Limit the max number of divisions at your local tracks?

[HoosierDirtFan]

Max number of divisions at your local tracks?

You have tracks down south and even some up north running 7, 8, 9+ divisions.

I have said it for a while no more than 4 classes otherwise you risk potentially taking cars away from other divisions. When you have so many divisions you’re risking diluting the car count in all divisions across all classes at your local track and spreading the payout out even more.
Give the fans a quality program with a better chance at a full field each division.

Thoughts on this?

[Jim11h]

Couldn't said better myself. If you can afford new 602 you'll figure out how to get a 604, don't need both same night. Can't afford super, there's mods. Similar driving little cheaper.

Get rid of crate motor series. I can build steel block/ head cheaper than 602 with more power. They're lining pockets and killing classes

[Josh Bayko]

2-3 divisions max. Get your fans in and out in under 3 hours.

[BTExpress]

I am very fortunate that my local tracks, Williams Grove, Port Royal, Lincoln, Selinsgrove, Bridgeport etc usually have no more than three divisions, and on most weekends, a two division show, especially when a National Series comes to town. As much as I love dirt track racing, that is all I am in the mood for at my age. I always struggle to watch the races on FLO with 6 or 7 divisions....and I am in the comfort of my own living room. I'd have to get a new hobby if that started happening at my tracks. Start at 7pm and get me on my way by 10 or 1030pm and I got my monies worth.

[dirtcrazy4u]

BTE, couldn't agree more. Pa tracks mostly all get it, tracks down south are the absolute worst, 4 cylinders are the new entry level for racers. They offer a good purse and its nothing for them to get 70+ cars. Then on top of that they put them on the clock. I refuse to go to those back gate shows.

[ride height]

3 classes is perfect. This 4,5,6, or even 7 classes is driving people away from attending. I flat won’t go to the races if it’s more than 4 classes. 4 is even pushing it. That’s just my 2 cents.

[Dirt Clod]

Hoosier:

What about your beloved Kankakee County Speedway. A full program lists 8 divisions. Some nights one division is listed as off. Are you gonna give them a pass?

[ftfiowa]

dirt clod why are attacking him? did he wound you in a previous life lol? he asked a simple question, why not answer him?

[Dirt Clod]

FT:

Asking a question is an attack? He asked a question and replied. Simple as that. Question: Is 8 divisions too many? You must be soft if you call that an attack. Check the Kankakee Speedway website and see for yourself their Full Program. Peace.

[84wedge]

I've never understood why a track would have multiple classes of FWD cars, or various late models. It just waters it all down. Imagine a track with one class. The car counts would be pretty big and everyone would get home at a reasonable hour.

[427c.i.]

3 divisions period.
Track can pick the best three that suit them. Separating 602's 604's... nonsense, give a weight break to the slower ones and run them together. Way too many shows with multiple divisions and 10 cars in each one, figure out how to run some of them together. Ther used to be 2 classes, the beginners and the pro's.

[grt74]

supers every other week 2500 to win (local to keep it alive)
604 every other week ( to fill in , every other week 800-1000 to win )
open wheels
street stock (one class of them not 5 )
4 bangers
mod lites (its become a good class, they put on a pretty good show)

but i do understand why they do it, it brings in alot more because of what they bring in the back gate, pit money is alot more then the stands

[Highside Hustler25]

For weekly racing, sky's the limit. W
If you're advertising as a special event headliner that 99% of the gate is there to see? Lucas/WoO/Flo etc, that's a different story.

[riddle28]

as somebody right in the middle of the south, 4 is all it should be. a 4 cylinder, stock car, modified and some sort of 604/limited late model thats it. get in where you fit in

[HoosierDirtFan]

Hoosier:

What about your beloved Kankakee County Speedway. A full program lists 8 divisions. Some nights one division is listed as off. Are you gonna give them a pass?

Just because it’s my local track don’t mean I like that many divisions. You can blame the last Kankakee promoter for the track having that many divisions. He’s the one that added them.
When I was a kid Kankakee had 4 divisions back in the late 1980’s.
Super Late Models
Limited Late Models
Street Stocks
Nimrods (4 cyl. Mini Stocks)

Right now Kankakee has 6 weekly divisions.

[3 wide]

You are exactly right I've been preaching for 2 years they don't realize they can run less classes and make the same amount of money we got tracks close to were I live running 8,9 an even 10 classes one night they ran 11but when it's all over they will wonder what happen but it will be too late I have seen it break a lot of race tracks.I wonder if they would like to see the list.

