Back in the Day

[DriveitinDeep]

Back in the mid to late 80's when RR ran Friday nights, the pit gates opened at 5:00pm and the show started at 8:00pm. We ran 4 divisions all with heats and features and for the most part we were out of there by 11:30pm.
It's amazing how things have changed and not always for the better.

Today we run more practice laps then we do feature laps. ??????

[W. J.]

Today we run more practice laps than we do feature laps. ??????
No wonder you use so many tires, lol!

[RickFigure8]

Very true Roger, and there was usually an intermission too.

[Jaws]

I know I am older than most here but in the 70's at Islip, practice and gates open at 6:00PM, heats at 7:30 so 4 or 5 Fig 8 heats 3 or 4 mod heats, 2 Fig 8 consi's, 1 or 2 mod coni's, and 2 features.

Also some weeks add 3 ARDC heats a consi and a feature or what ever else was added and an intermission.

All done by 11:00pm and unsually by 10:30.

Not an empty seat in the house, as a matter of fact please move closer so others could sit was a regular routine.

Dam cookie factory!!

[nascar071]

Hey Rog, I remember leaving Seaford on Saturdays around 2:30 - 3:00, we would make it to RR in plenty of time for practice. Same deal, we ran Street Stocks, Chargers, Fig8 , and Mods along with Spectator drags and a demo and we still made it home by 12:30. I think the races started @ 6:30, plus heats for all divisions. "AND " 25 lap features for all but the chargers and Fig8. I have a bunch of friends who won't come out to RR anymore because they say it starts too early. Maybe, Barbara and Jim re-evaluate the schedule of the nights events and make changes for next season? just a thought. Ron Langdon

[Ka$h25]

Yeah I just wish there was more competitive racing going on. Way too much practice each week. Make the heats mean something. If a driver is handicapped to start in the top 5 of a feature, but can't stay in the top 5 through the duration of a heat race, that's a sign of something and the driver should lose his handicapped position. Maybe that means we're putting the fast cars a little closer to the front, but we're also reducing the effect we see each week when a slower car is in the way and becomes an obstacle.

[catfish]

Needing to be there and having the gates open at what is it 10 or 11:00 am is a bit early for a show that starts at 5:30-5:45

[DriveitinDeep]

just for the record Herb, the pit gates now open about 12:30pm. The 10:00am deal was back in the Bill D. days when we got there early to get tires

[catfish]

Well that makes more sense, could never figure out WTF the thought was to be at the track for 12 hours for a 4 hour show, lol

[Jeff T]

I do remember back in the day at Riverhead when they ran Friday nights, and the show started at 7:30ish and was done by 11:00pm. They had heat races for everyone, features for each division, and time for a beer before you went home.
Today's format I feel is not a good one. Several things I've seen happening this year that are not a good formula for success in my opinion...
1.) There was always a standard starting time everyweek back then. I think it was 7:30pm, but not sure. This year, the starting time has been all over the map. Some nights 5:15, sometimes 6:00, sometimes 5:30. Nobody wants to pay to get in to the raceway if half of the races are already done. I also agree that they start too early. Many fans now have to work on Saturdays, so trying to get there to see a full card of racing after working until 4 or 5 o'clock is pretty much impossible for the Saturday workers. I personally am in favor of a later starting time, as I also work on Saturday's sometimes and it makes it hard trying to get to the track without missing any racing action.
2.) Too much practice? Absolutely. Should be 2 practices, and that's it. the more you practice, the more you use up the car, and the more money you spend. Another thing to consider is this: Are attendee's of the track coming to Riverhead to watch cars practice, or cars race. It seems as if there are more practice laps than competition laps. I compare it watching two days of Sprint Cup practice and then seeing 3 hours of actual racing on Sunday.
3.) Heat Races and making them mean something. I like that idea. Give the winner of a heat race 5 or 10 bonus points in the overall points standings. It would be nice to see someone putup cash bonuses for heat race wins, but in today's economy, not likely to happen. Former track photographer Rich Oakley made a great point about heat race and consi's. He said that for some of these guys competing on a low budget, getting a heat race or consi win may be the only win they ever get. So yeah, eliminate some of the practice and add heat races instead. It gives that fan something to keep their butt's in the stands, and it gives everyone a chance to sit in victory lane.
Maybe I ranted a little too much and got off the subject, but sometimes looking at how you did things in the past can make you more successful in the future. There were always full stands and a pit full of cars way back when. Maybe going back to that format is worth looking into?
JMO

[rydogg97]

well written letter!!no rant just solid points!!

[Wheel Racing]

Heat races that matter would be huge....I have said it for years..For years the "handicapped" and points runners would basically use the heats as an extended practice. Handicap the feature by finish of the heat race would make for some exciting racing. I think it would give better racing than the Time Trial shows do. I remember back in the day when we had 35-50 Blunderbusts each week that the heat races were sometimes better than the features because you really had to race your *** off just to qualify