Hagerstown low car count

[BTExpress]

I had a chance to look at the 2015 final point standings. 6 of the top 10 from last season were missing from Saturday's opener. Jackson, Stuhler, Bard, and Miller were MIA. Deese was at Winchester and Hardy was at Port Royal for the UFo show. Add those 6 to the 11 that showed up for the opener and you would have had a halfway decent field.

[UMPDream]

I had a chance to look at the 2015 final point standings. 6 of the top 10 from last season were missing from Saturday's opener. Jackson, Stuhler, Bard, and Miller were MIA. Deese was at Winchester and Hardy was at Port Royal for the UFo show. Add those 6 to the 11 that showed up for the opener and you would have had a halfway decent field.

Did you expect anything less? It's a boring track condition.

[jog49]

At all events besides the national touring series, car counts are down this year. It could be the economics of racing or just part of a down cycle in fan attention and support.

[W2Racing09]

At all events besides the national touring series, car counts are down this year. It could be the economics of racing or just part of a down cycle in fan attention and support.

I'm going to disagree with that blanket statement. While car counts seem to be down between the three SLM tracks in MD/VA (Winchester, Potomac, Hagerstown) in the rest of the country things are going pretty good. Here is a list of car counts from this past weekend.

Port Royal: 42 Cars ($3,000)
Whynot: 24 Cars ($2,500)
Florence: 34 Cars ($5,000)
LaSalle: 44 Cars ($15,000)
Fayetteville: 29 Cars ($5,000)
Senoia: 31 ($4,000)

I think (as much as I'm a big fan of all three of the above mentioned MD/VA tracks) that the tracks are going to continue to see lower counts unless they start working together. These tracks are notorious for trying to cut each others throats so to speak. Think of how much better it would be for the tracks, and the fans if they would work together and run SLM shows on alternating weeks, etc. Both tracks would have decent fields of 20+ cars every week and some of the biggest names in the region. Sounds like a win win, and I think on opposite weeks they could charge less money and run LLM as the top division. I would definitely go to Hagerstown to watch a LLM and E-Mod headlined show for $10 to get in especially with the field of LLMs that they get and the field of E-Mods I think they will get as the season progresses.

Thanks,
Jeff.

[BTExpress]

Jeff, I will piggyback on your statements and agree. It seems other than Port Royal & Selinsgrove, most of the Mid-Atlantic tracks are struggling to get full fields. Delaware International, Georgetown, etc also come to mind. The survival of the sport depends on cooperation between the area promoters. It is the same issues facing big block modifieds. Different rules at each track including body styles, tires, fuel, etc. If something isn't done, you will see the LLM's as the headline class on a weekly basis and the SLM's will be relegated to regional touring series, i.e UFo, Stars, etc. There will be no more WEEKLY shows for the SLM's. These tracks need to simplify and unify the rules so a car can run at ALL the tracks in the area if they so choose.They also need to sit down and work with each other with their scheduling. Don't tread all over each other scheduling big shows on top of each other. Spread them out....let the fans have a choice and everyone will come out a winner, the tracks, the drivers, the sponsors and especially the fans! Maybe just wishful thinking on my part????