SAS vs. Southern Nats.

[hardracer32]

Just making an observation here. This is not a bash. I would like to hear some other opinions and see if anyone else sees this the same way I do.

Seems like the Southern All-Stars series has gone down hill quite a bit. It used to be a pretty solid series where you could count on a solid field of stout regional guys and a fairly frequent presence of "Big Names" that would drop in several times a year. The schedule was more diverse, as in they went to more tracks, and traveled a little farther. It was a stepping stone to going on up to Hav-A-Tampa/Lucas. It seemed to carry some prestige with it. I remember when you would see McDowell, Clint Smith, Scott Bloomquist, Ronnie Johnson, Freddy Smith, just to name a few, running several races a year. Now it seems like it's just a series for local racers that don't have a home track anymore, with an occasional appearance by some regional guys and a drop in from time to time by guys like Dale McDowell or Smokey when their schedules allow. it seems to me that the Schaeffer's tours have filled the spot that SAS used to. Better quality cars, better purses, more prestige. The only thing that those series lack, in my opinion, is the diversity of venue. I wish that they ventured into a few more tracks around Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky and the Carolinas.

Again, this is not a bash. I would love to be able to run either series. The SAS holds a very special place in the industry just from it's history alone. And I think Ray has done an outstanding job of building his tours into a very respectable and well run series.

[weatherman85]

I think it has to do with the different number of series that have popped up over the years in the South that has diluted SAS over the years. For a long time, SAS was all there was. Carolina Clash popped up in the mid 90s but they stayed true to their name at the time and mostly ran SC & NC before they started creeping over into SAS land. For a time there was even a SAS-East series that concentrated in NE Georgia and the Carolinas. You had other series pop up Tennessee Thunder Series, Mississippi Championship Series, BEAST, FUEL, Ultimate Supers, and countless others as well. I'm not even beginning to mention all the crate series that have come and gone. Just look at all the Series listed on DoD's site under "South". Not enough cars to go round with costs in Supers growing at astronomical rates. Got to the point were SAS even decreased their Winners purse from the usual $5,000 to $4,000.

[Pennsboro32]

I agree with weatherman85, there's a ton of regional series in the south. Ray Cook has grown his stuff, and the Ultimate and Carolina Clash both have solid series as well. Too many regional series is probably the #1 reason.

[fastford]

when B.J. Parker passed away in 2011 , the series started dying,,,,, IMO,,,,,

[B_K]

when B.J. Parker passed away in 2011 , the series started dying,,,,, IMO,,,,,

Agree with this 100%.

[hardracer32]

I suppose that the dwindling number of tracks in the South probably has something to do with all this as well. We've lost so many over the last several years. And several of the ones that do still operate do it so sporadically that you can hardly call them "open" really.

[LM1M]

Has the SAS always just done qualifying and B-Mains to determine feature starting positions? I don't care for the series that don't have heat races - sometimes those races can be as good as the feature.

[TerryM]

Has the SAS always just done qualifying and B-Mains to determine feature starting positions? I don't care for the series that don't have heat races - sometimes those races can be as good as the feature.

You’re not allowed to bring this topic up.

[No_Weak_Links]

All has to do with money. Just like Carolina Clash. No bigger names are going to follow a series paying $3,500 - $5,000 to win at most. With the expense to race supers now, it's is not good sense for full-time racers to unload for that.

[Kryptonite17]

Most who run SAS run it for the championship money, not the race prize money. That’s why you see low car counts for the lower paying shows and they’ll increase for the $10,000 to win shows. Also very few guys are gonna think they can beat Overton or Madden for the championship and they’re right to think that. If you can rack up several wins and the championship it’s a pretty nice payday.