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Now with all that out of the way.....Let's make some laps!
At the suggestion of an "Annon" poster, I am asking our users for more opinions.
Th subject is to create YOUR perfect Race Format for the entrire NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, OR a Race Format for an event at a SPECIFIC Track.
Here is a list of some general ideas to use:
1.Qualifying Procedures 2. Heats, B-C mains or not 3. Starting Positions for feature 4. Race procedures for instance double file restarts? 5. Pitting and Tire Rules 6. Distance 7. Points or lap - qualifying points Whatever anybody wants... These are just some starting points. Be a PROMOTER - Now fill the House! Remember in the end... your ideas will establish the MOD TOUR as America's Premier Short Track series... a fan must attend event. Hey- its winter Blog on!
Thanx again to the "Annon" poster, I personally LOVE the idea of this topic.
-WMT-
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NASCAR MODIFIEDS...WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. LET'S REMIND NASCAR OF THEIR ROOTS.
These procedures would be used for ALL NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events.
1. ALL races will be 101 laps. 2. Caution laps will only count on tracks 1/2 mile or larger 3. No more than 25 laps of caution to be counted 4. NO TIME TRIALS!!!!!! 5. Draw for Heat Race starting positions. 6. Even Number of cars qualify through heats. No more than 20. 7. Remaining positions filled by B and C-Main. Cars equally divided. 8. Top 20 cars redraw for starting spot in A-Main. 9. Winner of B-Main will start 21st, C 22nd. Continue inside/outside for remaining starters. 10. No more than 4 tires allowed to be purchased at any event. 11. Double-File restarts the ENTIRE race. 12. Race MUST end under green. 13. Lap leader bonuses. 14. ANY car considered to be rough driving will miss two events and NO PAY FOR THAT EVENT.
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NASCAR MODIFIEDS...WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. LET'S REMIND NASCAR OF THEIR ROOTS.
1.I really like 101 laps per race. 2.Caution laps don't count. 3.Heats and Consi's -Handicap the heats like Thompson/Stafford does, fast guys start in the back - Only take 26 cars from heats + a couple provisionals - Everyone else to the 25 lap, $1,000 to win LCQ race where winner has option to advance to the feature, or take the $1,000 and 2nd in the LCQ gets in. 4. Always double file restarts 5. Can only pit for 2 tires per race
Also, just as a side note, NASCAR should open up the body rules and let teams come up with some wicked cool looking stuff.
100 laps. Green flag laps only count. Bring out 3 cautions your parked. Heat races. Consi. $2000.00 to win heat. $1000.00 to win the consi. $2000.00 half way leader. $10, 000 to win $500.00 if you miss the main. TECH all cars fairly by the rules. Cheat you go home
OK the TV series qualifying procedure is the best to use - handicaped with race previous race winner starting dead last. Here is a time trial twist that should be used - first 6 teams to post a $100 after practice gets in. The fastest time gets the posted pole award and monies plus the extra $500 from the other teams. Add a non-qualifier race if there is more than 9 cars and pay them each $100 and the winner a trophy. Otherwise pay each team a 100 for showing up. Race procedure the same as TV series 100 laps no pitting for tires 25% increase in the pay out as the TV series except the the winner should get $3000
Ist order of business- name change "WHELEN MODSTARS" (Not Tour- hey we are not playing Golf!)
1.Distance: 100 Laps 2.31 Starters 3.Qualifying & Feature Starting Line-up: *Time in groups *Top 10 redraw for pos. 2 thru 11 in feature *Next 10 redraw for pos. 1 thru 10 in the B "BRAWL FOR THE POLE!"- 15laps *Remainder to C Qualifier(s) lined up by time. 10 Laps Top 8 "C" finishers fill pos.11 thru 18 in the "BRAWL" B * 2 Provisionals fill pos.29 &30 in feature * "WILD CARD" starter pos.31 - drawn by a Fan out remainder non- qualifiers! * Winner of the BRAWL gets the POLE, remainder fill Pos. 12 thru 28 by order of B finish 4. Race Procedure: *5 tires allowed for Pitting *Double-File restarts whole race- "Running Restarts... Up to speed middle of back stretch. Lapped cars drop to rear - Last 20 Laps *Lap leader Awards- lap 25= $500, Lap50=$1000, Lap 75=$1500 * Race must end under green *$10,000 TO Win 5. POINT BONUSES *5 points for leading a Lap *10 points for leading the most *3 points for "times led" (for competitor each time they take the lead after the first time!) 6.Season points - Drivers get to throw out their worst 2 finishes "Bullet Post"
Start the field straight up from the heat races like TV. In may make some racing in the heats, the first heat winner gets the pole is something worthwhile. Award points for the top 3 in heat races. i think all racing should have this rule.
