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For the older car racing fans, does it seem there’s less race tracks? I was a kid in the 70s but I seem to remember there being some form of race track (like small oval dirt tracks for example) where local guys could race, local people could afford the price of tickets and concessions, and such venues would help to generate the love for the sport of racing in other forms. Besides urban sprawl, I wonder if the cost of safety and EPA regulations has priced these small tracks out of business? The safety requirements for drivers have also increased the cost of racing. Even cart racing has gotten very expensive compared to decades past.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,327 posts, read 54,350,985 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elkotronics
We all must at least like NASCAR a little teency bit if we're here on this forum, right? I am a fan of college and NBA basketball, mlb baseball and college and nfl football. Car racing - man, I'd turn to the channel showing car racing and watch for a few minutes and get bored.
Even shows like Street Outlaws is pretty lame to me.
'Street Outlaws' - I watched it back when I was living in Dodge City, KS, and it was fizzling away by the time I moved to Grandview, MO. It's the characters like Chief and Nova that keep you interested in watching it. Those cars are crazy fast off the line and all the way down the road during those drag races.
Modern design of cars has been influenced by car racing. Friday night at work I turned the TV on just for something to be on in the background. Actually I was looking for some nfl football or nba basketball, but, what did I get? An old Elvis movie with car racing featured! It's an American staple!!
Having said that, I've never been to a car race of any kind and I seriously doubt that I ever will. That's not a putdown, though. If it works for you - go for it and enjoy it. We went to a bar in Thompson Falls, MT, one day. We were shooting pool and they had those old school TV's on showing a NASCAR race. This one woman was either getting tipsy or just plain flat out LOVES NASCAR. All of a sudden she screams at the top of her lungs "He hasn't even got gas yet!!!!"
Ya know when you recognize something about someone you've never met and you know it's deep down in their heart? That woman lived, ate and breathed NASCAR. We all laughed at that and still mention it every now and then to each other. NASCAR really gets in to many American's blood, dudes.
The thread title mentions "auto racing", NASCAR is hardly the only form of auto racing. And if expanded to 'motor racing', I'd choose MotoGP and Unlimited air racing as my favorite forms.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,327 posts, read 54,350,985 times
Reputation: 40731
Quote:
Originally Posted by victimofGM
For the older car racing fans, does it seem there’s less race tracks? I was a kid in the 70s but I seem to remember there being some form of race track (like small oval dirt tracks for example) where local guys could race, local people could afford the price of tickets and concessions, and such venues would help to generate the love for the sport of racing in other forms. Besides urban sprawl, I wonder if the cost of safety and EPA regulations has priced these small tracks out of business? The safety requirements for drivers have also increased the cost of racing. Even cart racing has gotten very expensive compared to decades past.
Costs seem to escalate in most forms of racing. Years ago I knew a contractor who sponsored a dirt track modified. When one bucks-up team decided they could use a new set of tires for every feature that seemed to require every team do the same. When one team bought a new F.I. system for $7K that yielded a few more HP, other had to follow to stay competitive.
The old adage is true: Speed costs $$$, how fast ya wanna go?
A current list of all types of US race tracks...lists over 1200 venues. That indicates that small town racing is not dead. link. http://www.racingin.com/track/
A number of oval tracks have reduced the cost of racing by...….Returning to specification budget or recap race tires, engines that are factory sealed ( crate engines ) engine claiming rules, and tougher rules about driver and crew behavior in the pits. The fans will not notice that lap times on those budget tires are a second or two slower per lap...They want to see lean and clean racing, not bump and dump stupidity. Purses that pay money back to 10th position, and the pit entrance money goes into the night's pay off to the drivers . Sponsor contingency prizes, if you run their product like filters, spark plugs and fuel.
A current list of all types of US race tracks...lists over 1200 venues. That indicates that small town racing is not dead. link. http://www.racingin.com/track/
A number of oval tracks have reduced the cost of racing by...….Returning to specification budget or recap race tires, engines that are factory sealed ( crate engines ) engine claiming rules, and tougher rules about driver and crew behavior in the pits. The fans will not notice that lap times on those budget tires are a second or two slower per lap...They want to see lean and clean racing, not bump and dump stupidity. Purses that pay money back to 10th position, and the pit entrance money goes into the night's pay off to the drivers . Sponsor contingency prizes, if you run their product like filters, spark plugs and fuel.
I just did a search and saw several tracks within easy driving distance but never heard anything about them before. No radio nor TV advertisement of events.
For the older car racing fans, does it seem there’s less race tracks? I was a kid in the 70s but I seem to remember there being some form of race track (like small oval dirt tracks for example) where local guys could race, local people could afford the price of tickets and concessions, and such venues would help to generate the love for the sport of racing in other forms. Besides urban sprawl, I wonder if the cost of safety and EPA regulations has priced these small tracks out of business? The safety requirements for drivers have also increased the cost of racing. Even cart racing has gotten very expensive compared to decades past.
A friend of mine races what I named it, dirt nascar 3-4 nights a week. Then he races ice nascar on a bay on Lake Superior. I went and watched two of his races last winter. Only rule, studded tires can’t be on drive wheels, that’s about it. His pink 1989 CRX won both races I watched. Many small towns in MN have at least dirt tracks.
Southern California the birthplace of hot rods and drag racing now has 3 drag strips sort of. One Pomona is only used twice a year and for professionals only. Another is out out of the population center, Fontana, and the 3rd is 1/8 mile and on Thursday nights.
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