[Barbecueboy]

If it’s really all about the back gate anyway run 4 classes Friday and then the other 4 and specials Saturday……

[fastford]

as somebody right in the middle of the south, 4 is all it should be. a 4 cylinder, stock car, modified and some sort of 604/limited late model thats it. get in where you fit in

I agree 100% , but when 4 of the classes run a sanctioned crate series engine , it is not gone change around here for a while I,m afraid .....

[Rajflyboy]

We late model fans are hosed at the tracks with 5 and 6 classes. Stay late if you want to see the feature (unfortunately). I hate it. Makes streaming more viable for me due to family obligations presently. Folks I know that run the other classes say late models tear up the track and they prefer to run prior to late model feature.

[weatherman85]

I'm actually okay with 5 - 6 on a weekly regular show as long as each class is distinct and truly different. For when special touring series come through though, no more then 3 and only 2 support classes in a perfect world. It is SO bad here in the south. I'll use Senoia as an example of what they run as their weekly divisions.

Limited Late Model
604 Crate Late Model
602 Crate Late Model (Late Model sportsman)
Chargers (602 Late Model beginner class)
Hobby
Open Wheel modifieds
Bombers
Mini Stock (4 cyl)
Hot Shot (FWD Class)

That is 4 Late model classes. 5 if you count hobby as they resemble late models in appearance. A new fan wouldn't know the difference. It's awful man.

[Rajflyboy]

So true Weatherman 👍 half the classes around here look like crate sportsman

[kazual]

I’m not so critical of the number of divisions but get worked up over tracks letting the show drag on when they could be using more urgency.

[fastford]

why not just run the late models feature first , then the ones that only care about them can leave....problem solved.....

[fastford]

I,m sitting here watching the comp cams race , they have 3 classes , been watching for 4 hrs and still no main yet , IDK if number of classes really matters .....

[over4T]

ff, I know what you mean. If it wasn't 31 degrees out in the shop I would have been out there 3 hours ago. Especially if I knew what a mess the main was going to be. You didn't want to be up front in it. Got a ton to do on the car yet before next week's opener at Stockton. Blizzards here this week and now monsoon rains due all next week. If we don't get it ready it will be clear next Saturday and if we do it will probably get mudded out. Tonight was another piece of my life I'll never get back.

[dirtcrazy4u]

Dang nabbit man, we had more hot dogs and coffee to sell. I don't care if the coffee was in the pot since last year.

[Oiler]

"Weekly Racing" shows at Bulls Gap is 7 classes again this year. Didn't they run a one day 11 class season finale a few years back? I really like the place but 7 classes is a few too many for me anymore.

[Barbecueboy]

ff, I know what you mean. If it wasn't 31 degrees out in the shop I would have been out there 3 hours ago. Especially if I knew what a mess the main was going to be. You didn't want to be up front in it. Got a ton to do on the car yet before next week's opener at Stockton. Blizzards here this week and now monsoon rains due all next week. If we don't get it ready it will be clear next Saturday and if we do it will probably get mudded out. Tonight was another piece of my life I'll never get back.

Good luck out there over4t…..love that area and have been following the weather getting dumped on y’all, stay safe.

[Black F]

I,m sitting here watching the comp cams race , they have 3 classes , been watching for 4 hrs and still no main yet , IDK if number of classes really matters .....
good point^

farmer city has a nack for extending a show way late with only a few classes. so, it would suggest, at some tracks, it really doesn't.

[Black F]

Dang nabbit man, we had more hot dogs and coffee to sell. I don't care if the coffee was in the pot since last year.

for the most part you always sound like eeyore in winnie-the-pooh, but you naild it on this one lol.

[BTExpress]

So last night with Davenport in the field, and only THREE divisions I was really looking forward to watching the Comp Cams race at Boothill on FLOl...I really tried, but after almost four hours, and no feature, I threw in the towel and went to bed. I struggle to watch alot of those type of races from the south on Flo. Many times I will peak in around 10pm hoping to see the feature, but very rarely is that the case. Kind of frustrating.

[over4T]

A few tracks, but only a few, have the decency to post a schedule listing the order of the classes running that show. Helps immensely if you aren't inclined to spent 5 -8 hours on FLO watching half a dozen classes you have zero interest in. Gives you the option of flipping around to see the one you give a hoot about. 'Course that can bite you too when your timing is off. Holding an online audience hostage won't help the track sell one more hot dog or beer but is more likely to convince the viewers what a crap show you run.