125 lap races. First 3 caution laps count. Under 25 to go must be all green flag laps. All cars must pit even if it's a stop and go. There is nothing worse then a extra distance race that doesn't have the field shuffled. It'll take the nap time out of tour races for me at least.
Put the cars on 8 inch comanchee style rubber to make it a race. :D
I think if we have heat races, the tracks should charge the fans an extra $10.00 per ticket, and that money goes directly to the car owners. An average of 6000 fans would equal about $1,700 per owner per race with 35 cars. Heat races cost the car owners extra money. Extra set of tires $700.00, extra fuel at about $7.00 per gallon, plus more laps put on a motor equals more motor freshening (very expensive). Heat race wrecks cost money. And heat race wrecks equal cars that are not even close to being at 100% for the feature, (if you even make it to the feature)and that's just not fare when your running for a NASCAR championship. The purse money has gone down in this division, lets not drive the costs up even more then the already are. So unless the fans want to pony up some extra money for heat races, lets just have qualifying, because I know the owners don't want heats.
I don't like that at all. Just runs heats so more fans go to generate more money. Teams won't need an extra set of tires to run 20 lap heats. More fans = more money. Lets say you can get even 500 more people, at 40 bucks a ticket thats 20 grand that can go into the purse, and the track gets even more money from concessions. If drivers decide to wreck in a heat race every week then they don't deserve to win a championship
Hey Annon, the tour is down 14 races. There are big gaps in the schedule already (Apr.26-May22 & May 22-June 27), WOW that will keep the fans interest the Championship chase... yeah right! Is not not obivious the tour is dying a slow death. So your brillant suggestion is to stay status quo. In this economic climate, you better promote your ass off to to get decent crowds. I guarantee the current format of just time trials alone & boring features are not going to do it! Is it not a shame to see the popular "Reg" go home at the World Series at Thompson- time trials was it. Their were no other options. So lets worry about teams running for the championship instead of providing an exciting format for that family of four. I, myself would worry about that family of four returning, because if they don't there will be no need for the "Tour" to return either! Why dont mull that over a little bit.
More fans are generated when they run heats?! where were they at the flash races? You remember those races right? ya know, the races where they cut the purses but ran the same number of laps? (when you include the heat laps) Well last year they didn't call them flash races, but it was basically the same format, and the purses were equally disgusting, So I doubt your going to get 500 more people. And even if you get those 500 more people, that comes out to $570 per owner, that's less then a set of tires. Time trials for heat line up, 20 lap heats, (plus cautions) and a hundred lap feature, that equals two sets of tires with all those heat cycles, and that's why NASCAR allows and suggests two sets. And with only 14 races, a driver doesn't need to wreck every week in a heat to lose a championship, 1 heat race could probably make a big difference in a championship run. Maybe that's why the senior NASCAR touring divisions as well as most weekly tracks down south do not run heats.
Entertaining the family of four is important, but if they keep squeezing all the money out of the car owners while dropping the purse money, there will be no cars on the track to entertain them. Why do you think the car counts have gone down so much? And If there was a race in which the fan base was increased with the time trial format I might agree, but it has been just the opposite. The races in which the tour ran time trials saw lower attendance than those with time trials.
Oh yeah, The Tours real prominent, if they really were, than why do you have to search for them on Nascar's web-site? Guess what their under Home Tracks! So lets worry about the championship, even Nascar does not care. Ask Helton if he cares, he'll be lying if he says he does. So other Annon, lets see your format that will bring that family of four to the track in the first place and then hopefully its good enough, they will return. Heat races or not... whatever... get them to spend at least a $100-$125!
