Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

It's all good Vande.....sometimes racers will stay in a division because they can't afford to be competitive if they move up, not because they don't have the desire....I just feel that if a guy makes a committment to race in a sprint car class, he probably deserves at least as much as what he spent to get in for competing,,,,,..as far as push starts go, At Eagle we start the A Main (20 cars) in 2 minutes or less....ususally the time it takes to do do line ups and pre-race hoopla.....LOL....then 4 wide salute and fireworks and we're racin'.....it CAN  be done, maybe they just didn't figure it out at Des Moines.........If I remember right, the old IMCA type sprints were a 360 with small wing and $2500 long block claim.......They ran when over here when the original owner, Rich Bellino,  was still at I-80 Speedway and grew the class from 9 or 10 the first season to full fields well over 20 cars weekly before he changed to one night of weekly racing and pulled the plug on them.....most updated their programs and raced ith the 360's at Eagle..........SC

The only problem i really see and trust me i know all about Boones payouts. They suck. They're the worst i have ever raced for ever. Even tracks that got 6 modifieds paid those 6 spots better than Boone paid their top 6 when they got 30 cars a night in that class. I hope they step up and pay them as they should, but we will see. Boone is notorious for paying the Headling A mods on a weekly show. $325 to win $50 for 11th and $50 to go home. 

I guess what I'm hoping for is that it exposes those fans that might not see sprint cars that often or at all a chance to see what they're all about. Yeah the  purses won't be huge but that's intentional to keep the big guys from popping a race saver in and taking money away from the average Joe that makes up this class. 500 to 600 to win is fine as long as mid pack purse and are starting  500 to 600 to win is fine as long as mid pack purse and starting money is good that's what'll keep the guys coming back. Also hopefully that can convert some fender drivers to sprints as well as some fans!

Let's put this into "Hoseheads Terms"

Boone is the Knoxville of IMCA. But, if Knoxville paid what Boone pays during their weekly shows, 410s would be $2000 to win $150 to start and 360s would be $1000 to win $75 to start. Think that sounds crazy? Take that pay and add in the fact that Knoxville would have 30 410s and 30 360s every week for their weekly program just because it's "Knoxville". Now you have an idea of what goes down at Boone.

410's would probably be $1000 to win, 360's $500 to win and 305's, $150 to win.....

I hope the RaceSaver Group discussed the payout and structure before Boone became the new "home" of RaceSavers in Central Iowa, but it doesn't sound that way.  Hope they pay them close to what the Fairgrounds were.

Don't forget, if they want to travel a little bit north on Fridays, we are once again running the IMCA sanctioned 305's just about every week at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, MN. Another alternative place to race on Friday nights...z

I think a purse similar to Des Moines would be a great starting point. Sounds crazy to say but big purses wouldn't help this class, take badlands with the deal they have now where if you win all 3 classes you get a 25k bonus. What would stop the top 410 teams from putting a race saver together and trying to cherry pick those wins and I'm sure the average joe race saver guy doesnt like that decision. The purse needs to be enough for the non racing for a living guys to come back and low enough for the race for a living guys won't bother with it. Otherwise it'll just be another 360 class that started as entry/afordable division into what it is now.

Anyone else a little bit concerned about the catwalks at Boone? They're certain low and close enough to the track for sprint cars to pole vault into them.

Here's a few images...

As you can see in the first picture. The catwalk isn’t sitting right on top of the track. The distance from the cat walk to the track is the same distance if not further away as it is on the back stretch. The corners are very high and sloped once the back of the track is reached. So even when the cars do go off the track in turn 1-2 I believe the catwalk will be a safe distance from the dirt. 

Except for the fact that I have watched a modified go off the track there in turn one and run into a catwalk support.....................it can and will happen. Racecars are known for winding up in places they're not supposed to be able to get to

I definitely agree to that. Sometimes I find myself driving on concrete walls…

https://www.facebook.com/hildrethmotorsports/photos/a.1389525634605579.1073741827.1389522467939229/1791622891062516/?type=3&theater

But all in all I do agree. Seeings a sprinter is more likely to take flight than other classes maybe thats just something that the track will have to decide.. If i was the promoter I would just shut the turn 1-2 catwalk down while sprints are on the track. You can sit in the new stands off the exit of turn 1 and the back stretch catwalk just not turns 1 and 2.. Guess we will just have to see what the track decides..

And keep in mind that the car itself doesn't have to flip into the catwalk. Debris can fly off the wing and easily make that distance to the catwalk.