Max Aero, Return of the wedge!

[Stede Bonnet]

If you hate the "outlandish" cars so bad, why do you care if the have rules or don't? Why don't you just watch old videos from pre-1982? because I'm 100% certain the last 35 years the cars classified as "dirt late models" have looked outlandish in their own ways. Do you want to see a stripped out, souped up 2017 Ford Mustang or Taurus, or a brand new Chevy Camaro or Malibu going around a dirt track as a dirt late model? This isn't 1978. Don't get me wrong I love seeing races and cars and photos from back then, all the way through today. But times change. Freddy Smith's 1983 wedge car didn't look like Charlie Hughes 1978 Camaro, nor did Scott Bloomquists 1998 Warrior look like Scott Bloomquists 1991 Mastersbilt, you get the picture. Times change. I think the cars from the late 90s and early 2000s were the ugliest DLM in history. I personally LOVE the early 90s semi wedge cars, and cars of the last 5-7 years or so. But that's simply my opinion, just like you seem to hate the DLM of today.

Spoken like a true liberal, "don't speak unless you agree with me." One day, Sonny you'll understand why letting the aero stuff take such a dominant roll and lackadaisical rules enforcement is such a bad thing. Letting things slide, that's how crates came about. Wedge cars were outlawed because it was driving engine costs thru the roof. Sound familiar? You want to take pot shots at me, hurl insults, that's fine, but you don't know me, or maybe you do and you just don't realize it... Later.

[RRRKKK]

The best rules are no rules

[RayCook53fan]

Spoken like a true liberal, "don't speak unless you agree with me." One day, Sonny you'll understand why letting the aero stuff take such a dominant roll and lackadaisical rules enforcement is such a bad thing. Letting things slide, that's how crates came about. Wedge cars were outlawed because it was driving engine costs thru the roof. Sound familiar? You want to take pot shots at me, hurl insults, that's fine, but you don't know me, or maybe you do and you just don't realize it... Later.

I sir am most definitely not a liberal. All I am saying is that things change. Intelligent individuals have determined multiple ways whether it be aero/shocks etc to make these cars faster, why stop innovation? As far as the aero goes, no matter how you bend it (or don't bend it) a sheet of aluminum costs the same amount. At my home track I've watched for years the guys with spec motors (Ronnie Johnson in particular) beat up on the guys with the 400+ CI all aluminum engine (Chris Madden in particular) Because he got the power to the ground. I know a lot of these people personally. I talked to Skip Arp last fall at a race about his shock behind innovation in 1998. That was a HUGE innovation for our sport, it made the cars faster. Why is this discussion any different? In racing in any form, teams are always being innovative, using ingenuity to be the fastest and win races, I guess I don't understand why you seem so adamant on moving in reverse is all. I do apologize if I was "hurling insults"

[Tireguy17]

What 15 years in DLM racing looks like. 2002 to 2017

[Illtsate32]

Idk if rules have changed but for instance in Ump you were not allowed any rake from front to back on the deck or the roof line and now days ive seen up to 6 inches of rake on the roofs...you can stick your whole arm in between the roof and the roll bars...crazy...

[bullring]

At least get rid of those stupid looking humps on the front fenders.

[Stede Bonnet]

I sir am most definitely not a liberal. All I am saying is that things change. Intelligent individuals have determined multiple ways whether it be aero/shocks etc to make these cars faster, why stop innovation? As far as the aero goes, no matter how you bend it (or don't bend it) a sheet of aluminum costs the same amount. At my home track I've watched for years the guys with spec motors (Ronnie Johnson in particular) beat up on the guys with the 400+ CI all aluminum engine (Chris Madden in particular) Because he got the power to the ground. I know a lot of these people personally. I talked to Skip Arp last fall at a race about his shock behind innovation in 1998. That was a HUGE innovation for our sport, it made the cars faster. Why is this discussion any different? In racing in any form, teams are always being innovative, using ingenuity to be the fastest and win races, I guess I don't understand why you seem so adamant on moving in reverse is all. I do apologize if I was "hurling insults"

