Thompson 300 Question?

[Teds Race Tours]

What would prevent Thompson from running a 300 lap race sanctioned by the MRS? Obviously there would have to be a different tire rule than the MRS has now. It would really open up the event to where you wouldn't have to pay for a WMT License just for one event. There's already a nice mix of drivers who ran there last night, and the thought of it being another 300 is possibly enough to bring an excellent field of modifieds to the event. Just thinking out loud, but I really don't think its a bad idea.

[CuriousGeorge]

How about a Riverhead 300

[Gil]

Green flag laps?

[Racerjoe]

Should be open comp. Series rules MRS, Whelen etc. MRS should officiate like the 10grand to win show used to be at Seekonk. Limit the amount of tires purchased. Heat races for qualifiers, and one last thing a big purse.

[MJProcko]

If it is not a Nascar race why would you have any sanction on it? What would the MRS bring that Thompson could not do themselves? If the race is a great idea why pay Jack? For all those MRS faithful that complain that the WMT races are too long wouldn't 300 green flag laps really turn them off? If the supposed attraction to the MRS is that they don't count cautions why change? Just make the race 150 laps because that it was you would have if they tried to run a 300 counting cautions. The only reason to make it a MRS race would be to guarentee that the MRS teams actually show since they didn't show for any of the open or WMT shows at Thompson.... and still reward them for not supporting the track.

[BigMac]

This opens a whole can of worms. First off, the 300 died because fans stopped attending. Plain and simple. Something has to be done differently this time or your going have the same issues, lack of attendance. Didn't Stafford try running the 300 for a while with limited success? If you run it with the MRS sanction you have to address the pit stops. They don't do them. That in of itself is receipe for disaster. The halfway caution doesn't seem to be a popular solution. Assumming its a two day show in September, your asking the MRS teams to do 4 two day shows after September 1st(based on this year's schedule) plus run 300 laps at Thompson. That's a ton of extra expenses for a series that prides itself on keeping the costs down. That being said, if they're hell bent on doing it I'd do it in the spring. Maybe even at the Icebreaker if it were to be a WMT event.

[uticamike]

A Open show would be the only way. I also think a 300 lap race in this day is not really doable. Modern Hoosiers just could not go the distance. We've got guys today that pace themself's now to get thru 75-100 lap races. I'm a "all green" guy
but that would not work in a 300. Make laps 76-224 yellow counts. A great paying
150 on the hardest tires you can find would make for a interesting show IMO.
But... it has to pay.

[Gil]

By open do you mean like they used to run there in the 60s and maybe the 70s - you run what you brung - blowers, turbochargers, or whatever else you can put together. That would be great and let the racers chose what tire they want to race on.