What is so "economy" about economy bomber now?

[Hoosier]

Dusty Keheley‎ posts:

Dear Dixie Speedway,
I just watched a video from a practice held this past saturday night. I just wanna say that I'm disappointed in the direction you have taken with economy bomber. Wasn't the original intentions of this class to be for beginners? People who could get into racing but still be somewhat easier on the wallet? The cars in economy bomber look just like a latemodel. Personally I don't find that very appealing as a fan and I know I'm not the only one. What happened to running novas, camaros, monte carlos, etc ? Other tracks still keep a grasp of the true meaning of the class called "bomber". So I have to ask. What is so "economy" about economy bomber now?

[SuperEight]

Nova's, Camaro's and Monte Carlo's are now classic cars for one and for second you can't find them in junk yards anymore without spending a lot. So nowadays its more, "Economical" to use a stock clip on a tubular frame/cage and use after market body panels. Your crying is a waste and pointless, times change and you adapt. By the way this is the, "Dirt late Model" section, NOT the econo bomber section...

[W2Racing09]

Nova's, Camaro's and Monte Carlo's are now classic cars for one and for second you can't find them in junk yards anymore without spending a lot. So nowadays its more, "Economical" to use a stock clip on a tubular frame/cage and use after market body panels. Your crying is a waste and pointless, times change and you adapt. By the way this is the, "Dirt late Model" section, NOT the econo bomber section...

Unfortunately this is 100% correct. Between the fact that the donor cars for this division in the past are now 30+ year old "classics" and also the remaining ones that were not in "classic condition" were traded in during cash for clunkers it is all but impossible to get a new car without getting a newly fabricated frame.

I think tracks really should embrace the Crown Vics. There are tons of those things out there that use to be police interceptors that you can get for cheap. You could call it the "Cruiser" division or something like that. Right now that is about all we have left for V8 RWD options. Once we run out of V8 RWD cars it will be a sad day, because driving an FWD car does very little to prepare you for moving up to the Late Models, Sprints, Mods or whatever else.

Thanks,
Jeff.

[Krooser]

While the supply isn't what it used to be here in the rustbelt we still seem to have enough metric cars to go around. New ones built every year.

I do agree that the Crown Vic is the answer for now... a good chassis, plenty strong and a much better suspension design for racing than a metric chassis.

[zyoung25]

Don't forget about the chevy caprice! It won't be long and those things will be gone. Both the caprice and vic are very desirable derby cars.

[W2Racing09]

Don't forget about the chevy caprice! It won't be long and those things will be gone. Both the caprice and vic are very desirable derby cars.

The Caprice as well but they stopped long before the Crown Vic. There are a TON of Crown Vics still in service as police cars, so the supply hasn't even stopped yet. There are hundreds of thousands of them for sale right now nationwide. While the derby's are pointlessly ruining them (I know I'm a hypocrite, a lot of people think racing is pointless too) there are still a ton to go around for years to come.

[fastford]

I don't mind the fabricated body, its easier to maintain , the money is spent under the body , just like with the so called "economical" crate classes, LOL. stick with full frames and cheap shocks . small hard tires and as stock of suspension as you can and that's about all you or the track can do to control cost, by the way, lets try and keep the crown vic stuff quiet or we may have a bunch of cheby jumpers. plus most rules say you have to run the engine that matches the frame, so no crate gm engines.

[W2Racing09]

I don't mind the fabricated body, its easier to maintain , the money is spent under the body , just like with the so called "economical" crate classes, LOL. stick with full frames and cheap shocks . small hard tires and as stock of suspension as you can and that's about all you or the track can do to control cost, by the way, lets try and keep the crown vic stuff quiet or we may have a bunch of cheby jumpers. plus most rules say you have to run the engine that matches the frame, so no crate gm engines.

Crates are not economical until you compare them to a Super Late Model, even if you get your motor blue printed (which you don't have to do to win, as proven weekly by many CLM drivers) you still pay $40k less than a new SLM motor from a big motor guy.

The benefit of everyone running Crown Vics would be that there wouldn't be any Chevy's out there to beat them by half a track! haha

Thanks,
Jeff.

[fastford]

good one Jeffery, but you know the crate motor rule makers, i.e. Nesmith, fasttrack,imca and so on , will change the rules and allow crate motors in the vic chassis , just like allowing a 9inch rear in a chevy. what ever it takes to sell engines I guess......

[W2Racing09]

good one Jeffery, but you know the crate motor rule makers, i.e. Nesmith, fasttrack,imca and so on , will change the rules and allow crate motors in the vic chassis , just like allowing a 9inch rear in a chevy. what ever it takes to sell engines I guess......

Those would be the fastest Fords ever to hit the track then!

In all reality, I don't think there is a place for any kind of sanction in the lowest class of racing -- all it does is increase the prices by mandating things. Every track should have their own bottom class or two and it should be bone stock IMO. $750 Claim Rule by the car that finishes behind you and all of that. Ballast rules to keep it competitive (if you want to run the lowest class for 5 years and win every other week you are going to be 200-300lbs heavier. Move up!)

Thanks,
Jeff.

