*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: Well, there probably aren’t very many followers of Dirt Late Model racing who saw Dennis Erb, Jr’s win in the Dirt Late Model Dream race at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway coming. The Illinois driver pulled off what has to be labeled as an upset when he scored the $100,000 triumph ahead of the biggest names in the sport. And more, his win can be seen as a major victory for ‘the little guy’ in racing.
Erb does race regularly with some success on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. But unlike many of his competitors on that series as well as the World of Outlaws Late Models Series, the ‘One Man Band’ does not have a significant affiliation with any of the Dirt Late Model world’s major suppliers. He does not drive a so-called “house car” nor does he have a shock guru or NASCAR associated engineers and engine builders gathered around his car in each and every pit area where he parks his blue rig.
Basically, Erb and crew member Heather Lyne do their own thing and make their own way. No fancy matching shirts, no laptop computers, and very few sponsor logos can be seen in their pit area. Grit, determination and passion seem to be the fuel that drives their efforts.
While Erb may not be one of the more well known drivers in racing, his win in the sport’s most lucrative race was at least somewhat refreshing, wasn’t it?
Michael: Yes it was. Erb has always been one of the more lauded drivers in the sport. While his wins have not been significant when compared to other top names of the sport, his win in The Dream finally puts him up there with the other drivers he’s often compared to by other media members.
Back to your point, it’s refreshing to see someone like Erb win the richest paying race in the sport when so many teams have multiple crew members, gurus, and other associated help. You look at a guy like Mike Marlar, he started on the pole and he’s a similar kind of racer as far as team backing, the number of crew guys, etc. It’s always refreshing to see the “little guy” continue to be successful in the sport.
Richard: Erb also represents what is becoming a bit of a dying breed in racing. He is a driver who can actually work on his car rather than have someone else do it while he sits in the hauler.
With so many younger drivers who bring money with them to their rides, whether it be in dirt racing or NASCAR, there are fewer and fewer who can actually turn their own wrenches. Some racers are beginning to see themselves as drivers only. In the old school days of racing, drivers had to work on their own machines.
Erb grew up working on his father’s car, and having worked for years either by himself or with only one crew member, he has had to learn how to work on every aspect of the race car. There’s likely no piece on the No. 28 that he hasn’t had his hands on. While there are some young drivers who do their own work, those numbers are decreasing.
That’s cool to see, isn’t it?
Michael: Certainly. I have always felt some of the better drivers have been the ones who work on their own cars, even if it isn’t at the track.
It’s always cool to see at any race Erb is in that it’s only him and one other person. Just goes to show a person doesn’t need 10 crew members to go fast.
Richard: On another note, I want to again visit the topic of tracks running shows in a timely fashion. Checking Twitter during a recent event we both attended, I almost had to laugh when I realized that you and I had almost simultaneously posted that time limits on races are not necessarily a bad thing.
This season alone I have attended multiple shows in which a sanctioned series race was the headliner for that particular night. At an incredibly consistent rate, the race running just in front of that feature(which is typically a class that runs on a regular basis at that track) will turn into a long and drawn out affair with caution after caution sandwiched around very few green flag laps.
Whether the track in question has a curfew or not, some sort of time limit or maximum number of caution flags stipulation ought to be placed on any and all classes. I have seen multiple events this year in which the announcement has been made that the track is experiencing its largest fan turnout ever. It has to be taken into consideration that many fans have traveled long distances to see that sanctioned race and did not come to watch a caution plagued local feature in which wrecker trucks are on the racing surface as often as the cars themselves.
Weekly racing, as I see it, is in grave danger in this and virtually every other region in the country. Staging a caution fest in front of a record crowd is not the thing that will save it.
How do you feel about time or caution limits?
Michael: I am in favor of time limits whether a track has a curfew or not. I know a lot of drivers complain about time limits because they say they don’t get to race the advertised distance and they pay their money to get in like the other classes. That is certainly true. But like you said, most fans are there to see the headliner. If another class or two is drawn out, fans will think twice about going back to that track again. In the end, that hurts the local racer in the long run.
I will say we have several tracks in this area that do a great job of getting their shows in within a timely manner. I have said for many years a weekly show should take around 4 hours from the start of hot laps until the final feature, barring any serious accidents or unexpected problems that could arise. Promoters not as good at doing this don’t realize the impatience of the modern-day fan, especially those that bring young children. Maybe some of them need to sit in the stands one night with a few kids under 10 and they might see then to get on with the show.
Richard: You are right to point out that a number of tracks do a good job at running a timely show. Also, it should be pointed out that there some instances in which delays can’t be avoided such as a long red flag to repair damage to a guard rail or a piece of the track’s equipment breaking down. Still, as the old saying goes- “The brain can only absorb as much as the butt can stand.”
Leaving people sitting in the bleachers for an hour while the track tries to get in a 20-lap support class feature will indeed cause folks to consider whether or not they want to come back. And as much as the true blue fans hate to admit it, the sport can’t survive and thrive without those who only pay occasional visits to the track.
