Hi Tom



I certainly agree with you about the good that Bob Memmer of UMP did for the

sport.? Also, don't forget Keith Knaak of IMCA.? Standardizing the rules and

lowering the costs have been huge positives for short track racing.? Even the

groups like 600 Racing with the Legends and Tobias with the Slingshots in the

northeast have done a lot of good by inventing new race cars with standardized

rules and allowing cars to go from track to track and be legal.



I'm not sure that the more standardized rules are the only reason that dirt

tracks tend to draw more cars than paved tracks.? It seems to me that the weekly

costs of running on dirt are generally lower, especially tires.? Of course there

are many more dirt tracks to choose from, since it's cheaper to build one in the

first place.



Paved tracks seem to be struggling more than dirt tracks everywhere, not just

Indiana.? Our recent trip to Kentucky Raceway only found six and four cars in

the top two classes.? Which Indiana paved tracks were you talking about as

struggling?



I wonder if the overall percentage of short tracks in the US that are paved is

dropping?? I'm sure Allan would know that.



I always enjoy your column when it is in Mid American.? Keep up the good work

there.? It's important that people like myself in AARN, Gordy in RPM, you in Mid

American, Ron Rodda in Hawkeye, etc. keep up the great tradition of the racing

tabloids, and not abandon them.? I've been somewhat disappointed in the new MARC

Times.? They don't seem to keep to their weekly publishing schedule at all, and

my delivery has been totally unpredictable.? I hope they get that straightened

out.



I hope others weigh in on this topic as well.



Gotta run.



Guy Smith









[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In TrackChasers@yahoogroups.com, RTRYFBAR@... wrote:

>

> Hi Tom

>

> I certainly agree with you about the good that Bob Memmer of UMP did for the

sport.? Also, don't forget Keith Knaak of IMCA.? Standardizing the rules and

lowering the costs have been huge positives for short track racing.? Even the

groups like 600 Racing with the Legends and Tobias with the Slingshots in the

northeast have done a lot of good by inventing new race cars with standardized

rules and allowing cars to go from track to track and be legal.

>

> I'm not sure that the more standardized rules are the only reason that dirt

tracks tend to draw more cars than paved tracks.? It seems to me that the weekly

costs of running on dirt are generally lower, especially tires.? Of course there

are many more dirt tracks to choose from, since it's cheaper to build one in the

first place.

>

> Paved tracks seem to be struggling more than dirt tracks everywhere, not just

Indiana.? Our recent trip to Kentucky Raceway only found six and four cars in

the top two classes.? Which Indiana paved tracks were you talking about as

struggling?

>

> I wonder if the overall percentage of short tracks in the US that are paved is

dropping?? I'm sure Allan would know that.

>

> I always enjoy your column when it is in Mid American.? Keep up the good work

there.? It's important that people like myself in AARN, Gordy in RPM, you in Mid

American, Ron Rodda in Hawkeye, etc. keep up the great tradition of the racing

tabloids, and not abandon them.? I've been somewhat disappointed in the new MARC

Times.? They don't seem to keep to their weekly publishing schedule at all, and

my delivery has been totally unpredictable.? I hope they get that straightened

out.

>

> I hope others weigh in on this topic as well.

>

> Gotta run.

>

> Guy Smith

>

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> Thanks for replying Guy! Yes I do write for MAARN Racing News and I send my

column to about 5 websites. Mt. Lawn and Anderson Speedways here in Indiana are

my two "home tracks" and I have seen there car counts slip a bit from last

year's car counts but that may just be because our nation's economy sucks as a

whole! Anderson combined there Friday and Saturday night programs into one on

Saturday Nights. I remember years ago successful tracks like Oakshade Speedway

in Wauseon,Ohio raced two nights a week and had B,C,and D Features sometimes in

Late Models. This is unheard of anymore!



One thing I do like about asphalt tracks is that they do not have to take time

to rework a track back into racing shape after it has gone so dry-slick that it

ends up being a follow the leader one groove racetrack. You are right there are

far more dirt tracks than paved ones. I never thought about tire costs for

asphalt that is a very good point!



I have never been to Iowa or that far west to see "IMCA" sanctioned races but I

know in western Illinois some tracks have adopted IMCA rules to try to

control,and keep prices down and the budget down on racing in stocks and late

models as well as modifieds. I wonder if Indiana and Ohio adpted IMCA and

WISSOTA type rules would we see more or increased car counts.?



Better yet what if all dirt late model tracks decided to drop full blown super

late models in favor of CRATE late models? The weekly super late model shows at

some tracks draw slim car counts to where a few tracks here are combining both

crates and super lates and adding in there current "semi late model or "late

model sportsman class to fill out the fields in that tracks "top premiere

division".



You may or may not know but C.J. Rayburn is starting his own Late model touring

series here in Indiana i think in 2010 in an effort to keep costs down and make

dirt late model and modified racing more affordable added to this a "crate"

modified division may be starting soon? Thanks! Tom Botos Indianapolis,IN

Guys,



	 I come from the land of almost no dirt tracks, car counts are iffy at the three

local dirt ovals.  Well, actually car counts are pretty much iffy at any track

these days.  Most paved tracks around here have fairly close rules and the late

models tend to follow the Thunder Road ACT rule book.



Thanks,

Bruce Spencer