[BTExpress]

What FLO has done is to give us dirt track fans access to many different tracks around the country. Some tracks are well run, others not so much. I will give you an example of a well run track that runs muliple divisions. Marshalltown Speedway in Iowa. I barely knew what an IMCA Modified or Stock car was before FLO, and now I am a huge fan of that type of racing and the track. If I am not at my local track on a Friday nigh in person, I know that by 10 or 1030pm, I can peak in and watch the features after watching other sprint car and DLM races on FLO and Dirtvision. Marshalltown has a set schedule and unless there are extinuating circumstances, they run five divisions every week like clockwork. Made me a fan of racing that I knew nothing about until a few years ago.

[fastford]

ff, I know what you mean. If it wasn't 31 degrees out in the shop I would have been out there 3 hours ago. Especially if I knew what a mess the main was going to be. You didn't want to be up front in it. Got a ton to do on the car yet before next week's opener at Stockton. Blizzards here this week and now monsoon rains due all next week. If we don't get it ready it will be clear next Saturday and if we do it will probably get mudded out. Tonight was another piece of my life I'll never get back.

good luck buddy , first half of this year is finally finishing our house , then were back!!!! I hope ......

[fastford]

good point^

farmer city has a nack for extending a show way late with only a few classes. so, it would suggest, at some tracks, it really doesn't.

your never gone satisfy every one , but like I suggested , run the late models feature first feature , that way every one makes sacrifices , even the track because I realize concessions make up a lot of there revenue and some of that would leave after the lates run

[Oiler]

Lavonia ran 9 classes last night...70 cars. 17 were FWD which was the largest count by class. I wasn't there but I can only imagine what the track surface must have been like based on my last trip down for a show that included every class they run. Probably teams still loading up at first light 😁

[dynotimeonly]

No problem,,,,
As long as you don't mind paying $75 apiece to get into the stands. I really don't think these key board jockey's comprehend how much FLO and all these other's are hurting your local Saturday night track's.

[fastford]

dont know who you are referring to as these key board jockey's , but I think flo and others has a minute affect on turn out on Saturday night racing , nothing takes the place of live racing , I cant travel all over the country to watch the BIG shows so I enjoy the streaming because otherwise , all I could do is read about them on here , where no one does updates any more anyways , if you turned off all the streaming , I would gamble it would have hardly any effect on attendance ....JMO....

[GrocMax]

When Ronny Gould was promoting Southern OK Speedway- 6 classes, start when the sun goes down (8-8:30ish, sometimes later in aug/sept), done usually a little after 10, sometimes 11. 100-130 cars, two to three B mains. Every other weekend a local traveling series like like 305 Sprints, local Lanny rules late models, minis, etc. It can be done. But......why bother these days? Streaming is going to kill your weekly track, the revenue doesn't go to the facility. Your grandkids are making millions of dollars a year not by participating in anything, but just by watching videos of video game play, and making snarky comments. Think about that. Welcome to the virtual world.

[ftfiowa]

streaming has a minimal effect on front gate $$$$. most racetracks hold races nowadays, there are alot less "promoters" in the game anymore. its easier to hold races with 5+ classes & make it up on the back gate $$$$.

The future of racing better include streaming for your track or you'll go the way of the dinosaurs.

[gertheblur12]

4 classes max supers, crates, mods, ss or whatever is good for your region. A special during the week should be the special class and the top regular class at your track. On another note if you can run 10 classes and have the show wrapped up by 10:30 then so be it. I think a show whether weekly or special should be done by 10-10:30 at the latest

[usac7]

I have to ask which is better.....

Track 1 has 3 divisions,
They have 100 cars, 33 in each class.
They have 3 heats per class
They have a B main for each class
And they have a feature for each class

Track 2 has 6 classes
They too have 100 cars in the pits
4 classes draw for start and run a feature only
1 class has 2 heats and a feature
And 1 class qualifies and runs a feature.

So track 1 has 9 heats, 3 B mains and 3 features
Track 2 has 1 qualifying session, 2 heats and 6 features.

Track 1 at the end of the night has 3 winners and 99 losers
Track 2 at the end of the night has 6 winners and 94 losers

As a fan, which track do you want to watch?
As a racer, which track would you want to race at?

[Barbecueboy]

Very cool question…..as a fan I’d pick either really but would lean towards the second scenario if the classes were distinctly different.

[over4T]

As both a fan and racer I'd take the 1st scenario. As a racer I like big fields for our class as we go to race with a lot of people. Also like that heats usually determine where you start in the main. With choice 2 if you get a bad draw and only run a main you can be pretty much screwed before you start and just getting to run a main gives you no chance to adjust setups. Also get less track time for our $40+ pit pass. Don't care much for qualifying as either racer or fan. Nor do I care about 6 classes. My 2 cents (adjusted for inflation probably $4.50.)