How will Nascar try to help?

[limodmaniac]

Looks like we could be losing some teams next year ( hope it's not true, but those are the rumors) - I was just wondering if Nascar is going to do anything to help the tour.

Do the owners/ drivers ever sit down with Nascar officials and race track owners and really discuss how to make things better?

Yesterdays race was great.. a full field.. good action.. But if many of those teams don't return next year, what will it be like without them. Why are teams not coming back and can anything be done to stop them from leaving, or get them to come back?

How will Nascar try to help? Less multi day races? Paying out to more teams on the point fund?

Not looking to bash anyone here, just looking for good discussion between Nascar and the teams to make things better

[Jaws]

NASCAR needs to sit down with all the team owners and come up with a plan to make racing more cost effective.

How about some shorter races 50 or 75 laps with no pitting 1 set of tires no fuel added unless the race runs long and there is a fuel stop, (Maybe add heats for a 50 lap race ) How about making the NH 1 day, qualifying in AM race in PM. Some teams can't get crews for the 2 or 3 day races. Even 1 day events for the bigger Thompson or Stafford races. How about a 2 race weekend, Stafford Sat, Thompson Sunday both with 50, 75 or 100 lap races paying a good purse. How about those 2 tracks working together? What about a 2 day show where there is a 50 lap race on Friday and 100 lap race on Sat like the World of Outlaws.

Tires? Fill in the blanks on that one.

Licences that are cheaper but good for a limited number of races. With no pit stops no fire suits needed for the crews. Riverhead only gets a handful of cars because it costs too much to enter the race. Maybe even a crate motor like the ACT cars use, saves the teams 10's of thousands of dollars per year. Lastly the series needs one more big sponsor to put the money right in the purse, Whelen is a great sponsor and promotor of the series , they puts a lot of money into the series but I am not sure it goes toward the purses. More money in the purses would draw more cars.

Last............. TV time, Versus was great last year but it lasted 1 season, now we have internet radio, great to listen to but it doesn't do for the series what TV does.

Last more Modmaniacs, Jim has done more for the Riverhead modified race and induvidual race teams than anyone. Thank you Jim!

[RGeeProductions]

Just notes:
One day show, 50, 75 or 100 laps? How much do you think an admission would be? $50 for a spectator? Remember a few short weeks ago many complained about $50 for a 2 day show at Thompson? No one will pay that. Without that what will the purse be then?
No tire change or fuel, no need for firesuits? What happens if you wreck then? Sorry, safety always first.
Heats and race? Same tires to save cost? Sorry back to safety. Would be a wreck filled feature.
Crate motors? You already can go that way if you choose. Notice no one does? Or all run crate motors? Oh yeah, fail like the IROC did...
Sorry, I don't see easy solutions here at all.
Wait, there is just solution! Get a new government for the USA that will fix the economy and I bet the mod fields would come back!!!
All my personal opinions..... RGee

[Jaws]

Right or wrong but they are just my opinions as well.

What I do know for sure some changes need to be made or car counts will continue to shrink.

I don't think improving the economy so it helps the mod tour is on any candidates agenda so lets not count on that.

[Goldy]

Think low hanging fruit here folks. Scheduling..

Loose the 2 day CT shows - no reason we can't be a 1 day format; always schedule races for a Sat with a Sunday rain date option. (NHIS could be the exception)
Yes, this really means shaking the tree a bit with those traditional weekends - sorry, but we need to be a 1 day show tour. One of these tracks could show they care by making one of their weekend shows a one day (tour) event.. see how it goes, run your other races on Sunday.. we already know this CAN be done!! Stafford and Thompson already have 1 days shows - the purse and the front gate should be well within current price structures.

NHMS Thursday qualifying and Sat race - Needs to be a 1 day show - this tour and the NHMS fans deserve the Sat card.

Midweek Bristol show - must change to a Friday

If Canada remains on the schedule, it better pay a premium purse.

As much as I like going to Lime Rock, if we want to cut costs for these teams until things get better - take this off the schedule for a couple years - and add a 75 to 100 lapper at Waterford or something comparable.

Too me these are no brainers in terms of cutting some costs for teams - I'm aware there are ripple effects, but these could be done if someone wanted to make it happen bad enough..

[JWfor8x]

NASCAR needs to sit down with all the team owners and come up with a plan to make racing more cost effective.

How about some shorter races 50 or 75 laps with no pitting 1 set of tires no fuel added unless the race runs long and there is a fuel stop, (Maybe add heats for a 50 lap race ) How about making the NH 1 day, qualifying in AM race in PM. Some teams can't get crews for the 2 or 3 day races. Even 1 day events for the bigger Thompson or Stafford races. How about a 2 race weekend, Stafford Sat, Thompson Sunday both with 50, 75 or 100 lap races paying a good purse. How about those 2 tracks working together? What about a 2 day show where there is a 50 lap race on Friday and 100 lap race on Sat like the World of Outlaws.

Tires? Fill in the blanks on that one.

Licences that are cheaper but good for a limited number of races. With no pit stops no fire suits needed for the crews. Riverhead only gets a handful of cars because it costs too much to enter the race. Maybe even a crate motor like the ACT cars use, saves the teams 10's of thousands of dollars per year. Lastly the series needs one more big sponsor to put the money right in the purse, Whelen is a great sponsor and promotor of the series , they puts a lot of money into the series but I am not sure it goes toward the purses. More money in the purses would draw more cars.

