Why are crate late models even a thing?

[kntcrshr 666]

If you think about it, crate motors AT THIS POINT IN TIME, may be keeping dirt racing alive. They are keeping the gates open weekly at dirt tracks across the country....without late models (where I live) fans would not attend. Since owners can't afford to run supers every week if it weren't for crate guys the gates would close, therefore no place to run the Lucas and WOO events. You might need to be thankful these guys are paying the bills so the big guys can come twice a year instead of bashing them.

It's not keeping dirt racing alive. It's a lousy substitute for not having weekly super late model racing. There's a better way than going crates

[kntcrshr 666]

Race em all together...fast cars to the tail. Pay in the dash, heats, b mains and feature....spread the money around. The fans could care less about wide bores, crates, two barrels, four barrels, tire compounds, wheel offsets, etc. They want action not guys who start upfront winning every week.This ain't racing it's show bidness...bring back trophy girls, bikini contests, big wheel races, kids race car rides, back up races, spectator drags, thrill shows, guys blowing themselves up on a 5 gallon bucket..all the stuff that worked in the past.And get the promoters off Facebook and on the streets actually promoting.

I like this guy. Sounds like more fun than what we currently have!

[mcarter815]

That is exactly the problem. Street stocks are supposed to be for middle to lower blue collar people, maybe even people who live in a trailer park and have almost nothing. Nowadays people are trying to turn every class into super late models. The least ump could do is put 6" tires on street stocks so you could hopefully be able to pull an old engine off a pickup truck and put it in your street stock. That's why they were called street stocks, because it was literally old street car parts

Blue collar workers haven't seen a significant rise in wages in twenty years while everything in life has gotten more expensive. That's what rising income inequality looks like. If you want to race today you either need to be a successful business owner or a middle class white collar worker.

[EvelB7]

I disliked crates when they started....Ended up keeping me racing for a few years. Realize at quite a few tracks, once it slicks off the lap times are close to the same (practiced third quick with crate and supers together with a 604 a few years ago, several high quality supers in attendance). I prefer the supers, but end of day if they put on a competitive show who really cares what is under the hood? Ask Ronnie Johnson how much money the first 525 made him, much of it against supers!

[fryefan]

What the hell's the difference? If you can afford to run a super late model, then run it. If you can afford to run a crate late model, then run it. Racing is expensive. Hell street stocks are expensive to run. Let's face it, the average Joe down the street making 15 dollars an hour, and trying to raise a family just can't do it. My self can't in know way afford to race a super late model so we are going to run a crate late model. But I sure as hell am not going to be crying because I can't afford to run a super. Car counts are hurting in most places I see. That includes street stocks and all the way up. I wish we all made 100 dollars an hour so we all could be racing what we really want to, but that's not how life is. Ok every one pile on and start beating on me!!!

I am not going to pile on, because you are 100% correct in your assessment.

Good luck at the track !!!

[fryefan]

Better than crates

That is not even remotely true.

[fryefan]

The notion that the money being saved on the difference between a competitive open motor and a competitive crate motor is simply being spent on "trick" components for crates is COMPLETELY false. We have a very competitive field of crates in southern Indiana and the guys that win regularly do NOT have trick lightweight stuff on their cars. Are there cars out there with all of the lightweight components? Absolutely. But it is FAR from necessary to be competitive or win. I will also add that the ones that appear to have more power are usually the better handling cars that are able to carry more momentum though the corners. If you can keep the motor up in the power band you WILL have more power. You don't have to cheat the motor to do that.
Widespread motor cheating and exotic components in crates are myths created by fans that simply don't like them and want something to blame on the demise of super late models besides the obvious $50,000 elephant in the room. Spread bore motors were the nail in the coffin for weekly SLM racing. Simply buried alive at this point propped up by independent wealth in most cases.

You are correct. Crate Late Models are the future of weekly late model racing. It has been trending that way for many years. Anyone that can't see that has their head buried in the sand.

[fryefan]

If you think about it, crate motors AT THIS POINT IN TIME, may be keeping dirt racing alive. They are keeping the gates open weekly at dirt tracks across the country....without late models (where I live) fans would not attend. Since owners can't afford to run supers every week if it weren't for crate guys the gates would close, therefore no place to run the Lucas and WOO events. You might need to be thankful these guys are paying the bills so the big guys can come twice a year instead of bashing them.

That is the reality of the situation.

[tsand]

when they dropped the supers at cherokee speedway the were only getting 6-8 cars a week. they average around 20 crates on a regular show now. even the regional series only averages 16 -18 cars for a 4 to 5 thousand to win races. even if you buy the latest greatest light weight stuff your still not spending the cost of a new Durham motor at 52,000$

[kidrock]

High engine and shock costs have led to low car counts in the open late model class , not the creation of the crate late model class.

You are so right. I talked to a ex-racer yesterday at a job site I was on and that is exactly why he got out of racing. He said he would love to get back into racing but, the cost has just gotten out of hand especially the engine and shocks.

[No_Weak_Links]

That is the reality of the situation.

Thanks for seeing the reality.....I'm not saying I like it. EVERYONE would rather see a super show every week, but that's not reality anymore. Just don't bash the crate guys and be thankful they turn out to race so we all can enjoy a Super show once a month or so.

[riddle28]

crates killed modified racing in the southeast, theyve took over A-mod IMCA racing, theyve started to kill weekly supers, i just dont see the positive to them. You can have a motor built to match the power they make for about the same price easily. And people saying crates are great for the ones that cant afford 50,000 open motors, in the southeast(heart of crate country) you dont need wide bores and all that 99% of the time. Once the tracks blow off 18* motors would be enough. I talked to Durham at PRI last year about some older motors and he told me knoxville and eldora is where you really need the new stuff

[kazual]

Takes some serious blinders to hold crates accountable for the demise of supers. Any crate guy would prefer to run a super if at all possible. When I see super guy from 20 years back running a B mod it says it all.

[PushinTheLimit]

I've been racing crates since I started back in 2013. If it wasn't for the 604, I don't know if I would've ever had the chance to drive a late model. It isn't just the cost of a super motor, its the maintenance/refresh on the open motrs that keep me from running.

Here in East TN, you might not need a big wide bore motor to compete with regionally, but there are stout teams everywhere and have plenty of money behind them. Some teams have dropped down in crates because it's way more affordable than supers. You can run NeSmith, UCRA, Fastrak and SECA for decent payouts too.

I've actually dropped down to a "Sportsman Late Model" class. Close to the same as crates, but much stricter shock rules (no adj. shocks) among other cost saving rules. The payout isn't as good, but at the end of the day... It's nice to compete against guys and not out-money by guys that have way more than our team. It would be the same with supers for me, one bad motor break and we are out for awhile. Crates, we can get back up and going without hurting the bank too bad at least.

[Clayton_Wetter]

It's not keeping dirt racing alive. It's a lousy substitute for not having weekly super late model racing. There's a better way than going crates

There is a better way than going crates, but I see those involved in which way or other are on here standing up for them out of selfishness! haha

Not meant for the above poster. I see the racers side of all this also.