Leaving bright and early in the morning for a weekend excursion to south west WI, so I'll be in "dark territory" and out of touch over the weekend. So I'll add a few comments.
I'm not so sure that racing is dead or dieing so much as it is the economy. People are just a little nervous right now about spending too much for "fun stuff", not know whether or not there'll be a job tomorrow.
The price of fuel is another contributing factor.
And of course the numbers of dedicated old timers that used to attend every event are dwindling rapidly.
As are the number of turbo regals still road worthy, or even in existence.
As for class racing, I'd have to agree with many comments here. It's just so hard to get the average turbo regal to fit any specific class, that most have to run indexed, and there are few index classes available at most of our events. There were only two at the TB.com nats (7.49,8.49) and I'm not sure how many if any at the GSCA nats.
A lot of people don't like braket racing, IMHO, simply because they're not very good at it. I have a good bit of success in the 90's when I was doing it. But then again I started my racing career back in 68.
Index racing however is a bit more fun than brackets simply because there's a target for everybody in a class to shoot for and it's generally heads up (some places run a pro tree, others run a regular tree).
I ran indexed classes for several years right after I took my GN off the showroom floor in IHRA. Ran K/PSA for a few races (got my arse handed to me), and then switched to the 12.90 index class.
IHRA really knew how to do it back then!!! Their index classes were 8.90, 9.90, 10.90, 11.90, and 12.90 (NO BOXES in 10.90 and slower)!!!!
(Shane what's up with the .49 idexes???? Run .90 indexes please).
I honestly thought, and planned to run a class my car could finally fit into, realistically this last tb.com nats. The TSR class (turbo STREET radial).
But in their zeal to open the class up for larger car count, they opened the class to not only street radials, but dot drag radials, and virtually anybody running them!
WTF was that all about???? Scot W. and I are at total odds over that decision, but I can understand the desire to increase car count.
Ya, my car on firestone firehawks would be really competative against a tsm car on drag radials. NOT. I still think that was a piss poor decision!!
Let the TSM, THS, TAI guys run their class and not make us slower guys on real street radial look like idiots and wasting our time coming to the line.
If you can't get enough cars to fill the TSO, TSM, TAI, THS classes then maybe it's time to rethink the class strategy or rules structure. That goes for the GSCA also.
Enough ranting about how the classes are structured.
It's not just the racers that aren't showing it's the vendors!! Did anybody notice the tiny turnout at the last GSCA nats??? Or the TB.com nats for that matter. I don't think they want to spend the $$$$ traveling any more than the racers. One glaring example is Mike's FullThrottle! I haven't seen him setup for over two years now.
Economy I suspect. And the fact that the new breed of T/R owners are REALLY cheap, and don't want to spend more than a third of what an item might be worth, or worse, will go to non T/R vendors to buy cheap junk (and then wonder why things don't fit or work).
Did anybody happen to notice the HUGE turnout at Richards place this year at the TB.com nats???
and on the same token, how few of those people actually stayed around to attend or participate in the race???????
I haven't figured out where so many people disappeard to after Richard's events. Maybe it's my imagination but is sure seemed like there were a lot more people at Richards, than there were at the track Saturday.
I must add however that I really loved to see the turnout at Richards!!! ANYBODY in the Turbo Regal family that hasne't seen or visited Richard's facilities is genuinely missing a once in a lifetime chance to see something unbelievable!!! All that and Richard's hospitality cannot be topped by ANY other Buick event, bar none.
And the real kicker, the solo rallly event never even got close to getting off the ground. Maybe next year!
And the car show last year at the TB.com nats was what I'd consider a success. But no show this year????
There's no easy answer. Just a combination of may factors!!
Fewer cars
Fewer racers
Fewer $$$$
More fuel $$$$
Fewer vendors (although their numbers haven't dwindled much, just their participation out of their geographical area). Can't blame them I guess.
I heard the reasons that some vendors didn't bother to show this year, and if what I heard was true, what a load of crap!!!!! I'll not comment here becasue what I heard was heresay and may or may not be valid, but if it's true, what a bunch of butt heads.
I really feel sorry for the guys out on the left coast!! We still have a bunch of events over here (TOO MANY!!!!). Ya'll don't have much more than Vegas. Or spend HUGE $$$$$ getting to the nats.
It's even tougher on folks like me that are now on fixed income and have far fewer disposable dollars. The last two years I've made it to the GS nats, and TB.com nats, but that's it, and it was a stretch this year.
Fortunately my Son-In-Law (and BEST friend I might add) wanted to take his hybrid to the tb nats this year so we were able to split the costs.
I'd hate to see any one or a number of events drop by the wayside over here, but maybe there are just too many. Maybe not, I don't know.
I do know one thing, unless some changes are made the numbers aren't going to improve. Hopefully by the end of summer, at least fuel costs might be down somewhat. Ya right. Not with Obammy in charge.
I would like to hear from the guys that regularly run the big dog classes, there are only a few of you regulars left. Do you think there is anything that could be changed to increase car count? Is it even feasable??
I would like to see more index classes (open to anybody)(no boxes) like maybe: 9.90, 10.90, 11.90, 12.90 (if enough cars don't enter just don't run the class, but at least there aren't all the rediculous encyclopedia sized pages of rules. Run the numbers or go home. Maybe even 7.90 and 8.90 classes. ???
Classes are totally open. 7.90 through 10.90 run a .4 pro tree. 11.90 and 12.90 run either a .5 pro tree, OR a .5 full tree depending on racer's preferences.
I understand the disllikes against bracket racing, but those of you that haven't run Indexed classes should try it, It really is fun, and EASY!!.
OK, I'm done ranting, I'll be watching this thread till tonight. Flame suit on and zipped up. :biggrin:
