Thompson

[Gil]

Kind of like I own the bat and you can't use it!!!!

[worm]

what do you think 150,000 total. if so the 300 should be back in

[wmass01013]

what do you think 150,000 total. if so the 300 should be back in

WEBSITE say over $160,000 Total http://www.thompsonspeedway.com/index-tis.htm

Now will anybody see the breakdown?

WILL THAT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE on how many show

[Hillbilly79]

There will be a 79 in the northern race and southern race!

[worm]

not the same driver i bet

[burtmyers1]

Before the Stadium race in the driver's meeting, Nascar discussed this race. The biggest question from the drivers was how the money was going to be handled. Nascar's answer was basically "some things still have to be worked out." All Nascar wanted out of the meeting was a head count and told the Southern drivers that do show up, they will be guaranteed a starting spot and guaranteed money. The driver's big concern was a Northern driver coming in (ROC or MRS) and taking the Southern race's money on their track. Mr. Hoenig has stated he wants this race to be the future of Modified racing on the East coast and he would do anything to make sure the Southern drivers get fair treatment.

[Jaws]

Before the Stadium race in the driver's meeting, Nascar discussed this race. The biggest question from the drivers was how the money was going to be handled. Nascar's answer was basically "some things still have to be worked out." All Nascar wanted out of the meeting was a head count and told the Southern drivers that do show up, they will be guaranteed a starting spot and guaranteed money. The driver's big concern was a Northern driver coming in (ROC or MRS) and taking the Southern race's money on their track. Mr. Hoenig has stated he wants this race to be the future of Modified racing on the East coast and he would do anything to make sure the Southern drivers get fair treatment.

"The future of modified racing"? What qualifies you as a Southern driver? With the 10 or 12 cars that may show up they better hope some ROC or VMRS cars come race. 125 laps for 12 cars it not going to be very exciting.

[wmass01013]

"The future of modified racing"? What qualifies you as a Southern driver? With the 10 or 12 cars that may show up they better hope some ROC or VMRS cars come race. 125 laps for 12 cars it not going to be very exciting.

My guess is that with Burt Myers excitement at Thompson when he came to icebreaker 10 Hoenig thinks bringing in MORE MADHOUSE stars will mean more excitement and people at his track.

[Jaws]

My guess is that with Burt Myers excitement at Thompson when he came to icebreaker 10 Hoenig thinks bringing in MORE MADHOUSE stars will mean more excitement and people at his track.

Ok so lets have Jr. Miller and Burt have at it... Then you have a madhouse! Lets make a Youtube moment.

[Mod Squad]

The driver's big concern was a Northern driver coming in (ROC or MRS) and taking the Southern race's money on their track. Mr. Hoenig has stated he wants this race to be the future of Modified racing on the East coast and he would do anything to make sure the Southern drivers get fair treatment.

A Northern driver? Are George Brunnhoelzl III, Andy Suess and LW Miller really considered "Southern" drivers? (all have roots in the Northeast Mods) Don't drivers want to race against the best competition?

More power to any MRS or ROC team that wants to pay the Tour Series license fees to get in to the race. I still think only 8 will show up from "The South".

As far as "taking the Southern race's money on their track" I guess that's the same as the 7NY coming in and cherry picking all the big money events the last two years. The Northern Tour teams have trekked down South for years, South Boston, Martinsville, Bristol, Concorde (for Non-Tour shows). For the most part they've faired pretty well. If the Southern teams want to play with everyone else come on up.

Do I agree with what Thompson is trying to do? I can see the idea behind it, but the current economy and the impending lack of support from the Southern teams are two things keeping this from becoming what it COULD be. A great weekend of racing. JMHO

[burtmyers1]

From what Hoenig has said, I don't think there is any milking of the tv show or any wanting of Bowman Gray nonsense. Hoenig wants this race to be the biggest thing in Modified racing since the real Race of Champions at Pocono or Trenton. I believe his words were "North vs South Shootout." So down the road, this race has potential to be something special if it can get off the ground

While Brunnhoelzl, Suess, and LW are Northern rooted drivers, they are Southern Tour drivers. Mod Squad, you are exactly right with the comparison to the 7NY. With so much money on the line to Southern drivers, if Les Hinckley or Jon McKennedy came in and won the South race, no one would from down here would come back in 2012.

