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

You're talking about the Mississippi Scoundrel, he has been there along long time.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

I really just like sprints and midgets. I'm starting to have trouble driving 2 hours to see 3 heats and an "a" feature at a "special big race". for some reason tracks dont want to run qualifier races and a dash like usac. you would go from 4 races to 8 or 9 races. I may have to move soon. florida runs all year except december and january,posse has 5 tracks close to eachother, knoxville is worried when they get 70 sprints at a regular saturday night show. I'm running out of years,I have to do something.

I agree, there are not enough races anymore. I wish the trophy dashes would come back. It wouldn't bother me if there were just 4 cars for 5 laps, just give us another race. I would even like the idea of a grudge match in one class every night where the fans pick 4 cars they want to see race for 5 laps. That would be cool. They could text in their votes and the race could be held after the intermission. Any way to get the fans involved would be a plus. I also think they should start awarding the trophy immediately after the race. This way, the driver gets his trophy while the excitement is still there, the fans get to see who was wheeling that thing, and of course the sponsor gets his/her recognition too. It sucks when they award the trophy the next week and expecially when the winner is not there. There is no excitement in that.

I have been preaching for years.

Track Promotors have no Business, or no Tech support to be demanding rules. They get a hold of a copy of another Track's Rules and make slight changes in order to keep their local people without regard to the BIG picture. This is not working, nor will it ever work for the strength of Oklahoma Racing.

Promotors need to band together, work out schedules and rules.

Here's what scares me about the sprint scene. Traveling teams grow out of local success, not vice versa. If the local tracks don't have decent sprint car racing, what will be the training ground? The OCRS numbers are great this year. Why? Because a lot of veteran drivers have nowhere else to go so they have jumped aboard. No young driver is going to jump in with that crew as a way to learn the trade. I'm concerned about where we will develop the next generation. Sooner or later, the cost and hassle of traveling will chip away at a good traveling car count and when there are no local tracks to scoop up those cars, they will simply go away. I hate sounding like Henny Penny.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

I agree somewhat for the teams that "need" a local track to race at. Not just for the teams trying to learn to race, but for those that just cant travel. With SFS closed, Im surprised the numbers for Lawton, Meeker and Creek didnt grow ANY! I didnt expect 10-15 at one track, but the practically non-existent growth for these local tracks has been a surprise.

I would like to point out a couple of things:

1) OCRS numbers are holding the about the same in 2010 as 2009. With 16 races in the books this year so far, OCRS is averaging a mid-20 car count. Same as for all of 2009.

2) OCRS doesnt have "a lot" of veteran drivers that jumped on board from the SFS closing. A review of the OCRS point standings will show that The Gastineau brothers have made some. Beau: 11 of 16 and Whit 9 of 16. Frank Dittman has made 8 of 16 starts. Shayla Waddell is the one driver from the OKC area that has made all 16 shows. Other than those four, going into this weekends race at Tri-State, there isnt any OKC area drivers that have competed in 38% (or more) of the OCRS races ran to date.

3) As for the younger drivers not jumping in to "learn the trade", you are correct in being concerned that we need more local tracks to develop some talent. There are a few who do take to the OCRS series to learn to race. Terry Easum, Kacee Frazier, Brady Demeree, and Beau with his 68% attendance rate are the flag carriers for this group and all came on board with limited racing experience in sprint before this year.

Travelling as OCRS does has its pluses and minuses. The biggest minus being the work it takes to make the majority of the events much less 100% of them.

The biggest plus is that a driver can really learn to race by tackling different tracks with new challenges. The rookies I mentioned above will ALL tell you that they are much betters racers for having done so.

Ive watched many "local" cars on their local tracks this year. A couple of things stands out with this group. There are a few who could do well on the OCRS circuit as far as running up front on a regular basis. That number is few however but they are there. There is also a "few" that would do well once they got some time in on the tracks OCRS runs on. Its the old saying "just need laps". Then the majority of the teams I see on the local tracks need to stay there as their skill level isnt what's needed to leave home. That said...............

"There isnt a damn thing wrong with the latter staying home and having fun!" Local racing has been that way forever and will do so as long as there are tracks to run on.

I am concerned about our sport for the long run. Watching tracks close and teams struggle with finances is a hard pill to swallow. For those like you and I who admire the sport for what it is, we have to put on a promoters hat of sorts and plug our beloved sport for all its worth. If everyone does as much as they can and show the track owners we want to grow and prosper, that will go a long way.

It was great to meet you at Lawton. I was interested in what you said about how you got started going to races with your father. Sorry I was a little busy and didnt get to chat much. Hope we can chat some more next time. Go Sooners!

John Lemon

Sooner Circles @hoseheads.com

I have to believe that those local tracks didn't grow for a couple reasons, the main one being purse. It costs a lot to race anything, but especially a sprinter.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

Those tracks and the others all across the country that are in the same predicament. I have always winced at the cost of sporting tickets to high quality events (read Sooners too ), but when I look at the cost for racers to race, those tix seem mighty cheap!

Kenny I would have to agree and disagree on that one.

Lawton pays 600 to win with 400 for 2nd and 300 for 3rd. Granted it is not 1000 bucks to win but still it is nothing to sneeze at and they are still getting 12 to 15 cars.

I have heard numerous reasons why Brill does not have a high car count in the sprinters. Everything from the pits are to small to Brill's is still "redneck racers". As well as the track is to small for sprinters. Those statements come right from Sprint car guys as well.

There is still alot of bad blood between some promoters and racers. As well as fans.

In my opinion and I told David this at the racers auction with the fairgrounds shutting down it was a kick in the center section. The excitement was not there like it had been in previous years and people were just like ho hum. Listening to some people the last few weeks they are telling stories of people selling out. I think it is kinda like we can not race at the fairgrounds so what is the use.

There is no one track to center around anymore.With the fairgrounds racing on Friday night it allowed everyone one central location to travel to. Like someone I was talking to said most of the racers and fans work in or around Okc and it allowed them to go right to the races right after work. With the remaining tracks racing mainly on Sat it puts them at competition with people going to lakes, family outings etc etc. Marketing and promotions have to be stepped up at the remaining tracks to attract new fans and those fans that do not want to goto races on Sat evening.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen 

Erich, Probably will get worse before it gets better, that kick to the center section will take a while to recover from and IF that is even possible.