Low car count at I-80...

[thexfactor0210]

Why only 43 cars for over 500 grand in purse money this week? It pays crazy good money on Saturday with 5300 kust to start and a 5300 to win non qualifiers race. It is kinda upsetting more guys did not support it with all the money being paid out..

[BirkyTime15B]

Have to remember that Open Late Models race nowhere out there. Or in Iowa for that matter. I guess 50 cars by the weekend.

[TerryM]

Do they have to be there tonight, in order to race Saturday?

[HoosierDirtFan]

Do they have to be there tonight, in order to race Saturday?

Terry from what I understand no. Just basically a regular show tonight.

[TerryM]

Terry from what I understand no. Just basically a regular show tonight.

That’s what I thought.

No reason for people to freak out because there’s “only” 43 cars for a $7,000-to-win Tuesday night show. How many did they expect tonight?

[Paradox28]

Tonight and tomorrow are earning points for the 30k show Thursday. Technically, can show up just Friday and Saturday to race for the 53k. I'd say the car count won't change much from now til then

[TerryM]

My boy qualifies fastest overall and has to start 6th in his heat, on a track you can’t pass on. Ugh.

[Josh Bayko]

There aren't a whole lot of super lates in general these days. Anything over 40 is a bonus.

[EDERDS]

Is it out of the question that there might have been a lil calculated sandbagging in qualifying trying to get better starting positions for the heats?

[Highside Hustler25]

TerryM, he's on the pole. You think they should give him a 1 lap head start?

[intel8]

Finish, Overton, O'Neal, Thornton, Bronson. Overton half throttle to the win, guy is way smooth!

[EDERDS]

Overton could run his car anywhere he wanted and he is getting unreal bite coming out of the turns

[huskerdirt]

90% of the field gathered at I-80 is from east of the track and it’s always been like that. The car count hasn’t been over 50 since MLRA was dropped the co sanction. When you have a Heck Tour swing, and 10k, 20k to win dotted on the map it makes a huge difference. Outside of Moyer Sr retiring, pretty much every guy that was at I-80 last year is racing somewhere else. I don’t blame them either, money makes this thing go around for the drivers.

FWIW, the race had 46 cars last year and looks like 45-46 cars will be total number by the time we are done for the week.

[Mod Runner]

Five days is a long time to be at one track unless you are independently wealthy. Look for the less funded teams to show up on Thursday.

[fryefan]

Five days is a long time to be at one track unless you are independently wealthy. Look for the less funded teams to show up on Thursday.

They had better show up tonight or Friday. Thursday's show is based upon results from Tuesday and Wednesday. If a new team shows up on Thursday, then they will start at the very back in a b-main (or c-main depending how they title their non-qualified races).

[jbinlincoln]

Several teams simply don't have the luxury of getting time off for midweek shows one or more states away. I think the $5300-to-start money for Saturday night's main event will bring a few more haulers into the pits.

A couple of observations on Night One... First, I'm sure I already know, but I would really love to hear some thoughts from the LOLMDS regulars about Tuesday & Wednesday formats, which are essentially the SLMR/Malvern Bank rules. Heat rare lineups invert the top 6 from qualifying, with passing points determining starting lineup for the feature each night. It meant that polesitter Brandon Sheppard had to win his heat or start on the front row of a B-Main. Sure enough, he came in second behind Jonathan Davenport in an absolutely loaded heat one. The 30-lap feature was entertaining and sufficiently stacked from front to back with the very best. With the track still a bit tacky, while there was great side-by-side racing, it didn't necessarily allow for a deep-starting driver to make a hard-charging run to the front. After tangling with a tricky cushion (like several others did) in turns 3-4, B-Shepp couldn't move forward and bowed out with issues late in the feature. The format takes a driver's best finish of the two nights, so there will be several teams trying to rally tonight, and some others perhaps doing more testing than competing upfront.

Second, I also think I know the answer to this, but I'd still love to hear more LOLMDS regulars' thoughts on the tire rule for the weekend. Hoosier D55's, no grooving or siping. They can have a different LF, however. On one hand, I'm sure teams don't mind not having to spend the time it takes (30 minutes a tire!?) grinding, grooving & siping in the boiling sun that is SDN Week. But, I also think this is just enough deviation from what many traveling teams are used to that it throws them off, especially on night one of a multi-day program. Maybe I'm overthinking that, but even with a notebook full of notes from previous years, the cars and setups do change, and that makes some notes obsolete. Ultimately, the cream rises to the top, and that was certainly the case with Brandon Overton. His smoothness on corner entry, his combination of gas & brake running a middle groove (a Bloomquist line, as some like to call it), and whatever shock package they've hit on....it's just an unbeatable combination right now. Hard to judge just on one 30-lapper, but my money would be on the 76 to get at least one of the big checks this week at I-80, if not both.

Tad Pospisil looks to be back with a different open motor for Thursday's program, for sure. Maybe by tonight, but it will be close.

Speaking of open motors... Anybody got a Vic Hill or a Clements lying around for Jesse Sobbing to borrow? Hey, a fan can dare to dream, can't he?

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

I wonder how many grooved tires before the rule was changed? How many bought LM40, only to be told later they were not allowed?

Biggest thing on the 55 is that unused tires won't be used.

[Bforwarned]

Sad they dont have the USMTS with them this year either.

[Mod Runner]

Now that would be a show to have USMTS and SLM at the same track.

[manwplan]

I wonder how many grooved tires before the rule was changed? How many bought LM40, only to be told later they were not allowed?

Biggest thing on the 55 is that unused tires won't be used.

A lot of pissed off teams I'm told that had tires ready to go only to have to buy more. Smooth move Lucas at a time when tires are hard to come by.