After the meeting, the car count right now looks like this: Burt and Jason Myers, George Brunnhoelzl, Andy Suess, LW Miller, John Smith, Tim Brown, Mike Norman, Austin Pack, Derrick Hill with Frank Fleming, Thomas Stinson, and Jonathon Kievman as questionable.

[Mod Squad]

Mod Squad, you are exactly right with the comparison to the 7NY. With so much money on the line to Southern drivers, if Les Hinckley or Jon McKennedy came in and won the South race, no one would from down here would come back in 2012.

I understand what they are thinking but I don't agree with it. Already race officials are NOT letting the Northern Tour Drivers run in the Southern race. So how many more concessions need to be made to accommodate the Southern drivers? Are they paying the same pit fees and license fees? Do they have the same rules on pit road? You mentioned Hinckley and Mckennedy but what if Keith Rocco or someone else shows up in a Tour Mod and wins? Will this way of ”leveling the playing field” become the norm? It took several years for a Southern driver to win on their "Home" track at Concord during the North South Shootout era but they did it. I would think if one of them did win they would want the win to be against the best drivers out there. I guess I just don't get the mentality.

If I were fortunate enough to be a driver or team member on either Tour I would want to compete and win against the best out there, if I don't then I go home and do my homework and do it again. We don't know what the 7NY team was doing last year but I guarantee every team that wanted to be competitive with them in 2011, spent more money, and did more homework to try and beat them. Sometimes that's a good thing, this time it wasn't…how many blown motors at NHMS...six? I guess the whole thing goes back to the point of why didn’t the powers that be think of all of this in the first place? If we as lowly fans and lovers of the Modifieds can see what’s going on why can’t Daytona? JM very HO

[burtmyers1]

I understand what they are thinking but I don't agree with it. Already race officials are NOT letting the Northern Tour Drivers run in the Southern race. So how many more concessions need to be made to accommodate the Southern drivers? Are they paying the same pit fees and license fees? Do they have the same rules on pit road? You mentioned Hinckley and Mckennedy but what if Keith Rocco or someone else shows up in a Tour Mod and wins? Will this way of ”leveling the playing field” become the norm? It took several years for a Southern driver to win on their "Home" track at Concord during the North South Shootout era but they did it. I would think if one of them did win they would want the win to be against the best drivers out there. I guess I just don't get the mentality.

If I were fortunate enough to be a driver or team member on either Tour I would want to compete and win against the best out there, if I don't then I go home and do my homework and do it again. We don't know what the 7NY team was doing last year but I guarantee every team that wanted to be competitive with them in 2011, spent more money, and did more homework to try and beat them. Sometimes that's a good thing, this time it wasn't…how many blown motors at NHMS...six? I guess the whole thing goes back to the point of why didn’t the powers that be think of all of this in the first place? If we as lowly fans and lovers of the Modifieds can see what’s going on why can’t Daytona? JM very HO

I completely agree 100%! Hinckley and McKennedy were just examples, but Rocco would be the perfect candidate for the invader role for the South race. You could throw Ryan Preece in there as well. If you ask me, Nascar has "leveled the playing field" for too long. In every combo race, it seems like there has always been a rule in place to make it easier for the Southern teams. The problem is not wanting to run with the Northern guys as I know for a fact that if Burt could do it, he would run the full WMT schedule. Its just that our guys will have spent so much money just getting there and only to have it taken away by some one is what really bothers the drivers.

[Jaws]

if you want this to be a real race of Champions all drivers should be there ROC, VMRS and the guys fro Riverhead, Monadnock, Star, Bowman Gray...all of them.

[Hillbilly79]

I am not driving at Thompson but I believe the driver is a national champion. GUESS?