Alot of valid points here, but I have to disagree in a few areas. I personally see car counts INREASING not decreasing. It may not be at every race, but take a look at the number of cars that are running special events and travelling to southern races.
The heat race arguement will continue forever. The thing that confuses me with NORTHERN fans, is that nearly ALL racing in the North uses heat races including both of the other Modified Tours. So it makes it hard to understad the arguement about the risks of wrecking in a heat.
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NASCAR MODIFIEDS...WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. LET'S REMIND NASCAR OF THEIR ROOTS.
I guess "other Annon" is mulling over his format? Either that or he/she is trying to figure out which came first- the chicken or the egg? Or do we put the cart before or after the horse? Here's a little clue, why dont you figure out how much NASCAR fleeces the tracks and Whelen to run the Tour events and then you may be surprised at the amount that does not reach the car owners. Its interesting watching some of the major players (official Nascar sponsors) walking away from their 7 figure deals with ISC.
I actually don't have the perfect format that would bring more fans to the races, I don't think anyone does, I don't think there IS a perfect format, I just don't think heat races are the answer. I don't understand how we can bleed more money out of car owners while NASCAR keeps taking more and more money from them. And I don't know how anyone has seen the car counts increasing on the Tour. We have had races where we started every car that showed up last year! For the first time I can remember we have problems filling fields. Only ten years ago this division would be sending 15-20 cars home almost every week! Now we send home on the average of five. Go back and look at the car counts on line from the years 2004 and back, it will make your head spin. What is the reason? I don't know, if I did I would be on the phone with Chad Little right now. In my opinion, It has more to do with our current weakening economy, and the fact that NASCAR has put all of its financial eggs into the basket of the big three NASCAR divisions. I don't think it has much to do with our format at all. NASCAR has put so much emphasis on the CUP/BUSCH/(or what ever they call it now) and Truck series, that they have failed to realize that being a NASCAR Mod Tour owner is now a financial burden. I can only suggest that you write, or email NASCAR and ask for their support for this division. (I know they must be sick of me!) I also refuse to support any of the three big NASCAR divisions. I wont spend a dollar on a ticket for them. It makes me sick to mail my money to NASCAR for my licence every year knowing it helps to support their divisions while mine continues to go bankrupt. OK I'm done with my tire log & heat cycles! and I'm sure you love stickers when you don't have to pay for them!
A tip of the cap to "other Annon" for sending a reply after a little light-hearted poking. What puzzles me, is you can not seem to come up with "your" Mod format or event. Is there a previous race or event that gets the blood going or raises your anticipation level. Seperate Nascar from the equation, it can cloud many a vision. Now think of a race you trully enjoy- leave it as is or tweak it to "your" liking. I loved participating in the 80 lap Sizzlers and trips to Oswego. As for Nascar, I gave up on them years ago. Being in meetings through the years with the traveling "snake oil" salesman- Hunter, Huth, Helton ect., I learned a long time ago we were not a priority. As for "stickers", I rang up many a tire bill at Dave Lind's trailer. But you have to admit, there is nothing better than throwing a set of them on with 25 to go while everyone else is just holding on!
I agree with you 100% Annon, that is the point I have tried to make for years. I TRULY believe that WE the fans can have the biggest impact on what happens with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. We need to wear THEIR hats, THEIR sweatshirts, and support THEIR events before we have ANY right to complain. We need to write letters, send E-mails, and make phone calls. The more we support "The Big Three" the smaller OUR division will become.
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NASCAR MODIFIEDS...WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. LET'S REMIND NASCAR OF THEIR ROOTS.
I like that Modstars posting. Other ways to generate interest is to give the Tour cars a more radical look- Open up the body rules a little bit to distinguish them from other mod divisions. If there are longer races schedule them in the fall. In that posting the B meant something so it was not just a common heat race. The other incentives to get to the front were interesting, ones I have not heard before. An idea on restarts is to have choice of lanes.