Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

I am just curious what everyone thinks about Lannys new policy on drawing for starting position. Personally, I dont think the fans are going to like it. It is probably going to help us out because we usually have a decent point average to where we are starting towards the back, so this way we may be able to start up front every one in a while. But, as a fan I enjoy watching the faster cars start at the back and have to work their way to the front. I think this new rule may run off some of the slower cars, as they know they dont have much of a chance with a bad draw.

If you did not hear, Lanny has decided that each class of cars will line up by a draw and then go off passing points. In OKC, they will only do it on the week after their class sits out for the week. So supers will do it next week, and then the next two weeks will go back to point average again until it is their time to sit out, and then a race off of draw for position.

In Lawton, they will do the draw for position every week.

I personally Think its a Good Idea, They Do it on the ASCS Tour and Not all of the Fast Guys always get to start up Front. Of course i have always like the idea to draw for your starting Postions its what makes The very First night of racing and the Winternationals fun to watch.

David Foley

"Just let me make it to the Dirt Track.. Truck then u 
can break down!!!"

I'm all for it as a fan. I talked to a few guys in Creek tonight that like the idea also.

I hate it. All this does is favor the people with more money. You can call me a whiner or whatever you want, but weekly racing should have a handicap. At OKC it is common place for a 16th place car to win. You will no longer see that with this new format. The winners will come from the first 3 rows now, and in my opinion that isn't good for the fans.

I understand that I generally start in the front and people will write off my opinion because of that, but weekly racing is for the lower budget racers. If you want to draw, run ASCS. If it was guaranteed to be dry every week the draw wouldn't bother me because it's all driver. If I don't make it then it's my fault, but with the way the track has been lately there is no way in hell I have enough motor (or fuel) to come from the back of a heat in the Super Sprint class.

The rich shall get richer and the poor shall become poorer. Hell, we might as well start time trialing.

PS: I talked to people at Creek too, and they hate it. If you don't have a store bought motor and new tires on it you aren't going to have a chance.

I agree with Cheese. I don't like the draw. The invert is what makes OKC one of the best shows around, and the ASCS draw makes for some less-than-exciting racing a lot of times. Give everybody a chance and make the fast cars RACE their way up to the front. Don't mess with our weekly show!

P.S. I didn't talk to anybody at Creek, tho. lol!

Let's Go Racin'!!

I have been attending races since 1969 A lot of good racing has occured under that line-up sysytem, right ??? So why change it ?? What is the improvement??

, The only time drawing for position should be used is for drawing for time trial order or on a 2-day special ie Winternationals,etc

Not sure exactly what you have heard but we only drew in week one in the factory stocks. What I was told was the only classes drawing in where the make up features because when it was drawn there was no one with an average and they would have to draw in until all the make ups were done. Now that all the make ups are done every one should be lined by average, I maybe wrong but that is the way I understood this.

Yea Leann said last night was the last draw in at Lawton. I wish they would do it maybe 1 time a month or somethin just to give a high point average guy a chance to not tear everything up trying to get to the front. You start 15th every week and your just playin Russian roulet and it will bite you eventually, or you get a restart 2 laps in and with the single file resarts you just spotted the leader at least half a lap with a cone that keeps you from passin anyone. I hate the single file resarts with the cone!!!

www.genesisshocks.com www.hypercoils.com If you need 
it I can get it!

It's not every week. It's only once a month or after your bye week. I tend to agree with Nix for the most part. And yah, get rid of the cone starts.

Hey, what's up with the extremely slow starts by the 11f last night. Looked like some of the cars behind him were about to kill the engines. Don't they have to maintain a certain pace? I thought the pace car/truck was there to set that pace. Am I wrong about that?

I didn't see it, but no there's not a certain restart speed. It can get dangerous and stupid if you go TOO slow. Kevin Ramey has made a living slow starting people. He spends a lot of time on the chassis dyno at Wells making sure his car has no stumble what-so-ever. Almost everyone elses car has a little stumble to it on the bottom end, but because his doesn't he can gain a car length or 5 on a slow restart. There is definitely a fine line between smart and stupid though.

i think its stupid! Draw every week or not at all. On reurn from bye week is the dumbest thing. either every week or not at all, except first week period.

I have been wanting to start a thread about this very subject so I'm glad you brought it up. I personally feel like lining the A-main up based on finishing order in the heats is the fairest thing to do. If you think about it, why would anyone want to risk tearing up a car in the heat race only to be rewarded with a starting position in the back? I know people are going to say that it is boring for the fans but I totally disagree. Yes, people want to see wrecks. I sometimes find myself hoping for a wreck or some action during a nascar race. However, I would be perfectly satisfied with good side-by-side racing. I think most race fans like to see racing action as well. Let's be realistic, the "slow" guys are most likely not going to win a feature, regardless of starting position. Look at the racing last night, the cream rose to the top. When there are 15 or more cars with only 15 laps to get the win, we almost always see the "fast" guys trying to get to the front on the first lap. At the same time, the "slow" guys up front are bunching everyone up behind them. This is a formula for torn up race cars, something Lawton has gotten a reputation for over the years. Drivers don't like it. Fans do but they will inevitably get their thrills at some point just due to the nature of dirt track racing. Lots of wrecks is also a reason the shows get held up and one of the reasons they seem to always be in a rush. I raced in Little Rock last year and they drew every night. I never knew how much this promotes good clean racing before then. They have a very large car count and fan attendance is impressive. Cars were not torn up and racing was exciting. I hope Lawton does this every week.

I agree with some of your analysis, but find it hard to wrap my brain around how money influences a drawing at the pit gate !

Racing at the level of local dirt tracks was never intended to be a rich mans game. To accommodate all levels of skill and sponsorship there are various series and sanctioning bodies to fit just about everyone's desire for competition.

I feel racing should first be something you enjoy doing. A hobby. A way of letting out a weeks worth of job stress. A badge of pride you wear around the everyday folk who would never have the nerve to do what you do. I don't think a drivers level of enjoyment can be measured on how many times he won the A main. If winning every race is the only way to happiness then their would be very low car counts. ....but winning is a huge rush...to say the least!

If you race to make money, your in the wrong market. Dirt track racing is the quickest road to the poor house.

Every year I see low budget racers and their family's having good times at the dirt track. Sometimes they don't make the show due to lack of parts or money or both. Soon they're back all fixed up and out there trading paint. The few wins they have through the season is not what holds their enthusiasm, it's the passion to race that brings them back.

Don't take me wrong here, but maybe contacting and working with a few good sponsors for gas and pit passes for your crew could turn into more sponsorship for next season. By doubling down your contacts and new sponsorship opportunities each year, a team can have some of them store bought engines and sticky tires.

Remember, the driver with the most loses the mostest when he fails to take the checkered flag. Budgeted teams win the lottery everytime they place in the top 5.

MM

Fight to win on the Track, not in the parking lot! I 
just love the " Ur # 1. wave " from fellow racers as 
we head home to our other lives !

I would like Doug Joyner to chime in on this thread.

I agree with Cheese as well. Having a chance to win a race is what everyone races for and if you take that chance away from a lower budget guy your gonna loose the car count. Guys wont continue to race if they are running for 5th or 6th place spot at best everyweek. Bad idea in my eyes. Just my two cents.

I will probably ruffle some feathers here but here goes...

This is not little-league t-ball where everyone wins and gets a trophy. This is a competitive sport that is very expensive. No one deserves an advantage simply because they are under-funded or lacking in talent. We don't see them doing this in Nascar. They line them up according to the position they earned. You don't see them letting lesser golfers tee off from the women's tee so they have a chance to beat Tiger Woods. You think they ever gave track runners a head start when they raced against Michael Johnson? Head starts or advantages are for sissies. It chaps me to hear people say that slow guys would quit coming if they didn't have a chance to win. There are people who have raced for years who never won anything! They race for the fun of it. I don't know that I have ever heard anyone say they are not racing because they don't have a chance to win. I have sure as hell heard people say they aren't racing at a certain place because they don't want to get their car torn up. With drawing every week, EVERYONE has a chance to win the heat race. If you win that or do well, you can start where you deserve.

Whats Doug got to do with this? LOL

Fight to win on the Track, not in the parking lot! I 
just love the " Ur # 1. wave " from fellow racers as 
we head home to our other lives !

Doug Joyner is the epitome of a racer who does it for the thrill and enjoys doing it. Most of the time, he is out their with no help.

Yeah................good ol Doug! Don't ever ride with him after Mid-night!! You will jump out at the first red light, thats if he ever stops at one !!! LOL

MM

Fight to win on the Track, not in the parking lot! I 
just love the " Ur # 1. wave " from fellow racers as 
we head home to our other lives !

Kinda like Morgan Shepard of the Nation Wide nascar series? He must love racing as well. Don't remember the last time he even finished a race that he actually started in the past 10 years but he's out there trying. He did win some cup races before that but now???? I do see everyone's view though.