Last............. TV time, Versus was great last year but it lasted 1 season, now we have internet radio, great to listen to but it doesn't do for the series what TV does.

Last more Modmaniacs, Jim has done more for the Riverhead modified race and induvidual race teams than anyone. Thank you Jim!

I agree with most of your points, espescially the TV time. I understand what happenned this year, but I won't understand if it is not fixed by next year. If I were a business owner in this economy, I wouldn't want to spend advertising money sponsoring a car unless their was a wide enough audience to see it. To that end, I would not only like to see more TV coverage, but I would like it if NASCAR at least tried to get the TV partner to mention some of the various sponsors during the telecast. That probably won't happen, but if it did, I think it would go a long way to help the teams.

[Goldy]

I agree with most of your points, espescially the TV time. I understand what happenned this year, but I won't understand if it is not fixed by next year. If I were a business owner in this economy, I wouldn't want to spend advertising money sponsoring a car unless their was a wide enough audience to see it. To that end, I would not only like to see more TV coverage, but I would like it if NASCAR at least tried to get the TV partner to mention some of the various sponsors during the telecast. That probably won't happen, but if it did, I think it would go a long way to help the teams.

JWfor8x - I hear you and agree.. I might be off in my assesment, but to me this equates to "potential dollars". If I'm ABC Company and I want to give "Don Owner" 15k for the season because he assures me that the car will be seen on TV for half of the racing schedule - that's a great point, I get that - but those type of opportunities don't apply to all.. going after things that impact every team owners\team members bottom line, like towing fuel (for a repeat trip due to a Sunday rain out for example), lodging for multiple days, car modifications to compete for 1 race, hauling to Canada, finishing 5th and loosing money - that can't happen..

[Acadia]

Teams come and go, swap crew, drivers, etc.

It has been a very transient series.

We'll just have to wait and see.

If the geniuses running the Tour can't figure it out, we certainly can't be expected to help.


However, with that said, some rules changes regarding the max engine displacement, weight no longer associated with engine displacement, carb rules explicitly defined, and then rules enforced should be a huge improvement.


It is very difficult to compete against those that are not complaint with the rules.

[Teds Race Tours]

If you run at Bristol in August, it would always be on a Wednesday. No room in the infield on the weekend.

[AraceAday]

If you run at Bristol in August, it would always be on a Wednesday. No room in the infield on the weekend.

They could run them the weekend before as a sort of "Kick off" to the upcoming race week.

[Acadia]

I know I would have a much better chance, and many other people, at attending if it were on a Saturday.

As crazy as these long distance races are, Bristol is a great track for these cars.

They could run them the weekend before as a sort of "Kick off" to the upcoming race week.

[JWfor8x]

JWfor8x - I hear you and agree.. I might be off in my assesment, but to me this equates to "potential dollars". If I'm ABC Company and I want to give "Don Owner" 15k for the season because he assures me that the car will be seen on TV for half of the racing schedule - that's a great point, I get that - but those type of opportunities don't apply to all.. going after things that impact every team owners\team members bottom line, like towing fuel (for a repeat trip due to a Sunday rain out for example), lodging for multiple days, car modifications to compete for 1 race, hauling to Canada, finishing 5th and loosing money - that can't happen..

Goldy, in a perfect world, I think it would be great for the tour not only to continue going to Canada, but to go run a few combined races with the southern tour and maybe even return to upstate NY. Unfortunatly, now is not the time to do those things, in my opinion. The problem is, if the tour is held at 16 or so races, I can't see any revenue growth. I've seen some great ideas here, but as I see it until the economy gets better, I think that it will be very difficult times for the tour.

[Racerjoe]

Since its pretty evident that the purses are not going up any time soon.... Cost containment would have to be seriously considered, Limit the two day shows to just a few. Tires, limit the amount of tires purchased per race. Maybe only change one tire during race... who knows. Keep the distance short enough so no fuel needs be added, shouldn't need all crew members in fireproof suits then. Why not allow different engine combinations equalizer could be weight or carburation similar to the MRS, possibly pulling more cars from other series. Just a few thoughts

[CTtoPA]

Having NASCAR run this series is like the person in an abusive relationship who keeps going back. Why don't the teams forget NASCAR and help build up the MRS?? As far as ticket prices: Williams Grove National Open had 53 entries on Friday for $8,000 to win and $28 general admission. They're running the postponed $50,000 to win this coming Friday. Admission is $35. Charging $50 is absurd. I don't care how many classes of cars. The back gate should take in enough $ so that the spectators don't get screwed in the wallet.

[JWfor8x]

Having NASCAR run this series is like the person in an abusive relationship who keeps going back. Why don't the teams forget NASCAR and help build up the MRS?? As far as ticket prices: Williams Grove National Open had 53 entries on Friday for $8,000 to win and $28 general admission. They're running the postponed $50,000 to win this coming Friday. Admission is $35. Charging $50 is absurd. I don't care how many classes of cars. The back gate should take in enough $ so that the spectators don't get screwed in the wallet.

Would it help the teams if they abandoned NASCAR for the MRS? Would that mean that the MRS races would pay out what Williams Grove does? As far as the admissions goes, are the promoter's/track owners costs the same at Williams Grove and the tour tracks that charge $50.00? How about the cost of living for the fans in the different areas? Are they the same? I don't know. I agree with those who say that the tour shows should be one day and that the races short enough not to reguire fuel stops.