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

New rules posted on ASCS website: http://www.ascsracing.com/series-info/rules.aspx

7. Mufflers: Mandatory, (unless otherwise stated). Schoenfeld part #14272735. Loss of muffler will result in disqualification when mufflers are required.

Isn't that the muffler that Knoxville went to? The one that costs twice as much as the old one? Nice...

The also finally posted Ford head rules. Not that it matters much.

Yes, Of course,& your right,dont matter much.

      5R pit boss                                      
2013 IMCA Racesaver National Champion                  
National Rookie of the Year                            
Mountain Creek Speedway Track Champion

Also must run Hoosier left rear & no more than 7in. away from frame on right side elbow panel.

      5R pit boss                                      
2013 IMCA Racesaver National Champion                  
National Rookie of the Year                            
Mountain Creek Speedway Track Champion

Little known secret.......a lot of the sound comes from the INTAKE.....not the exhaust. They'll still sound good.

A new engine starts at $35k yet ASCS chooses to adjust the muffler rule instead. Emmett obviously doesn't get it, and if he does, he doesn't have the courage to address the root cause.

I read somewhere that Emmett was trying to help Shane Stewart find a ride. I have no problem with Emmett trying to help Shane, but maybe Emmett should work a little harder at trying to make his series more affordable. Then not only would it be easier for Shane to find a ride, but it would be easier for others too!

I wouldn't be as passionate about this issue if the ASCS governed one track or region, but when nearly the entire country signed up or adpoted the ASCS rules, all in the name of universal, the cost to compete became a everyones problem...

Obviously he does get it..........he has only 6 guys he has to pay tow money to. Also he gets 45-50 cars a night at a national show . As far as the Hoosier , the ASCS heads, and now the new mufflers, he has now become a very rich man on the backs of every 360 racer. I'd say WE don't get it.

If you want to effect the cost of racing , park your car. It won't cost you a dime. If enough racers park their cars, the cost of racing will come down. However, every ASCS race I attended the last year , had at least

30 cars and most 40 cars.

So, who doesn't get it?

Sprints on Dirt will no longer be affiliated with ASCS.

.  

What is the logic that ASCS allows teams to spend thousands of dollars for titanium? If no one had ti every one would be equal. No ti bolts, wing stands, brake and gas peddles,valves in engine. If every car had none every one would be more equal. Why do they allow ANY porting on heads? If every one raced them right out of the box, every one would be more equal. I see that carbon fiber bodies are showing up now, A track official told me when I asked why, he said once you allow something it is to hard to go backwards. I would love to see a ASCS official reply on the things, but they never will.

Linbob,

To your point, there are numerous opportunities for improvement.

The ASCS is now in "correction territory" and will continue to fracture and or decline. The $40k engine platform is a restraint that very few teams can overcome.

What's especially frustrating is even though the National events can still draw a decent crowd, the local events that adopted the ASCS rules have been in retreat for some time now.

What's the big deal about the muffler? MANY of the teams already purchased that muffler, the only difference is that now they will run it at all their events and not just one (which should make it CHEAPER FOR THE TEAMS, as they now can set all their motors for that muffler as opposed to set one for no muffler, one for the Knoxville muffler, one for the West Coast muffler (which is WAYYYYYY more restrictive), etc., etc..

The entire point of the new Schoenfeld muffler was to make a NATIONAL muffler rule insteaed of different muffler rules at each track the racers go to.

I personally though the muffler was great last year, the sound didn't "carry" like the old muffler or no muffler days so they track becomes a "good neighbor" while maintaining the natural sound of a sprint car for the hard core fans.

It never ceases to amaze me that people immediately bring up the negative of a rule change but foget about all the positives that can come with it.

As far as motor rules go, good luck EVER getting that under control as even with tight rules (NASCAR for example), they continue to see their prices increase as they search for that extra 1-2 HP. Do you really think that motors will get cheaper by making ported heads illegal? It won't, it will just send motor builders and teams into more and more R&D to figure out what they can change to get more power (and R&D costs a lot of $$$$).

The only way they'll quit spending $$$$ on motors is when they can no longer get that power to the ground. Harder tires, smaller wings, less downforce, crappy shock packages are the only way to reduce the power getting to the ground. Take the wings off and you'll see massive de-tuning of the engines. Go to a harder tire that won't hook up and you'll see de-tuning of the engines, narrow tire (12" and again you'll see massive de-tuning of the engine.

I really look at sprint cars much like what happened to Late Models in teh 1980's. Late models go so aerodynamic that you HAD to have BIG horsepower to get around the track and to win. Now, they put in a bunch of rules about bodies and Late Models are bigger than they have ever been and guys have small engines for short tracks and big CI for big tracks (sound familiar, it should it was how Sprints were prior to the 410 CI limit instituted in teh late 1980's).

The powers that be need to realize that they CANNOT control what a racer is willing to spend to win. The best way to control it is to make it so spending a bunch of $$$ doesn't give you an advantage. Best way to do that is to take away downforce and to make the tires so your high dollar engine won't do anything except spin the tires.

Why is it that more owners and drivers can't understand all of these valid points? ASCS rules don't work for the weekly track. Period the end. Anyone who has ever had to write the checks to race a sprint car should get it by now.

I see adv. for traction control in every issue of sprint car magazines. People must buy them and use them or the company would not be able to pay for ads. Has any one ever see a sprint or midget get caught with traction control?

Great news for all the people worried about trying to make ASCS even more lame... There are umpteen cheaper divisions of dirt track racing to choose from. Pick one and be happy.

Luna's Ford engine style that won 2 WoO titles and 3 
Kings Royals before a weight rule against the best EVER
in their prime and now DOMINATES super dirt late model
racing is no longer allowed/wanted in a WoO sprint
car.... Was Luna a miracle worker?

Minthess,

For many race teams it's not that simple...

10 years ago I rallied against racetracks and organizations, including my home track, that refused to adopt the ASCS rules. I was completely convinced that the ASCS platform was practical and was helping unite tracks and regions. The ASCS had created a vast network of race tracks and bodies; their rule package truly was universal.

Unfortunately universal has now been replaced by universally unaffordable.

The racing community trusted Emmett to steer the 360 ship, unfortunately his Titanic hit an iceberg. He's literally done nothing to keep up with the rising cost to compete and now his organization and race teams are paying the price. The ASCS kingdom is already starting to unravel.

I realize that sometimes race teams are their own worst enemy, but Emmett is the President and it's time for him to own this mess.

So in repsonse to your rant... for the raceteams who have invested heavily in the ASCS, walking away is easier said than done, and unless they're willing to ditch their sprint car for a shit box, there aren't too many well though out options.