Glad to hear you aren't a liberal. True Ingenuity, True Innovation doesn't ignore the rules and require the tech man to redefine things like, "Minimum Wheelbase" or "1 Shock per wheel". I'm guessing from your screen name your arguing from a fan POV, its cheap to do that. The reason RJ, "use to" beat the open comp supers was because he was given a 12 inch blade and a weight break for his spec and his CT525. Now the innovation you speak so fondly of, along with the changes in the rules, has closed the door on the possibility for anyone else to do what RJ did a few years back. The costs of all this are why you don't see RJ running "open comp" much if at all anymore and its been several seasons since he was a regular threat, even on the Nesmith tour. I'm not knocking RJ, I respect and admire him, but the way we use to be able to race and what is allowed now are gulfs apart. Everyone speaks so fondly of the wedge cars, they looked cool, but Aero nearly killed DLM once before and add in wind tunnel time, shaker rigs, spring smashers and the rest and poor ole RJ's flash won't stand a chance. For more than a decade I've been hearing how the next level was gonna be so awesome, well its here and so far I just keep reading of more retirements and more leaving the sport, all related to cost and time involved to prepare the cars.
Be careful what you wish for in the grandstands, you may just wish away your hero's....

Done.

[RayCook53fan]

Glad to hear you aren't a liberal. True Ingenuity, True Innovation doesn't ignore the rules and require the tech man to redefine things like, "Minimum Wheelbase" or "1 Shock per wheel". I'm guessing from your screen name your arguing from a fan POV, its cheap to do that. The reason RJ, "use to" beat the open comp supers was because he was given a 12 inch blade and a weight break for his spec and his CT525. Now the innovation you speak so fondly of, along with the changes in the rules, has closed the door on the possibility for anyone else to do what RJ did a few years back. The costs of all this are why you don't see RJ running "open comp" much if at all anymore and its been several seasons since he was a regular threat, even on the Nesmith tour. I'm not knocking RJ, I respect and admire him, but the way we use to be able to race and what is allowed now are gulfs apart. Everyone speaks so fondly of the wedge cars, they looked cool, but Aero nearly killed DLM once before and add in wind tunnel time, shaker rigs, spring smashers and the rest and poor ole RJ's flash won't stand a chance. For more than a decade I've been hearing how the next level was gonna be so awesome, well its here and so far I just keep reading of more retirements and more leaving the sport, all related to cost and time involved to prepare the cars.
Be careful what you wish for in the grandstands, you may just wish away your hero's....

Done.

I made the username about 10 years ago when I was just a fan. I'm not arguing anymore. Obviously we are not going to agree on this.

[Josh Bayko]

What 15 years in DLM racing looks like. 2002 to 2017

Other than the roof height, sails and valance, they're really not that different. The left front ear is still a good 6-8" taller than the right. It's still got the right front further out than the rear.

And the roof height is probably a good thing. A lot more window space to get out in case of emergency on the XR1.

[let-r-eat]

The tracks are getting single groove because that is the fast way around. Watching from hotlaps to heats to feature you can see that the cars are constantly seeking traction. As the surface goes away they search for other ways. The problem is that the old style of racing isn't coming back because of the equipment. Everyone has a cookie cutter type approach because the non conventional approaches don't exist. Maturity of the race car. Like Davenport running the fence and passing on the outside. Others like Bobby Pierce started the same practice. Given the same surface top to bottom will always create a one groove race in today's world. That wasn't so 20 years ago.

[Bubstr]

The only one that has control of the track surface is the track. That won't change, no matter how many rules are written. Believe it or not, there are tracks that regulate groove speeds by watering, moving tires, scraping berms or even changing how they have to enter a corner. They even change the banking degrees. There should be track maintenance schools like there are chassis set up schools. If the tracks worked half as hard at making a good track, as the racers do at winning the next race. we wouldn't have a problem.