Belleville High Banks TOO FAST

[Clayton_Wetter]

It's really an awesome race track. Regardless of the issues.

[dirtcrazy4u]

First. Who said they don't want to race there ? Eldora is fast, really fast. Anyone on here that thinks because BC lost his life there that no one wants to race there anymore. I think you would be wrong. It was and is a part of open wheel racing that can not be avoided. Yes there called open wheel, they should also be called open (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)pit cars. Everytime a driver straps into one of these machines it doesn't matter if your racing on a 1/4 mile to a large fast 1/2

[CIRF]

I suppose you can keep calling it the "midget nationals" with 18-20 cars, whereas the chili bowl gets 350.

Actually last January it was 365.

I've attended the High Banks for The Belleville Midget Nationals every year since 2012 and there have been around 35 cars there for the past 3 years. A significant bearing on Belleville car count is not nearly as much due to where it's run but rather the fact that for the vast majority of midget teams it's a 600-800 mile pull in the meat of their season. It's a USAC National event and the USAC teams will make the trip but many of the Badger, POWERi and ARDC guys won't and you can't really blame them.

Not a sprint car guy, but the issue with the starters wasn't the starter itself but the battery. Do you want to sit on top of a battery (didn't have dry cells back them at the time) on a car that was a matter of when you get upside down not when.

You are partially correct, billet. If starters are mandated on midgets and sprint cars you not only have the starter but also, as you pointed out, an on board battery in addition to a clutching system system integrated into the drive train. There is a lot more to it than just mounting a starter.




The Chili Bowl is unsanctioned and has no weight rules or cage tubing thickness rules but all the midget sanctions have minimum cage tubing thickness, and it's significant. I was at Belleville last August and if a midget takes a direct hit to the cage from another car travelling at race speeds like BC's car did at Belleville on a 1/4 mile track the result would probably be the similar. It's safe to say that if a dirt late model at Eldora took a direct hit from another late model in the cage directly above the driver area at race speeds there would be serious injury or worse.

The passion these drivers have for what they do overrides the danger they all know is present every time they strap in. Who am I to question them. To watch what some of these drivers do with racecars is literally incredible and every once in a while things are going to go badly.

[kidrock]

Very well said CIRF

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Very well said CIRF

He should literally write pieces for a racing paper/website. Very good always

[chupp n bloomer fan]

I think it's a combination of speed, equipment abuse, and just seeing someone as popular as BC die.

Then again, there's a few tracks with that reputation, or geographically screwed.

1.)Tazewell
2.)Virginia Motor Speedway

Ones I know of for sure.

[kidrock]

He should literally write pieces for a racing paper/website. Very good always

I agree, I think he would do a very good job.

[LeafMaster41]

You are partially correct, billet. If starters are mandated on midgets and sprint cars you not only have the starter but also, as you pointed out, an on board battery in addition to a clutching system system integrated into the drive train. There is a lot more to it than just mounting a starter.

Actually, that's only partially true. U don't have to have a clutch or transmission to use a starter. The California spec sprints mandate starters and batteries w/o trans or clutch. They push them to a start-up area, edge of the track sometimes, lock in the rear and push the starter button. It's strong enough to push the car forward and fire it off w/o push vehicle. So just a starter/battery is all that's required.

This part isn't directed at you CIRF, but I'm tired of seeing young men dead and paralyzed needlessly. The problem is the traditionalists who've grown too accustomed to death and severe injury and are not willing to make changes. They'd rather mourn a man's death and make a tribute video for youtube than fix safety issues. Personally, I'd trade every unnecessarily deadly track out there or silly light weight part just to get one of them back. I don't like seeing talent sacrificed needlessly for people's pleasure and then calling it, "tradition". We aren't curing disease or freeing oppressed peoples from tyranny, it's just passionate entertainment.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Actually, that's only partially true. U don't have to have a clutch or transmission to use a starter. The California spec sprints mandate starters and batteries w/o trans or clutch. They push them to a start-up area, edge of the track sometimes, lock in the rear and push the starter button. It's strong enough to push the car forward and fire it off w/o push vehicle. So just a starter/battery is all that's required.

This part isn't directed at you CIRF, but I'm tired of seeing young men dead and paralyzed needlessly. The problem is the traditionalists who've grown too accustomed to death and severe injury and are not willing to make changes. They'd rather mourn a man's death and make a tribute video for youtube than fix safety issues. Personally, I'd trade every unnecessarily deadly track out there or silly light weight part just to get one of them back. I don't like seeing talent sacrificed needlessly for people's pleasure and then calling it, "tradition". We aren't curing disease or freeing oppressed peoples from tyranny, it's just passionate entertainment.

Good post 41. Well said.

[jwel]

I am with you 41. Best post I have read in a long time.

[BerckFan]

I agree that it's not that racers don't want to race there. I'm talking specifically late models here. The problem is the purse. Hard to justify putting a $30-$50k motor out there for $2500 to win. Especially when the motor is going to have to be freshened (or should be) after leaving. Belleville has a great history, however the racing in the lm class is poor. I've been there probably 8 times, and honestly I could have quit going after the first time. The speed is awesome, but for me it's not about the speed. They string out really quick and their is a huge separation between the have and have nots. When Lucas was there years ago, the show was pretty good, but for a regional series like mlra or mars paying $2500 to win makes zero sense. jmo though

[cmmg42]

I think the racing at Belleville sucks, but it's awesome watching hi powered latemodels go in the corner and not let off. I've been to Eldora and the latemodels absolutely put on a great show!

[3 wide]

Well tazwell is a third mile track record is 10.8 they have trouble drawing a large field of cars but they usually have a full field Lucas and world of outlaws both run their this year and on top of that it has new clay on it.

[powerslide]

Cost too much now days to run that style of track. They are reopening a half mile in my hometown and its "Historic" but i'm not going to race unless they shorten it. The cost to run big tracks is just to great on the motors, and when you wreck you destroy a car. Risk vs Reward some look at it different but budget guys have to weigh it all out.

[zyoung25]

Well tazwell is a third mile track record is 10.8 they have trouble drawing a large field of cars but they usually have a full field Lucas and world of outlaws both run their this year and on top of that it has new clay on it.

They do get full fields, but the series' brings over half of those cars with them. The series brings 10-14 guys that are committed to run the whole deal. They do good to get another 8 or 10 brave home staters that want to try it. Marlar is one of those brave souls that seems to show up at both of these shows. I highly doubt if the Taz put on a unsanctioned 10k show, many of these tour followers would come. Most of those guys do not like that place cuz it's so hard on stuff.