[RoundNrOUND]

There's a lot of Crown Vic's making left hand turns only right now. Lots of major mod chassis builders have gone that way for a while now.

[RW57]

We race this class yea it ain't cheap we do all our own bodies engines chassis our car was a warrior which I installed a camaro clip and made the car a 3 link we have about 5500$ in our car race ready .I talked to a young man Sat at Dixie he said he had about 15 grand in his. A couple of places I think they let it get away is shocks no canister shocks but you can run gas shocks we have a set of bilstiens custom valved for our car cost around 600 bucks we race against cars that have take apart shocks shocks at 1000 bucks and up. My opinion is you should run oil shocks we started with 4 intergas that cost 260 to my door . you should be able to claim them at say 400$ after race.Engines are a big deal we have about 1500$ in ours we race against cars that have engines that cost 5000 to 7500$ see a picture developing here .These cars cost a ton to build if you cannot do it yourself. A cheaper alternative to me would be keep engines restricted but allow jig cars with oil shocks you can buy used late model rollers at 1500 on up put motor in go race if you have to pay someone to clip it make it a 3 link etc the cost goes out of site.this just my opinion oh yea we race for 350$ to win

[tb1545]

Why don't more entry "stock car" type classes adopt the Nesmith stocks instead of late model look alike bodies then? Seeing new camaros and mustang bodies on a caprice or crown vic chassis could be a pretty economic and decent looking class. Always loved watching real street looking cars race and usually some of the best racing during the night. Dealing with all those stock parts, bodies, and stock suspension pieces to build and fix those classes are for the birds though. I didn't have the patience to deal with the stock front end on a modified let alone both ends of the car.

[RW57]

The top Nesmith cars are 25 grand cars the biggest problem is the cars are not out there anymore now you can buy a tube metric chassis that is legal in Nesmith I don't remember the cost but its not bad considering no 1 all the work you have to do to a stock frame and you start building right away.it's only gonna get worse a camaro clip if you can find one start at 250 $ and up I found one for 150 last year and could not get my money out fast enough.

[superdirt]

Johnson Chassis has been selling their XYG GM metric duplicate for a while. Tracks that want to keep this type of division should allow this chassis as the 80's frames become extinct.

http://www.johnsonchassis.com/CATALOG.html

As far as the bodies go, a aluminum dirt late model type body is easier for the race team to deal with. Any stock molded aftermarket bodies such as asphalt cars get expensive to maintain.

Its what's under the hood and the suspension elements that should to be kept as stock as possible in these classes.

[RW57]

I agree there was a series down here Southern Outlaw Street stocks that required stock spindles basically stock suspension components camaro clip tube back or metric cars 108 in wheelbase 10 in wheels & tires claim rule on shocks 300 HP heads solid lifters it ran for 2 or 3 seasons lots of cars very competive very well teched the people running it just gave it up too many headaches my point is I could build 2 cars with those rules .No one in our area has a class like this a friend of mine wanted to do a car for this problem for us was it was a 3 hr or longer drive for us so we never built one .Racing is in trouble and I don't know what the answer is.

[fastford]

There's a lot of Crown Vic's making left hand turns only right now. Lots of major mod chassis builders have gone that way for a while now.

hey buddy, please clear you messages, I have a question, thanks

[Barbecueboy]

Unfortunately this is 100% correct. Between the fact that the donor cars for this division in the past are now 30+ year old "classics" and also the remaining ones that were not in "classic condition" were traded in during cash for clunkers it is all but impossible to get a new car without getting a newly fabricated frame.

I think tracks really should embrace the Crown Vics. There are tons of those things out there that use to be police interceptors that you can get for cheap. You could call it the "Cruiser" division or something like that. Right now that is about all we have left for V8 RWD options. Once we run out of V8 RWD cars it will be a sad day, because driving an FWD car does very little to prepare you for moving up to the Late Models, Sprints, Mods or whatever else.

Thanks,
Jeff.

This is a great post Jeff..........spot On

I really can't believe certain tracks haven't embraced the trucks........a bazillion of them sitting around from the late 70s,80s.

I've seen a few trucks out there that have been converted from asphalt to dirt, but they are just a token field fillers.

I would like to see a field of 15/20 trucks ( ford v Chevy) in a class..........sorry, just the redneckk coming out.

[W2Racing09]

This is a great post Jeff..........spot On

I really can't believe certain tracks haven't embraced the trucks........a bazillion of them sitting around from the late 70s,80s.

I've seen a few trucks out there that have been converted from asphalt to dirt, but they are just a token field fillers.

I would like to see a field of 15/20 trucks ( ford v Chevy) in a class..........sorry, just the redneckk coming out.

I've seen some dirt track trucks, in fact I think up in the Dakotas there is a series. But otherwise, yeah I think trucks would be the logical choice for a beginner division. In fact a mini truck division would be the perfect started class rather than UCARS. There are a ton of little S10s and Rangers around that would be great in a division like that. I rarely see it on dirt, but it was pretty popular in New England where I'm from originally. Check out the attached picture, they are pretty good looking trucks and the racing isn't bad either.