*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideDirtRacing.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the dirt racing topics of the day from east Tennessee and beyond.
Richard: Many of you here in the east Tennessee region may have seen the piece we ran last week in which drivers in the Limited Late Model division offered their views regarding the future of that class in this area. While many valid points were made, the two that stuck out most for me were the need for a unified set of rules among the respective tracks in this area and the hope that a series might develop for this class of cars.
As I see it, the idea of a unified set of rules for this division(and all weekly divisions) is not only a good idea but a must if Limited Late Models are to survive here. Further, the tracks need to come up with some way to share the division among themselves rather than have eight cars lining up for a feature at one track while ten take the green flag at another.
And more, there needs to be consistent enforcement of whatever rules are to be adopted. Based on my very limited knowledge of a dirt racing engine, there are apparently significant differences among steel head motors depending on the amount of money spent and so on. If one track carefully checks the cars but others don’t, there’s little point in making an attempt to come together.
What were your thoughts on the driver opinions expressed?
Michael: I have talked to a number of drivers in recent weeks about this subject. It seems almost all of them agree on the points you made.
It has been my experience that if most drivers are in agreement on something, some will stray away from that when the time comes to actually do something. Meaning, if a series were to be started, most or all will commit initially only to see a number of them not participate. The difference I see with this situation is if the tracks agree to share the division from week-to-week. That gives drivers no opportunity to stray away and go somewhere else to race. That will require a lot of cooperation by tracks and drivers. That’s a lot of egos involved.
The other issue is rules. In order to get all drivers to the same engine rules, some will have to get rid of what they have. That has been a sticking point among those drivers. They don’t want to have to invest in another engine. In order to get things to work out, it may come down to some different weights for the different engine combinations to balance the competition with the notice that the higher dollar, more open motors will be phased out over time.
Richard: Those are good points you make.
I too have talked to several people on this subject and many agree that a flat out rule change is not the answer because of what it would do to those teams who already are running the engines with the raised runner heads and other features that run up costs. As Jason Trammell asked in the piece from last week, “Are we just going to set them in a corner and use them as boat anchors?”
Like you, I have concerns about the tracks and their desire/ability to stick with rules laid out. Although there is always a possibility of change, this area(as in most other parts of the country) has a history of tracks creating rules to “lock in” their drivers so that they can’t go anywhere else very easily. So it really comes down to just how much do the owners and promoters really want to see this class continue on.
As far as the creation of a series goes, that would be a very difficult task. Having now been involved in this sport from the reporter side for a few years, I can assure you that there is much more to creating and running a series than simply coming out and announcing that there is going to be a series. For something like that to work, there would have to be a competent series director, a competent tech person, PR people, and tracks willing to buy in and stay the course should the first year or two not be what everyone hoped it would be.
I know that the United Crate Racing Alliance has had success in doing such a thing with the Crate Late Model division, but that is not the same as what a Limited Late Model series would entail. My understanding is that steel head engines require more intense tech than do crate engines.
Could such a thing ever happen?
Michael: I think if the right people were involved and the drivers and the tracks were really committed to it, a series could work. You know as well as I do there are too many people in the sport, in this area, that will look out for themselves over what is best for the sport.
It would also take a dedicated and honest person to be the tech man. One of the reasons the engines have gotten so out of control is because the tracks can’t find a good tech man, so they open up the rules. The other is finding someone that has the knowledge, but also has no affiliation with any current drivers. That is hard to do these days.
But I agree with you it will take dedication from the tracks to go to a common set a rules for the class to stay in this area, regardless if they do their own thing or if some sort of series is created.
Richard: Another topic brought up by the Limited Late Model drivers we polled was that of the Sportsman class. There seems to be disagreement among many as to whether the class was created as a beginner class or simply as a low cost class for any and all racers. The answer to that question seems to vary from track to track.
Either way, I don’t foresee that division going anywhere. It is typically among the top draws on a weekly basis at several area facilities. No promoter is going to cut out a class that has a solid car count most of the time in favor of one that is struggling to get cars through the pit gates.
Besides, promoters get a Late Model class on the track without having to pay the purse that higher Late Model divisions command. And as we have said here before, there are many fans in the grandstands who do know the difference between the various classes but still many more who do not. A Late Model class at a lower cost is a boondoggle for those who invest in the sport’s venues.
Can a viable Limited Late Model class survive with the Sportsman division still intact?
Michael: I am not sure. We see this cycle around about every 10-15 years. Costs get out of hand, drivers start complaining, and track owners look for a way to pay less money and a Sportsman class is created. What has happened in the past is the Sportsman class eventually becomes the Limited Late Model class over a few years. I guess time will tell if that happens this time around.
You are right about the different tracks having different definitions of the sportsman class. Myself, I would like for it to be a class for beginning Late Model drivers and maybe those drivers that have not had much success in their years of racing. I don’t think a driver that has many wins and a track championship or two should be running in the Sportsman class. I’m sure there are others that see if differently than I do.
