now that could have benefitted from starting a little younger and I'm sure that experience could affect the outcome of some Legends races that become crash-fests for a number of reasons.

7-Lastly, I think the Young's should be applauded for taking the chance to confront the Cromarty's and actually come out with something positive for future racers. I'm sure Calinoff twisted a few arms along the way.lol

8-Regardless where they fit into the schedule, I would like to see it mandatory that all 14-15 year old Legend racers participate in practice sessions on any race day when there is time and on ALL Enduro Sundays. Track time is key and they should all take advantage of it. Go-kart days would be rough with all the tires around the track and who would really want to pick them up each week?

Neal,
We also brought information to the Cromartys about the INEX Bandolero division for the younger racers. Down south all the INEX Legend drivers younger than 14 had to have a defined amount of time and laps in the Bandolero division in order to graduate up to a Legend car. Let me tell you, we here in the North have some catching up to do. These kids are good and when you see a 12-13 year old graduate of the bandolero division jump out of a Legend car winning their feature it is pretty amazing. These kids are that good. The car counts are hearty and the division (both legend and bandolero) is affordable and cost controlled by INEX.
Chad Little's kid competed in the bandolero division at the Winternationals in Orlando so he would be a contact person for anyone interested in this division.

[Tracy87BB]

They run Bandoleros at Bethel Motor Speedway. So far this season, the car count has been light, but the speedway has waived the entry fee for all Bandolero drivers in 2009. Anyone looking for more information about Bandoleros can PM me and I'll see what I can do for you.

[The Bullfather]

Why add a division like Bandoleros while we have go-karts, this would just hurt the numbers that have been on the rise this year!

[Tracy87BB]

I wasn't suggesting to add another division to Riverhead at all. I'm sorry if it sounded that way. I think Riverhead has an excellent go-kart program, and that the Legends division actually serves very well as the next step - Timmy Solomito is a perfect example. Not all tracks have a go-kart program like Riverhead does (Bethel, for example), and the Bandolero division fills in that gap.

What I was trying to do was add to Ann's post about the fact that the youngsters down south clock a certain amount of time in Bandoleros, which actually are comparable to go-karts. I was simply saying that if someone wanted more information about what the Bandoleros are (to see more directly how a Bandolero program compares to Riverhead's go-kart program), someone who actually has some hands-on experience with a Bandolero car might be able to help out.

[rydogg97]

imo, what ive read here tells me that there are people with an ax to grind because they themselves or their children were not allowed in he pits at an early age. as was stated before they are using division rules to handle this issue and the cromartys okd him to race. he has experience in running these types of cars and that shouldnt be an issue. i had the pleasure to talk to chris on first week of practice and maybe others should to because you can hear the confidence in talents in his voice and how well spoken he is. i know his parents would not let him out on the track with their knowledge of racing if they thought he would be a danger to himself or others. i think that everyone should take positive approach to this. give him a chance to prove himself. help him not hinder him because any help would only make the div. as a whole better. as far as letting the younger people race the cromartys should be thanked not beat down for it. i would suggest that anyone who has younger drivers should contact the cromartys and disscus the issue civily with them and not here on this board. let me be from what i read to wish you all the best racing this year and the future chris.

[fred card]

GOOD LUCK TO CHRIS AND THE 49 LEGEND THIS IS A DONE DEAL HOPE OTHER 15YEAR OLD KIDS FOLLOW THERE DREAMS:cool:

[surfx]

Good luck Chris! good to see that the division keeps growing.

[watchinurace]

Good luck Chris! good to see that the division keeps growing.

Thanks Fred and Mike. I will work hard to gain your respect on the racetrack. And Mike could you pass a thanks to Vinny for me.


I have also created a blog to write about racing. Stop by and leave me a comment.

http://legendracer49.blogspot.com/