Time Machine

[dirtcrazy4u]

If you could turn back the clock to whatever era of dirt track racing where would you go ?

Myself it would be 1975 to 1980. The late models, or for that matter, dirt track cars were in gas stations, auto dealerships, junkyards, it seemed they were everywhere. I was a pit rat from Thursday to Sunday's on most weekends. You f*cked up on track and it was settled by getting blindsided in the pits.

Costs where controlled by how much you could do yourself on the race car. Big blocks were getting swapped out for the weight savings of a small block chevy. Low oil pressure, no problem, grab the shoe box of bearings and drop the pan. Power steering, laughable. Containment seats, your kidding right. Guys, drivers and crews, would get bounced around or burned changing out a hot Trans or quick change gears. The next night we where all back at it.

ADD to the story if you care to. I miss those days, lol, I'm not sure if most of you were around back then. Racing today has become bigger, for what the purses where to now, but the thing it's done is that we had b mains mostly every night. Eldora, pennsboro, the hub city, Syracuse.

[Hoosier_Dirt]

Early 90s for me. I just liked that era of the cars, tracks etc..

[zyoung25]

Late 90s to mid 00s for me. Hav-a-Tampa/UDTRA and STARS/Renegade days basically.

[lokwaidid]

i liked the late 70's to the early 90's. mostly the 80's. like dirtcrazy4u said, race cars in every neighborhood garage. b-mains in every class. inverted heats. going form wedge cars to ump cars. probably 10 tracks within a 100 mile radius of cincinnati.

[3 wide]

In the 70s at the old boyds in Chattanooga an Rome on Sunday night an atomic into the 80s when they ran big races

[HoosierDirtFan]

Mid to late 1980's through the early 1990's with the old sheet metal front nose with the metal hoop to help be towed off the track

[JimBo]

Mid 90’s to mid 2000’s was a my favorite time period. MLRA, NCRA, MARS, and Hava Tampa series had enough Late Models to run 2 B Features. Also big fields of Street Stocks and Super stocks that looked like street cars.

[Highside Hustler25]

I'm with ya on the 70's. When the cars were actual cars. Camaro's and Chevelle's were the popular choice.

[Buford.Justice]

If you could turn back the clock to whatever era of dirt track racing where would you go ?

Myself it would be 1975 to 1980. The late models, or for that matter, dirt track cars were in gas stations, auto dealerships, junkyards, it seemed they were everywhere. I was a pit rat from Thursday to Sunday's on most weekends. You f*cked up on track and it was settled by getting blindsided in the pits.

Costs where controlled by how much you could do yourself on the race car. Big blocks were getting swapped out for the weight savings of a small block chevy. Low oil pressure, no problem, grab the shoe box of bearings and drop the pan. Power steering, laughable. Containment seats, your kidding right. Guys, drivers and crews, would get bounced around or burned changing out a hot Trans or quick change gears. The next night we where all back at it.

ADD to the story if you care to. I miss those days, lol, I'm not sure if most of you were around back then. Racing today has become bigger, for what the purses where to now, but the thing it's done is that we had b mains mostly every night. Eldora, pennsboro, the hub city, Syracuse.

1975-1980 that is a great choice...

[Rajflyboy]

Any time anywhere Freddy Smith was racing

[lurker]

Early 80’s

[latemodelman]

I would say from 1985 to 2007. Thats the years you had big car counts everywhere in every class. Also the ticket prices were not huge and we also had race tracks that are gone now running then. I remember going to Eldora for a memorial day show for ALMS in 2002 and seeing just 2 classes USAC Sprints which had 54 cars and ALMS which had 69 super lates. Then in Labor Day seeing 86 Super Lates and 48 Modifieds and 56 stock cars. Miss them days.

[Big Daddy 37]

1997 changed everything, when 4M.net was invented.

We didn't all need to go wait by the mailbox every Friday, to get results from last week, in the Hawkeye Racing News (or many other weekly mailed newsletters) .

We all have our own favorite Late Model era. But the internet has changed everything.

[riddle28]

pre speedweeks 2015

[Raceready]

1997 changed everything, when 4M.net was invented.We didn't all need to go wait by the mailbox every Friday, to get results from last week, in the Hawkeye Racing News (or many other weekly mailed newsletters) .We all have our own favorite Late Model era. But the internet has changed everything.

I liked 1996 B. E. ! Even though we had to rely on Area Auto Racing News, Gator Racing News, StockCar Racing News, Circle Track etc. to keep up with current events.

[chubfrankfan]

late 70's to late 90's

[Raceready]

I enjoyed the time when half the cars were flat towed or on open trailers so that people on the street could oogle the cars and maybe want to follow them to the track. Now it is common to see big old enclosed trailers even for 4-bangers.

[weatherman85]

Late 80s to late 90s for me. Lot of things seemed to change to me when the crate engine was introduced in early 2000s.

[Rajflyboy]

Late 80s to late 90s for me. Lot of things seemed to change to me when the crate engine was introduced in early 2000s.

I think you are right 👍

[BloomerHarvickFan]

For me the early to mid-nineties. Loved the cars, Hav-A-Tampa, STARS, SAS, all around my neck of the woods. Atomic still existed. Loved going to 2 day 100 lap HAT shows. Qualifying and heats on Friday, Consolation races and Feature on Saturday night.